Sherwood & Brooks - Bates no. 9

Sherwood & Brooks (mp3) (pdf)
Bates no. 9 (mp3 pt.1) (mp3 pt.2) (pdf score)

Sherwood & Brooks (an obscure reference to grade school) arrived unbidden on Friday morning. I already had a tune ready for this week but I'll save it for next week. This little jig wrote itself and was entered into Sibelius and then recorded before lunch. Jigs two weeks in a row, not intentional.

The photo is recent also and, while unrelated to the title of the tune, is certainly a good image for this music.

Bates no. 9 is a typically cheerful example of the music in his collection.

I was honored to play a contra dance last night in Minneapolis with Pat's Propellers. We had our usual good time but, because of the onset of Daylight Savings Time, the drive home took an hour longer than usual.

Next weekend I'm looking forward to four dances with Contratopia, all in Maryland. Check out our schedule and stop and say hello if you are in the neighborhood.

I'll be trying to post next week's entry from Takoma Park, we'll see if I succeed.

Bear on the Beach - Bates no. 8

Bear on the Beach (mp3) (pdf)
Bates no. 8 (mp3 pt.1) (mp3 pt.2) (pdf score)

The photo above was taken at Meyers Beach, part of the Apostle Islands National Seashore, during a visit to Bayfield, WI last year. The bear in question is not in the photo. Unlike some of my friends I have no interest in ever encountering a bear while hiking. The mere possibility, however remote, can have a chilling effect on my ability to enjoy the natural beauty around me.

In any event I think the tune here is a fun jig to play. The recording has some rhythmic quirks, partly because (I'm not sure why) I recorded the guitar last. Also I hadn't actually decided on an ending until I was at the end of recording the first track. This meant I had to struggle a little more than usual to get the succeeding tracks to end in the same neighborhood.

Here also is no. 8 of William Bates' duettinos for your enjoyment.

If you are in the Decorah area I will be playing solo mandolin once again at Java John's on Wednesday night, March 8, from 7:00-9:00. I'll be playing some recent tunes from this blog along with a couple of Norman and Nancy Blake tunes, Partita V for mandolin by F. Sauli, and three new arrangements of James Oswald Airs for the Seasons: The Geranium, The Box and The Golden Rod.

Two Red Hawks - Bates no. 7 - Deer Track, Feb. 20, 2017

Two Red Hawks (mp3) (pdf)
Bates no. 7 (mp3 pt. 1) (mp3 pt. 2) (pdf score)
Deer Track, February 20, 2017 (mp3) (pdf)

The picture is from a month or so ago but this is near where I saw two red hawks soaring above the Upper Iowa River a couple of days ago. Thanks to the hawks for this week's tune title.

I thought I was done with using "Deer Tracks" as a titling convention but this tune insisted on developing itself in the familiar deer tracks fashion, so I decided to give in and call it what it is. I think now it should go a little faster but, for today, it is fine at this speed.

Here also is no. 7 of William Bates' duettinos, adapted for the mandolin. Only 11 left.

The musical highlight of this week was hearing Julian Lage and Chris Eldridge in Cedar Rapids on Thursday. They worked their magic in a small venue provided by some of the folks who operate Premier Guitar magazine. The show was outstanding in every way. What Julian and Chris do together is unique in its balance of composition, improvisation and virtuosity. I can't recommend them highly enough. Their new CD is Mount Royal. Check out some of the videos.

Today's post marks 8 weeks in a row, which I believe is unprecedented in the 10 year history of this blog. We'll see what next week brings.

The Cairo Sessions - Bates no. 6

The Cairo Sessions (mp3) (pdf)
Bates no. 6 (mp3 pt. 1) (mp3 pt. 2) (pdf score)

Norman Blake recently released a new album of music (Brushwood Songs & Stories) and, as usual, he and Nancy sound great. The Bluegrass Situation published a lengthy and informative interview on Feb. 10, titled End of the Road.

I commented on the Mandolin Cafe that I loved the interview but I wished that Joseph Terrell had asked Norman a question or two about his priceless mandolin music. I suggested that even though Mr. Blake is retiring from public performance he might still consider writing some more of his great mandolin tunes. I further suggested that he and Nancy Blake might meet up once again with Peter Ostroushko and record a few of these tunes, perhaps in Cairo ("K-row"), Illinois. I said they could call the record "The Cairo Sessions."

This prompted me to write another in a series of tunes that I think of as being a little in the style of those great Norman, Nancy and Peter O. tunes of the past. And, for once, I already had a title. I had a great time working on this during the week and lots of fun trying to actually play the harmony part that I wrote. I hope it's enjoyable.

I'm also continuing my series of William Bates recordings with number 6 of his Duettinos.

