Jim Besser

That's why I only take the Morse hybrids on Morris tours and leave the Jeffries at home. Morris dancers with beers in hand are a notoriously messy lot.

Monday morning, so why not something silly? Two unlikely schottisches - Rosalie the Prairie Flower, written by George Frederick Root in 1855 - and, to make it sound more trad, sometimes called the Northumbrian Schottische - and If I Only Had a Brain, by Harold Arlen. Periodically, when playing for contra dances some trouble maker will ask for a schottische, and bands around here, not well versed in schottisches, are apt to pull out the Wizard of Oz tune because they can't think of anything else.

Another good one, Al. I'll give it a spin.

Yes. BTW, love your screen name - it's a great tune!

Yep. When I started playing regularly with Randy Stein, doing non-dance music, I had a hard time because there aren't dancers to watch. I felt a little blind.

Once I was hacking around with some oldtime tunes with a pal, and she said "you make them sound like Morris tunes." I guess the Morris imprint is powerful indeed.

Yes. Tom's playing has always been a model for me, starting with Round Pond, and his playing with Jim Morrison on fiddle is exquisite. Years ago, I digitized my vinyl copy and still listen to it. Jim and Tom - along with John Dexter and Robert Jospe - also recorded the CD "Over the Water," with much superb playing.

Ah, Plain Capers: how many of us learned our first Morris tunes from that CD record back in the day, and Round Pond Relics?

Continuing to fool around with Morris tunes played in a non-Morris context. Glorishears - there are at least 3 entirely different versions I know of, and probably more. I play the Bampton version for my dancers, and - to me - it's the least interesting. This is the version I like the most, played in a very non-Morris style on a 30 button Jeffries G/D Anglo.

Yes, I feel your pain. When I was shopping for a GD Jeffries, my only option was to buy from England - and my travel plans did not include the UK. I emailed Chris at Barleycorn and told him exactly what I was looking for in terms of action and sound. I did contact him about several instruments he had advertised, and he waved me off, telling me they weren't what I was looking for. He did email me when one came in that met my specifications. It did require some work on this end, but all issues were ones I knew about in advance. That was maybe 15 years ago, and I haven't regretted the decision for a minute. That reminded me of something else: at the time I was in the queue for a Concertina Connection GD with traditional reeds. I never played one, but heard from several players that the sound was excellent and - more importantly - the instruments are comparatively light. Since you're on the Pacific coast, that could be an option for you, as well. There's a lot to be said for local builders who can take care of any initial problems. That said, I'm sure Wim's instruments don't sound like a Jeffries. Nothing does.

Hmmm, thought I replied to this already. Theo is a highly respected repairer / restorer, and I'd be totally comfortable buying from him.

The obvious answer: there is no obvious answer. All three could be superb instruments. For the Dipper and Jeffries - being older / vintage instruments, so much depends on how they were cared for over many years, who did the maintenance/restoration, etc. My personal preference is always Jeffries for sound and feel, but a great Dipper is no doubt preferable to a mediocre Jeffries. And there are mediocre Jeffries, Dippers, and every other nameplate. I do know that Barleycorn will give you honest answers to your questions about an instrument's mechanical quality, and they try to respond to questions about sound. I bought my Jeffries GD from them, sight unseen, and what I got was exactly what they described to me. Carrolls are also superb instruments, and buying new from Wally, you'll be getting an instrument with a guarantee and great service on this side of the pond. I've played Carroll CGs, never a GD, so I can't comment on the sound, but every Carroll CG I've laid hands on has been a superb player with equally good sound. The Dipper with the built in mic - that makes me a little nervous, suggesting some fiddling with the internals that could have an impact on sound. I don't know that it's a problem, but I'd certainly want to know more. I see it on the Barleycorn site; I'd definitely ask lots of questions about that. The Jeffries: is that from a dealer or a private individual? I'm comfortable buying at a distance from Barleycorn or Dipper (or any of the other well known restorers). Much less comfortable if it's from a private individual, and you can't try it. "Easy to play" - that's also not easy to answer. Jeffries are pretty heavy, and for me - thumb arthritis, some carpal tunnel - that's a problem, which is why I do a lot of practicing and all my stand-up Morris playing on Morse hybrids, which are very light. My memory is that Carrolls are probably the lightest of the pack, and probably the least stressful for aging appendages. But that's a guess, not an informed judgment.

Wonderful version of my favorite Morris tune. What I love about it -there are so many different ways to play it.

