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"Having listened to Jody many times now I think he has developed the American Style of Anglo playing .I mentioned this to Jody and either modesty,or you do not know what you are talking about, prevented a reply.

Probably the latter, but I think I am right.

A new discussion if you agree or disagree with this comment."

 

Alan Day

 

 

All right Alan, here’s your new topic.

 

First off, I am deeply honored and gratified that you noticed. I didn’t respond before because, aside from being very busy right now, this is a topic that I feel strongly about. Yes, I have developed a style of playing that I think sounds American. Whether that constitutes a global way of Anglo playing that deserves the title “American Style” remains to be seen. For there to be an “American Style” requires that a number of people play that way. I think that there are only a few. So... for me to agree with you seems presumptuous, yet continuing to develop an American sound on the Anglo has been a goal of mine for years. Not only American though. I play lots of kinds of music on the Anglo (and many other instruments as well).

 

Whatever I play, I strive for verisimilitude. I’m trying to make it sound right, to make it sound like it fits in the tradition.

 

Swedish fiddle tunes sound particularly right. Irish works well (not the way you Irish players do it though). English Ceili of course, and the very different English Country (Playford). Old pop tunes, Beetles, Victorian parlor songs, old school country ie Jimmy Rogers, etc. Contra dance music works so well on the Anglo, but this genre embraces Quebecois, New England, English, Irish, Old Time, Cajun; all are up for grabs at a dance.

 

Each regional or cultural origin has it’s own requirements and style subtleties and it’s fun to emulate all of that on the Anglo. That’s my approach. Listen to the essence of the music and try to do what it does... and yes, the old time stuff really works well.

 

I must say that I do feel uncomfortable with the equation of harmonic playing with English style. Someone pointed out (can’t remember who or the thread) that style is a cultural thing, not the technique (harmonic playing with chords, bass runs, high harmony and all) that gets you there. What makes Irish style is not the lack of constant chords, but the phrasing of the line and the use of melodic embellishments applied to a specific repertoire. I’ll have to send Henk some of my Irish tunes. I play them like Jody, chords and all, but to my ear they are still clearly Irish.

 

Jody

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Thanks for your reply Jody,I have been studying your style almost from the time you sent in your recordings for Anglo International.I need to get your new CD but from close listening you emulate the American fiddle style of accompaniment. I have a lot to learn from your methods and I congratulate you on achieving your aims.

Al

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I must say that I do feel uncomfortable with the equation of harmonic playing with English style. Someone pointed out (can’t remember who or the thread) that style is a cultural thing, not the technique (harmonic playing with chords, bass runs, high harmony and all) that gets you there. Jody

 

Jody, I am the guilty party that equated your harmonic playing with English style. You indeed are doing something I had not encountered before on anglo with American fiddle tunes. In my very limited experience, the anglists were generally playing single note melody line and back up chording. What you do is something else and some of the fine "English Style" playing it has been my joy to discover had a resonance with parts of what you do. Of course our beloved OTM draws naturally from English, Scottish, Irish and Welch music our ancestors brought with them and I was drawn to attempt a connection.

 

As a failed anglist I am amazed at the pallet of colors and diversity the instrument is capable of in the hands of masters. Under those circumstances it only seems limited by imagination and creativity. In my hands it was a limited, crude instrument that maddened me for it's oom-pa-pa, "I don't want her, you can have her, she's too....blah-blah. Seems the limitation and crudity was my imagination. <_<

Edited by Mark Evans
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"Having listened to Jody many times now I think he has developed the American Style of Anglo playing .I mentioned this to Jody and either modesty,or you do not know what you are talking about, prevented a reply.

Probably the latter, but I think I am right.

A new discussion if you agree or disagree with this comment."

 

Alan Day

 

I don't know about "American style," I just know what I aspire to in my own playing: diverse musical sources, chordally intereresting, overlaid with the pulse of AMerican oldtime music. That's how I read Jody's music and what I want to do in my own.

 

Listen to Jody's version of Scollay's Reel on the Grand Picnic CD; a traditional Irish or Scottish reel (at least I think it's traditional), but done in a unique, driving style.

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I’ll have to send Henk some of my Irish tunes. I play them like Jody, chords and all, but to my ear they are still clearly Irish.

 

Jody

Jody

You made me (and I guess more of us) very curious to hear your Irish tunes in "Jody style". I'm ready for it ;)

 

Henk,

 

Ok, it took a few days to find the time, but I made a track of Merrily Kissed the Quakers’ Wife for your enjoyment. I'll send it to you directly and you can put it on the links page if you like.

