Comment by Rob MacKillop on May 16, 2019 at 15:30

He's clearly enjoying life!

Comment by thereallyniceman on May 16, 2019 at 17:12

I used to think that Van Eps was good! Bradbury was amazing..what a sound and what a performance!

Comment by Jody Stecher on May 16, 2019 at 19:14

Hmmm.  I can't hear the second banjo except maybe near the end I thought maybe I heard a quiet tremolo behind the chordal aprpeggios for a few seconds.  Ian, are you serious?   I think Van Eps was much better. This is spirited but there are  errors in timing. No worse than me, but not at Van Eps level of clarity and precision.

Comment by thereallyniceman on May 16, 2019 at 19:53

I just love the live playing Jody. I am not too fussed about the odd timing glitch and, of course my hero Fred Van Eps can still hold his crown. Maybe I was just surprised that I had not heard these pieces before and was bowled over by the dynamic performance.

Comment by Jody Stecher on May 16, 2019 at 20:35

I am relieved. Most of the fast passages in War Chant are simple rolls to use bluegrass terms and done on open strings or from fixed chord positions. Van Eps would play at that speed while his left hand fingers moved like spiders up and down the fingerboard. I also like his unique tone.  But to me the outstanding feature of Van Eps and also Vess Ossman is their excellent timing. 

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