Gavin Atkin
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Posts posted by Gavin Atkin
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Can't offer a YouTube link just now, but for the intrepid there is www.myspace.com/gavinatkin
It's a bit rough, but I'll put up something better some time.
Gavin
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Judging from the recent postings in another thread, this might have some legs.
For a one-off gig with two melodeon players (one and two row), we went under the name of "Captain Kharzi and the Galloping Majors". Not really sure how well received it was
.I while later, I had a dance band for two or three years. Line-up fiddle, fiddle/hammered dulcimer, melodeon, concertina. I was a lot more conservative, here, and the band was called "The Mad Hatters".
So, how about some really wacky names, either actual, or yet to happen.
I played with an outfit including squeezer Ralph Jordan and non-squeezers Andy Lamb, Trevor Bennett and Chris Pitt that gloried in the name of The Hackney Martians. Thought about being the Woolwich Fairies and the Cambridge Heathens also, but one wans't comprehensible to anyone outside east London and the other just wasn't us...
And before that there was Melons for Ecstacy, a title derived from an insane 'novel' by the same title. I don't recommend it especially, but the name did stick in people's minds, for good or ill.
Gavin
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What size is it Rich?
Gavin
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Well, I think it's just fabulous news. It's great that these excellent recordings exist - in a way it's a measure of how good the playing is that so many of us were scratching our heads...
Gav
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I happened to buy the one which Marcus had, at Chippenham. Couldn't really afford it (he's been very good regarding payment), but thought that I couldn't pass up the opportunity.
Regards,
Peter.
Let me know if I can help in any way... You've probably heard me say that the way I approached it was to treat it rather like a typwriter, and to return my left-hand 3/2/1 fingers to the C, E and G buttons (assuming a C box) and my right-hand 2/3/4 fingers to the CEG also. This means you have your right-hand first finger conveniently placed to range around the overlap.
I'm a touch-typist, so this approach came very naturally. My guess is that something similar will work for others though...
Gav
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There is a possible major breakthrough regarding this , as the possible player has been recognised ,but will depend on listening to further tracks,to verify the answer.I have sent a copy of the CD to this person and the answer is imminent and very exciting.
Great news, Alan, as we all stand by to be potentially proved wrong.
Regards,
Peter.
Heck, man - I'd LIKE to be wrong! Gav
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a Jefferies player would have great difficulty achieving that fluidity
Eh?. Where do you get that from? Of the four Jeffries duet players I can think of offhand at least three of them would be capable of "that fluidity". There's nothing in the logic of the system that I can see that compels staccato playing.
Chris
From three decades of playing a Jeffries, I guess! But we can all be wrong, and heaven knows people regularly learn to do things with instruments that sound magical or impossible to other players of the same instrument.
Who are your four Jeffries players btw? I'm always interested to come across new ones as there aren't too many of us...
Gav
I guess I should explain just a little more. With the Jeffries duet, unless you can develop an alternative multi-finger technique that I find a bit tooo scary too contemplate, when playing runs you usually have to hit conseuctive notes with a single finger.
That doesn't mean that runs can't be played quickly - but it does mean that there are distinctive gaps between the notes as the finger in question hops from note to note, and that the gaps become more obvious the faster you play.
I don't claim to be infalllible on the issue - I play several instruments and it's my observation that for each one of them there are people who can do things I can only dream about!
Gav
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a Jefferies player would have great difficulty achieving that fluidity
Eh?. Where do you get that from? Of the four Jeffries duet players I can think of offhand at least three of them would be capable of "that fluidity". There's nothing in the logic of the system that I can see that compels staccato playing.
Chris
From three decades of playing a Jeffries, I guess! But we can all be wrong, and heaven knows people regularly learn to do things with instruments that sound magical or impossible to other players of the same instrument.
Who are your four Jeffries players btw? I'm always interested to come across new ones as there aren't too many of us...
Gav
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OK I have had a fiddle on my Maccan. I have NO DOUBT that I could reproduce this on it given some serious practice (and might well do but I'm not laying myself open to any challenges). I'd play it in D and it then really flows nicely; there's nothing particularly tricky about it, and I'm not claiming to be anything more than a relative novice. So can we stop all this 'better on a Crane' 'difficult to do on a duet' stuff please? It's simply wrong.
I've only got a 57 key available at the moment; it would have been a larger instrument than that to get the low notes I think.