In a different part of the vast musical universe I had the great pleasure on Wednesday of rehearsing two sections of Anton Webern's 5 Pieces, op. 10 with members of the Luther College Chamber Orchestra, under the direction of Daniel Baldwin. The plan is for the group to perform this piece during the spring concert in April. I am really excited about this chance to play a handful of notes with these fine young musicians and to get to hear this piece from the inside.

From the Balcony - Bates no. 5

From the Balcony (mp3) (pdf)
Bates no. 5 (mp3 pt. 1) (mp3 pt. 2) (pdf score in G)

This week's new tune is a nice quiet number for solo mandolin. It may be developed more in the future.

Here also is no. 5 from the book of William Bates duettinos.

On Wednesday, the 8th, I had another great time playing solo mandolin at Java John's. Here is the setlist from that event:

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 Phillyrea

3. The Hogwart’s Express / Steady On

4. Postcards From the Crater: Pines West

5. Bach: Allemande from Partita no. 2 for solo violin (J.S. Bach, 1685-1750)

6. Deer Track, February 2009

7. Telemann: 12 Fantasies for solo flute, Allegro from no. 2 / Allegro from no. 11 (G.P. Telemann, 1681-1767)

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

9. O’Carolan: Hewlett / Planxty Irwin (Turlough O’Carolan, 1670-1738)

10. Oswald: Airs for the Seasons / The Holly

11. January Tunes: Waltz for the New Year, 2017 / March in January / Sometimes (the bear eats you) / Big Tree Down

                                                           Set 2

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

2. Oswald: Airs for the Seasons / The Hawthorn

3. Bighorn River Sunset / Goslings Afloat / Halfway Home

4. Bach: Bouree in Am

5. Postcards From the Crater: Ice Cave Road

6. Ellington: Don’t Get Around Much Anymore (Duke Ellington, 1899-1974)

7. Oswald: Airs for the Seasons / The Snow-Drop

8. Telemann: Gayment from the 36 Fantaisies

9. Sonata in L(ou)

10. Majo: Mandolin Sonata (Gian Francesco di Majo, 1732-1770)

11. Trad: Reel St. Joseph / The Star of Munster / Lady Anne Montgomery

Even though the list indicates a plan to play two sets, as I usually do, in this case I played straight through because a group of listeners arrived right before my intended break. I could see that they had come to hear some mandolin music so I decided to just keep playing.

Finally, last night Contratopia played to an unusually large crowd at Tapestry Folkdance Center in Minneapolis. The band, our caller Beau Farmer, and the many dancers all seemed to have a great time.

Grey Sunny Sunday - Bates no. 4 - Gathering Echoes

Grey Sunny Sunday (mp3) (pdf)
Bates no. 4 (mp3 pt. 1) (mp3 pt. 2) (pdf score in G)
Gathering Echoes (mp3) (pdf)

Last Sunday was one of those grey winter days that are so common here in northeast Iowa. In mid-afternoon, however, the skies cleared and we had two or three hours of abundant sunshine. This week's new tune was mostly written in the morning and then fiddled with for the next few days. The photo above was taken during my afternoon walk, going up the back road entrance to Palisades Park.

I'm also continuing my William Bates project with duettino no. 4. These are always fun to play and I hope that a few readers are giving these a try.

In addition I'm presenting here a piece I've had for many years that I finally am calling "Gathering Echoes." I don't think I've recorded it before but it's been around for so many years that it might have turned up somewhere in that time. In addition to being a pretty tune (at least to my ears) it's also a nice little exercise. I usually play it in D but you can transpose it to other keys for fun.

This coming Wednesday, Feb. 8, I will be playing another solo mandolin gig at Java John's Coffee House in Decorah. This will be my twelfth consecutive month doing this and I will, as always, be playing some new music. I'll be performing solo versions of three or four more of James Oswald's 96 Airs for the Seasons along with various other pieces from the baroque era. I will also play all four of my new tunes from January 2017, some of my Postcards From the Crater pieces, some fiddle tunes and maybe a couple of jazz standards. It's only Sunday so I'm not close to finalizing the setlist yet.

I'm looking forward to joining my Contratopia band mates on Saturday (Feb. 11) at Tapestry in Minneapolis for our first contra dance of 2017. Come by if you are in the big cities next weekend.

Sometimes (the bear eats you) - Bates no. 3 - Bighorn River Sunset (duo)

Sometimes (the bear eats you) (mp3) (pdf)
Bates no. 3 (mp3 pt. 1) (mp3 pt. 2) (pdf score in G)
Bighorn River Sunset (duo version) (mp3) (pdf)

This week's new tune is a hornpipe in C, though it could be thought of as a schottische too I suppose. Another Norman and Nancy Blake inspired piece. A friendly melody with a simple harmony part.

I also recorded the third of William Bates' duettinos, another fun piece to play.

