Reser Reboot

I believe it is time for a Harry Reser reboot—a new, more-truthful understanding of one of our greatest banjo heroes.

After much thought and tire-kicking, I believe I have finally settled on a path forward in my own quest to master Reser’s plectrum banjo style. I started out with the intent to write a book of transcriptions, but soon realized that a “book” is a lot of work. I doubt that I would sell enough of them to recoup my expenses—and what right do I have to profit from his work in the first place?

So instead, I am just going to concentrate on the transcriptions which I will be sharing here on The Banjo Snob as I finish them. I will continue to publish his own compositions in All Frets magazine as well. I am also writing a “digital supplement” to my latest book, A Modal Framework for Jazz Improvisation. There I will get more into the nuts and bolts of playing his style, especially as it relates to the techniques covered in the book.

Why a “reboot?” Here is the gist of my proposed “new understanding”:

Harry Reser was primarily a plectrum banjoist, and the tenor banjo was a “side show.”

I believe he should be seen and remembered primarily as such. Why? Simply because it has become obvious to me that the majority of his solo and band recordings were made on the plectrum! Many plectrum players over the years have made the same discovery. I believe that with a little guided listening, it will become obvious to you as well. I would be happy to assist you in that!

His two most famous recordings—Crackerjack and Lolly Pops—were obviously done on tenor, along with a few other single-string heavy pieces. That and the fact that he only wrote and published for the tenor leads folks to think that he only played the tenor. The truth is, many of his compositions—the ones from his famous Mel Bay tenor book—and all of his pop tune covers were recorded using the plectrum. This is true as well for his 1936 movie short, in which he tears into Tiger Rag on his Gibson plectrum banjo. I believe that, rather than having to “prove” that the plectrum was used, the plectrum should be the base-line assumption. “Ah, Harry Reser! The great plectrum banjoist!” The burden should be on proving which ones were done on tenor!  

Also, looking at the numerous Jazz Age promo pictures of him and with his various bands, he is almost always holding a plectrum; if there is a tenor in the picture, it will be on a stand in front of him. I believe that the plectrum was his “everyday” instrument, and the tenor was only occasionally used for novelty numbers (similar to how he used his other novelty instruments).

Not so long ago, the very idea that he played plectrum at all—much less recorded the majority of his work on it—would have been blasphemy! Banjoists were divided into “Reser/tenor/East Coast” and “Peabody/plectrum/West Coast” camps. These traditions were jealously guarded and kept separate, almost like rival baseball teams. As the number of banjoists has dwindled, I believe this rivalry has faded as well.

I don’t mean to “stir the pot”; this should in no way be seen as an attack on the great Eddie Peabody (he certainly will always be the biggest plectrum hero), or as intent to “steal” Reser away from the tenor crowd (he certainly will always be the biggest tenor hero). For that matter, both Eddie Peabody and Perry Bechtel are remembered strictly as plectrum banjoists, but they both also played excellent tenor. I just want to give the plectrum it’s due and correct the mistaken history. At the very least, I would be happy with a “blurring of the lines” between them.

This is important to me; I play both tenor and plectrum, but the plectrum is where my heart is (and I take it perhaps a bit too seriously). I have long lamented the lack of “serious” method books and legacy recordings for it. Those recordings have always been there of course but have been misassigned as tenor banjo legacy.

I now see this is as my banjo “mission,” especially for the benefit of the young players of today and tomorrow. They need to know what the plectrum is capable of so they know what to work on. They should know the truth and have guidance for acting on that truth. As I explore more of his band recordings (in which he played short solos), I will be developing a plectrum listening guide. Here is a breakdown of his own recorded compositions to get you started (look them up on YouTube):

Tenor Banjo: Crackerjack, Lolly Pops, Heebie Jeebies, Fair and Warmer, Flapperette, Trainin’ the Fingers, Old Town Pump.

Plectrum Banjo: Easy Goin’, Pickins’, Frosted Chocolate, Crazy ‘Jo, Cat and Dog, Clock and The Banjo, Steppin’ Around, When the Robert E. Lee Comes to Town.