Boney
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Posts
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Posts posted by Boney
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I took a picture of my new Wakker anglo for my avatar. I'll be posting a short review with some pictures and sound samples soon. It's very nice.
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Yikes! I just ran into this clip of Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys, including horseback concertina! I can't hear it much though, just a tiny bit at the end of "Calamity Kate" that sounds like accordion chords.
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The only thing I'd omit is those strange habbit of Anglo players in Irish style to sprinkle the melody playing with random harmony notes here and there, mostly where you expenct them the least. To my ears it creates an effect of malfunctioning amplifyer.
What is the reason for this style? I'm aware that 30 button Anglo is capable of full harmony accompaniment in home keys. Could tha style derive from the 20 button tradition?
In the jigs, the effect to me seems similar to double-stops in traditional fiddle playing. In the reels, it sounds a bit more like uillean pipe regulator playing, especially from around 50 seconds in to the end.
I particularly like her bellows control, there are a lot of subtle swells and dynamics going on. Here's The Banks of the Danube. There are some bellows shakes that are very delicately done.
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I saw this notice in the Sligo Champion paper and wondered if anyone knows anything of Michelle.
It would be interesting to hear a sample of her playing compared to say, Mary Macnamara. I bet the lecture was quite interesting.
Here's some Michelle O'Sullivan I just found on the RTÉ website, recorded in 2005. At around the 6:00 mark, she plays a set of reels, which aren't identified. At around 18:30, she plays a set of jigs, the first she said she learned from Paddy Cronin who recorded it in 1949, but she doesn't give a name. The second is a 3-part version of Morrison's jig she says she got from the manuscripts of Tom Biddy. There's also an air that opens the program, and The Banks of the Danube (or the Wounded Hussar) around 13:40, with a poem from Gabriel Fitzmaurice called "His Last Pint" spoken over the first part of it. The show ends with some Kerry slides at around 25:45, which are interspersed with more poetry and narration. There's some chatting with Michelle throughout the program.
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A number of Alistair's old numbers that I've never seen on recordings come to mind. Since he's still very much alive, it's possible that they could become something more than virtual. One I can name is Scott Joplin's "Strenuous Life" on a tenor-treble.
Here it is from a LP I recently found used for $4. It's called "Traditional Tunes" from Front Hall records, recorded in 1975: The Strenuous Life.
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"Grace note" is, I believe, a classical term. But "cuts" and "tips" are both grace notes, just two different kinds, and those two words are quicker than saying "grace note above" and "grace note below".
I thought it was called a 'grace' note ( but I could well be wrong ) it's a lovely name for a note anyway
I think cuts and taps (or tips, or pats, or whateveryouwannacallem) should be quicker than what most people mean by "grace notes." Just a quick blip.
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"Bluebell Polka" sounded to me at first like a single player on accordion (although one with strange reeds). But listening a bit more, the chords and bass notes may be too flexible to be an accordion. Colonel Bogey sounds like a single duet player to me. And it sounds like the same recording session, although probably with different mic placement.
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I like the tune you posted, but it would be tough for me to waltz to!I hadn't listened to Misha's waltz yet when I posted earlier, but I have now. I find it quite "waltzable."Now I'm confused.
Well, I'll be a bit more specific. The main thing that throws me is the syncopation of the melody, especially with no accompaniament keeping the rhythm going, and the somewhat elastic phrasing. An example would be the sections between about 7 and 12 seconds, and between 56 seconds and 1:12. A more accomplished dancer (or someone familiar with the tune) would probably sail right through those sections and come out the other end just fine, but it makes me hesitant and indecisive at first hearing, especially with that first syncopated bit so near the beginning. I couldn't tap along with it in three on first listen until about half a minute in. The offbeat chords by themselves don't hurt the dancability, but if you add that to the fast tempo, the overall elastic phrasing, and the syncopation of the melody, it makes tricky to get a real solid footing, for me. People will differ, of course. A big help would be to start the tune off with a few bars of an obvious ONE-two-three, Oom-pa-pa or whatever, until the dancers get some momentum going.
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As in playing for just about any dance form, it helps enormously to actually do the dance, and to feel yourself doing it while you are playing.
Is the rhythm wrong?
This is the waltz, that wasn't written for dancing, although it shouldn't matter to those, who doesn't know the words. It has been written in 1905 and dedicated to terrible losses Russian troops suffered in the battles with Japanese during the Russo-Japanese war of 1905 The words were added later. So I guess it has to be a bit more solemn, but what would be your suggestion to achieve it, using Anglo without 3rd row of reversals?
I'll try it slower and smoother.
Thanks.
I don't think David was responding to your post in particular...
