March in January - Bates no. 2 - Goslings

March in January (mp3) (pdf) (pdf harmony)
Bates no. 2 (mp3 pt. 1) (mp3 pt. 2) (pdf score in G)
Goslings Afloat (duo version) (mp3) (pdf)

This week's new tune, mostly written on Jan. 18, is only slightly "original." Still it kept coming at me until I wrote it down so here it is. I recorded it at what I thought was a nice march tempo as a mandolin trio with a fun harmony part and the 3rd mando playing chords.

While there were certainly plenty of marches around the world this week my title is really a nod to Roger Tallroth's great tune for Vasen, "Marsch i April." The photo above was taken during a march with Suzie a couple of years ago. The stretch of road pictured is mostly a sheet of slowly melting ice right now.

Even though it's meant to be a march we played it at a much faster tempo for a circle dance last night here in Decorah and it worked fine.

I'm also including a recording from this morning of the 2nd of William Bates' duettinos. I have no. 3 in the digital can now. We'll see if I go further. Number 2 is certainly a fun piece to play.

"Goslings" is another piece from my Midwestern Mandolin Duos book. I have already presented this tune as a melody with chords back in May 2008 but this duo version has its own charm.

This was a busier than usual week for me. Last night I played at our local contra dance with our Western Home String Band. On Thursday I was honored to be invited to play the second set with my friends in the Tom Bourcier Band at Java John's. This was a "reunion/farewell" show for Tom and although it was a bittersweet occasion, musically it was a ball. On Tuesday I played my January solo mandolin show at JJ's and had a really nice audience, including artists, authors and at least one famous recording artist.

Here's the setlist from Tuesday:

Java John’s solo mandolin, January 17, 2017

Set 1

1. Swarbrick Sends a Tune to Iowa (Goodin) / O’Neill’s Favorite (trad.) / Flowers of Edinburgh (James Oswald, 1710-1769)

2. Oswald: Airs for the Seasons / The Arbutus

3. Mouret: Bourees I & II (Jean Joseph Mouret, 1682-1738)

4. The Hogwart’s Express / Steady On

5. Bach: Minuet from French Suite no. 6 / March in G from the Anna Magdalena notebook  (J.S. Bach, 1685-1750)

6. Phelps Park Bandshell

7. Telemann: 1728 Minuets nos. 4 & 14 (G.P. Telemann, 1681-1767)

8. Lecce: Partita in C (Francesco Lecce, 1715-1775)

9. Waltz for the New Year, 2017

10. Oswald: Airs for the Seasons / The Cyclamen

11. Henrietta Hornpipe / The New Henrietta (Goodin) / News Boys’ Hornpipe

                                                           Set 2

1. Sauli: Partita IV for Mandolin (Filippo Sauli, c. 1710)

2. Deer Tracks: January 29, 2009 / January 22, 2011

3. Menuets in Dm / Purcell, Clarke, Handel, Bach

4. Bach: Bourees I & II, 3^rd Cello Suite (J.S. Bach, 1685-1750)

5. Twin Bridges

6. Bach: Bouree in Am

7. Oswald: Airs for the Seasons / The Heart’s-Ease

8. Telemann: 1730 Minuets nos. 47 & 43

9. The Wedding Broom

10. Butterfly Prairie

11. Big Tree Down / Over the Waterfall (thanks to Alan Jabbour)