I didn't plan on it, but the banjo is back in my life . . .

This story reminds me that I really do not have much control over my life as I think or want to believe that I do.

Maybe it's that way it is for a lot of us.

For those of you who have been reading my blog, you know that my dearest friend, adoptive brother and guitar/vocal teacher, Joe Laughlin, recently passed away.

On our way home from the funeral, his wife Riva (who is our very dear friend, and always will be)  asked us to come back by the house before we hit the road.  While there, she presented me with Joe's 1963 (as best I can tell through looking up the serial number) Gibson RB-175 long necked 5-string folk banjo.

For those scratching their heads and saying "long necked banjo?" . . . just look up a picture of Pete Seeger on the internet.   He is probably holding a Vega long necked banjo.  He invented the concept,  made this type of banjo famous as his main instrument for many years.

I have an old Kasuga 4-string tenor banjo in the closet.   I have it tuned to Chicago style tuning, meaning it is tuned to the bottom 4-strings of a guitar . . . D-G-B-E.   Easy to play for a guitar guy.  I could womp out chords on it pretty good, and it was loud!

I played it a lot in the later 1990's when I served as the Senior Associate Pastor at First United Methodist in Waco.  I used it most every Sunday morning during the children's worship time in the old chapel.  The late Winnie Lawson on piano, and me on banjo.  Too bad there wasn't a Shakey's Pizza Parlor in Waco at the time.  We could have made some money on tips!

When my family and moved to the church in Godley, I stopped playing the tenor banjo for some reason.  Upon pondering it some today, I can't seem to remember why.  But then, I didn't do much music at all during that period as I began to experience some ill health.

Speaking of banjo, back in the early 1990's, my previous efforts at 5-string banjo were all a complete failure.  Of course, my efforts were half-hearted at best.  But that was way, way, way before diving full blast back into folk music several years ago, in in the process, rediscovering how influential and important the banjo is to folk music.  As you listen to Pete Seeger, the Kingston Trio, the Lamplighters, the Chad Mitchell Trio and others, you know that the banjo played a big part.

I know that I will never be a good bluegrass style banjo picker, because I won't work on it that much . . . but I think I can get into "frailing."

Seriously, it's called "frailing."  Look it up.  It is a recognized banjo strumming method, especially for the long neck banjos, because they are often tuned to an open E chord, where the traditional bluegrass banjo is normally tuned to an open G chord.

This time's it's going to be fun.  And, I will be learning on the banjo that Joe used to play.

In the end . . . I concede that Joe had a keener sense than I did about where music was leading me down the road.  But then, he usually did.

Thank you Joe!  I miss you.  Thank you Riva!   From the bottom of my heart, thank you.

And thank you to God . . . because Your grace on my journey of life still amazes me . . . ><>