Finally, I recorded the duo mandolin version of my "Bighorn River Sunset" waltz as it appears in my Midwestern Mandolin Duos book. This tune already appeared in this blog back in October 2012 as recorded by my Contratopia friends. It is also featured in Don Julin's excellent Mandolin For Dummies book as an example of basic chord melody arranging.

Back in October 2016 I presented recordings of 10 new divertimentos for solo mandolin that I was compiling into a book titled Postcards from the Crater. I had print copies of this book for sale at the Classical Mandolin Society of America convention last fall. Now I have finally prepared the PDF edition for sale online. You can read more about the book and purchase either the ebook or the print version at this link: http://www.mandotopia.com/Postcards.html

Today's entry marks four weeks in a row, with a new tune each week. We'll see how long this pace continues. I hope you enjoy the music.

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)

  

Big Tree Down - Casselman by Rail - Bates no. 1

Big Tree Down (mp3) (pdf) (pdf harmony)
Casselman by Rail (mp3) (pdf)
William Bates Duettino no. 1 (mp3 pt. 1) (mp3 pt. 2) (pdf score in G)

Today's tune, Big Tree Down, began its life as "January 9, 2017." The Big Tree in question, pictured above, began its life many years before that but it was felled this past week. It provided shade, shelter for squirrels (a mixed blessing) and many leaves in the autumn. A large, dangerous, split developed recently and its time ran out. This photo was taken shortly before the crew arrived.

Casselman by Rail appears in my Midwestern Mandolin Duos book, one of many tunes inspired by my trips on Amtrak's Capitol Limited route.

The Bates Duettino is the first in his set of 18, published in London around 1770. I would like to eventually record them all but you are welcome to do it first, if you like. They are pleasant pieces from the heyday of the popularity of the "guittar" in England, a wire-strung, cittern-like instrument not to be confused with today's guitar. You can read a little more about this music here.

I'll be playing another of my monthly solo mandolin gigs at Java John's Coffee House in Decorah this Tuesday (Jan. 17) from 7 to 9. I'm still building the set list but it will contain at least 3 of James Oswald's (another composer who wrote for the "guittar") Airs for the Seasons. I plan to choose 3 of the Winter sonatas. I will also be premiering my version of Filippo Sauli's fourth Partita for Mandolin and I will play a few pieces by J.S. Bach. I'll also probably play Big Tree Down and last week's Waltz for the New Year as well. Stop by if you are in town, no cover.

Waltz for the New Year, 2017

Waltz for the New Year, 2017 (mp3) (pdf)

Today's post marks the beginning of the second decade of this blog. Begun as an experiment in January 2007 I never for a moment imagined that I would still be using this platform in 2017. Of course for long stretches of time, most recently November and December 2016, I haven't added any content but with a new year comes new resolve.

On New Year's Day I wrote most of today's tune. I tinkered with it some on Monday and Tuesday and did some recording on Friday.

 I also had some fun this week working with a trio sonata composed by my old friend G.P. Telemann for transverse flute, violin and continuo. My Barenreiter edition tells me this was the "third of a collection of six trio sonatas with different instrumentation which Telemann had engraved in copper by Benjamin Kenckel", all six featuring the violin as one of the instruments.

In this post I am presenting an arrangement of part IV of the sonata, the concluding Vivace, for two mandolins (or mandolin and violin, etc.). In arranging this music for two mandolins I have pulled notes and phrases from the bass line to provide material for each player during what were measures of rest in the original. I will include recordings and the sheet music below.

Telemann: Trio Sonate in G, IV. Vivace (mp3) (pdf)

Finally, the photo above was taken moments ago (around 9:30 a.m.) looking out of my studio window. You will note that it is still rather cold here this morning, -4 or so last night, but it promises to warm up to around 17 degrees Fahrenheit this afternoon.

I hope you enjoy the music.

Postcards From the Crater: nos. 9 & 10

Postcards From the Crater no. 9: Dunning's Spring Falls (pt. 1 mp3) (pt. 2 mp3) (pt. 3 mp3)
Postcards From the Crater no. 10: Dug Road (pt. 1 mp3) (pt. 2 mp3) (pt. 3 mp3)

As promised in my last post, here are the final two pieces from my new collection. A handful of very observant mandolinists may recognize postcard no. 10, here titled "Dug Road." It appears in my Midwestern Mandolin Duos publication, arranged for two mandolins, as "Divertimento in G." Here it is presented as a solo piece in the key of C.

I'll be packing up a box of these books to take out to Valley Forge this week for the CMSA convention. I hope to leave a few of them behind in the hands of friendly mandolin, mandola and mandocello players. If you are at convention stop by and take a look.

