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Theme Of The Month, Oct 2014: First Tunes


Jim Besser

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I'll still keep an eye out. I tend to stop by actual hat shops when I get a chance, so it actually might give me an opportunity to get a lead that might help you. Also, quarter horse congress starts soon, and if I decide to go, there should be some hatmakers there. No guarantees.

Cool. But it has to be brown! Official kit color

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I posted my first tune on a previous Theme-of-the-Month. Here's the link again.

 

https://soundcloud.com/dr-sleep-1/banks-of-inverness

 

I learned it years before I ever played a concertina. I was playing hammered dulcimer at the time (1984) and an accordion player taught it to me, although I realized I already knew it from hearing it so often at contradances.

 

When I stared playing the (Hayden Duet) concertina, this was the first tune that I fully worked out a 2-handed arrangement, and my arrangement has not changed in the 25 years since.

 

The accordion player who taught it to me called it "Siege of Ennis." I later noticed that most of the people I hung around with called it "Banks of Inverness," and that is what I prefer to call it. But I have since heard many other names for it as well: "Croppie's March," "Shane's Favorite," "Andy Irvine's Polka," and of course, it is very similar to "Salmon Tails Across the Water."

 

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Fantastic theme, Jim. As you said, nothing quite matches one's affection for those first loves. These are great posts and great tunes. Now I want to relearn Hector the Hero, which I played on the cello long ago but haven't thought about for ages! Love Banks of the Inverness, David.

 

The first tune I actually leaned on the concertina is lost in the mists ( even though it wasn't that long ago), but the one I first really struggled to get under my fingers on my Jackie was White Petticoat, and it is still a favorite. I'd heard it on the Kevin Burke/Cal Scott album "Suite" (first tune of the Irish session suite 1st movement:jigs), and was determined to learn to play it myself. Solas also plays a version in a set with Stan Chapman and Miller's Maggott.

 

This recording is with the fabulous Wheatstone model 21 I recently bought from Greg Jowaisas -- What fun it is to play. So much I have still to learn! Yay.

http://soundcloud.com/mildredestelle/white-petticoat

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Thanks so much! This was the 'easiest' tune I've recorded so far-- don't know if it is the bliss of the instrument (the action and metal buttons are just sooo responsve), or affection for the tune. Probably both. Certainly not affection for the recording process. But practice helps with that too.

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Fantastic theme, Jim. As you said, nothing quite matches one's affection for those first loves. These are great posts and great tunes. Now I want to relearn Hector the Hero, which I played on the cello long ago but haven't thought about for ages! Love Banks of the Inverness, David.

 

The first tune I actually leaned on the concertina is lost in the mists ( even though it wasn't that long ago), but the one I first really struggled to get under my fingers on my Jackie was White Petticoat, and it is still a favorite. I'd heard it on the Kevin Burke/Cal Scott album "Suite" (first tune of the Irish session suite 1st movement:jigs), and was determined to learn to play it myself. Solas also plays a version in a set with Stan Chapman and Miller's Maggott.

 

This recording is with the fabulous Wheatstone model 21 I recently bought from Greg Jowaisas -- What fun it is to play. So much I have still to learn! Yay.

http://soundcloud.com/mildredestelle/white-petticoat

 

Great tune, great version.

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This is one of the first tunes I worked on when I started playing concertina: the French Canadian dance tune La Bastringue.

 

The backstory: I was the guitar player in a contra dance band with my late friend Michael Reid - an early concertina.net participant and my Northeast Squeeze In buddy. This was one of the tunes we played, and I loved his rendition (on English concertina).

 

When he moved out of the area, I missed the sound of the concertina and started playing the garage sale Anglo I already had. La Bastringue was one of the first of Michael's tunes I tried to work out. Later, with better instruments, I played it in medleys of French Canadian tunes, and at family dances for the circle mixer of the same name.

 

Somehow, it dropped off my radar screen, and I haven't played it in a number of years. Good to be reminded of a great tune!

 

Interestingly, Michael - a superb English concertina player - moved to Colorado, became immersed in Irish music and reeducated himself as a fine Anglo concertinist.

Edited by Jim Besser
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This is one of the first tunes I worked on when I started playing concertina: the French Canadian dance tune La Bastringue.

 

The backstory: I was the guitar player in a contra dance band with my late friend Michael Reid - an early concertina.net participant and my Northeast Squeeze In buddy. This was one of the tunes we played, and I loved his rendition (on English concertina).

