5-String Productions

Gimme that new old-time music

by Mary Armstrong

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Published: Oct 17, 2007

Michael T. Regan

In the spring of 2006, visitors to the Coatesville Celebration of Old-Time Music and Dance were surprised to find Bob Carlin in their midst. This was mainly a gathering of local talent, after all, with the notable exception of a performance by Alice Gerrard scheduled for that evening — nobody expected to see the North Carolina superstar banjoist returning to the scene of his youthful successes.

A friendly chat revealed Carlin was in the area to work on a new CD with Gerrard for the West Chester-based 5-String label. For people who love old-time music, the roots of today's country, Gerrard is one of the truest voices. How did a budding father-and-son operation in suburban Pennsylvania get so lucky?

Tim Brown — who runs 5-String Productions with his son Matt — never intended to be a record mogul; he has earned his living operating a computer consulting firm. But he's no audio rookie, either: "I've been doing recording off and on for 30 years," says Tim (also a banjoist, hence the 5-String moniker). Of course, a great deal of that was archival material. (What's that? "Capturing live performances not intended for commercial use, but for the artist's own reference and perhaps for samples, audition material," he explains.)

"I started focusing on studio and field recordings in mid-'90s," as digital technology blossomed. "5-String started as a portable recording studio. We did field work and live stuff, then a bit at my house. We started out casually with archival and post-production work for people going to other labels like County."

From there, launching a record label seemed natural. "We started releasing recordings in '03. We are now up to 19, soon to be 20." Local fiddler Rafe Stefanini's CD Bluegrass Meadows was the first release. Legendary bands like the Hoover Uprights and the Double Decker Stringband are also in the catalogue.

At present, 5-String focuses on old-time music, with celebrities like Gerrard and Carlin and NPR personality Paul Brown (no relation) on its roster. "Old time is the roots music of America," says Tim. "For a large portion of us in the old-time music community, the emphasis is the Mid-Atlantic rural South. It is the melting pot of traditions of America and the popular music of the '20s and '30s from which bluegrass evolved. There is a heavy influence of African-American music and blues. ... Unlike bluegrass, which is about solos, virtuosity takes a back seat to the ensemble [in old-time music]."

Tim hopes that the young bands will listen to the recordings of the groups from the 1920s and '30s for inspiration. "One of the things old time hasn't done well is entertain the crowd. The original musicians, listen to their early recordings — they had shtick! My hope is that 5-String will bring entertaining acts to the fore, so we won't just be preaching to the choir."

Tim Brown's personal playing background gives him the advantage of a broad perspective. When he lived in Boston, he not only took up banjo but also studied sitar for six years as a special student at the New England Conservatory of Music. Thus he had no hesitation when son Matt was old enough to hold a violin to introduce him to the Suzuki method. The results are audible. Matt, now 21, plays true to the notes and inflections of the old tunes, yet there is a refinement to it — witness his debut CD, Lone Prairie."From the 5-String standpoint Matt is not only an artist, but also a phenomenal producer," proud papa brags. "He is my right-hand man."

And 5-String's horizons reach beyond old-time music. Bob Carlin is not only an extraordinary player but a researcher; his new recording, From Mali to America, is a collaboration with Cheick Hamala Diabate, master ngoni player, exploring the roots of American banjo.

Tim continues, "Philosophically, I'm looking for that live acoustic sound as much as possible. The musicians may insist on adding effects — there is always that dialogue of where I'd naturally go and where I'd like it to be, but in the end it's the musicians who must be happy."

(m_armstrong@citypaper.net)

 

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