Postcards From the Crater: nos. 5 & 7

Postcards From the Crater no. 5: Pines West (pt. 1 mp3) (pt. 2 mp3) (pt. 3 mp3)
Postcards From the Crater no. 7: Lower Palisades (pt. 1 mp3) (pt. 2 mp3) (pt. 3 mp3)

My plan is to make recordings of all 10 of these Postcards available before the Classical Mandolin Society of America annual convention convenes outside of Philadelphia next week. I will have copies of my new Postcards From the Crater book for sale there and I want to be able to point to these recordings when people ask where they can hear how the pieces might sound. I intend to post the final 2 Postcards early next week before I head out to Valley Forge.

I will have plenty of copies of the book with me at the convention, even a few copies in alto clef for CGDA mandola players and bass clef for mandocellists. (Octave mandolin/mandola players can always just play from the standard treble clef edition.) Hopefully I won't be bringing as many copies home as I take with me. Did I mention that the new book will cost a mere $10?

The photo above was taken a few years ago while walking on the stretch of road I consider the "lower palisades", a little earlier in the Fall.

Postcards From the Crater: nos: 3 & 4

Postcards From the Crater no. 3: Phelps Park Bandshell (pt. 1 mp3) (pt. 2 mp3) (pt. 3 mp3)
Postcards From the Crater no. 4: Twin Springs Meadow (pt. 1 mp3) (pt. 2 mp3) (pt. 3 mp3)

Here are two more recordings of Postcards from the new book. I played these, along with the other eight, at Java John's on Tuesday night. Here's the setlist from that gig:

Java John’s solo mandolin, October 18, 2016

Set 1

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

2. Oswald: Divertimento II for solo mandolin

3. Postcards From the Crater no. 1: Twin Bridges

4. Deer Track, June 9, 2013 / Hogwart’s Express / Highlandville, May 2004

5. Postcards From the Crater no. 2: Butterfly Prairie

6. Telemann: Menuets 1728 – no. 4 & 14 (G.P. Telemann, 1681-1767)

7. St. Louis Railyard

8. Postcards From the Crater no. 3: Phelps Park Bandshell

9. Oswald: Airs for the Seasons / The Capsicum

10. Postcards From the Crater no. 4: Twin Springs Meadow

11. Alice’s Garden

12. Postcards From the Crater no. 5: Pines West

                                                           Set 2

1. Postcards From the Crater no. 6: Ice Cave Road

2. Sauli: Partita for Mandolin III (Filippo Sauli, c. 1710)

3. Postcards From the Crater no. 7: Lower Palisades

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

4. Postcards From the Crater no. 8: The Mighty Oak

5. Deer Track October 2002

6. Oswald: Airs for the Seasons / The Ambrosia

7. Postcards From the Crater no. 9: Dunning’s Spring Falls

8. Telemann: Menuets 1728 – no. 1 & 2

9. Postcards From the Crater no. 10: Dug Road

Thanks to everyone who came out to JJ's to hear the music, whether intentionally or not.

Postcards From the Crater: nos. 1 & 2

Postcards From the Crater no. 1: Twin Bridges (pt. 1 mp3) (pt. 2 mp3) (pt. 3 mp3)
Postcards From the Crater no. 2: Butterfly Prairie (pt. 1 mp3) (pt. 2 mp3) (pt. 3 mp3)

Here is a second installment of Postcards sound recordings. I hope to post the remaining 6 by the end of the month.

As stated in my previous post, these are short pieces modeled after James Oswald's 18th century divertimentos for "guittar" and titled after some of my favorite places here in the Decorah area.

The photo above was taken in July 2015 while walking our dog in what is officially known as the Community Prairie and Butterfly Garden.

I'll be playing all ten of these Postcards tomorrow night at Java John's Coffee House, along with music by James Oswald and others, from 7:00-9:00 p.m. Drop by if you would like to hear some solo mandolin music.

Postcards from the Crater previews

Postcards from the Crater no. 8: The Mighty Oak (1st pt. mp3) (2nd pt. mp3) (3rd pt. mp3)
Postcards from the Crater no. 6: Ice Cave Road (1st pt. mp3) (2nd pt. mp3) (3rd pt. mp3)

Early in 2016 I started writing short pieces modeled after the Divertimentos that James Oswald composed and published in the 1750s in London. At this point I have nine of these pieces that I like well enough to share, each with three short movements.

I've been playing them before or after Oswald's own pieces during my solo mandolin coffee house gigs this year and now my plan is to turn them into a small book that I intend to have available at the Classical Mandolin Society of America annual convention in Valley Forge, early next month.

I recorded a couple of these this morning and I'm posting them here as a start towards recording them all before the book is published. Musicians often ask if there are sound files to go with my books and I haven't usually taken the time (and it does take me some time to create acceptable recordings) to do that.

