Upbeat instrumental folk music: recommendations?

…....pick out some groups from the soundtrack of the ‘uplifting’ movie ‘O Brother, Where Art Thou’ <g> ...... Allison Krause et.al…........, seriously..

I love that movie! And I have the soundtrack CD. It is mostly very country, with some Depression-era tunes thrown in and a couple of old gospel numbers, nearly all vocals. In other words, almost entirely on my “no” list. Great stuff, but not for this event. Thanks anyway!

How about Ravi? About half his stuff is upbeat. Still kinda stormy at times, though. His daughter Anushka rocks, too. For Celtic, I’m going to try to hunt down this guy I went to college with, will get back to you. We all danced ourselves to exhaustion listening to his fiddle at parties. Oh, I know: the Waking Ned Devine soundtrack! Check out track 6 especially.

Edit – also, maybe try asking Jack79 and FB. I think they are both professional musicians. Also, Amazon’s clip of that song isn’t the best – and there are some wholly instrumental things on there, if I remember correctly.

Expect a few re-posts as I think of more stuff. Sorry in advance.

@Jeruba…... confused, but trying again…...... surely some of Bill Frisell’s work would make the list ..

[ . finding something that is possibly ‘typically american’ BUT NOT bluegrass, C&W, jazz,... and I would assume for sure no Blues Jazz or Blues…....... IS TOUGH <g> ]

Thanks for your efforts, @virtualist. Some blues instrumentals aren’t really bluesy; I’m thinking of “St. Louis Tickle,” in Dave Van Ronk’s guitar rendition, which is one of my all-time favorites. Some Appalachian music, with its Scots-Irish roots, is just what I have in mind. But I don’t know my way around these genres well enough to pick things out. That’s why I asked for links to samples and gave a couple of sample I do know. I’ll look up Bill Frisell. [ Edited to add ] Is all of Frisell’s stuff instrumental? I can’t tell if vocals start after the sample. It’s amazing how many albums simply do not say whether the music is instrumental or vocal or both.

@wildpotato, I love and admire Ravi Shankar, but that’s even further away from my target than a chamber music quartet. Waking Ned Devine has possibilities. Thanks! Are there some instrumentals on there? For this purpose I do not want any vocals at all.

Capt_Bloth says this album might work well. Trey Anastasio is the lead of Phish. This album is all instrumental. I haven’t heard it myself, but the amazon clips sound traditional American and upbeat.

I think there are some instrumentals on there. I’ll dig up the album and give it a spin – thanks for reminding me it exists :)

Edit – This album fits your constraints, I think, but may be too modern and a tad distracting at times for an event.

Oh! How about Kodo?!

@Jeruba ..... got it ! You’re talking about someone like Jean Ritchie…..

Jean Ritchie plays (played) very twangy dulcimer if I recall correctly, extremely “authentic” and not necessarily very pretty. I don’t want it to sound like a course in American musical history. I want a certain atmosphere, cheerful, traditional, acoustic, but melodic and harmonious. I knew this was going to be hard to describe.

The drumming is wonderful! I love Taiko. And even though I know nothing of Phish, I was very much attracted by the album sample, which is real music. I might go for that even though it is outside my parameters, just because it is interesting.

Ziporyn: also new to me. Again interesting, but too contemplative and abstract for this occasion.

You’re doing great! Keep it up. Good listening for me later, whether for the party or not.

@Jeruba ..please publish the list you finally refine for your social event…. I’ve got to learn about this stuff…........ quiet but uplifting in an Applacian Scot-Irish way….. now I’ll just go back to my 1983 Yo Yo Ma and the Bach cello solo’s…...

Isn’t Upbeat instrumental folk music an oxymoron?

Sorry @Jeruba I couldn’t resist.

Lurve ya!

How about that kind of piano/organ music from silent films? Or the theme from The Sting?

Dang, on second thought Kodo might be a little too intense for an event, I guess. Still, this is the best video I’ve ever seen on YouTube, and it sounds pretty Celtic at times.

