IN NEW LIGHT - HIPFiSHmonthly

A weekend to tune into
a unique music passion
June 1 - 3
This Year’s Events
All events are open to the public and even if you
don’t play a tenor guitar, or any instrument, you are
encouraged to come and enjoy this unique, fun,
quirky, informative musical experience. “An Evening
of Tenor Guitars” is only $15 and
the tenor guitar workshops, all four
of them are only $60.
The four day tenor guitar weekend
starts out THURSDAY, MAY
31 at 7pm at The Sand Trap in
Gearhart where THE WANDERERS
will perform from 7pm until 9m.
ON FRIDAY, JUNE 1, we will be
meeting in front of the Bridgewater
Bistro at 10:30 am to get on the
11am Trolley followed by a tenor
guitar lunch buffet from 12:30 until
2:30. There is limited seating and
a fixed menu so you need to make a reservation by
calling 503-325-6777 or 877-357-6777. Not only
will you get a great meal for only $20 (beverages
not included) but you will hear Lowell “Banana”
Levinger of The Youngbloods, play his five string
tenor guitar and perform songs from his latest
album, “Even Grandpas Get The Blues”.
Tune in to KMUN between 3 and 4, and listen
to Carol Newman’s show “Arts Live and Local” to
hear tenor guitarists talk about….
tenor guitar.
That same day, Friday, there
are two more events planned.
Doors open at 6:30 pm at The
Astor Street Opry Company
Playhouse, who have been very
gracious about providing their
wonderful space for a sing a long
- play a long fundraiser to support
KMUN. A donation of $5 or more
will get you in to play and sing all
kinds of fun folk songs, or whatever
songs we can figure to play.
It’s going to be one big fun hootenanny. Bring your
voices, instruments, and maybe some lyrics would
help. The event ends at 9pm.
myshkin
But Hazel’s Tavern has THE RENEGADE STRING
BAND performing from 10pm until midnight with
tenor guitar players sitting in. So we’re heading over
there right after the sing and play along!
Saturday, June 2, at the
Performing Art Center starting at
9am and ending at 4pm, will be
four tenor guitar workshops for
$60. That comes to only $10 an
hour. The workshops are open to
the public even if you don’t play an
instrument, you will learn a lot, get
to ask questions, and hear inside
information from Lowell “Banana”
Levinger, Spider Murphy and Mark
Josephs.
The four day Tenor Guitar
weekend culminates on Saturday
evening with AN EVENING OF TENOR GUITARS
featuring the greatest line up of tenor guitar players
in the world. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity,
for $15, to hear Josh Reynolds and friends, Spider
Murphy, Lowell “Banana” Levinger, Myshkin, The
Renegade String Band, The Wanderers, Mark Josephs,
and special guests for a wonderful evening
of tenor guitar music from 7pm until 9:45pm.
Then we are all going over to The Voodoo Room
to hear Spider Murphy and his band
play from 10pm until midnight!
On Sunday, June 3rd, the
fourth and final day, we will meet
at The Coffee Girl to jam from 9am
until noon. Myshkin, as part of her
tenor guitar world tour, will be performing
at The Ft George on the last
night from 8pm until 11pm.
If you would like to support the
Annual Tenor Guitar Gatherings n
Astoria, Oregon you can visit: http://
www.tenorguitargatherimg.com and
buy your tickets to AN EVENING OF
TENOR GUITARS, TENOR GUITAR WORKSHOPS,
and buy this years T-Shirt!!!
Banana
A Brief History of The Tenor Guitar
In the 1900’s the most popular stringed rhythm instrument was the four string tenor banjo, tuned like a
cello, CGDA. The tenor banjo added a percussive rhythm sound to large orchestras. As the guitar gradually
replaced the tenor banjo in popularity, a simple solution was to put a tenor banjo neck on a guitar body to
produce a “guitar like” tone. Part tenor banjo, part guitar, this hybrid instrument, the “tenor guitar” was born
out of necessity.
Because the tenor guitar had four strings, people would sometimes tune it like a baritone ukulele, or the
top four strings of a guitar DGBE. Nick Reynolds, of The Kingston Trio, did this. Nick was the first inductee to
the Tenor Guitar Hall of Fame in a ceremony held here in Astoria in 2011. He is the most well known tenor
guitar player of all time.
Tiny Grimes, a jazz player, also tuned his tenor like the top four strings of a guitar. He had small hands
and liked the feel of a smaller neck. Some people tune it GDAE, an octave below a mandolin. The shapes of
the chords are the same, but their names change.
The Annual Tenor Guitar Gatherings
The Annual Tenor Guitar Gatherings started in 2011, has brought new focus to the instrument. There are
many groups and individuals who use the tenor guitar to achieve their musical “voice”. I became aware of
Robin Hunte, from Barbados, for example, who started a group in 1962 called The Merrymen. Robin drives
the group with his four string tenor guitar. He recently acquired a new Blueridge tenor guitar, made by Saga
instruments, one of a small handful of companies that offer new tenor guitars.
I can tell you that more and more people, once they hear and play and learn about a tenor guitar, fall in
love with the small size of the instrument and the beautiful sound that comes from it. Accordions, Didgeridoos,
Guitars, Harmonicas, Autoharps all have their own festivals. A “Tenor Guitar Gathering” had been long
overdue. Astoria and tenor guitars have become a perfect fit.
Tenor Guitar Capital of The World
Astoria, Oregon has become the “unofficially recognized” tenor guitar capital of the world. This year will
mark the 3rd Annual Tenor Guitar Gathering and will bring together more tenor guitar players, performers
and workshops than ever before. There will be a tenor guitar lunch buffet at the Bridgewater Bistro, a sing a
long fundraiser for KMUN at the Astor Street Opry Company Playhouse, workshops and An Evening of Tenor
Guitars at The Performing Art Center, tenor guitar music at The Ft George, The Sand Trap, Hazel’s Tavern,
The Coffee Girl and The Voodoo Room. We’ll be playing tenor guitars on The Trolley and may be jamming at
Gordo’s Astoria Guitar Company.
What People Have To Say
“The 4-string tenor guitar has made a significant contribution to American music and culture. Historically,
C. F. Martin & Co. is proud to have defined the tone of tenor guitars for the world and we are excited that
there is a resurgence in popularity of these unique and fun instruments.”
Dick Boak
Museum, Archives and Special Projects
C. F. Martin & Co., Nazareth, PA
“My Dad, Nick Reynolds, used to say, “It’s all about the music.” I am proud to help support the Annual
Tenor Guitar Gatherings in Astoria. The music of The Kingston Trio continues to touch people all over the
world. My Dad was a wonderful performer who gave his very best every time he played his tenor guitar and
sang with the Trio. It’s comforting to know that he is recognized for his achievement, albeit inadvertently, for
his playing of the relatively unknown four string tenor guitar.”
Josh Reynolds
may12 hipfishmonthly.com
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