 

So what is it? An Irish tune sure, but not played the way any Irish concertina player would. Is that “English style” or “American style” or just the way Jody plays it? To my ear, the cut retains enough Irish qualities to identify it’s origin, but in fact, that’s the way I would play it for an American contra dance if I had no band to help out.

 

Jody

Edited by Jody Kruskal
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Jody,

 

A quick reply, just to let you know that the tune already is hosted. Thanks for posting.

 

As I have a busy weekend and there is a lot going on with the Links page, it will take some time before the tune is inserted in the Links Page.

 

B.T.W.: great tune(s) in C as well as in G!

 

The tunes are now available on the Links Page at:

http://www.anglo-concertina.net/guests/kruskal/merrily_c.mp3

and

http://www.anglo-concertina.net/guests/kruskal/merrily_g.mp3

Edited by Henk van Aalten
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Well...I enjoyed that very much indeed and got a suprise as well. It wasn't Jodys harmonic style, nor begining the tune in C with a transposition to G. It was the version of Merriy Kissed the Quaker's Wife.

 

The B and C sections of the tune were unknown to me. After checking the Session I realized I play a pronounced varriation on at least what is written there (which matches the melody line of Jody's rendition). Had to put off getting the laundry done and the dog washed until I found my version...whew! A recording from the 70's in a medely of slides: John Kellys, MKTQW and Dennis Murphys.

 

Oddly enough, when Jody arrives in G I can play my varriant version and it works out. Thanks for giving me noodle a work out this morning and an excuse to put off the washin' o' the Bulldog which is momentarily to begin. Oh the moans, groans and rolling of eyes :(

Edited by Mark Evans
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.... the washin' o' the Bulldog which is momentarily to begin. Oh the moans, groans and rolling of eyes :(

 

Is that you, or the dog :huh: !

 

Anyway, who's going to write a tune called The Washin' o' the Bulldog?

Samantha

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Is that you, or the dog :huh: !

 

Anyway, who's going to write a tune called The Washin' o' the Bulldog?

Samantha

 

It's Obi. He's very good and gets in the tub by himself and then starts the moanin' an'a groan'.

 

Had I not found some evidence that my version of MKTQW exsists somewhere beside my noggin I would call it

The Washin' o' the Bulldog. In fact I still might! :P

 

I just tried it with the Spotted Dog jig. Sounds like a theme medely to me.

Edited by Mark Evans
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.... the washin' o' the Bulldog which is momentarily to begin. Oh the moans, groans and rolling of eyes :(
...who's going to write a tune called The Washin' o' the Bulldog?

Hmm. Gotta think about this. May need special inspiration. Should it be a reel? A hornpipe? The name "slip jig" seems perfect, but I don't really think the rhythm suggests a slippery canine trying to escape.

 

Or maybe it should be a storytelling "set piece", like The Fox Hunt? Instead of the barking of the hounds and the yelping of the fox, we could have the barking of the "hound" and the yelping of Mark; instead of the lament for the dead fox, we could have a tune suggesting a lament for the betrayal by the "master". Hmm, Mark, does your bulldog go quietly and stoically to his "doom", or does he struggle and complain, or does he try to hide or otherwise evade capture? (If he zigs and zags like a running back, maybe we could throw in a few excerpts from On, Wisconsin. ;)) The air button could be used to suggest the panting of both protagonists near the end, but how do you imitate (note, I said "imitate") the sound of splashing water on a concertina? :D

 

And when it's all over, will the dog be strutting his new shine as if he did it all himself, or will he be looking for some dirt to roll in, to return to his "natural" state?

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I am inclined to keep it a Slide since his toe nails are too long and he slides about the tub.

 

Obi is so stoic. I call him, "time for your bath" and he very slowly comes down the stairs into the bathroom and crawls into the tub all the while looking at me as if I were cruel. Then the rolling of the eyes and moans, a real production of self-pity. I assume betrayal of the "master" the theme. After his tourture, the poor creature mounts the steps and goes to my room, requests I hoist him on my bed where he sits looking like Jobba the Hut wrapped up in his blanket, put upon by a cruel, uncaring world.

 

Doesn't sound much like a Slide. Perhaps a lament. <_<

Edited by Mark Evans
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Allison, I just tried the link and it came up and played all the way through.

 

Jim, at our new years day music party, one of the younguns' gave him some crackers with goat cheese. It was "Siege Obi" all right and broke up a nice party early.

Edited by Mark Evans
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