Updated June, 2011

VIM In Review

by M.D. Poss

Under the hat of JHG Webmaster I am often asked questions about various aspects of the instrument and its history. Being a relative newcomer, I found I was asking the same questions and embarked upon the quest to educate myself (quickly!). The first stop on the path to enlightenment was the trump journal Vierundzwanzigsteljahrsschrift der Internationalen Maultrommelvirtuosengenossenschaft (VIM for short). This classy, small format, publication is the love-child of trump congress father, Frederick Crane. Its six issues have been published at irregular intervals since 1982. Volume 7 (due out in mid-May) will mark the change to a large-format.

Each issue of VIM is a treasure-trove of current events, informative articles, and historical fillers; all tied neatly together by Fred's scholarly attitude and tongue-firmly-in-cheek humor. Taken together, VIM expresses the evolution of the trump, in many cultures, through centuries of time. From courting whispers played through a bamboo Subing to the Electric Trump. VIM also has plenty of practical information about makers, recordings, tutorials and books relative to the subject.

Contributors to VIM include many of the "Big-time" names in the genre, including; Leonard Fox, John Wright, Trân Quang Hai, Mike Seeger, Phons Bakx and Larry Hanks. Fred, these contributors, and ALL the others, are the finest people I can think of to learn from. I suggest strongly that you collect all the issues.

Following are highlights of each issue of VIM. These are by no means complete summaries.

VIM 1 - 1982
Jew's (Jaws? Jeu? Jeugd? Gewgaw? Juice?) Harp - Frederick Crane

The Recordings of John Wright - F. Crane

Checklist of Long-Playing Records with Jew's Harp

Music

VIM 2 - 1985
Trumping Around Scotland - Lindsay Porteous

Some Strategies for Tuning and Improving a Factory Jew's Harp - Mike Seeger

The International Jew's Harp Congress 1984 - F. Crane

An Annotated Checklist of Microgroove Records with Jew's Harp Music - Trân Quang Hai

VIM 3 - 1987
The Jew's Harp among the Peoples of the Soviet Union - R. Galayskaya

The Jew's Harp in the Soviet Union

Ten Tutors for the Jew's Harp; A Review - F. Crane

VIM 4 - 1994
TRUMP editorial (p.5)

Trump Makers of Today I- Frederick Schlütter, Robbie Clement

Book Reviews

A Sketch of the Life of C. Eulenstein (Supplement)

VIM 5 - 1996
Anthology of German Trump Poetry - Rudolf Henning

Trump in British Literature - F. Crane

Electric Trump - Anton Bruhin

Functional Description of the Electric Trump - Stefan Flüeler

Trump Makers of Today II-Zoltán Szilágyi

VIM 6 - 1997
Yakutsk: Khomus-Harpin' in Siber-Space - Larry Hanks

Tom Bilyeu 1915-1996 - F. Crane

An Interview With Tom Bilyeu

SUBING: An Iraya-Mangyan Trump from the Philippines - Janas Baes

Order information may be found on the P-n-P ad page, or on the website under JHG Store.
These are truly special journals... Created with virtuosity, read with passion.

Enjoy!!! --- Mark

Note: You can contact Fred Crane at fcrane at se-iowa.net