Postcards from the Crater is the working title for the collection. This is a breakthrough for me because creating titles is a constant problem and I was quite pleased when this popped into my mind. A couple of years ago we learned that our little town sits on top of a meteorite crater, you can read more about it here.

Using the Crater as a way to gather the pieces under one meteoric umbrella allows me to think about titles for each individual divertimento. I still have a couple of weeks before I have to finalize those titles so for this blog I will use the numbers that I currently have for them.

So here are recordings of Postcards no. 8 and no. 6. I should mention that all of these pieces will be easy to intermediate in their difficulty and they should equally fun to play on the fiddle. See what you think.....

Maple Syrup Cow / Summer Kitchen Waffle Time

Maple Syrup Cow / Summer Kitchen Waffle Time (mp3) (Maple pdf) (Waffle pdf)

Two recently composed dance tunes with a breakfast theme, played a little below dance tempo, with a few more mistakes than usual.

August was a great month for music. I was lucky enough to play for contra dances every Saturday night: twice at Tapestry, once at the Seed Savers barn and once for hundreds of brand new First Year students at Luther College. In addition I was honored to play at a country wedding and enjoyed another of my monthly solo mandolin gigs at Java John's.

The first tune was finished early in the summer and the second was written the morning after Nordic Fest ended. A number of my musician friends already have this tune with the title "July 31, 2016." It's current title came to me after a tasty meal during a recent visit to Door County, WI. (See photo above)

Speaking of Java John's, here's my setlist from Wed., August 24 (the night after the 8 inch rainfall in Decorah, which delivered our second 500 year flood in less than 10 years):

Java John’s solo mandolin, August 24, 2016

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 Ambrosia

3. Blake: Bright Days (Norman Blake, 1938- )

4. Playford Tunes: George’s Maggot / Chestnut (from the Dancing Master, 1651-1728)

5. O’Carolan : Hewlett / Carolan’s Concerto (Turlough O’Carolan, 1670-1738)

6. St. Louis Railyard

7. Telemann: Menuets 1728 – no. 17 & 15 (G.P. Telemann, 1681-1767)

8. Oswald: Airs for the Seasons / The Capsicum

9. O’Carolan: Lament / Morgan Megan

10. Unbelievable

                                                           Set 2

1. August Deer Tracks: August 18, 2002; August 2002; August 31, 2009

2. Oswald: Airs for the Seasons / The Arbutus

3. The North Georgia Hills

4. English Guittar music: Andante (F.T. Schumann) / Allegro (R. Straube) / Minuet (R. Bremner) / Allegretto (E. Light)

5. Playford Tunes: The Happy Marriage / The Last New Vagaries

6. August 2, 2013 / August 7, 2016

7. Oswald: Airs for the Seasons / The Candy-Tuft

8. O’Carolan: Carolan’s Draught / Planxty George Brabazon, no. 2

9. Telemann: Menuets 1728 – no. 3 & 4

10. Maple Syrup Cow / Summer Kitchen Waffle Time

As you can see I gave the Italian composers a rest and focused mostly on music from the British Isles; Oswald, O'Carolan and tunes from the Playford collections. My next scheduled Java John's date is Wednesday, Sept. 21. Drop in if you feel like it. I haven't thought too much about the musical menu beyond wanting to play some more of the Oswald "Airs for the Seasons."

Before September 21 I have a couple of dances to play with Foot-Notes, including a special fundraiser for repair of the Highlandville Schoolhouse. If you can't make it to this event please consider a donation to this most worthy cause. I also am looking forward to joining Pat's Propellers at the Squirrel Moon Contra and Square Dance Weekend, Sept. 16-18. Who knows, today's tunes might make an appearance there.

  

Swarbrick Sends a Tune to Iowa

Swarbrick Sends a Tune to Iowa (mp3) (pdf)

Dave Swarbrick left this world on June 3, 2016 (a few hours before Muhammed Ali) and I wrote this tune in response later that same day. I've been listening to his music since around 1970, starting with Fairport Convention, then going back to those incredible records with Martin Carthy and on into his later work. I can't claim to have heard everything he ever recorded but I never heard anything from him that wasn't inspiring.

I was lucky to have seen him play in person twice in Bloomington, Indiana (I think, but maybe it was in Louisville), sometime in the late 70s-early 80s. Once with Martin Carthy and once with Simon Nicol. Both shows were brilliant. Recently I have been especially inspired by the collection of tunes he composed for Duncan Wood, recorded under the title Swarbtricks (2013).

I struggled with what to use for a title for this tune because I feel like his actual friends should have the right to use most of the titles I came up with: "Swarb" (I'm looking forward to that being a great tune) or "Swarbrick" or "Letter to Swarb" or "Swarb's Second Obit", etc. So, I came up with this title with an Iowa reference. It's a little ironic because the tune was actually written in Carrboro, NC, but Iowa was its intended home.

