It’s positively great to hear from you again — it’s been some years now!
A few things: this isn’t the chattiest of chat groups — long periods of silence — but you’re presence will be an absolute boon, contrarian or not! Welcome!
I think you’ll find there is very little of the sort of hero-worshipping you describe. The group seems to pretty sober, genuinely appreciative, not at all gushy.
Things that will likely be of interest to you, and to anyone in the group who may not know yet:
- Venus in Cancer, remarkably, has been reissued on CD, on the Tompkins Square label.
- Indian II, a never-before-issued Vanguard album, is available for download from Vanguard. I’ve heard the record, and it’s terrific (IMHO), the missing link between the Vanguard and Windham Hill periods, with early versions of “Leaf in the Wind” (segueing into the old Sacred Harp spiritual, “What Won’drous Love Is This?”), and others. And a great 12-string instrumental. “Song of Great Mistry.”
- I’m producing a LIVE Robbie Basho album — the mastering and editing are done; I’m in the midst of writing liner notes, and, if all goes as planned, we’ll also see some contributions from Steffen Basho-Junghans, Jack Rose, and James Blackshaw. (See below *.)
- Plans are afoot to put together a Robbie Basho TRIBUTE album. Buck, from the band Arborea, is putting it together, and he’s already found a label committed to putting it out. Buck has also been solicitous to me as far as contributors go, so if anyone has suggestions or wants to contribute something, let me know. (Rich, I’m delighted to hear that you’re “working in the genre again”; would you be interested in contributing to the Tribute album?!)
* About the live album: It was recorded in Bonn, Germany, and comes from a soundboard recording, cassette copies of which I got from both Basho, and later, Steffen Basho-Junghans. Steffen’s copy was of slightly better sound quality than mine, which was at least third generation, and it’s the main source recording for the reissue, which has been mastered by the same guy who did the 1968 John Fahey Santa Barbara Oil Slick live album. We’ve tried to locate a source copy closer to the original, but Steffen’s fallen out of touch with the guy who provided him with a copy. (If anyone knows of copies of these recordings in circulation, please write me directly at: <gkjones1@...>.) Likewise any other good quality Basho recordings.
(BTW, I’m planning to add a note to the liner notes for 3, above, directing people to this chat group. Hopefully some newcomers will find their way here.)
In terms of the stuff, including tapes, which Robbie left the Meher Baba group, I have no idea what’s become of it. I kept track through two or three moves, from CA, to CT, to NJ. The guy who knew Robbie in California was nice and very helpful, but the others were downright hostile once they found out I wasn’t a member of the group, and I finally gave up trying to follow the movements of Robbie’s possessions.
The fact that they’ve done absolutely nothing with their holdings would have been a great disappointment to Robbie, I’m sure.
Who performs Basho?! I’ve recently begun playing a mangled version of “Redwood Ramble,” and Steffen plays a very respectable version of “Catedrals Et Fleur de Lis” -- but a Basho TAB book — fantastic idea!
Cheers all, and welcome aboard Rich!
Glenn Jones
Cambridge, MA
<gkjones1@...>
on 11/26/07 7:00 PM, artpaws at artpaws@... wrote:
Hello everyone. I am new to the forum. My name is Rich Osborn, and I
live in Northern California. I knew Robbie back in the late 1960's
through the mid-1970's; studied with him for awhile, and even opened
for him in a couple of his concerts, one at the Oak Theater in
Berkeley, the other at Dinklespiel Auditorium at Stanford
University. I then lost touch with him, so that I wasn't aware of
his passing until about 1989 when I ran into one of his fellow
Sufi's.
For me, there was a period of over 15 years during which I could not
play the guitar (I injured my left hand), and so became a painter.
But I have returned to the guitar now for the past 12 years. I
spend most of my practice time each day furthering the classical
guitar techniques that I had first studied in the mid-1970's. But I
have also begun to work once again in a free-form improvised raga-
style on the acoustic steel string.
A few years ago, I was in touch with Glenn Jones for awhile,
discussing Robbie and especially the problems of getting the part of
the Sufi order that Robbie belonged to to open up their vaults of
tapes. And for awhile shortly afterward, I communicated also with
Stefan Basho-Junghans.
I say all this because my interest in Robbie Basho is not of the
saint-making variety, but rather on what his unique contributions
were to our music and how to keep those active. And as a musician
myself, I am interested in discernment of what is of value and what
is not. I do not mind that others choose to idolize Robbie; God
knows, I did it myself when I was younger. As evidence of that, I
became a devotee of Meher Baba at that time, and traveled to India
and met the "mandali". In the long run, this also brought me into
contact with Tuck Andress, so I'm glad it all happened. But I'm
fairly cranky in my own opinions for practical reasons now.
If I ever get the time away from my own on-going creative endeavors,
it is a dream of mine some day to notate and publish five or six of
Robbie's greatest pieces into tablature and standard notation, to
make them more accessible to future generations of guitarists. I
don't like the idea of his singular contributions to music being
lost and not fully participating in the development of guitar music
in general. By the same token, in working once again in the genre
myself, I hope to keep alive and further the insights and techniques
he developed and which, in my opinion, have never had an adequate
exploration by any musician besides Basho himself.
If people can stand having a sometimes contrarian voice here, I'd
love to participate in the forum. I can be fairly critical of some
facets of Robbie and his music, but remain a devoted fan. I'm trying
to lay this out in the open so y'all will know somewhat of where I'm
coming from.
And with that, I'll bid adieu for now