My new TUNE OF THE MONTH page

[Jody Kruskal]

I’ve been playing Anglo concertina for almost 30 years and I’m still finding new things that it can do. Amazing isn’t it?

 

Recently, that’s meant working out some bluesy/jazzy tunes and songs in the key of E on the G/D Anglo. For you C/G players that would be the key of A.

 

I was at a party last month . We were playing Benton’s Dream in A, a very special fiddle tune that I have always loved. I was playing my G/D but for some reason I thought that the C/G might work well too, and boy, did it. When I got home I found a fine recorded example of the tune from a dance I played here in NYC not long ago. TOTM material if I ever heard it.

 

Click here to hear the live dance recording as well as a slow rendering on the C/G.

 

Enjoy!

 

http://www.jodykruskal.com/tune_of_the_month/november_2009.html

[Boney]

Cool...odd to hear old-time jazzed up like that!

 

You can also see Benton Flippen in HD video here from the 2009 Berkeley Old-Time Music Convention:

 

 

 

 

 

[Jody Kruskal]

Cool...odd to hear old-time jazzed up like that!

 

 

It is odd, and hopefully interesting to hear. Regardless, it's fun to play and to dance to by all reports. The Cape Breton Scottish ceilidh piano style that Neil grew up hearing and playing uses generous chord substitutions, much the way jazz players do. Neil is remarkable both for his youth (in his second year of college here at Columbia), his virtuosity and his grounding in traditional dance music. We are lucky to have him on the scene for a while here in NYC.

 

Here in NY among my dance musician friends, we do enjoy throwing these Southern and Northern influences together, still keeping the needs of the dancers our primary goal.

[Jody Kruskal]

BTW Boney, thanks for posting the Benton Flippen links. Great to hear and see them.

Edited January 24, 2010 by Jody Kruskal

[michael sam wild]

Thanks Jody I liked those sparse but appropriate chords.

 

You'll be playing Irish music like the lads who are slipping in harmonies and drones on Anglo ,like pipers do; on C/G at this rate!

[Jody Kruskal]

You'll be playing Irish music like the lads who are slipping in harmonies and drones on Anglo ,like pipers do; on C/G at this rate!

 

No fear of that Michael. C/G is great but with serious limitations for my American style of play and I think I'll leave the pure drop for the Irish... unless you can pour it.

[Pippa]

Oh wonderful, thanks for passing those links on, it's great to hear the man himself going so strong! I've loved Benton's Dream since I used to play in a band for Appalachian dancers, an American couple taught it to me at Sidmouth years ago. Thanks for bringing the tune back into our consciousness too Jody!

[Jody Kruskal]

Oh wonderful, thanks for passing those links on, it's great to hear the man himself going so strong! I've loved Benton's Dream since I used to play in a band for Appalachian dancers, an American couple taught it to me at Sidmouth years ago. Thanks for bringing the tune back into our consciousness too Jody!

Thanks Pippa, my pleasure. One nice thing about Benton's dream is how it invites improvisation.