MUSICAL ACTIVITIES: NEIL V. ROSENBERG

Born in 1939 in Seattle, Washington, Neil V. Rosenberg grew up in Olympia, Washington, and Los Alamos, New Mexico. He came to Berkeley, California, when his family moved there in 1951. 

He received his first musical training between the ages of 7 and 14 in classical violin; during this period he also studied piano for a year. He performed as a violinist with the Garfield Jr. High School Orchestra in Berkeley, California for three years (1951-54). 

Between the ages of 14 and 18 he studied folk guitar and voice in Berkeley, California, with Lori Campbell (her married name, later: Holland), and jazz guitar with Sam Surace. During this period he began his radio performance career with broadcasts at KPFA-FM, Berkeley, and also began performing in folk music concerts, at coffee houses, and other folk music venues in the San Francisco Bay Area. He continues to perform occasionally at folk venues.

During his four years (1957-61) as a student at Oberlin College in Ohio he was introduced to and began learning bluegrass music, teaching himself how to play the five-string banjo and the mandolin. In addition to helping to form and performing with the Plum Creek Boys, a bluegrass band, he recorded and did concerts, shows and dances with Dick Sudhalter's jazz band in 1960. He also helped form and performed with the Bay Area's first bluegrass band, the Redwood Canyon Ramblers, in Berkeley, 1959-64. 

While living in Bloomington, Indiana as a graduate student and, later, a staff member at Indiana University (1961-1968), he worked as a member of house bands at Bill Monroe's Brown County Jamboree in Bean Blossom. During this time he performed with a number of country and bluegrass acts (including Bill Monroe; Clayton McMichen; Hylo Brown; Benny Martin & Rudy Lyle; Red Allen, Shorty & Juanita Shehan; Roger Smith, Vernon McQueen and the Stoney Lonesome Boys; the Russell Brothers; Bryant Wilson; Birch Monroe and others). He also worked as a staff musician at Don Sheets' recording studio near Nashville, Indiana. He also founded and helped lead the Pigeon Hill Boys (later Ramblers), a bluegrass band based in Bloomington. In 1967 he began playing with Peter Narváez and Richard Blaustein in the acoustic fusion (blues, old time, bluegrass) band that became Homegas.

Since moving to St. John's, Newfoundland, where he taught in the Department of Folklore at Memorial University from 1968 to 2004, he has performed with Country Dream, Sneed Hearn and Smiling Liberators, and, since 1973, with Crooked Stovepipe, a bluegrass band. He has also taken part in numerous broadcasts and concerts as a soloist and accompanist with other bands and musicians. He can be heard on recordings made in Newfoundland by Glen Tilley and Terry Rielly, Kevin Collins, Albert Dean, Rik Barron, Wayne Morgan, Peter Narváez, Pamela Morgan, Con Parsons and others. In addition, he has been performing with the Black Auks, an experimental collective improvisational group founded by percussionist Don Wherry, since 1994. In 1998-2001 he played banjo and mandolin with the Bannerman Park Band, a St. John's ensemble that performed a variety of popular and traditional music from Newfoundland, Europe and North America and featured button accordion virtuoso Art Stoyles. Since 2001 he has performed folk, country, bluegrass and old time Newfoundland music with Terri Thomson. From 2008 to 2012 they also appeared in performance with the Art Stoyles band. Following Stoyles' retirement the other members have reactivated the Bannerman Park Band and also play with the Mummers and Paupers troupe. In 2015-20 he and Terri joined bassist Lionel Clarke to form Some Swell, a trio that played concerts in St. John's and Torbay.

RECORDINGS: BANDS

Crooked Stovepipe. Bluegrass Music Hand-Picked From Newfoundland. Crooked Productions CS 9946. 2019. Banjo, vocals.

Crooked Stovepipe. "The Ballad of Constable Moss," on Mentioned in Song: Song Traditions of the Loggers of Newfoundland and Labrador. Memorial University Centre for Music, Media and Place MMaP-CD08. 2014. Banjo

Crooked Stovepipe. Live 'n' Pickin'. Crooked Productions CS 9443. 2013. Banjo, vocals.

Colleen Power with Crooked Stovepipe. For Little Ones. 0270222. 2010. Banjo, vocals. MusicNL [Newfoundland and Labrador] Awards "Female Artist of the Year, 2011."

Crooked Stovepipe. Just in Case. Crooked Productions CS 8845. 2005. CD. Banjo, vocals. East Coast Music Awards "Bluegrass Recording of the Year, 2006."

The Black Auks. The Black Auks Box. 2002. 5 CD box set. Banjo, mandolin, ukulele, kazoo, toys.

The Black Auks. No Nothing: No Music Festival 2000. 6 CD box set, NMRx0001-6. Black Auks, one track on 0001; jams with other musicians (including Lee Renaldo of Sonic Youth) on 0005 and 0006.

The Black Auks. No Second Takes. Sound Arts Initiatives. 1998. CD. Banjo, mandolin, ukulele, kazoo, toys.

Crooked Stovepipe. Pickin' on The Rock. Third Wave TWPCD 104. 1997. CD. Banjo, guitar, vocals.