There are a few Led Zeppelin songs that might fit the bill – Bron-Yr-Aur and Black Mountain Side. I have these on Led Zeppelin [Box Set 2] (Disc 1), but I’m sure they’re available on iTunes if you like them.

Edit – and if you like Bron-Yr-Aur, be sure to check out Bron-Yr-Aur Stomp just for fun. Vocals, so wouldn’t be appropriate. But a great song nevertheless.

How about The Corrs? They have some really good modern interpretations of Celtic music.

Ok, here’s wildpotato’s collection of instrumental indie music:

There’s the Blue Man Group, of course. Also, check out David Byrne’s newer stuff. Can’t find anything, but I know he’s got some international instrumental stuff. You might like Calexico more than anything else I’ve mentioned so far. The album I linked to, Tool Box, is entirely instrumental, I think. Do Make Say Think sometimes has a more modern sound, but is also pleasant, repetitive and relaxing in most parts. Occasionally they stick in some spaceship sounds, though. Not on the album I linked to, I don’t think. Fer Isella is kind of a folksy/light flamenco sound, quite pretty and unobtrusive without ever drifting into elevator music. I highly recommend their album Doña Furia Gaucha. Four Tet might be way too electronic for your needs, but they have some very beautiful songs, like that one and this one. John Bayless’ Bach Meets the Beatles album is cool, especially if you know a bit of music theory, but might fall into the classical category. Kaki King might be exactly what you’re looking for (especially the album Everybody Loves You, which is the better of her 2 all-instrumental albums). This is from her most recent CD, Dreaming of Revenge. It’s the first one she sings on occasionally. Along somewhat similar lines, there’s Leo Kottke – though he is kinda-sorta technically bluegrass. The song “Aurora Borealis” by the Meat Puppets might be good for you. Here is the only place I can find it – can’t vouch for the non-sleaziness of this website, though, as I have never used it before. Don’t bother with the Meat Puppets’ other stuff though it is excellent – Nirvana covered a few of their songs – it’s mostly vocals or too intense. Medeski, Martin, and Wood are fun, but might be too jumpy and modern for your event. Enough for tonight. N-Z tomorrow.

@wildpotato, wow! A bonanza. I am going to check out everything that’s suggested. Thank you!

@Zen, not at all! Did you listen to my samples? I have certainly found the kind of music I am looking for—just not enough of it, and I didn’t know where to branch out to. I’m interested in every suggestion, and those that don’t work for the event can still make great additions to my collection.

@augustlan, hmmm—Scott Joplin. Possible. @Saturated_Brain, I’ll look them up.

@virtualist, I have an idea that my regular listening and yours might be more alike than otherwise. What I normally listen to and what I need for a backdrop are two different things. I just can’t imagine my guests loving some Joshua Bell or James Galway, never mind the score of Il Trovatore, as they munch their California rolls and sip their Sierra. The kind of music a lot of people bring out for events simply isn’t my style, so I’m looking for common ground here. But I didn’t say quiet! or uplifting! Just not morose—no pibrochs, you know?—or slow and moody. I love that stuff myself, but I’m working on a party atmosphere here without electric/rock or major percussion.

Edgar Meyer, Bela Fleck, and Mike Marshall.
i know this song isnt super upbeat but its the only song from the uncommon ritual album i could find online. The whole cd is amazing IMO

@Jeruba You’re in luck.

Also:

Drifting

Foxfire / Kilnamona

Final Blu (Don’t you try and tell me he doesn’t look like Jack Nicholson circa The Shining)

Ebon Coast

Trilogie

Scratch (might be a bit off for what you’re looking for)

Loaded. Leather. Moonroof. (again, might be a bit too obtrusive)

(I should stop now, I’ll go on for all eternity.)

Tom Kondor

Your question did not comment either way on world music. How did you feel abou including any of that?

Thanks, @Grisaille, @brinibear, I’ll check them all out. (All right, @virtualist, I will post my final list.)

@Marina, I am open to recommendations from anywhere. But I am looking for a certain consistency. Even though I love Russian men’s choirs, African gospel, German folk songs, and what little I’ve heard of Indian rock music, none of them would fit into the present context. I want to keep to the same tone without major, jarring contrasts or big changes in volume.

