Deer Track March 10-11, 2013

Deer Track March 10-11, 2013 (mp3) (pdf)

Another addition to my ongoing series of short Deer Tracks solo mandolin pieces, from a couple of weeks ago. This one came about because I had read a review of a recent CD by saxophonist Jeremy Udden, titled folk art, in DownBeat magazine (the online edition).

I was sitting here at this computer and looked up the Amazon page for the CD with sound clips. The reviewer had made it clear I would probably like the CD (it includes several tracks featuring Brandon Seabrook on banjo, in a non-bluegrass style). I had my mandolin in my lap as I listened to the samples and spontaneously started to play along.

If I had been in the room with the band while they were recording what I was playing would have been wholly inappropriate but it suited me at the time. Before long I played what is now the first phrase of this week's tune. I reached out and stopped the CD samples, picked up a pen and started writing. Most of the piece followed pretty quickly. I improved it some the next day and then recorded it. (I then ordered the CD and I highly recommend it.)