Late Night Music Club with Max Zbiral-Teller
By driftglass Tuesday Sep 09, 2008 10:00pm
Once upon a time, in a tavern on the North Side of Chicago, I was having a beer and growling about politics when an open mic night broke out. When his turn came, a young gentleman in wearing a Che tee-shirt and old jeans unshipped an odd looking instrument, took up two, tiny hammers, and proceeded to blow the doors off the place.
The instrument was a hammered dulcimer.
The moment was magical.
And it sounded something like this.
2005 National Hammered Dulcimer champion, Max Zbiral-Teller -- "Apple Juice" (original composition)
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Cindy Lauper... 'nuff said. (:>
Call me a wahm-bulance.
Linky no worky for me.
Have I been bad?
(:>
do i need a hammer to get this thing to work?
Here's a link that should work:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egLGPfkj1Gc
Donald Hussein Cormac @ 2:
No, just click on this -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egLGPfkj1Gc
Thank you, AC & B. Besides, Cindy Lauper plucks her dulcimer. I guess that's the difference between boys (hammering) and girls (plucking). Wouldn't know, myownself. (;>
Bach played on the glass harp (very cool):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27POI9uH94M&feature=related
. . . and Beethoven:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rlk59xdM_YY&feature=related
An amazing glass harpist:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ew-7SwLcHBg&feature=related
they have a championship for this? Wow! I'm so outta touch...
Yes, thank you, fellow Canuck and Billy. This music is haunting and unique. Max Zbiral-Teller is fantastic.
Nice pick, driftglass!
Luhs me some hammered dulcimer, and that kid is pretty smokin.
Ardavan Kamkar on the santour (Persian hammered dulcimer):
ooops, here it is:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYnrBqXLCp8
I hope ya'll enjoy these fine chitown bands. DIAW's a treasure.
peace. :-)
Devil in a Woodpile, "Shake It and Break It"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0R9X66oz_oA&feature=related
Devil In A Woodpile Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcfOMmVod10&feature=related
Umphrey's McGee - Walletsworth - 11/3/2006
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ml7IaO8Zud8
Mr Blotto Time Has Come Today 04 19 08 10:48
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLUuc5C-FY4
hope you enjoy these 2.
Carolina Chocolate Drops sur le TNT Show 170308
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmDXSGhpnQQ&feature=related
Carolina Chocolate Drops
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdLRCSOZ7wo&feature=related
One of the coolest acts of civil disobedience I have ever witnessed was at Shibuya station in Tokyo.
A busker had set up his hammered dulcimer and was amazing a large group of people until the police came and made him stop.
As he was packing up, several Japanese (and you have to remember, Japanese don't question authority, in general) started arguing with the police and finally, the police relented and let him play.
The cops even stuck around and enjoyed the show as the man (a Brit) was simply amazing. I was impressed on several levels. It will always be one of my fondest memories of life here.
The instrument is also called a Cimbalom and from what I have read is Hungarian in origin and first used by Gypsies/Roma. But it is wide spread here among all ethnicities especially jewish Hungarian Klezmer music.
I don't know anything about Max Zbiral-Teller - but Teller is a jewish Hungarian name, so perhaps there's a connection? Or not, it doesn't matter. The hammer dulcimer is also found in the US appalachia.
And yes, it totally rocks!
but it super-ultra-rocks when gypsies play it! :-)
Kálmán Balogh & The Gypsy Cimbalom Band
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhz3Bp6OTAw
In Thailand and Cambodia it's called a Khim, but the design is slightly different (thicker soundboard). I've heard it many times there, but I've never heard any Western music played on it. Which is weird, because I had a friend in college from Tennessee who made them (Appalachia style, of course). But he never played them. Max gives the instrument a completely different impression than what the Thai musicians give it. Of course, the Thai use different scales, which can sound strange to the farang (Westerners).
I'd first heard this instrument from Dead Can Dance played by Lisa Gerrard.
Dead Can Dance playing "Rakim" live in 1994.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Do5vj3D-OD4
A while back I was guest hosting for the Abbey Pub open mic when in walked Max with his Dad. He was only 13 then, but I distinctly remember him not wanting me to make a thing about his age. He had his stuff figured out, and was a real treat to listen to. He is like Bela Fleck. He is able to take a traditional instrument and make it do whole new things, where you forget about the instrument and focus simply on the melodicism.
Kid will be okay when his nervous system fully develops and he gets over the need for speed.
Nice the lad won an award. Hope he does well in the future.
That said, you really need to see this instrument in its "environment" and played by a pro.
And, since there seems to be so little real world music covered covered in these late night sessions, here's a taste of the cream of the cream: Rumania's world-famous (everywhere except the US, apparently) 'Taraf de Haïdouks' (trans: Band of Brigands):
Turceasca
Doina, hora si briu
And, from the remarkable 1993 film of the same name in which they starred: 'Latcho Drom'
Plenty more to be explored, as you can see, folks.
Certainly worth the time invested in broadening your horizons.
Enjoy,
A. (in Tokyo)
Rich Mullins (RIP) was one hell of a hammered dulcimer player.
Fabulous!! Thanks for sharing this with me. Max is great!
Annoyed Canuck @ 8:
Wow!! Do you know what music that is he's playing? I love it...
The Txalaparta, a Basque hammered instrument, sort of like a xylophone.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ubkkj09JNKY
Wow. That was amazing.
Max! That's my friend from college! He was the captain of my frisbee team. Really good guy, if you get the chance to see one of his shows... DO SO, buy his CD!
My girlfriend plays a mean skin flute.
While very talented, I would love to take a hammer to his hammer dulcimer.
Barenaked ladies use a dulcimer in an old song called "Jane"
The sleepy purple wiggle bastard Jeff plays the dulcimer in "Haru Ga Kita" also.
I went to school with Max. Pretty cool guy.
This was a really cool music pick. Definitely the most unique piece I've heard in awhile, and from such a talented player.
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