Youtube Videos

[Jody Kruskal]

I've been having so much fun making these that I just have to share. Why didn't I think of doing this before?

 

So now there are two videos you can see with old photos and paintings (most from the 1800's) and tracks from my CD, Paul & Jody - American Songs and Tunes.

 

 

 

[Henk van Aalten]

Great Playing Jody. I play the videos over and over and....

Thanks a lot for mailing them!

Edited March 5, 2011 by Henk van Aalten

[michael sam wild]

Thanks Jody that's a real inspiration for some videos I want to do. Where did you source the pics?

[David Levine]

Howdy partner.

Wonderful. The music is great and the videos are wonderful.

I have to watch the clips several times to see the pictures better. This is a terrific idea.

Keep 'em coming.

Thanks.

[fiddle-lin]

Jody,

 

I bought this CD (and Poor Little Liza Jane) a couple months ago and listen to it almost every day. This makes it even better! Love it! Do more! This is fantastic.

 

A Fan,

Linda

[Jody Kruskal]

Jody,

 

I bought this CD (and Poor Little Liza Jane) a couple months ago and listen to it almost every day. This makes it even better! Love it! Do more! This is fantastic.

 

A Fan,

Linda

Dear Henk, Michael, David and Linda,

 

Thank you all for your kind words. That means a lot to me. Linda, if you like the "Poor Little Liza Jane" album so much, get the "Paul & Jody" CD as well. That's my most recent one and I like to think that they get better and better.

[bellowbelle]

I've been having so much fun making these that I just have to share. Why didn't I think of doing this before?

 

So now there are two videos you can see with old photos and paintings (most from the 1800's) and tracks from my CD, Paul & Jody - American Songs and Tunes.

 

 

 

 

Superb videos.

 

You've been 'favorited,' emailed, blogged, and played-along-with!

[Jody Kruskal]

I've been having so much fun making these that I just have to share. Why didn't I think of doing this before?

 

So now there are two videos you can see with old photos and paintings (most from the 1800's) and tracks from my CD, Paul & Jody - American Songs and Tunes.

 

 

 

 

Superb videos.

 

You've been 'favorited,' emailed, blogged, and played-along-with!

 

Hi Wendy, 'favorited,' emailed and blogged are great and very much appreciated but played-along-with is a real honor!

[fiddle-lin]

Jody,

 

I bought this CD (and Poor Little Liza Jane) a couple months ago and listen to it almost every day. This makes it even better! Love it! Do more! This is fantastic.

 

A Fan,

Linda

Dear Henk, Michael, David and Linda,

 

Thank you all for your kind words. That means a lot to me. Linda, if you like the "Poor Little Liza Jane" album so much, get the "Paul & Jody" CD as well. That's my most recent one and I like to think that they get better and better.

 

 

Oh, I have it! I also bought it for a friend for Christmas. I've practically worn it out! Love the Americana old tunes and the old time fiddle with the concertina! It is an awesome combination of two of my favorite instruments. Waiting for your next one.

 

Best Regards,

Linda

[Brian Peters]

Really enjoyed those, Jody, and the train pics are fab (I'm a sucker for a steam loco!).

 

I did some searching and found a family of songs in 'American ballads & Folk Songs' called 'Jimmie Jones' or 'Wreck of the Six-Wheel Driver' that seem to be very like your train wreck song - who was Newton Gaines, and do you sing his version exactly?

 

Brian

[Jody Kruskal]

Really enjoyed those, Jody, and the train pics are fab (I'm a sucker for a steam loco!).

 

I did some searching and found a family of songs in 'American ballads & Folk Songs' called 'Jimmie Jones' or 'Wreck of the Six-Wheel Driver' that seem to be very like your train wreck song - who was Newton Gaines, and do you sing his version exactly?

 

Brian

Hi Brian,

 

Yes, that's much like the version I'm singing.

 

When I find an old song that I like and work it up for performance, the process often ends up altering the song. Sometimes a little, sometimes a lot. In this case, I started by listening to the 1929 original and trying to play it just the way that I heard it. It didn't take long for this attempt to yield a very different sort of song as the groove and chords changed and adapted themselves to my style on the Anglo concertina and my critical ear. The melody and lyrics remain basically the same but the old song has now become a new song... sort of.

 

Do you do that?

 

We adapted this song from Newton Gains's 1929 recording which can be heard here:

 

http://www.juneberry78s.com/otmsampler/552%20Newton%20Gaines%20-%20Wreck%20Of%20The%20Six%20Wheeler.mp3

 

It's not like I set out to deliberately change the song for changes sake. Change just sort of happens as I discover interesting ways to play and be willing to make the song my own.

[Brian Peters]

Jody, thanks very much for the link to the Gaines recording. There's some wonderful stuff out there on the web, but it often takes a tip-off to find it.

 

When I find an old song that I like and work it up for performance, the process often ends up altering the song...

Do you do that?

The process you describe is exactly what I do with songs. One of the big challenges is to learn a song from a recording by a singer who has a very free sense of timing, and then adapt it for an instrument with the properties of a push-pull box, without putting it into a rhythmic straitjacket. You've done that very well - the irregular timing of your version is one of the things I really like.

