Great Performances

A friend of mine was purchasing a selection of hurdy-gurdy music, and it got me thinking of great Hurdy Gurdy recordings. First of all, a disclaimer: As much as I love traditional French music, the kind of hurdy-gurdy playing that really excites me are the albums where performers create something new and personal, with more relevance (presumably) to the modern communities they live in. This might mean playing with other unusual or underused instruments (clarinet, button accordion), or playing in a band, sometimes even with electronic instruments. Not all of those experiments can be called a success, but some of them stand the test of time. These CDs are becoming easier and easier to find as iTunes and other services begin to take notice. I’ll list Amazon links for the albums when available, since these are DRM free MP3s that will play on any device, and can be listened to before purchase. As an aside, I use an online subscription service that lets me hear just about any recording on demand. ...

  In Jim Beloff’s book, The Ukulele, A Visual History, there is a table that contains the yearly number of ukuleles produced by the Martin Guitar Company. It provides an interesting glimpse into a half century of (mostly) American popular musical history, and of course provides a view into the popularity of the instrument. The major high and low points of the last century are represented – The great depression and World War II both have a significant impact on the popularity of the instrument. Cultural milestones appear as well – the growing American fascination with Hawaii and the flapper era coincide to create the first boom in uke sales. The second big boom coincides with Arthur Godfrey’s rise and his popularization of the instrument. This boom lasts fifteen years. ...

  I’ve been wrestling with the challenge of introducing the hurdy-gurdy to blog readers. I’ve lived with and around the instrument for most of my adult life, and simply don’t know where to start. ...