NB this is not a comment on whether it really is a duet, simply confirmation that there is absolutely no reason why it shouldn't be, if you see the difference.
Heyyy... I didn't say a McCann player couldn't do it - just that I hadn't heard one play quite like this. Maybe it could work in D after all I'm a Jeffries player and the McCann just isn't my patch...
Gav
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I feel a poll coming on.
That might have to be the way, if Alan will accept it as sufficient for guidance!
Like many of you I can't quite decide whether it's:
- two instruments (one probably an English) played by two very competent and together musicians, one of whom is holding back to an almost supernatural degree or
- a duet.
If it is a duet, my guess is that it's probably be a Crane because of the fluidity of the tune line and the straight simplicity of the stabbed chords - a Jefferies player would have great difficulty achieving that fluidity, and I've never yet heard a McCann player sound at all like this recording.
Gav
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Hello Richard,
Congratulations on acquiring your Jeffries.
I too have a Jeffries Duet, and have been playing it regularly for Morris for a few years.
Although I believe the instrument is capable of being played in any key, my limited ability means I tend to play it in G, which fortunately suits Morris!
I was interested in your description of the stamping on your instrument.
Mine has C.J. and Jeffries' 'new' Kilburn NW6 address under the left handle with reversed 'N', and Aug 8 1921 under the right handle, with the name W. Thomas under the right strap.
I assume W. Thomas was the owner of my particular instrument.
BTW - I live in Wiltshire.
Congratulations Woolosp - it's always good to hear of another Jeffries Duet player. If you're around for Chippenham Festival, I'll be there on playing duty using guitar and fiddle with the Florida band so please introduce yourself!
Gavin
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Berkeley Square.... That could easily have been me. One of the things about playing a small Jeffries duet is that half the world thinks you're playing an anglo and must be fiendishly clever. Of course in my case neither of these descriptions applies!
Gav
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Hi... Yes, I do visit from time to time, and like John V I'm horrendously busy with my day job, being a parent, a writing project and other stuff, but I'd be very happy to answer any questions.
I don't know what John would say, but my advice would be to find a basic music theory book so that you know what all the tadpoles mean (whatever people say, I really think reading music makes playing easier, not harder) and I'd suggest that a good way to approach the Jeff duet is to work with it in the same kind of way a touch typist learns - by always returning the fingers to the same spot.
So on my C-centred box (I've had it retuned from Bb old pitch), in starting to learn to play I always returned my left-hand ring finger to the C on the second row so that my lh second fell on the E and my lh first on the G, and my right hand second finger redurned to the C on the second row, my rh third on the E, and my rh fourth on the G.
If it's any help, I definitely agree with John V that the system is not as difficult as people say - in fact, if you've been a guitar player you'll know what I mean when I say that it's just a matter of practising untile you have learned the shapes and the 'sounds' of each button. However, there really is not special need to explore the outer reaches right at the beginning - start with nursery rhymes and other simple songs and tunes on the right-hand, and bring in chords nice and easily one at a time.
And one last thing: try to get the habit right from the start of pushing the box before you hit the button rather than the other way around. A nice distinct start to the note is what you need - finding the button first and then pushing the box produces an uncomfortable wheezing urking kind of noise that's difficult to love for long...
My tuppence worth. Mail me with any questions I might be able to answer at gmatkin@clara.net .
Gav
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As a long-serving Jeffries duet player, I'd be very interested to hear about any Jeffries Centenary celebrations that I might be able to get to please... I'm not a frequent attender here (I've got SO much else going on) so I'd be most grateful to hear about anything important at my home email address gmatkin@clara.net please!
Thanks,
Gavin
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I still haven't spoken with the landlord, but I have paid a visit and taken a photo of our birthday boy concertina player (see below, here's hoping that the link works). I'm hoping to reach the landlord this coming week...
Gavin
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I've been away for a couple of days, but thanks for showing some interest in my absence.
I'll stroll over the bridge and have a chat with the landlord to raise the issue in the next day or two, and I'll try to remember to take my camera.
I'll have to move quickly on this as there's not too much of 2005 left!
Gav
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I recently noticed a tina playing goblin carving in the Blackfriar pub, London. He's a cute little fella in a fabulous art nouveau pub built in 1905.
So should some of us tinasqueezers organise a little party for him? Or has it already been done?
Gavin Atkin
Band Names
in General Concertina Discussion
Posted
Most people thought that. I think it was understandable, in the circumstances... :-)
Gav