Gotcha.

Sure thang, chicken wang.

..wing. Chicken wing.

@uberbatman, remarkable! I have never heard the banjo used in this way before, in a style that is more classical than folk. Extraordinary. I think Pete Seeger would be delighted. I will have to look more closely at that album. I can sample all of it on Amazon. What I’ve heard so far is amazing. Classical-Bluegrass Fusion—wow! Many thanks!

Jerry Garcia and David Grisman
“Fingerpicking Guitar Dellights” (CD title)
Derek Bell
Peter Knight
John Renbourne
Bert Jansch

All British or American instrumentalists with a folky orientation.

@Jeruba no problem. Its definitely one of my all time favorite albums.

Yay uberbatman. Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, and Victor Wooten‘s solo stuff (he is the Flecktones’ bassist, and is considered by many to be the greatest living), were the first two groups that jumped to mind when I read your question. Thought they’d be too bluegrass or too jazz for you. Helpful to know Bela is actually along the right lines – he really does play the banjo like no one else. They were by far the best show at Bonneroo ‘06.

Now, for N-Z: You might enjoy and be able to use Nightmares on Wax. Very chill. Have you ever heard Santana’s Live at the Fillmore ‘68? It’s upbeat, interesting background music, easy to tune in on or out of. It does have some unintelligible chanting occasionally. I hear “Jingo pop” at 4:00. And how about The Six Parts Seven? Also, Zero 7’s instrumental tracks, like this one, might be good. They mingle them with vocals on both their albums, though, so if you like them ask me for more details.

Sorry to be flickering for so long. Got caught up in Project Runway and forgot I was fluthering.

I was going to add a few of my favourite selections from The Corrs but I think that you wouldn’t need any more songs would you @Jeruba?

You know what? Forget it. I’m just gonna post my songs anyway. =P I know you said that you didn’t want it too Irish in sound, but I think that The Corrs manage to fuse it with a modern feel so here’s a few of my select instrumental songs from them.

Haste to the Wedding
Old Hag
^^
The above two songs were from their album Home while the last song is from their live performance in the album Unplugged.

Toss the Feathers (I am so in love with this song).

And @wildpotato & @uberbatman thanks for the music samples. I’m going to add a few more songs to my iTunes soon. =P

@Grisaille Andy McKee is really good isn’t he? One of my favourite pieces from him is Into the Ocean

Go ahead, @Saturated_Brain. Some of these are going to work for me, and some aren’t. I am still auditioning. If you have specific links to suggest, please do, by all means.

@Jeruba Way ahead of ya =P

So I see! You hit ‘Answer!’ while I was still typing. Thanks!

Have you thought of including any Django Reinhardt and the Hot Club of France music?

(Sorry I haven’t included links for your auditioning; I getmy music from CDs rather than the internet, generally.)

@janbb, I’ll check them out too. I don’t know them. I get all my music from CDs, but the samples on Amazon help me know what I’m getting.

Thanks for all the help from everyone so far. It’s going to be a concert every night until I’ve made my selections.

Didn’t know you could do that on Amazon! In that case, try some of my previous post too when you get a chance.

I’m going to check them all. I went through a bunch of suggestions last night and found some good stuff.

So… How’s the list so far?

Working on it. Big job.

@Jeruba ....... you could probably do it all inside Amazon as a LIST which they allow one to build….....

Hmm, I didn’t know that. I’m making a WinAmp playlist. The big job now is finding and listening to all the samples. And then another is going to be selecting and arranging. I just about never choose the easy way when there’s a dauntingly complicated one to be found.

Any list update?

My apologies. I promised an update ages ago. I got so stressed over all the increasingly complicated arrangements for that event, including trying to audition and select suitable and interesting music, that it became obvious I had to stop and just simplify. So I handed this assignment over to my son, who came up with some great medieval ensemble music and put a playlist on a loop for me. End of problem.

Everything went off beautifully for the party, and in the aftermath I promptly forgot about this question.

Now I am remembering to come back and add some of the choice recommendations from this thread to my personal collection on the basis of taste. There are some real winners here.