Topic: Spanish variant

[frailer24]

Anybody ever hear of lowering the B to a B-flat in Spanish? Tried it on a whim, very interesting!

[Johnm]

Hi Larry,
I recorded a tune, "Chester County", on my first Blue Goose album that I played out of open G minor tuning, and also backed JoAnn Kelly on a version of Teddy Darby's "Deceiving Blues" that I played out of open G minor tuning, that was never released.  I think I was thinking of Henry Townsend's early sound when I came up with "Chester County".  I'll attach an .mp3 of it.  Minor Spanish is a great tuning which has barely been used/explored.
All best,
Johnm

[banjochris]

There's a great banjo version of John Hardy done in that tuning, gDGBbD, that Mike Seeger played on his Folkways Old-Time Country Music solo album. He got it from a Library of Congress recording and I can't remember the original artist. It's surprising with the number of modal banjo songs that there are very few played in a tuning with the lowered third.
Chris

[Norfolk Slim]

John- that is absolutely fantastic.  Love it.

These fabled Blue Goose recordings need a re-release so us latecomers can get them!

Hi Larry,
I recorded a tune, "Chester County", on my first Blue Goose album that I played out of open G minor tuning, and also backed JoAnn Kelly on a version of Teddy Darby's "Deceiving Blues" that I played out of open G minor tuning, that was never released.  I think I was thinking of Henry Townsend's early sound when I came up with "Chester County".  I'll attach an .mp3 of it.  Minor Spanish is a great tuning which has barely been used/explored.
All best,
Johnm

[frankie]

There's a great banjo version of John Hardy done in that tuning, gDGBbD, that Mike Seeger played on his Folkways Old-Time Country Music solo album. He got it from a Library of Congress recording and I can't remember the original artist. It's surprising with the number of modal banjo songs that there are very few played in a tuning with the lowered third.

Bill Cornett's "Old Reuben" is in that minor tuning, I think, although tuned pretty low.

[frankie]

Hi Larry,
I think I was thinking of Henry Townsend's early sound when I came up with "Chester County".

Mission accomplished, John.  Wow.

I was listening to a Greek guitar piece on the Secret Museum of Mankind, volume 2 this morning and it seemed to me it was in some sort of spanish variant  - the second string being either flat or sharp a half step.

[banjochris]

Well, now I'm going to have to listen to Secret Museum and Banjo Bill Cornett today. Not a bad thing, but you can't just listen to Cornett in the background while you're working.

I liked that Chester County, too, John -- it's got that feel of Townsend's (and Walter Davis too) where it seems like you're gonna go somewhere but then you just come right back to the I chord, which I love.
Chris

[Johnm]

Thanks very much for the good words, Simon and Frank and Chris.  I'm glad you like that "Chester County".  As Sam Goldwyn said, "There's been a lot of water passed since then."  That was when I was young and promising.
All best,
Johnm

[Lastfirstface]

Out of curiosity I looked up the liner notes for the Mike Seeger record that Banjochris was referring to (worth noting that you can get a .pdf of the liner notes to any Folkways record off their website) and the recording he based the G-minor version of John Henry on was a performance by J.W. Russell of Marion, VA. Anybody heard his recordings? They don't seem to have been issued outside of the AAFS discs.

[banjochris]

I've never heard the original, but someone probably has it on a tape somewhere. PS it's John Hardy, not John Henry if you go to learn it. And despite what Ernest Stoneman said, they're not the same person!

[Lastfirstface]

Whoops. Spaced out on that one and typed Henry in place of Hardy. 

[Stuart]

Mike Seeger's version was repackaged on:

http://www.folkways.si.edu/classic-folk-music-from-folkways-recordings/american-folk/music/album/smithsonian



Here's the LoC page for J.W. Russell's recording:

http://www.loc.gov/item/afc9999005.6851

And the available Online recordings at LoC (7,916 down, only 569,551 to go!):

http://www.loc.gov/audio/?q=&st=list&c=150


I'd also like to hear  the original. (I did listen to "Crab is a Better Man Than Man"--couldn't resist the title!)

[Prof Scratchy]

Chester County is a great track!

[big joe weems]

Who is the vocalist on jm's "Chester County"?

[Johnm]

Me.
All best,
Johnm