Ad Astra - Joe Morley - My all-time favourite Classic Banjo solo

Joe Morley wrote a great many solos for the banjo, but this one is arguably the best he ever wrote. It has a brilliant opening movement in A minor, a march in A major followed by another march in D major, a sixteen-bar bridge and then back to the D major march.

I have re-recorded this one after one year of starting to learn it, with the piano accompaniment, in one take, without cheating, and with a brand new set of heavies for the occasion. It has been cleansed and redeemed of the iniquities of my early recording.

I. MORL. DIV. AVG. P.B. ME SCRIPSIT, M. M. ME FECIT.

Rating:
  • Currently 5/5 stars.

Views: 201

Comment by Sylvia on March 10, 2012 at 17:21

what was that about "quick march "......    Brilliant.   And I love the coloured video.

Comment by Mike Moss on March 10, 2012 at 17:42

Thank you, Sylvia... I managed to get the lighting better, though for some reason I'm still green! (Is this meant to reflect my lack of experience on the banjo? Is it a cloud of BAS particles? Is it because I'm from outer space? Ad Astra... hmm)

Comment by marc dalmasso on March 10, 2012 at 20:52

great playing , Mike  , for this great tune

Comment by Sylvia on March 10, 2012 at 21:31

or perhaps your other self from a parallel universe via the stars.

Comment by thereallyniceman on March 11, 2012 at 8:37

Maestro Moss "Stars" again!  It is a great performance Mike, especially without the use of the time shift occasionally used in your first performance of the piece.

It is also  amazing to see that you filmed it in 3D. When you put on your "special spectacles" Mike and his banjo will reach out to touch you.

;-)

Comment by Russ Chandler on March 11, 2012 at 12:51

Fab!

Comment by Trevor Boyd on March 11, 2012 at 15:32

I like the Latin reference (to res gestae ?) as well :-)

Comment by Trapdoor2 on March 11, 2012 at 23:24

Simply awesome, Mike. Well done indeed!

Comment by Mike Moss on March 12, 2012 at 9:54

Thank you all for the kind comments!

@Sylvia: Would that be called an Ad Astral projection? ;-)

@Trevor: I'm glad someone spotted it ;-)


The text would be read as I[OHANNES] MORL[II] DIV[VS] AVG[VSTVS] P[ATER] B[ANIAE] ME SCRIPSIT, M[ICHAEL] M[OSS] ME FECIT

Or, in a somewhat liberal translation, THE DIVINE AUGUST JOE MORLEY, FATHER OF THE BANJO, WROTE ME, MIKE MOSS RECORDED ME

Comment by thereallyniceman on March 12, 2012 at 15:33

This classic "banjo speak" all a bit over my head, Mike. My "O" Level Latin at school has long disappeared from my brain cell, but perhaps this phrase may be useful for your next video?

Non plaudite. Modo pecuniam jacite.

;-)

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