what's the best fiddle tune ever?

[abram]

I'm saying the Big Scioto

[evanreilly]

Nahhh....
'Jerusalem Ridge' by William Smith Monroe.

[John Flynn]

"Snake River Reel" by Peter Lippincot

[ToneDeaf]

The one I'm trying to learn.

[ShaneJ]

Faded Love

[Stanley Cox]

2 or 3 of my favorites,
Sally Goodwin
Lost John
Angeline the Baker
The Gold Rush
OK so thats 4 http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif
Stanley http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/coffee.gif

[Michael H Geimer]

Big Scioty (as it's titled in my Fakebook) is certainly my favorite, but I don't know enough tunes to claim that one's the best ever. Everyone I know calls it The Big Scioto, why the different spelling in the Fiddler's Fakebook?

[Tom C]

'Jerusalem Ridge' by Kenny Baker -No?

[abram]

The Big Scioto refers to the Scioto River, which as far as I know, is pronounced "Scioty"

[evanreilly]

Nahhh....
'Jerusalem Ridge' by William Smith Monroe.
Monroe wrote it; Baker played it.

[Moose]

Hey Evan! - This is kinda' of "thread" - but then again ...it's not : 'bout a month ago I ordered(County Records) "Darkness on the Delta" - Kenny Baker AND Bobby Hicks!! - recorded in the '80's ; Twin fiddle "masters"(particularly Hicks IMHO!!) - Buddy, if ya' don't have this ya' gotta get it. Louisville Breakdown.., Tallahassee.., Panhandle Country, Roanoke.., great aggangement of Farewell Blues...(et al..) - Bought it 'cause County "highly recommended" it ; Man, what a "keeper" - twin fiddle'n at its best by two "masters" - If you don't get "goosebumps" ya' better check yer' pulse - you could be dead. Sorry to ramble.., but I LOVE THAT CD!!! http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/coffee.gif

[davestem]

Man...there's a lot of extreeeeemely good fiddle tunes. I'll second the votes for Gold Rush & Jerusalem Ridge, & throw in a few extra:

Up a Lazy River
Brother & Joycelyn
Mark'z Waltz
Billy in the Lowground

But, to tell more of the truth, almost any fiddle tune can be great when played with great tone and taste. I can listen to a really well-played fiddle tune and my brain will disconnect from reality, & I get lost in the world of melody and variation. Beautiful rhythm playing helps, too.

[mandorado]

I agree with Davestem ... it's too hard to pick the "best" fiddle tune ... too many good ones out there.

I would be willing to say my most recent favorite is Richmond ... I like to play along with Molsky ... he rips it up.

[Stanley Cox]

I like Jerusalem's Ridge too. The late Jimmy Campbell
could play it very well.
How about Sugar in the Gourd? Fire on the Mountain?
I guess I cant pick a best of all.

Stanley http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif

[doanepoole]

June Apple!

[abram]

I think Sally Ann's the best one now

[mandofiddle]

OLD DANGERFIELD!!!!

[PhilGE]

Nail That Catfish To A Tree by Steve Rosen. (http://www.rosenbanjo.com/)

[Moose]

Ah! - fiddle tunes,fiddle players and Monroe ; Take a few minutes and try to count the great fiddle players that he had work for him through the years - I also like to believe there were "greats"... that he inspired to be "greater"... - just my ramblings and .02. Moose. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/rock.gif

[mando bandage]

To quote that great computer, "Deep Thought"

"42"

R
With apologies to Douglas Adams

[Pete Martin]

Why, Sally Goodin of course!! http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif

[evanreilly]

'Jerusalem Ridge' by William Smith Monroe.

[abram]

jerusalem shmerusalem.

[Moose]

Now..now!~ It ain't nice to make fun of the ... "Holy Places" - "Jerusalem Ridge" by William Smith Monroe - as played by Kenny Baker!! http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/rock.gif

[evanreilly]

Yeah!! You'd not like to request that number by that name in front of William Smith Monroe hisownself, if he were alive to play it. #The look would make you cower, wet your panties and regret the blasphemy. #And then Monroe would tell you that the fellow who wrote that number was a pahr'ful man and no man had ever put him down!!!
Of course, he might just ignore you.

[jlb]

I hate to say it, but I've never bought the idea that Monroe wrote Jerusalem Ridge, even when heard from people who know a whole lot more than I do. The phrasings are so non-Monroe-ish, that its just hard for me to believe he could have come up with them. On the other hand, that tune has Kenny Baker written all over it.

My guess is Monroe came up with the A part, Kenny Baker took it from there and completed the tune, and Monroe called it his own. Pure speculation, of course.

[jlb]

Oh yeah, June Apple is my favorite fiddle tune, though honestly I think it started out as a banjo tune. It's got lyrics, too!

[evanreilly]

Since the question of authorship of Jerusalem Ridge comes up, errrr, frequently, I scanned this from the booklet with the 1970 - 1979 Bear Box Set. I consider this to be the final word on authorship. I'll keep this for future reference.
And, for the record, I have the .mp3 clip where Monroe introduces the tune as written by Baker.

[Moose]

Thank you, Evan! - and RIP Joe Stuart - "The Sideman for all Seasons". http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[jlb]

I don't get it Evan. That clip has Monroe saying he wrote the tune. Your mp3 clip has Monroe saying that Baker wrote the tune.

I know Bill Monroe was a complicated man....did he even know who wrote the tune?

[evanreilly]

Monroe wrote it; I suspect he attributed it to Baker on occassion as a tribute to Baker. I also have a few live recordings where Monaroe says something to the effect that KB will be playing one of his (Monroe's) most popular numbers.