I like the tune you posted, but it would be tough for me to waltz to! It took a good several measures to even get the feel of the rhythm in three, and once I had it, it seemed to wander off a lot. The melody seems to have quite a bit of syncopation and holds across barlines, and you're playing fairly freely with the timing, which makes it difficult to dance to. Also your accompaniament is often on the off-beats as well, which makes things even more difficult. It really helps to set up a solid ONE-two-three ONE-two-three as a base, and only play with syncopation or irregular rhythms occasionally. And if you do hold a certain note a bit longer, make up for it by the end of the measure so the flow isn't lost. Do you see what I mean?
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I will! There's a square dance there tonight.I suggest you go down to Boundary Bay for a pint while you think it over very carefully. -
A few Northumbrian tunes I like, played on my Wakker anglo I just got this week. I'm also sitting in on whistle and bones. If you want to hear the individual parts, I posted those too. Henk, feel free to add the main file to the Recorded Tunes Link Page.
I did have to try a bit to get a decent recording, although there are a few mistakes of course. I had to record the concertina part several times with a few false starts and restarts. The whistle part took even longer (the ce-bd-ac part at the end of the B part is tricky for me!), and took 4 or 5 takes pasted together. The bones part was the first take, straight through. Heh.
http://concertina.jeffleff.com/audio/JimGully.mp3
http://concertina.jeffleff.com/audio/concertina.mp3
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Yep, very nice stuff! I'd certainly buy an album of music like that (well, if it were recorded in higher quality). It almost makes me want to try an English concertina.
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I also find all-caps typing as annoying to read, for several reasons. I know many others do too. If you don't mind annoying some people, go right ahead and use them. People will attribute whatever reasons they feel like to it, and form opinions of your writing (and by extension your opinions, and even you) accordingly.
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OK then, by popular request, Anne and I playing Morse concertinas and looking (I hope) more cheerful.
Well, of course. The french horn is facing away from you on the second shot.
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But some of the older ones, too, show their appreciation. I get the impression that what they would reject in a more formal setting is not only considered "all right" on the street, but even fun.
Very true. Many people have grown up today only hearing recorded music. Good, lively, un-amplified music with interesting instruments in the hands of a player with a sense of fun is a completely different experience than slapping on a CD. It's like talking to someone face-to-face instead of on a telephone.
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Looks like nobody's posted this yet: the Concertina Connection has added the Rochelle to their website, and they're taking pre-orders, €259.00 within Europe, or $279.00. I'm almost tempted to get one just to see what it's like!
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I'm very interested in knowing who are the serious classical concertina players in the world.
Well, I have only been playing a few years, and haven't attempted much classical music yet, and I play Anglo. I do plan on arranging at least a few "classical" pieces in the future. But I'm really responding to say, I'd love to hear your playing, maybe you could do a recording? The picture you posted would be a fantastic CD cover, and having music to sell can really help with the busking income.
Also, if you haven't run into their websites yet, Pauline de Snoo is a very accomplished classicaly-inclined English concertina player, as is Wim Wakker of the Concertina Connection.
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Just today "The Clangers" have agreed to send in a recording for "Swanee Whistle Interplanetary"
Edited to ask could a Swanee Whistle be classed as a small trombone?
Only if you buzz your lips into the mouthpiece...Hm, I'll have to try that.
Make sure there's some Hezzie on your compilation!
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/You both obviously do it for the joy it brings you?? /
Years ago there was a discussion on accordion group about faces of accordion players.
It's an interesting phenomena. We aught to pay particular attention to our demeanor while playing. A lively face surely is not to forget about, I've been told time and time again.
True! Although I try to discern the difference between letting what I'm really feeling reach my face, and making up some expression I think I should be having.
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yes, because they are very well constructed boxes, english construction, proper concertina reeds,i think he only makes metal ends,they are pretty much like crabbs.He used to work for crabb.What will the Stagi players move on to from their 46s? I suppose 9 months for a Connors would be OK wouldn't it?How would one get in touch with Mr. Connors? (If he doesn't want his information on the internet, an email or PM would be much appreciated, thanks).
How about Robin Scard, mentioned in this interview with Brian Hayden five years ago here on concertina.net?
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They must have gone out on a limb,A large eucalyptus to trim,To make didgeridoosFor non-natives to useTo make sounds that are really quite grim.
That's my limb-erick for today.
Very nice -- is that ab-Original?
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It's fascinating. Zithers, harps. All rather obscure instruments in my parts
How about the zither-like Gusli? I like Olga Shishkina a lot, for example in this video of "Barynia", or others on the TVFolk website (look under "Russia" for more Olga).
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Thanks. I'll probably drop by B.D. Riley's on Sunday.
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I'm spending a few weeks in Austin, Texas. If there's anything fun going on, concertina-related, traditional music-related, or whatever, I'd like to know about it. Or if someone would like to meet up for a drink or something and hear some bones or show off their Anglo, that'd be fun (I'm currently temporarily concertinaless).
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in General Concertina Discussion
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You would be justified in doing so.Hm...maybe I should put in some grill cloth...just in case...