Anyway I hope you enjoy the tune. Take a little time if you can and listen to some of the real thing. There are plenty of recordings and videos to hear and watch. One of my favorites is the early recording Rags, Reels, and Airs, which also happens to feature lots of great mandolin playing.

The photo above is from a recent auction catalog where it was accompanied by this description:

An early 20th Century Gibson A1 Mandolin, previously owned by, toured, and recorded with Dave Swarbrick (Fairport Convention), purchased from him by the current owners late father, complete with strap, later fitted pick up (Headway - Needs pre amp) embossed strap and hard case featuring "Fairport" lettering and cloth cover. Email from "Swarb" to him in 2012, stating "If I play Mandolin with martin, fairport, anybody in fact its this one.....never recorded with any other instrument"

Box Elder Stomp, live from Java John's, 7-13-16

Box Elder Stomp (mp3) (pdf)

One more recording from my July solo mandolin night at Java John's. This one is a solo version of a tune that Contratopia recorded on our Smitten CD long ago in combination with another swing-style tune called Lucy's Stroll.

The Box Elder Stomp is a fairly straightforward blues in G. Playing it solo allows me to wander a bit, for good or ill, and I enjoyed playing the tune quite a bit that night. Special thanks goes out to the Mystery Whistler at the finish. (I think I know who you are but I don't want to reveal your identity to the world just yet.)

The sheet music presented here includes the lead sheet for both tunes. Check out the Contratopia recording for further guidance.

Thanks once again to all the folks who have been turning out for these solo mandolin gigs. I love doing them. The next one will be on Wednesday August 24, stop by if you are in Decorah that night.

Woodhaven, solo version live from Java John's

Woodhaven (mp3, solo version) (pdf)

Another live recording from Java John's last week. I played this tune as the final number of the evening. I originally posted a recording of the two part version of this piece back in July 2008 but it works fine as a solo piece also. 

The photo above was taken in August 2009 near Blanchard, Maine, not too many miles away from where this music was first written down. The recording was done with my now vintage Zoom H4 recorder using the built-in mics, direct to mp3 at 320kbps and lightly edited using an even more vintage version Sound Forge Studio.

Java John's, July 13, 2016 Solo Mandolin

A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square (mp3) (live from JJ's)

I had yet another great time playing solo at Java John's in Decorah last Wednesday. I'll post the setlist below. I managed to play everything on the list except that I only played the slow movement of the Majo sonata.

I recorded the gig, audience conversations and all, for the first time. It's always enlightening to hear a live recording of yourself.

I've taken the unusual step of including a recording of a tune I didn't write this time. (If only I could write a tune one-tenth as good as this one!) It's far, far from perfect but I like the feeling of it and I think some readers may enjoy it also. I'm using a lead sheet but you can tell that I'm also improvising a bit.

(Hopefully you can get past the noise of the folks in the back of the room. They meant no harm, it's not a concert venue. There were several other folks listening quite intently though.)

Java John’s solo mandolin, July 13, 2016

Set 1
1. Swarbrick Sends a Tune to Iowa (Goodin) / O’Neill’s Favorite (trad.) / Flowers of Edinburgh (James Oswald, 1710-1769)
2. Oswald: Divertimento XI for solo mandolin
3. Scarlatti: Sonata K.90, 3. Siciliana - 4. Allegro (Domenico Scarlatti, 1685-1757)
4. French Creek Waltz
5. Sauli: Partita for Mandolin II, 1. Prelude - 2. Allemande - 3. Sarabanda (Filippo Sauli, c. 1710)
6. St. Louis Railyard
7. Telemann: Sonata no. 4 (1715), Allegro (G.P. Telemann, 1681-1767)
8. July 23, 2004 / July 1, 2004
9. Sauli: Partita for Mandolin II, 4. Corrente - 5. Gigue
10. A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square (Eric Maschwitz & Manning Sherwin)

Set 2
1. July Deer Tracks: July 1, 2002; July 2, 2003; July 8, 2013
2. Oswald: Divertimento XII
3. Lanterns On the River
4. Sauli: Partita for Mandolin II, 6. Gavotte – 7. Menuete
5. Playford Tunes (from the Dancing Master, 1651-1728)
6. Jigs: July 2, 2013 / July 11, 2005
7. Majo: Sonata per Mandolino e basso (Gian Francesco de Majo, 1732-1770)
8. Box Elder Stomp
9. Telemann: Menuets 1730 – no. 11 & 17 (p.66-67)
10. The Rights of Man (trad.) / Gilderoy (trad.) / Grace Hay’s Delight
11. Woodhaven

