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Poll: Tune Of The Month For November, 2014


Jim Besser

Poll: TOTM November 2014  

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A note: this month’s poll will end a day early. I will not have Web access on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1 so this month’s poll will only run until October 30, when a winner will be announced, along with the Nov. theme.


The leaves have changed where I live, the fireplace in my music room is pumping, and winter is almost upon us. What better time to learn some new tunes?


Irish: Lucy Farr’s Barndance.


Well, maybe Irish; on thesession. org, there’s a long list of alternative names that suggest other possible origins:


7-Step, The 7-Step, Cross Schottische, The Cross Schottische, Da Seven Step, Da Seven Step Polka, Double Schottische, The Double Schottische, German, The German Schottische, The German, Italian Schottische, The Italian Schottische, Kilnamona, Lucy Farr’s Fling, The Plain Schottische, The Seven Step Polka, The Seven Step Schottische, The Seven Step, Seven Steps, The Seven Steps, The Seven-Steps, Shottee, Siebenschritt, Spanish Schottische, The Spanish Schottische, The Ulster 7-Step, The Ulster Seven Step Polka, The Ulster Seven Step.


Read about it here. As you can see, there are lots of ways to play this catchy tune.


And here are some samples:




French Canadian : Glise a Sherbrooke


This lively French Canadian dance tune is deceptive. The basic melody is really easy, but the tune lends itself to all kinds of interesting variations. My band Frog Hammer plays it straight for a while, and then gradually shifts to a ska beat, with the drums and bass turning it into a very different kind of tune.


Here’s our own Jody Kruskal playing it with typical dance drive.

And an ensemble playing it pretty slowly: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbOtRW39L1I

And Jody’s comments about the tune.


Glise a Sherbrook is often played at contra dances in the New England states.


Scandinavian: Trollspolska


How about a wonderful little hambo to brighten up a dark November day?


Played for the dance, the tune has a beat that just seems to propel the dancers through their moves.


I had a hard time finding a good dance version on YouTube - the one I found was immediately removed! But here it is on nyckelharpa. Not exactly a free reed, but you get the idea of the tune.


But it also lends itself to other interpretations - as in this really cool jazz version.


Jazz standard: Exactly Like You


Strangely enough, this pop standard by Jimmy McHugh and Dorothy Fields from 1930 first came to my attention at an old time jam, when it was played with gusto and flair by a traditional fiddler who did it just after we played Turkey in the Straw. I fooled around with it that night but forgot about it until recently when I was combing through my CD collection and found a wonderful version by the Hot Club of Cowtown. Hey, I thought, that might work on concertina.


Lots of YouTube versions for you to consider. The most basic is on a jazz instructional series, complete with dots. Or try this mellow jazz version. And of course there's Django and an early sung version by Ruth Etting. And a bit of raucous ragtime.



So is there a tune here that catches your fancy? I hope so. And as always, keep your tune suggestions coming.

Edited by Jim Besser
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Scandinavian: Trollspolska
How about a wonderful little hambo to brighten up a dark November day?
Played for the dance, the tune has a beat that just seems to propel the dancers through their moves.
I had a hard time finding a good dance version on YouTube - here’s the closest I found, a little fast for dancers in this part of the world.

I got an error message from You Tube on this link. "This video does not exist"

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Scandinavian: Trollspolska
How about a wonderful little hambo to brighten up a dark November day?
Played for the dance, the tune has a beat that just seems to propel the dancers through their moves.
I had a hard time finding a good dance version on YouTube - here’s the closest I found, a little fast for dancers in this part of the world.

I got an error message from You Tube on this link. "This video does not exist"

 

 

Sorry. I thought I must have miscopied the URL, but it seems the video was removed. Edited the poll with a different version. Thanks.

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Scandinavian: Trollspolska
How about a wonderful little hambo to brighten up a dark November day?
Played for the dance, the tune has a beat that just seems to propel the dancers through their moves.
I had a hard time finding a good dance version on YouTube - here’s the closest I found, a little fast for dancers in this part of the world.

I got an error message from You Tube on this link. "This video does not exist"

 

 

Sorry. I thought I must have miscopied the URL, but it seems the video was removed. Edited the poll with a different version. Thanks.

 

No problems. You weren't to know that someone would remove the video. The nyckelharpa version was one I listened to and liked very much.

Edited by Tootler
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I like this version of Trollspolka

(and it even shows you the dots at around 1:38)

plus showing some drones if liked.

Oh my, that is rather nice.

 

Here is one setting, though its not the same as the video.

http://thesession.org/tunes/7964

 

I took the liberty of contacting the players in the video.

They were very kind and gave me this link to he sheet music:

http://www.folkwiki.se/Musik/1722

 

As it has been said, it doesn't give you the lilt, it is still a starting point.

 

Any chance of changng my vote?

Edited by maki
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I like this version of Trollspolka

(and it even shows you the dots at around 1:38)

plus showing some drones if liked.

That was super. You also get the lilt which is important for these tunes. Like all folk tunes, the dots are only a guide.

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So far only 15 votes in all.

 

In the first post here, Jim B. says that tonight, October 30 (maybe even before midnight?) is the last chance to vote in this poll, so...

 

BUMP!

 

Before midnight, in all likelihood. Last chance to vote!

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So far only 15 votes in all.

 

In the first post here, Jim B. says that tonight, October 30 (maybe even before midnight?) is the last chance to vote in this poll, so...

 

BUMP!

 

Before midnight, in all likelihood. Last chance to vote!

 

I presume that's USA Eastern Daylight Time. (Europe is already back on standard -- i.e., winter -- time, and it's already almost midnight here. ;))

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