 

When he moved out of the area, I missed the sound of the concertina and started playing the garage sale Anglo I already had. La Bastringue was one of the first of Michael's tunes I tried to work out. Later, with better instruments, I played it in medleys of French Canadian tunes, and at family dances for the circle mixer of the same name.

 

Somehow, it dropped off my radar screen, and I haven't played it in a number of years. Good to be reminded of a great tune!

 

Interestingly, Michael - a superb English concertina player - moved to Colorado, became immersed in Irish music and reeducated himself as a fine Anglo concertinist.

Jim that sounds really great. I love French Canadian songs and I am going to learn your version.

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http://youtu.be/nrKRVfaEPCQ

 

Young Collins, the first tune I learnt to play by ear, 37 years ago. Whilst messing about, a phrase came out that I thought I recognised. I kept at trying to find the rest of the tune until success, weeks later. I had no connection with morris then but had heard Morris On many times. I had been lent a 30 button Lachenal anglo, by a friend who about 10 months later had it back and lent me an English.

 

Playing style will be completely changed now, having changed mostly to G/D.

 

Played on Edgley Ab/Eb recently arrived on a trans Atlantic swap.

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http://youtu.be/nrKRVfaEPCQ

 

Young Collins, the first tune I learnt to play by ear, 37 years ago. Whilst messing about, a phrase came out that I thought I recognised. I kept at trying to find the rest of the tune until success, weeks later. I had no connection with morris then but had heard Morris On many times. I had been lent a 30 button Lachenal anglo, by a friend who about 10 months later had it back and lent me an English.

 

Playing style will be completely changed now, having changed mostly to G/D.

 

Played on Edgley Ab/Eb recently arrived on a trans Atlantic swap.

 

Nice one. Must have been one of my first tunes too, Got bored with it years ago but your nicely varied left hand work reminds me what can be done and what a good tune it is.

 

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http://youtu.be/nrKRVfaEPCQ

 

Young Collins, the first tune I learnt to play by ear, 37 years ago. Whilst messing about, a phrase came out that I thought I recognised. I kept at trying to find the rest of the tune until success, weeks later. I had no connection with morris then but had heard Morris On many times. I had been lent a 30 button Lachenal anglo, by a friend who about 10 months later had it back and lent me an English.

 

Playing style will be completely changed now, having changed mostly to G/D.

 

Played on Edgley Ab/Eb recently arrived on a trans Atlantic swap.

 

Always one of my favorite Morris tunes. I also like the alternate version played by Brian Peters. Your left hand really livens up the tune, especially in the B part.

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The first tune I actually leaned on the concertina is lost in the mists ( even though it wasn't that long ago), but the one I first really struggled to get under my fingers on my Jackie was White Petticoat, and it is still a favorite...

 

This recording is with the fabulous Wheatstone model 21 I recently bought from Greg Jowaisas -- What fun it is to play. So much I have still to learn! Yay.

http://soundcloud.com/mildredestelle/white-petticoat

 

Nice job, Sarah. I'd dance to that!

 

 

Love Banks of the Inverness, David.

 

 

Thanks.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Well, this month went by so quickly… I had very little time to post or play or do anything concertina-related, but I made a resolution this month, that I'll get back to active playing, so here it is.

This is just a short sample recording of A (old and rearranged) and B (completely new for me) parts of a much longer song. Hopefully I'll someday record it with vocals and in full lenght. Still much room for improvement, but I'll probably work on this tune only after finishing building my DIY-tina.

https://soundcloud.com/martynowi-cz/dwie-siostry-revisited-wip

 

[and for sake of reference, a link to the very first version posted earlier: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0buNZcKxHc ]

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Well, this month went by so quickly… I had very little time to post or play or do anything concertina-related, but I made a resolution this month, that I'll get back to active playing, so here it is.

This is just a short sample recording of A (old and rearranged) and B (completely new for me) parts of a much longer song. Hopefully I'll someday record it with vocals and in full lenght. Still much room for improvement, but I'll probably work on this tune only after finishing building my DIY-tina.

https://soundcloud.com/martynowi-cz/dwie-siostry-revisited-wip

 

[and for sake of reference, a link to the very first version posted earlier: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0buNZcKxHc ]

 

Nice tune, thanks!

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