Java John's Wednesday, June 15, 2016 & Johnny's Gone Fishing, Carrboro, NC, Sunday, June 5

I had a great time last night at Java John's playing solo for a special bunch of folks. Here's the setlist:

Java John’s solo mandolin, June 15, 2016

Set 1

1. Swarbrick (Goodin) / O’Neill’s Favorite (trad.) / The Rights of Man (trad.) / Gilderoy (trad.) / Flowers of Edinburgh (James Oswald, 1710-1769)

2. Oswald: Divertimento III

3. Scarlatti: Sonata K.81, 1. Grave / 2. Allegro (Domenico Scarlatti, 1685-1757)

4. June 6, 2015

5. Foot-Notes set: Orevalsen / Thore’s Schottische / Skurdalsdansen

6. Goodin: Divertimento 2016, no. 5

7. Telemann: Bouree & Passpied (1715) (G.P. Telemann, 1681-1767)

8. June 2014 waltz no. 3

9. J.S. Bach: Allemande, Partita II for solo violin (BWV 1004) (J.S. Bach, 1685-1750)

10. A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square (Eric Maschwitz & Manning Sherwin)

11. Unbelievable

                                                           Set 2

1. June Deer Tracks: June 13-15, June 9, June 24, June 8, 2013; June 25, 2003

2. June 2014 waltz no. 2

3. Oswald: Divertimento IX

4. Six Solos, Summer 2006 (not performed, not enough time)

5. Red Hawk Schottische / June 16, 2011

6. Scarlatti: Sonata K.89, 1. Allegro

7. June 2014 waltz no. 1

8. No Questions Asked

9. Telemann: Menuets 1728 – no. 4 & 14

10. Riding on the City of New Orleans, June 24, 2011 (jig/jig/reel)

I also had a great time playing a Sunday brunch gig at Johnny's in Carrboro back on June 5. It's a wonderful place to play and I hope to get back there sometime. Here's the setlist from that gig:

Johnny’s Gone Fishing solo mandolin, June 5, 2016

Set 1

1. Swarbrick (Goodin) / O’Neill’s Favorite (trad.) / The Rights of Man (trad.) / Gilderoy (trad.) / Flowers of Edinburgh (James Oswald, 1710-1769)

2. Oswald: Divertimento VI

3. Contratopia Waltz Set: Smitten (Goodin) /South of France (Goodin) /Ms. P’s Waltz (Erik Sessions)

5. Goodin: Divertimento 2016, no. 3

6. Foot-Notes set: Orevalsen / Thore’s Schottische / Skurdalsdansen

7. Telemann: Adagio from Sonata No. 1 (1728) / Menuet No. 46 (1728) (G.P. Telemann, 1681-1767) (p.42-43)

8. June 6, 2015

9. Deer Track: June 8, 2013 (p.19)

10. Polka Dots and Moonbeams (Johnny Burke & Jimmy Van Heusen)

11. Unbelievable

                                                           Set 2

1. Soldier’s Joy / Red-Haired Boy / Squirrel Hunters  (all trad.)

2. Majo: Sonata per Mandolino e basso (Gian Francesco de Majo, 1732-1770)

3. Contratopia Jig Set: Sweet Music (Sessions) / Why Ted Flies / Books and Ladders

4. Oswald: Divertimento VIII

5. Red Hawk Schottische / June 16, 2011

6. Sonata in L(ou)

7. Carolan’s Draught / Planxty George Brabazon #2 (Turlough O’Carolan, 1670-1738)

8. No Questions Asked

9. Telemann: Menuets 1730 – no. 24 & 29 (p. 68-69)

10. Deer Track: June 9, 2013 (p. 24)

11. Palmer’s House

I'll be back at Java John's on Wednesday, July 13. Drop in.

  

  

Deer Track, June 13-15, 2013

Deer Track, June 13-15, 2013 (mp3) (pdf)

As I prepared for my solo mandolin gig at Java John's tonight I dug out this previously unrecorded Deer Track piece from the summer of 2013. I was writing one almost every day, thanks to my Kickstarter friends, and this one didn't make the cut for the final recording. Since today is June 15 it seems like a good choice.

I will try and work this piece into a set of June Deer Tracks that I will play tonight at JJ's.

