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Tune Of The Month, Jan 2014: Josefins Dopvals


Jim Besser

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I totally agree on the senselessness of just "nice" comments or friendly silence. I didn't ask for that! That said I'm still wondering if the two aspects of (1) taste and style and (2) flaws in producing the intended sounds are in fair balance.

 

The sound I' aiming at derives from the fiddle and is meant to be dense and compact rather than in the way of the divided concept of the accordion. Besides, I use to play the piano just that way, rich right hand notes followed by "bass" notes in a range not too far away... That's why I believe having to move not sideways but forward.

 

I have little knowlegde about "older" EC styles which I might have to look for...

 

Regarding this month's tune I loved to play it in sort of a hymnic mood from the very beginning (in autumn 2013). I'm still working on the clarity of any melody note, but that's only second to the sincereness, or should I say urgency I have in mind. You seem to have featured the playfulness and mood for dancing, and these different angles are just what musical exchange is all about as to me.

 

Thank you again for your thoughts and hints!

 

I'm a fan of your style Wolf. As another EC player I still enjoy listening to other types of concertina being played, but hearing an EC played well is different - perhaps I'm more aware of what you're managing to do to make that sound. I especially liked your lonesome John over on the other thread. With this one I think the very start lacked clarity - with the melody being a little swamped - but as you moved through the piece it improved so I'm looking forward to hearing your final version. Your style is distinctive and different and you always sound like you're enjoying your playing... so stick with it.

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Many thanks Robert - it's just good to know that the musical "message" is getting across to some, and I'm glad you're one of them - further inspiration in general and for the ongoing work on the tune which is well worth the effort as to me - besides, I enjoyed your prospect of the different moods of that growing up girl Josefin too...

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Guess I'm making progress in playing this lovely tune - and I have to attribute that pretty much to the CNet community in general, Jim's TOTM efforts and those who were / are willing to go through my recordings and commentate them - a big thank to all those involved!

Well, here is

Take Three



which might have been regarded as "final" were there not some minor flaws which I might be able to avoid some days later (as always, the recording is unedited apart from cutting it out as a whole).

But anyway, this take sings as it should as to me, and has a mostly fluent timing - so I chose to provide it for now...

(edited to remove typo)

Edited by blue eyed sailor
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Very nice Wolf, I'm enjoying following your progress and different versions of this piece, along with all of the other submissions. My only New Year's resolution this year was to stop "lurking" and contribute actively to this thread so I better get cracking!

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This month's Tune of the Month, and Theme of the Month, too:

At last night's "Irish" session in Helsingborg, Sweden (about 4 km/2½ miles across the water from my apartment in Denmark) we didn't just play Irish, but several "old timey" tunes, as well. Then at one point the fellow with his recently acquired Jeffries anglo began a lovely arrangement of Josefins Dopvals, and gradually we all joined in (anglo, English, fiddle, guitar, and "bouzouki").

 

Oh, how I wish I'd had something to record it with! :(

Edited by JimLucas
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tona,

 

Very nice indeed, I especially love the sound of the low reeds on your baritone!

Yes, my favourite moment comes around 1:00, when the real low reeds drop in for the first time.

 

And Thomas, IMO you're right in coming back to the common "parallel" chord scheme. I found the strong major seventh / secondary dominant progression (including one diminished chord if I recall it correctly) in the B part of your first recording interesting but not really fitting with the tune.

 

Best regards - Wolf

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I managed to convince (!) my wife to record her playing Josefin's with his wonderful little dipper Anglo while I accompany with my chromatic baritone duet. Dance tempo...

 

https://soundcloud.com/thoon-1/josefins-dopvals-2

Very nicely done from both of you - but I loved the rhythm in the accompaniment.

 

Both this and Wolf's version - not an ompah in sight.

 

(Not that I have anything serious against ompahs... but variety is what TOTM should be all about.)

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Just a thought: Who is it who has the foot bass?

 

Wendy Stanford: "Bellowbelle"

 

Edited to add: Just noticed (after following Wolf's link, below) that Wendy has officially changed her forum name from "Bellowbelle" to her full name. Apparently, she made the switch in November.

Edited by David Barnert
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Very nice Wolf, I'm enjoying following your progress and different versions of this piece, along with all of the other submissions. My only New Year's resolution this year was to stop "lurking" and contribute actively to this thread so I better get cracking!

Thank you, glad that you like it!

 

And as to your plans for 2014: Good luck with them, looking forward to listen to the results... :-)

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Hi...

 

Thought I should check in since I haven't for quite a while!

 

Yes, I was thinking that about the foot bass, too, Robert.... I am hoping to be able to play (concertina) again soon. I was doing very well keeping my hands in shape, then all of a sudden they were terrible. I have some arthritis, but more than that I have some kind of systematic problem affects the skin on my fingers and hands. It's truly bizarre. (Yes, went to doctors...) I should probably cut out eating ANYTHING but that's hard to do. A food intolerance test showed an odd assortment of things I should avoid. No ferrets, no apples. No ferrets with apples... no fish. No bread. No green tea. No tapioca flour....

 

Anyway, long story short, I go through periods of time where it can be painful even just to routinely put my eye glasses into my sweater pocket. Then, when I'm back to normal, my hands are perfectly fine and and I can hammer nails, play the concertina, tear down buildings!

 

So... it's a time-out for me, for now.

 

Anyway, I still have working ears so I can check in and listen to everyone.

 

Re the name... forgot I changed that... Well, I still use 'Bellowbelle' here and there, but when I let the dot-com expire and got a few emails from strangers that seemed to want to use the name (or, maybe sell it back to me for way too much), I got a tiny bit nervous about always relying on that alias. Figured it might be wise to be a bit clearer about 'who is me.'

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Thanks for some great versions of this lovely tune. Love that cello! One of my favourites is on the Dervish album "At the End of the Day", where they're joined by Roger Tallroth himself and the rest of Vasen.

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