"Best" depends on the kind of music you want to play and the way your brain is wired. You can play melody and chords on both, but they are very different animals. If you want to play jazz or classical music, English is clearly superior because of the almost unlimited potential for chording. As an Anglo player, I've played for years with Randy Stein, a top-tier jazz and classical player, and when we do jazz pieces i have to do a lot of chord faking because I just can't replicate his rich chording. I agree with Jody that an Anglo is probably easier to learn, but a lot depends on how your brain works. I know people who have tried and failed at Anglo, but learned English ease. And I know players who have experienced exactly the reverse. If you want to play rhythmic dance music, the Anglo has huge advantages. Ditto for Irish trad and probably American oldtime. Jazz or classical - English would probably be a better choice. The easy part of your question: yes, you can play chords+melody on both. The hard part: neither is 'better.' It depends on what you want to play and the mysteries of your neurological makeup.

If those are your primary preferences, you can't go wrong with a Morse. They are as responsive as the best vintage instruments I've played, and the light weight is a big plus.

Well. I love Morse boxes - they're super light, very reliable, etc. But one caution: if you're used to the sound of traditional reeds, the GD Morse may prove jarring to you. Good CG hybrids like the Morse produce a sound that's not that far off from the sound of a good vintage box. Good GD hybrids, with the lower register, produce a much more accordion-like sound. I have both Morse and good vintage CGs and GDs, and I've had other brand hybrid GDs. I use the Morse boxes primarily for outdoor Morse dance playing, and when my tendons need relief from the heavy Jeffries. I find the sound of the Morse CG remarkably similar to the sound of my vintage, traditional CG. I'm not in love with the sound of the Morse GD, nor any of the other hybrid GDs I've tried. DOn't get me wrong; it's not bad sound, it's just further from a traditional concertina sound. My dance group can't really hear the difference, especially on crowded, noisy streets, and the difference largely disappears when playing amplified. But when I'm playing for my own pleasure, I always reach for the Jeffries when playing something I do on a GD box; when playing a CG, it doesn't matter all that much. Just one player's opinion. This is all subjective, personal stuff.

Absolutely; the BB will be sorely missed. What a joy to enter the shop and hear the pleasant free reed cacophony.

I always enjoyed that instrument. And enjoyed communicating with Harold as it was being built.

Fascinating; I'm going to have to think about that for a while. I probably approach things similarly, but without the logical, thought out process that you seem to use. BTW, I used to have a square Herrington that looks just like yours.

If you haven't seen this yet, you should. Some truly amazing playing.

In the absence of Morris, ceilidh and contra gigs, I've been doing recording projects with my friend Peter Stolley in New Hampshire, trading tracks and learning to overdub. Here's our latest: the Charabanc Schottische by John Kirkpatrick. I'm playing a 30 button Jeffries GD Anglo concertina and Peter's playing a Castagnari GC melodeon.

Thanks for the memory jog - I remember hearing about New England usage of 'hornpipe' a long time ago.

You've eloquently expressed something that has shaped my playing of the "unknowable" Anglo over the years. I believe systematic arranging is a much easier process on EC than on Anglo. I've played regularly with Randy Stein on EC for years, and he's a genius at mapping out complex arrangements and then mastering them. On the tunes we play together, I generally can't do that; the rich palette of chords available to the EC are beyond the reach of my 30 button Anglo, my knowledge of music theory is negligible and in some cases I don't even have all the notes. So I do a lot of hunting and pecking for things that work, trying countless combinations until I find something that sounds right. In arranging the tunes we perform, it's a mix of his systematic, educated approach and my T&E. Often he comes up with things I just would never think of; sometimes they have to be adjusted to work with the limitations of the Anglo, but they end up being very cool. Sometimes I'm guessing my T&E process results in things that he finds interesting, although I should let him speak for himself. Our process has strong similarites to what you do with EH. I'd be interested in hearing from Anglo players - I'm sure there are - who employ a more formal arranging process. I also wonder about the innate difference in sound and feel produced by different modes of arranging. I have a hard time picturing a T&E approach producing the intricate, textured sound of randy's classical and jazz playing. Likewise, I doubt a more structured kind of arrranging can produce the kind of drive and sheer electric charge of someone like melodeonist Will Allen in the UK - or Jody Kruskal in Grand Picnic.

Fascinating how people approach arranging in so many different ways. I admire people who are knowledgable enough to take a systematic approach; my 'arranging' is mostly a matter of trying endless combinations and trying to remember what works and what doesn't. Trial and error has its merits, but in recent years I've come to realize the limitations of that approach. Sweet Jenny is a wonderful tune for Anglo. I've played it for cloggers for years , and my version is constantly changing.

Thanks, Craig. The combination was JK's idea, not mine!