Poets in Time

 

Poets in Time (pdf score) (pdf parts)

The Cairo Sessions (mp3) (pdf)

Poets in Time is a mandolin orchestra piece that I wrote on commission for the group Fretworks back in 2010. Above is the video of the premiere performance, conducted by Douglas Back, in spring 2011. I have fifteen or so mandolin orchestra/ensemble pieces available from my Mandolin Orchestra and Ensemble page at my Mandotopia site. But there are another half dozen or more that I need to add. I'm very slow at it but this morning I woke up thinking of this piece and made it my project for the day.

I hadn't heard this music in years and I was happy to see how much I enjoyed it. I hope that some of you enjoy it too. If you are a member of a mandolin orchestra feel free to download the music and give it a try with your group.

Also this morning I learned of the passing of the great Peter Ostroushko. I was privileged to meet him a few times and even play a little music with him but, mostly, I was a great fan of his playing and his writing. A few years ago I wrote a tune, The Cairo Sessions, that was meant to remind me of the great recordings that Peter made with Norman and Nancy Blake. The title represents an imaginary meeting of Peter and the Blakes in Cairo, Illinois to record another album together. The idea was that they could meet about halfway between Minneapolis and north Georgia. I really like the result and I think that Peter, Norman and Nancy would be OK with the tune.

I'm heartened to know that all around the world tonight people, especially mandolin players, are keeping Peter's memory alive with music and stories. A true Poet and a great man.

Partially Covered

 

Partially Covered (mp3) (pdf)

Blevins' March (mp3) (pdf)

The Wedding Broom (mp3) (pdf)

Today's new tune was written shortly after a trip to La Crosse, WI a couple of weeks ago. Don't try this at home, it was not the smartest move, but we managed to stay out of the ditches and returned home safely. 

There's actually a much longer story about the genesis of the tune but I won't get into that today. I'll just say that I was inspired by a recent tune written by an old friend that is a model of elegance and simplicity. I think my tune captures some of the simplicity but I'm not sure how much elegance I managed. Still, I like it fine and it's fun to play.

I didn't create any harmony parts for this one but I did record it in multiple octaves using my recently acquired Peter Coombe Classical Flattop mandolin, my main old Gibson mandolin, and a nice, recent Taylor guitar. Hope you enjoy it.

On a more somber note, we have had several deaths recently involving treasured members of the local community. One of those was the wonderful Mike Blevins. You can read my comments on Mike in my earlier post that followed a benefit concert that I was honored to be a part of back in 2018. The tune "Blevins' March" was written for Erik Sessions and myself to play at MikeFest and it still gets played pretty often.

Continuing with tunes from the early years of this blog I am resurrecting "The Wedding Broom" from February 18, 2007. Still one of my favorite tunes and I really like this simple recording. Now, as then, we are awaiting new snow here today and the song of the snow blowers will ring out loud and clear later this afternoon.

Hang in there ...

 

Deer Track, February 10, 2021

 

Deer Track, February 10, 2021 (mp3) (pdf)

We are in the middle of a brutal cold spell here in northeast Iowa. It's been a week of subzero nights and there are at least three more double-digit below zero nights ahead of us. Next Saturday we might see a high temp of 30 degrees. Today's high was around -2, it's -8 now at 7:00 p.m.

Good weather for writing tunes though and I have written several recently. Today, however, we meet a new Deer Track piece from a few days ago. I really like this one, even though I know that these aren't everyone's cup of tea. I like where it's path leads me and it's a pleasure to actually play.

I'll try and get a couple of more conventional tunes recorded soon but this one is a good fit for tonight's weather. The photo above is from a couple of weeks ago when the temperature was much more comfortable. I was on the Ice Cave Road looking down over the Upper Iowa River.

Wherever you are, if it's cold, I wish you a warm fire. If it's warm already then I hope you appreciate it! I'm certainly grateful for our furnace tonight.