Topic: The Girl I Love...

[frankie]

Lonnie and Sam Chatmon recorded it in 1936.  They did in B-flat, so we're just copping it off the record.  In the notes to the Document CD (MS Sheiks, volume 4) refer to Sam's accompaniment as "accurate and rhythmically steady, rather than inspired."  Well, jeez - he's playing backup on an uptempo tune...  whaddaya expect?  I'm sure Lonnie would really have appreciated "rhythmically indistinct and harmonically indeterminate, yet visionary" accompaniment.

In both Kim's and my opinion, B-flat (and E-flat as well) is a great key - sounds great on fiddle and mandolin and has very convenient fingering...  helps that it's an excellent singing key as well.  Sits well on the guitar, too, though maybe more for backup...  the guitar is really an excellent backup instrument, though...  it's a shame that Walter Vinson's, Bo's and Sam's accompaniments are often spoken of so disparagingly - they're well worked out, use the guitar in interesting ways and fill the role perfectly.  What's not to like?  Not flashy enough?  Feh.

[uncle bud]

Lonnie and Sam Chatmon recorded it in 1936.  They did in B-flat, so we're just copping it off the record.  In the notes to the Document CD (MS Sheiks, volume 4) refer to Sam's accompaniment as "accurate and rhythmically steady, rather than inspired."  Well, jeez - he's playing backup on an uptempo tune...  whaddaya expect?  I'm sure Lonnie would really have appreciated "rhythmically indistinct and harmonically indeterminate, yet visionary" accompaniment.

He-he.

In both Kim's and my opinion, B-flat (and E-flat as well) is a great key - sounds great on fiddle and mandolin and has very convenient fingering...  helps that it's an excellent singing key as well.  Sits well on the guitar, too, though maybe more for backup...  the guitar is really an excellent backup instrument, though...  it's a shame that Walter Vinson's, Bo's and Sam's accompaniments are often spoken of so disparagingly - they're well worked out, use the guitar in interesting ways and fill the role perfectly.  What's not to like?  Not flashy enough?  Feh.

The little I've done fooling around with Sheiks (et al) backup on guitar in Bb and Eb, by playing along with the record, I've found it really does sit well on the guitar. It seems quite natural, you almost forget you're playing in Bb or Eb. Pretty ingenious really. What I haven't done is tried playing along with any mandolin parts for Charlie McCoy stuff in Bb. You say the fingering is convenient in these arrangements, and I presume you mean for the fiddle as well, which would mean the mandolin fingering would be convenient as well. But I can't say I can immediately picture the chord shapes/partials or fingerings he'd work from. (Still working on the key of G on the mandolin  .)

[Rivers]

Thanks for the background Frank. Ragtime forms in B flat, a whole new world for me to explore. The bass line really does make it.

[frankie]

I realize it must seem like I'm carpet bombing you all with stuff in the last couple of days, but this is probably it for a while:

[Parlor Picker]

Two more splendid performances.  Delicious!

I'm waiting for my compilation DVD now...

[Slack]

Carpet bomb away frankie - great stuff!

[Stuart]

I realize it must seem like I'm carpet bombing you all...

Beats the Hell out of being called on the carpet! Great stuff--keep it coming! We'll let you know when we reach the saturation point (Like that's ever going to happen!).

[frankie]

Kim and I did this a little while ago as our own hommage to Bob Guida (RIP).  It's the kind of song he liked.  I'd like to share it here if you don't mind checking it out.



I only wish we could have shared it with him while he was here.

[Parlor Picker]

Thanks for sharing that Kim & Frankie.

[blueshome]

Wow! That really caught the spirit of the original.

[frankie]

A heavy tune for heavy times:

[Slack]

Oh good, you posted it here too - just terrific Frankie and Kim!  Flabergasting!

[Stuart]

Frank and Kim: I've been listening to "Stop and Listen" for decades and this is the best cover and the most faithful to the original version I've ever heard. Simply fantastic.

[Prof Scratchy]

just wonderful stuff - close your eyes and the Sheiks are back!

[Pan]

That was absolutely wonderful! Thanks for sharing it with us!

Cheers

Pan