Crooked Stovepipe. Newfoundland Bluegrass. Third Wave TWP-103-2. 1994. CD. Banjo, guitar, mandolin, vocals.

Homegas. Takoma C-1026. 1971. 12" 33 1/3 rpm disc. Banjo, mandolin.

Rick Sutherlin Orchestra. Delmarti D-1028-65. 1964. 7" 45 rpm disc. Banjo on "Don't Think Twice, It's Allright."

The Concert Arts Septet, Jazz, for That. Delta D-1022. 1960. 12" 33 1/3 rpm stereo disc. Rhythm guitar and banjo in a band led by jazz authority Dick Sudhalter.

RECORDINGS: SESSION WORK

Kevin Collins. 100% Irish. SHP091012. 2012. CD. Banjo on "Colleen Malone." 10/8/12, Placentia.

Superpickers! [Peter Narváez, Sandy Morris, Glen Collins] Blues on the Ceiling. Rowdy Blues 1002. 2011. CD. Banjo on "Vitamin C." Recorded 9/1/10 @ producer Glen Collins' studio, St. John's.

Shanneyganock. Set You Free. [Avondale Music] 02 05529. 2004. CD. Banjo on "I'm Going to Set You Free," "Dublin O'Shea." Recorded 3/22/04, @ Great Big Sea studio, producer Pat Moran, St. John's.

Neil Conway. The Somethin' Family Album. Funbun 001. 2004. CD. Banjo on "Fat Head Waltz and Breakdown." Recorded 6/4/04, St. John's.

Kevin Collins. Jump in and Swim. Sawyer Hill SHP070104. 2004. CD. Banjo on "Shadow of the Pines" ["Lost River."]. Recorded 3/1/03, Placentia.

Sara and Kamila. Chasing Fireflies. [Sarakamila/artstarproductions] 0205079. 2003. CD. Banjo on "Postman." Recorded 4/15/03, St. John's.

Con Parsons. Party Time. [Sawyer Hill Productions] SHP 013003CD. 2003. CD. Banjo on "Leaving of Liverpool" and "Farewell to Carlingfort." Recorded at Placentia.

Pamela Morgan. 7 Years. Amber Music 4289-2. 2002. CD. Banjo on "My Bucket."

Peter Narváez. Some Good Blues. [Amber Music] 7502041412. 2002. CD. Mandolin on "Time Alone With You." Reissued 2010 as Rowdy Blues 1001.

Kevin Collins. Hills of Home. [Landwash] 02 50882. 2000. Banjo on "Tribute to St. Mary's" and "Staten Island."

Wayne Morgan. Towers of Strength: Gospel Favourites by Wayne Morgan. SHPCD-051600. 2000. Banjo on "The Halleluja Side," "Will The Circle Be Unbroken," and "How Beautiful Heaven Must Be."

Rik Barron. Right To The Bone. Odd Sock Productions 104. 2000. Banjo on "The Firehall Dance" and "Red Dirt Road."

Kevin Collins. Heartbroken Heart. 1990. 12" 33 1/3 rpm disc. Banjo and mandolin on "I Begged Her Not To Leave."

Albert Dean. My Atlantic Home. WRC1-3482. 1982. 12" 33 1/3 rpm disc. Banjo (tracks 2, 4, 6-9), mandolin (tracks 1-3, 6-10).

Glen Tilley & Terry Rielly. Clippers Handy. 1979. 7" 45 rpm disc. Banjo on "Lester."

George Brock and the Traveling Crusaders. Sing Darkened Way. Jewel LP 115. 1967. 12" 33 1/3 rpm disc. Banjo.

Bryant Wilson and the Kentucky Ramblers. Adair 225. 1964. 7" 45 rpm EP disc. Banjo, four songs. Reissued (with cuts from other Wilson singles) on: Bryant Wilson and the Kentucky Ramblers, Meet Me Up Yonder--A Tribute to My Mother. Adair 600. 1966. 12" 33 1/3 rpm disc.

Other session, not yet released: 

Mercers from Baie Vert Pennisula (1/2000 session, St. John's)

Recordings: Soundtracks

"Dead or Alive Real," theme for CBC TV series "Hatching, Matching, Dispatching" produced by Mary Sexton, music by Ron Hynes. Recorded @ NIFCO, 10/12/04. Pilot broadcast 1/17/05, six episodes broadcast spring 2006 and rebroadcast summer 2006.

Violet. Movie produced by Mary Sexton, music by Paul Steffler. Recorded @ NIFCO, 2000.

"Newfoundland Country Music Pioneers: Jimmy Linegar." Video documentary produced by  Duane Starcher @ MUN extension, 1978.  Crooked Stovepipe. 

"Dome Sweet Dome." Video short produced by Duane Starcher @ MUN extension, 1977. Crooked Stovepipe.
52½ minute video: "Dome sweet dome : a home-made dome greenhouse."  Dr. John Evans and Duane Starcher give step by step instructions on how to build a small dome greenhouse using mainly fish net, construction plastic, cement blocks, bolts and steel conduit.
Musical Intro and Closing ("Home Sweet Home") by Crooked Stovepipe.  

Websites

Black Auks:  http://www.abandonstream.net/blackauks/

Crooked Stovepipe: http://www.crookedstovepipe.com/index.htm