One-man band
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- For the Pixar animated film, see One Man Band (film).
A one-man band is a musician who plays a number of musical instruments simultaneously. Stereotypically, these include a number of wind instruments strapped around the neck, a large bass drum mounted on the musician's back, cymbals between the knees, a banjo, ukulele or guitar held in the hands, and a harmonica mounted on wire framing (known as a "harp rack") just below the mouth.
- "The one-man band exists, in all its uniqueness and independence, as a most elusive yet persistent musical tradition. As a category of musicianship it transcends cultural and geographic boundaries, spans stylistic limits, and defies conventional notions of technique and instrumentation. Defined simply as a single musician playing more than one instrument at the same time, it is an ensemble limited only by the mechanical capabilities and imaginative inventiveness of its creator, and despite its generally accepted status as an isolated novelty, it is a phenomenon with some identifiable historical continuity."[1]
A one-man band may incorporate any instrument into their act, from chest-mounted MIDI drum pads and foot mounted drum triggers to tambourines and maracas.
Contents |
[edit] History
The earliest known records of multiple musical instruments being played at the same time date are from the 13th century, and were the pipe and tabor. The pipe was a simple three-holed flute; the tabor is more commonly known today as a snare drum. It can still be heard in parts of rural France, and among the Basques and Catalans.
The simple guitar and harmonica combination (as used by such musicians as Tex Williams, Jimmy Reed, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Ray Dorset of Mungo Jerry, and Alanis Morissette) is so common now that it is not even considered to be a one-man band.
One of the most famous early-modern exponents of multiple instruments was Jesse Fuller, who invented the foot-operated bass called the "fotdella". Another was Fate Norris, of The Skillet Lickers, a hilbilly string band of the 1920s and early 1930s. British born Don Partridge made the classic one man band outfit (bass drum on the back, guitar & harmonica) famous in the streets of Europe, and was probably the first ever busker to enter the Top Ten of the UK Singles Chart, with his hit singles "Rosie" and "Blue Eyes" in 1968.
Modern one-man bands include such performers as Hasil Adkins and Sterling Magee, better known as "Mister Satan," from Satan and Adam.
[edit] Colloquial use
A one-man band may also refer colloquially to a musical artist who plays every instrument on his recordings, mixing them together in a studio. Famous artists who have recorded in this way include Mike Oldfield, Stevie Wonder, and Beck. With the use of loop recording technology, modern artists, including Jamie Lidell and KT Tunstall are able to become their own one-man band for stage performances.
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Busker Central - Rare videos of 1-man bands!
- Joe Barrick's One-Man Band The story of Joe Barrick, a famous one-man band, and the history of the one-man band in general.
