hI Carrie , I realized after I asked you ,but that would be great . my email is jazzman3@btinternet.com

Thank you Carrie. I have put it in my learning folder.Have you tried zither banjo schottische .The tab is in library under David Wade nice tune and not to hard to play .

Hi Carrie,

I have really enjoyed playing stroke style from the Briggs' book on my tackhead but I'm finding the classic style much more satisfying, even at this very early stage. I'm taking it very slowly, working from 'Ellis's Thorough School' and as I'm retired, I have plenty of time to practice. I really do appreciate your offer of help.

If you, or any fellow players live near me and might fancy meeting up occasionally, please message me. I live near Eastbourne, East Sussex. I also travel to Oxfordshire every couple of weeks for a camping weekend so I could make a brief detour.

Best wishes, Ian.

Hi Carrie.

I started a msg to you, but my finger hit a button somewhere...away it went. You mentioned you liked City Point Jig. If you would like a copy I can send it or post it on this site somewhere. It's in "A" notation. Clarke

Thanks for the kind words, Carrie! I'm really enjoying getting to know this music so far!

Howdy Carrie, nice to meet you on Saturday, you should have done a couple of tunes for us, I cant stop myself from playing, I guess I am an old ham ! cheers, Nick.

Hello Carrie,

Thanks once again for your comment.

Yes,  The Buddy Bolden 'cylinder' was my masterpiece.  I cobbled together the sound of a blank wax cylinder at 80 rpm added to Humph playing Make Me A Pallet On The Floor from a BBC Radio programme called Buddy Bolden's Blues recorded many years ago. Humph and his band were trying to re-create the Buddy Bolden sound, and to my mind they did a very good job.  Of course I had to tell jazzers I'd faked it in the end!

Me too re Rob MacKillop.  It was only when I saw an early Youtube clip of his that I realised it was Classic banjo I'd been trying to play all these years.  I must emphasise that despite the time-span I remain a pretty rubbish player.  My nickname of 'Black Jake Two Fingers' goes back about 50 years to a concert at what is now Norwich Puppet Theatre, and they were trying to think what name to give me.  One of the members of Cosmetheka (I think) who were the main attraction, suggested that because of my limited two finger style of banjo playing that's what I should be called.

Yes, I agree most of my English banjo-playing friends like to emulate American Old Time, but thankfully there are people like you around!  Not that I have anything against American Old Time.

I did go to one of the banjo meets in Derbyshire but my health deteriorated and I was unable to travel to any further ones.

I've just ordered a couple of Olly Oakley 78's.  In the meantime I've got a lovely old Clifford Essex ZB to restore.  Hope I don't make a hash of it!

Look forward to your next Youtube clip.

Kindest Regards,

Black Jake.

Hello again, Carrie,

I know you are interested in the Music Hall.  Family legend has it that my distant relative Alfred Glanville Vance (name regularly mis-spelled including Wikipedia), aka 'The Great Vance' played a Temlett ZB shortly before his death on stage at The Sun Music Hall in 1888.  I would love to have this confirmed as I'm the only family member left who knows about this story.

I am attempting to discover all I can about the English Zither-Banjo before it is to late.  I also have what I believe to be the oldest English ZB known to still exist -it's very like a Dobson with wood screws to tension the vellum.

Any comments much appreciated.

Black Jake of Norwich.

Hi Jake - has your family kept any artefacts from his music hall days?  I found the covers of some sheet music on line (from the V and A Museum in London): https://collections.vam.ac.uk/search/?q=Alfred%20Glanville%20Vance

Amusingly, he wrote a song called: 'Carrie'.  http://www.monologues.co.uk/musichall/Alfred-Vance.htm

Hello again, Carrie,

Just a word about the Barnes & Mullins 'Perfect' mute.  I too have never seen one before.  I have a number of Barnes & Mullins 'Perfect' ZB's, one of them claiming to have a Patent mute, but not a sausage on closer examination.  So I've been very pleased to find someone has a photo. I guess it was one of those items which might or might not be fitted and someone decided it wasn't worth the expense on any of mine.  There's not even anywhere where it could be fitted without pulling the thing apart and drilling extra holes in the lower tensioning ring!

Best Wishes,

Jake.