[violmando]

Another vote for Jerusalem Ridge, with a nod to "Whisky before breakfast".....I also like a recording of Belles of Lexington/Forty Miles to Louisville--anyone know where I can find notes for these?

[abram]

Not many people know this, but I actually wrote Jerusalem's Ridge (don't tell anybody)

Cuckoo's nest is another good one.

[Seth Austen]

This week my favorite OT tune is Last of Callahan. Close runner ups are Sourwood Mountain, Breaking Up Christmas and Trouble on the Mind. All are in AEAE but I'm playing them tuned down to GDGD.

Seth

[ShaneJ]

I thought Al Gore wrote Jerusalem Ridge. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[Moose]

Of course! - under the "nom de plume" of William Smith Monroe... http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif

[aimee]

Hey, our little trio does "Catfish"- it's got such a groove . Didn't know there were T-shirts.

Second choice has got to be Ashokan Farewell, which I never have been able to memorize fully.

[JGWoods]

Jenny Lynn- at least for the next 2 weeks while I work on it and take another fiddle lesson. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif

best
jgwoods

[jaybee]

YEAH...Evan & Moose!

[evanreilly]

That Jenny Lynn is a fine tune also. An excellent version is on Jimmy Campbell's CD 'Pieces of Time'; Bill plays mandolin on that album.

[abram]

I guess Jenny Lynn was the "greatest of all" according to Monroe, at least when he wrote Uncle Pen

[abram]

Frank George's wife used to say he'd rather fiddle all day than work; when Frank was asked about it he said he'd rather play Angeline the Baker all day than work.

[Moose]

RIP Jimmy Campbell - If the Master thought enough to record with you...., ya' musta' done somethin' right. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[Darryl Wolfe]

It's my understanding that Kenny Baker wrote Jerusalum Ridge...will report back in a moment when I confirm "the rest of the story"

[evanreilly]

DGW:
See the above text, copied from an interview of WSM, contained in the Bear Box set.
Bill is pretty clear about it being his tune.

[Darryl Wolfe]

Evan is right. Monroe wrote Ebeneezer Scrooge and Jerusalem Ridge supposedly in a 45 minute span. He called Baker to come over and hear them. At first Baker didn't want to come over, and Monroe insisted it would be worth his while.

The Monroe episodes of crdeiting Baker were apparently connected with the release of Kenny's album.

Jerusalem Ridge is of one several tunes in which Monroes original composition wandered a bit astray to suit Kenny left hand style and essentially became a "fiddle tune". Ebeneezer Scrooge is an example of one not wandering to fit Kenny, and consequently it remained essentially a mandolin tune.

[Moose]

And there you have it! - Kinda' reminds me of something that was said to me several years ago concerning a Louvin Brothers song - "When I Stop Dreaming" - In a conversation with Charlie Louvin several years ago, I asked Charlie what key they did that song in ; he replied "...Ira liked to sing it in "C". Sometime later, in a conversation with a Bluegrass "authority'(!?#), I happened to pass this information on. My Bluegrass "authority" curtly replied "...naaaa, they didn't do that in "C".." - I suggested that the next time I talked with Charlie I'd tell him he(Charlie) told me wrong an' why did he lie to me... - (nuf' said!http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/rock.gif). http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/rock.gif http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wow.gif

[Crowder]

I don't like playing Jerusalem Ridge at a jam because it's one of those tunes where everyone seems to play the melody straight every time through with no embellishments. That bores me to tears, I can't see the point in it. People look at you funny if you play with the melody a little bit, even the phrasing, and even if you played it straight the first time through.

I like Grey Eagle.

[AlanN]

That's too bad. JR is a very specific melody in all 4 parts, but there is room for personalizing it. Of recorded versions, I can think of Jimmy Gaudreau and Raymond Legere, each plays it straight and funky at the same time, with their own styles very much apparent. Emory Lester actually plays the A and B parts an octave up from their original lines, also a nice variation. One variation I do is on the 4th part, I'll play over the C chord both low and high, adds a little spice to it.

[sweetmusic]

The Gravel Walk
Catharsis

[futrconslr]

I like Jenny Lynn and Clinch Mountain Backstep......and Cluck old Hen

[halfdeadhippie]

right now

Golden Eagle Hornpipe

"Coo coo's nest" has always been a favorite, we generally play it coupled with "Staten Island"

also right now the "Corrente" from the Sonata #4 in Dm by that real old time fiddler ( I do mean real old time), from over yonder Southern Germany, the late great
Johnny Batch
rumor is he played the Johanna and perty dern good too
[B]
All of my presented statements are subject to change without notice

[mandolooter]

another vote for J. Ridge. That song just gets me going with its power! Fiddle tunes are great but tons of em started out with words and were played way slower originally and I dig those versions a lot as well...here's a few examples. Old Joe Clark, Red Haired Boy, Whiskey Before Breakfast and the list goes on and on. The way I see it pickers got together and no one wanted or could sing, so wala, a fiddle tune was born. Any more educated thoughts out there?

[John Millring]

Good tunes, all. Phil, I didn't know you did "Nail The Catfish..." We'll have to do that when we get together again. (Jesse taught it to me and Jim).

I like the tunes that change keys between parts -- like Flop-Earred Mule or Forked Deer or.....hey, Nail The Catfish does it as well. I'd pick Flop-Earred Mule though.

'Nother favorite -- Kitchen Girl. I wish I could play it with me because I have an even better Guitar part than my mandolin part.