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"JIMMY BROWN - THE NEWSBOY" MIXES BLUEGRASS WITH CATHOLIC
SPIRITUALITY
(catholicmusicnetwork.com)
Take foot tappin’ Bluegrass and mix it with old time Gospel and Catholic
spirituality and you have Fr. Edward Richard. Fr. Richard's first CD "Do What
Ever He Tells You” took many people by surprise just as bluegrass became a hot
item on Billboard charts, thanks to the movie “O Brother Where Art Thou?” The
LaSalette Missionary priest, who is academic dean at
Kenrick-Glennon Seminary in Shrewsbury and
a review editorial board member, recently released his second solo CD, "Jimmy
Brown, the Newsboy." It is an awesome mix of traditional and original pieces
with heartfelt vocals and instrumentals. Fr. Richard calls this mixture Holy
Mountain Music. I recently talked with Fr. Edward Richard about his new CD
“Jimmy Brown-The Newsboy.”
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CMN: Father, the new CD is wonderful. First, How do you explain what is
Holy Mountain Music?
FR. RICHARD: The phrase refers to three things. First, I am a Missionary
of LaSalette. Our congregation was started after the Blessed Mother appeared to
two children in the Alps on Sept. 19, 1846. Not saying anything new, she called
them back to God, asking them to pray and respect her Son's name. We have a
Shrine there at the site which we always refer to as the Holy Mountain. Second,
Bluegrass is often called mountain music. So the combination of the two just
naturally leads to the third, it's mountain music that is intended to be holy
music, to bring people closer to God as on the Holy Mountain of LaSalette. Got
that?
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CMN: When did you realize you had a musical talent, and how long have you
be playing the banjo?
FR. RICHARD: I am still learning to play the banjo after twenty some odd
years. I have decided it's a continuing and evolving thing. There's this bumper
sticker that many of us have: "Have you hugged your banjo today?" Being serious
about the five-string banjo is constantly challenging, even though it might seem
to some to be a "humble" instrument. I began learning in Louisiana, inspired by
a number of pickers, a good guy named David Odegar helped me get started. But
especially my good friends, Ron Yule and Clifford and Sue Blackmun, who do some
of the work on "Jimmy Brown, the Newsboy," inspired me to learn to play the
music. They needed a banjo player.
I have always played music, as long as I can remember. I just love it. What I
lack in talent, I try to make up for in zeal. In school I played in the band,
sang in the choir, and, since starting college, I've been involved in some sort
of musical group or another, mostly old country music.
Both my parents influenced me, though in very different ways. My dad (deceased)
was a Cajun and Cajun music was a part of our heritage. I had a great-uncle who
played the accordion and sang his own style of Cajun music. That had a big
impact. I even tried the accordion for a while.
My mother is the one who really got me started on the guitar and on bluegrass.
As soon as I could hold a guitar I was trying to play one. Eventually she sent
me for some lessons. In high school, I sort of let it slide a little. Then in
college, I really got turned on to the old mountain music. (continued in
next column—›)
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A friend and, then, Bluegrass promoter, Bob Smith, helped me get into the
Stanley Brothers. I was mightily impressed with Ralph and Carter's music the
moment I heard it. I started a collection of their records and wanted to learn
to play the guitar and banjo just like them. A fellow named Danny Davis showed
me how to play like George Shuffler, a guitar player who played for the
Stanley's and developed a style of guitar playing called cross-picking. I do a
good bit of that on "Jimmy Brown." Early into the Stanley scene, I made Ralph's
acquaintance (Carter had died in 1966 unfortunately) and we have been friends
ever since. Ralph is special and I am glad that people have now been able to get
to know his music even more. I have followed his career as much as time has
allowed and I have tried to get into the power of his music.
Ralph has most influenced me with his gospel music, even though my banjo playing
is mostly patterned on his. I enjoyed the old hymns and the way the Stanley's
played them.
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