[Jody Kruskal]

Jody, thanks very much for the link to the Gaines recording. There's some wonderful stuff out there on the web, but it often takes a tip-off to find it.

 

When I find an old song that I like and work it up for performance, the process often ends up altering the song...

Do you do that?

The process you describe is exactly what I do with songs. One of the big challenges is to learn a song from a recording by a singer who has a very free sense of timing, and then adapt it for an instrument with the properties of a push-pull box, without putting it into a rhythmic straitjacket. You've done that very well - the irregular timing of your version is one of the things I really like.

Thanks Brian. I've been playing lots of crooked tunes these days, so perhaps my brain is getting crooked too.

 

Yeah, that's the thing with old songs. It's not required to change things so much to make them your own, but in this case I did change quite a bit. I do love extra beats on some songs because it lets the words sink in and gives me time for a breath. Also, the NG version chords were not to my liking. They resolve to the I chord three times in the verse. That's one too many times, I think. I made the chords suspend the resolution in the second half, so (at least to my ear) more tension is created and the final resolution is more satisfying.

[Rod]

Jody, thanks very much for the link to the Gaines recording. There's some wonderful stuff out there on the web, but it often takes a tip-off to find it.

 

When I find an old song that I like and work it up for performance, the process often ends up altering the song...

Do you do that?

The process you describe is exactly what I do with songs. One of the big challenges is to learn a song from a recording by a singer who has a very free sense of timing, and then adapt it for an instrument with the properties of a push-pull box, without putting it into a rhythmic straitjacket. You've done that very well - the irregular timing of your version is one of the things I really like.

Thanks Brian. I've been playing lots of crooked tunes these days, so perhaps my brain is getting crooked too.

 

Yeah, that's the thing with old songs. It's not required to change things so much to make them your own, but in this case I did change quite a bit. I do love extra beats on some songs because it lets the words sink in and gives me time for a breath. Also, the NG version chords were not to my liking. They resolve to the I chord three times in the verse. That's one too many times, I think. I made the chords suspend the resolution in the second half, so (at least to my ear) more tension is created and the final resolution is more satisfying.

 

Is this not all encapsulated in the one word 'improvisation' ? And 'extemporisation' I believe means much the same thing. Your 'crooked' tunes' Jody is a new expression to me which has however the distinct advantage of being easier to spell !!

[Jody Kruskal]

Is this not all encapsulated in the one word 'improvisation' ? And 'extemporisation' I believe means much the same thing. Your 'crooked' tunes' Jody is a new expression to me which has however the distinct advantage of being easier to spell !!

 

Well, yes and no. What Brian and I were talking about is really called composition. Perhaps the first few dozen times through a new song, you could call it "improvisation" as I try out this chord or that, or try changing the rhythm or some other thing. Pretty quickly though I've settled on a structure and groove that suits me and with few exceptions stick with it. That structure can change over time as I perform the song I suppose but really it's pretty set. Where improvisation really happens is filling in the details within the structure.

 

As for crooked songs or tunes, that's something else entirely. A tune is said to be crooked if it has an irregular rhythmic pattern. The standard pattern for dance tunes and songs is AABB with each section having 8 measures and the whole thing lasting 32 bars of equal length. AABBCC 48 measure tunes are not thought of as crooked, just having an added part. Crooked tunes deviate from the standard pattern by having measures of differing lengths or phrases that take up fewer or more that the 8 measure standard. I can only think of a few English tunes that do that, but there are lots of American tunes that do. Also, crookedness can be a matter of degree. Tunes can be slightly crooked or really twisted.

[Rod]

Is this not all encapsulated in the one word 'improvisation' ? And 'extemporisation' I believe means much the same thing. Your 'crooked' tunes' Jody is a new expression to me which has however the distinct advantage of being easier to spell !!

 

Well, yes and no. What Brian and I were talking about is really called composition. Perhaps the first few dozen times through a new song, you could call it "improvisation" as I try out this chord or that, or try changing the rhythm or some other thing. Pretty quickly though I've settled on a structure and groove that suits me and with few exceptions stick with it. That structure can change over time as I perform the song I suppose but really it's pretty set. Where improvisation really happens is filling in the details within the structure.

 

As for crooked songs or tunes, that's something else entirely. A tune is said to be crooked if it has an irregular rhythmic pattern. The standard pattern for dance tunes and songs is AABB with each section having 8 measures and the whole thing lasting 32 bars of equal length. AABBCC 48 measure tunes are not thought of as crooked, just having an added part. Crooked tunes deviate from the standard pattern by having measures of differing lengths or phrases that take up fewer or more that the 8 measure standard. I can only think of a few English tunes that do that, but there are lots of American tunes that do. Also, crookedness can be a matter of degree. Tunes can be slightly crooked or really twisted.

 

Thanks Jody. I think I am beginning to understand your definition of 'crooked tunes' but I fear that it may be a while before I shall be able to get my ear to recognise the difference between a 'slightly crooked tune' and a 'really twisted tune'. A 'really twisted tune' sounds to me as though it might not be all that tuneful at all !