Java John's, solo mandolin, May 18, 2016

(photo courtesy of Trish Finn)

I had another fine time last night playing solo mandolin for the local cognoscenti at Java John's. Here's the list of music:

Java John's solo mandolin, May 18, 2016

Set 1

1. O’Neill’s Favorite /Old French / Morpeth Rant / Gilderoy (trad.)/Flowers of Edinburgh (James Oswald, 1710-1769)

2. Scarlatti: Sonata K.81, 4. Allegro (Domenico Scarlatti, 1685-1757)

3. Oswald: Divertimento II (James Oswald, 1710-1769)

4. Contratopia Waltz Set: Smitten/South of France/Ms. P’s Waltz (Erik Sessions)

5. Goodin: Divertimento 2016, no. 2

6. Foot-Notes set: Orevalsen / Thore’s Shottische / Skurdalsdansen

7. Goslings Afloat

8. Telemann: Sonata No. 1 for violin (1715), Allegro (G.P. Telemann, 1681-1767)

9. Deer Track May 8-9, 2012

10. Green to Brown, All Over Town / Fred Picknell’s March (Andy May)

Set 2

1. May Tunes: May 30, 2007 / May 17, 2016 / May Frost / May 15, 2015 / Highlandville, May 14, 2004  

2. Majo: Sonata per Mandolino e basso (Gian Francesco de Majo, 1732-1770)

3. Contratopia Jig Set: Sweet Music (Sessions) / Why Ted Flies / Books and Ladders

4. Polka Dots and Moonbeams (Johnny Burke & Jimmy Van Heusen)

5. Oswald: Divertimento IV

6. Telemann: Menuets 1730 – no. 31 & 43

7. St. Louis Railyard

8. Deer Track May 19, 2013

9. Scarlatti Sonata K.90, 3. Siciliana & 4. Allegro

10. Palmer’s House / The Old White House

I'm scheduled to do this again on Wednesdays in June (15th) and July (13th). Stop by if you are in town. 

I'm also taking this show on the road to North Carolina soon. I'll be playing a similar mix of classical and folk music at Johnny's Gone Fishing, the great coffee shop in Carrboro, for Sunday brunch, from 11:00-1:00, on June 5.

Java John's, solo mandolin tonight, April 20, 2016

(photo courtesy of Trish Finn)

Playing solo mandolin at Java John's Coffee House here in Decorah tonight from 7:00-9:00.

Here's the preliminary setlist:

Java John's solo mandolin, April 20, 2016

Set 1

O’Neill’s Favorite /Old French / Morpeth Rant / Gilderoy

Carolan’s Concerto

Oswald Divertimento X

Goodin Divertimento 2016, no. 4

No Questions Asked

Sonata in L(ou)

Telemann Menuets

Bach Cello Suite no. 1 – Allemande / Corrente

Deer Track June 25, 2003 / Bob’s Angels / Jaunty Ted / Why Ted Flies / Books and Ladders

Set 2

St. Francis and the Wolf / St. Francis Dreaming / St. Francis and the Birds

Sauli Partita I

Six Solos, Summer 2006

Oswald Divertimento I

Telemann Menuets

Carolan’s Draught / George Brabazon #2

St. Louis Railyard

Marsch i April / Maknads Marsch

The Wedding Broom / Alice’s Garden / August 2, 2013

Deer Tracks

Woodhaven

It's a lot of fun planning these programs. I'm optimistic that I can play most of the notes involved. We'll see if there is really enough time to get all of this music played. I may need to skip a few repeats.

The nice photo above comes from Trish Finn who took lots of photos at the Call of the Loon dance weekend a week and a half ago. It's a great shot of the old Gibson approaching 90 years of age. None of the amps in the background were connected to me, they were being used by the fine folks in Wild Asparagus.

The North Georgia Hills at the Mandolin Cafe

Many thanks to Scott Tichenor at the Mandolin Cafe for the nice write-up concerning the publication of The North Georgia Hills music. Scott's contribution to the mandolin world over the last 20+ years is immeasurable.

Scott was also kind enough to run an article a few days ago announcing the publication of my new book from Mel Bay; 12 Divertimentos for Solo Mandolin by James Oswald.

It's always a good day when I find myself mentioned at the Cafe but it will be a while before I see this much attention again.

The North Georgia Hills performed by Another Mandolin Orchestra

“ … and a tote sack full of ginseng won’t pay no travelling bills.”

“The North Georgia Hills” is the title I gave to a piece that I wrote for the Atlanta Mandolin Orchestra about a year ago. I was aiming to capture something of the sound and feel of those great mandolin tunes by Norman and Nancy Blake that appeared on the Original Underground Music From The Mysterious South album around 1982.

At the 2015 CMSA convention in Austin I was honored that many of the Atlanta group (under the direction of maestro Bob Knysz), along with some special friends, chose to perform the piece during one of the open mic concerts. I shared this video with the Mandolin Cafe classical forum and on Facebook back in December. I'm posting it today to this blog because the score and parts for the piece have just been published in Germany by Joachim-Trekel-Musikverlag.

Many thanks to Maren Trekel and the folks at Trekel for making this piece available to mandolin orchestras everywhere. Here's the link to the appropriate page at the Trekel website:

http://trekel.de/de/catalogsearch/result/?q=north+georgia+hills

I hope you enjoy this performance...