Poll: Tune Of The Month For September, 2014

[Jim Besser]

Summer vacation is over, which means it’s time to get serious about learning some new tunes. For your consideration here are several possibilities for September fun. Please vote, and please learn and record the winning tune.

Please note: I will be doing a Morris ale September 1, so posting of the winner may be delayed until late in the day on September 1 or even September 2.

Jazz/pop: All of Me.

Gerald Marks and Seymour Simons wrote this jazz standard in the early 1930s, and it was recorded by an astonishing range of singers, from Bing Crosby and Billie Holiday to Ani DiFranco and Eric Clapton.

Here's my personal favorite, by Billie Holiday: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4P0hG3sD0-E

and a very mellow instrumental version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPTvxguT8SQ

And an uptempo version on chromatic button accordion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qwEADwNLdI

For us chromatically challenged Anglo players, jazz can be an intimidating genre; All of Me is a pretty accessible tune that sounds great on Anglo as well as other systems.

Irish: Miss Hamilton

I first heard this 18th Century Irish harp tune played on button accordion by John Williams on his Steam CD and was blown away. Who needs a harp when you can play squeezebox like this guy? Some play it at a brisk pace, but personally I really like the slow, evocative version by this master Irish player. I can't offer Williams' version without violating copyright, but here are a few videos to give you a taste of the tune:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3la2-1FOBHQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIS-JYuYk8w - on harp guitar!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=keuuM6k4Q3k

And some interesting background on the tune from the Comhaltas site: http://comhaltas.ie/music/detail/miss_hamilton/

Old time American: Pig Ankle Rag

I'm endlessly entertained by the creative and strange names of so many American oldtime tunes, titles like Shove the Pigs Foot Further in the Fire and Nail that Catfish to the Tree (actually, a modern, written tune in the oldtime style). Tune names don't get much better than that.

Almost as graphic is the swingy Pig Ankle Rag, a fun to play tune that’s popular at oldtime jams in my little corner of the world. It’s usually heard on fiddles and mandolins - but concertinas of every variety make perfectly good oldtime instruments, as well. The start of the B part can be tricky on Anglo - but it's so worth it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bnllog7wqlY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRlDJsCyeIs

Genre uncertain: Girl in Clover

Suggested by our own Tallship, this cool tune is in 12/8. It's been discussed on melodeon.net, and nobody is really sure of its provenance. There's speculation that it may have started life as "an obscure folk tune," and that it may have been jazzed up by Max Collie's Rhythm Aces, a UK jazz band - although nobody really seems sure of that, and Web searches come up dry. Maybe a c.netter with better Web search skills than mine can find out more.

In any event, here's a version of the tune with just a touch of jazz inflection by the excellent melodeon player Martin Ellison. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQE1GFRaoEA

I haven't tried it on concertina, but based on Ellison's performance, I'm pretty sure it has lots of potential.

That's it: I hope you find something you like in this month's choices. As always, keep your suggestions for future poll tunes and themes coming; I really need them!.

Edited August 22, 2014 by Jim Besser

[JimLucas]

Only two votes so far. I think this thread must have gotten lost in a flood of others, so to bring it back to folks' attention, this is a...

 

... bump!

[Wolf Molkentin]

Thanks Jim, this polll had in fact slipped my attention...

 

(and another 1-vote tune added...)

[bellowbelle]

Don't forget Willie Nelson's version of 'All Of Me,' too.

[Pete Dunk]

X: 1
T: Pig Ankle Rag
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: D
af \
| "A7"gecA- A2af | gecA- AABA \
| "D"dABA dABA | dBAF- F2af \
| "A7"gecA- A2af | gecA- AABA |
| "D"dABA dABA | dBAd- dBdA \
| "G"B4 d3e | "D"fa2a bafd \
| "A7"Acea fdec |1 "D"d2 a3^g :|2 "D"d6 |]
|: cB \
|"A7"ABcA BcAB | cABc- cBAF \
| "D"D2dA BdAB | dABd- dBAF \
|"A7"ABcA BcAB | cABc- cBAF |
|"D"D2dA BdAB | dABd- dBdA \
|"G"B4 d3e | "D"fa2a bafd \
|"A7"Acea fdec |1 "D"d2 [f4d4] :|2 "D"d6 |]

X:1
T: Girl in Clover
Z: Anahata <anahata@treewind.co.uk> from Martin Ellison on YouTube
N: Martin got it from the playing of Max Collie's Rhythm Aces
M: 12/8
L: 1/8
Q:3/8=95
K:G
B2c |"G" d3-dcB "Em"A2B3d| "C"e3-e2{fe}d "D"A3-A2d |\
"G"d3-dcB "Em"ABG3e | "D"d3 "A"^c3 "D"d3-d2 B |
"G"B3-BAG "Bm"D3-D2D |"C"G3-GBd "Am7"c3-c2B |\
"G"B2G3G G2A B2G |"Am7"A3-"D"A3 "G"G3-G2 :|
| | "G"d3-dBG "Em"e2e3B | "Am7"A3-A2E "D"F2F3d |\
"G"d3-dBG "Em"e3-e2A | "A"^c2eg2e "D"f2d3B |
"G"B3-BAG "Bm"D3-D2D |"G"G3-GDG "Am7"A3-AGA |\
"G"B2G3G G2AB2G | "Am7"A3 "D"A3 "G"G3-G2 :|

[Pete Dunk]

X:1
T:Miss Hamilton
M:4/4
L:1/8
Q:1/4=85
K:G
B2d2(cBAG)|d3/2c/2 (B/2c/2d) {E}D2D z|(C/2D/2E) DC B,DGD|{D}CB, {B,}CG, A,2A, z|
Bd {d}cB {B}AGAF|GBAG {EF}E(DE)G|dBAG (EF/2G/2) (DC)|B,2A,2G,4||
(de).d.c {cd}cB {AB}AG|(de).d.c {cd}cB {AB}AG|(Bdgd) (edcB)|(cBAG) A2A z|
(B/2c/2d) (cB) (AG)AF|{A}G/2F/2G/2A/2 BG {EF}E(D/2E/2) G2|dBAG (E/2F/2G) DC|B,2A,2G,4|]

[JimLucas]

Bump!

[JimLucas]

Only one day and about 1½ hours left to vote your choice.

(Almost certainly less, by the time you read this.)

[Pete Dunk]

I did my best Jim but any tune I nominate and then vote for has the kiss of death attached!

[JimLucas]

I did my best Jim but any tune I nominate and then vote for has the kiss of death attached!

 

Have you tried voting for any tune except the one you prefer?