{"id":16249,"date":"2019-03-16T05:30:34","date_gmt":"2019-03-16T09:30:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/?p=16249"},"modified":"2019-03-07T09:34:22","modified_gmt":"2019-03-07T14:34:22","slug":"bianchi-cofod","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/2019\/03\/16\/bianchi-cofod\/","title":{"rendered":"Bianchi & Cofod"},"content":{"rendered":"

This is my original version of a feature written in 2018; the previously-published version included some editorial additions that were not part of my article as filed and that didn’t reflect my perspective. — bk<\/em><\/p>\n

A longtime fixture on the Western North Carolina music scene, Scott Bianchi imbues his original songs with regional influences, a modern sensibility, and lyrics that focus on real-life concerns. Working with fiddler Crosby Cofod, Bianchi channels that music through a pleasingly restless sense of musical exploration.<\/p>\n

Bianchi has written literally hundreds of songs; he chooses from among the best for his live performances and recording projects. And unlike some composers who save their unused work so that they can mine it during a dry spell, Bianchi says that \u201clife just keeps on hurtling forward. It’s almost impossible for me to go back and unearth an old idea.\u201d<\/p>\n

Instead, he puts his energies into developing the musical ideas that spring forth from his consciousness. \u201cIf I get an idea, I try to stick with it right then,\u201d he says. His explains his philosophy: \u201cget in and get out as quick as possible, be happy with what it is, finish it up, and keep moving.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bianchi is quick to admit that some of his best lyrical ideas come from listening. His day job brings him into regular contact with people. \u201cI\u2019m always working with volunteers and the public,\u201d he says. \u201cI hear stories from older folks and younger folks, and I\u2019ve learned to pay attention.\u201d And often as not, those listening experiences inform his own musical storytelling.<\/p>\n

Guitar is Scott Bianchi’s primary instrument, but over the years he has made a point of developing facility on other instruments: old-time fiddle, ukulele and clawhammer banjo. And his songs are rooted in the richness and variety of sounds created by those folk-based instruments. In fact, for many years Bianchi was deeply immersed in Appalachian folk music scene. \u201cI lived way out in Madison County,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

The often minor-key approach of some Appalachian folk \u2013 Bianchi calls it \u201cmountain modal\u201d \u2013 is one of his favorite qualities of that music. \u201cIt’s really haunting,\u201d he says. \u201cThat’s what really drew me in.\u201d He also places a high value upon the style’s unschooled approach. \u201cA lot of traditional music \u2013 whether it’s blues or old time music \u2013 is handed down from people without any formal musical education,\u201d he says.\u201d And that quality means that when a musician wants to play it, he or she has to learn it by ear. \u201cAll you can do is listen over and over until you figure it out,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen music comes out of that oral tradition, it often comes from people who are downtrodden, or at least not among the privileged part of society,\u201d Bianchi says. He believes that once a style of music is taught at a university level, \u201cit seems to lose some of its zeitgeist.\u201d<\/p>\n

And though his love for those traditional styles endures, Bianchi eventually moved beyond mountain folk music. \u201cThere was a while when I thought I was going to play only that music,\u201d he admits, \u201cbecause I love it; I feel it needs to be taken care of. But it’s in such good hands around here; it’s very well cared for. And it will never die.\u201d<\/p>\n

So instead, Bianchi writes those original songs of his, drawing from mountain traditions as well as other musical forms. \u201cI grew up listening to rock ‘n’ roll, too\u201d he says. To be true to himself musically, he decided some time ago that his approach would be to \u201cdistill from all these different genres, and come up with my own voice. And that challenge really keeps me in it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cForbidden Fruit\u201d is a minor-key retelling of the Judeo-Christian fable of Adam and Eve; in Bianchi’s intentionally objective version, it’s left to the listener to decide if in fact the couple’s newly gained knowledge might not necessarily be such a bad thing.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Devil Came Knocking\u201d employs a bouncy acoustic guitar style that will be familiar to fans of Jerry Garcia’s work with the Grateful Dead. And here, Bianchi’s vocal delivery on the tune \u2013 a musical cousin to the Dead’s own \u201cFriend of the Devil\u201d \u2013 bears more than a passing resemblance to Garcia’s disarmingly hoary delivery.<\/p>\n

These days Bianchi collaborates onstage with a like-minded musician, violinist Crosby Cofod. Though Cofod has a musical foundation in classical music and improvisation, the musical pairing is a natural one. The two met at a \u201csong swap\u201d jam session and bonded immediately over their shared musical passions. They soon got busy working up duo arrangements of Bianchi’s songs. \u201cCrosby’s got an incredible ear,\u201d the songwriter says. \u201cWe’ll play a song once, and he’s got it. And he has a lot of good ideas.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cScott’s songs are diverse,\u201d Cofod explains. \u201cSo I have to be diverse in my playing, to fit that mold. I see his songs as blank canvases.\u201d And the duo employs an interactive approach. \u201cHearing how Scott is playing really determines how I interpret the song as well,\u201d Cofod says. \u201cI’m constantly exploring.\u201d Combined with Bianchi’s slice-of-real-life lyrical approach, that interplay makes for an intriguing and appealing musical experience.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This is my original version of a feature written in 2018; the previously-published version included some editorial additions that were not part of my article as filed and that didn’t […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[3746],"class_list":["post-16249","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-bianchi-and-cofod","cat-1-id"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16249","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16249"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16249\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16250,"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16249\/revisions\/16250"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16249"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16249"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16249"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}