old timey challenge

**Jim Nollman** · Apr-13-2011, 1:32pm

This discussion reminds me of a CD assembled by a friend, containing 14 different versions of "Smells Like Teen Spirit". My personal favorite was a female choir doing it a cappella.

**stever1422** · Apr-13-2011, 6:00pm

Originally Posted by JeffD

This was posted elsewhere but I linked here because it is a FANTASTIC example of what I am talking about. New life breathed into an old warhorse.

Without an excurstion into the wierd or outlandish, or crossing the boundaries of the genre, or even scaring the neighbors.

What is wonderful about this is that the tune still does the work. The integrity of the tune itself, now with lyrics, is the engine here, the motion. And knowing the tune intimately (having played it 984092347534985 times), one can feel some kind of "home" in the tune itself, which links with the theme of the song.

This is brilliant on many levels.

Yeah, but where the heck is the banjo? I hear it, but I sure don't see it.

**JeffD** · Apr-14-2011, 10:14am

Originally Posted by stever1422

Yeah, but where the heck is the banjo? I hear it, but I sure don't see it.

Ahhh well. There are some that would prefer they be seen and not heard.

**Markus** · Apr-14-2011, 11:15am

Jeff [and other contributors], what a great thread. The thoughts in the first post, and additional comments, have been bouncing around my noggin since this thread first started.

I've been in a good position for some of these old songs ... after growing tired of them on guitar, I deliberately skipped quite a few songs as I switched to mandolin. Only recently, as I build my fiddle tune repertoire to completion [of songs I'll encounter regularly], have I gotten around to learning anything beyond the rhythm parts on many of the worn-out standards - having some time away, spending some jams just playing rhythm, I'm looking at these tunes with a more fresh eye.

This thread is great in that context, as it has me thinking about how to make them jump up and grow some hair so-to-speak - not just have the correct notes. I know these tunes on another instrument - I'm looking far beyond competency when I learn them, I want people's feet to dance after ignoring the tune for years.

Of course, now that I'm finally getting some of them down at proper speed, I'm aware of the rolling eyes when I suggest them at a jam

Oh well, hopefully my smile as I nail it the first time will be infectious, and hopefully some of the ideas this thread got into my mind have added some touches that open the ears of the most jaded pickers.

**JeffD** · Apr-14-2011, 1:50pm

The reason many tunes are so over played is, in most cases, because they are great tunes. They engaged us before we knew it wasn't cool to be engaged by those tunes.

If one can find a way, as Steel Wheels did, of re-engaging us, surprising us into re-experiencing what was great about the tune in the first place, that is the trick I think.

I remember I think it was Jean Redpath, in an interview, talked about the integrity of traditional music. That if you were at a loss to figure out a way to present a song, (in her case a traditional Scottish song), you really couldn't go wrong presenting it traditionally. NOT at all to suggest that a traditional setting is the lazy man's arrangement, not at all. It's that a traditional tune or song has survived because it can deliver the goods, and you don't have to do a lot besides get out of the way and let it do what it does.

This is not an argument against innovation either.

Its an argument against innovation for its own sake. Try what ever you want, but you will know you have succeeded when it sounds like it has always been done that way.

**mando Nick** · Apr-22-2011, 7:53pm

I recently bought the cd, "Saturday Night Waltz," by mandolinist, Joe Walsh, which I saw mentioned on the Home Page of the Cafe. He does a really nice version of Whiskey Before Breakfast, reworking the tune in a very nice way.
Nick Royal
Santa Cruz, CA

**Willie** · May-17-2011, 9:41am

On the bluegrass scene The Country Gentlemen worked up a great version of an old timey tune, "Aunt Dinahs Quilting Party" and my band plays it at most shows and people enjoy hearing some of the old songs that they knew as a kid....There are quite a few old timey songs out there that make good fillers to put on a CD, something for all walks of life , I guess....

**JeffD** · May-17-2011, 10:02am

Originally Posted by Willie

On the bluegrass scene The Country Gentlemen worked up a great version of an old timey tune, "Aunt Dinahs Quilting Party" ....

If thats the one I am thinking of - wait let me check youtube - yep, great tune. Tasty mandolin opportunities.

**JeffD** · May-16-2012, 3:17pm

So what do you think? Angeline the Baker qualifies as a war horse that if I hear it again I will scream. And here it is new again:

**Jack Roberts** · Jul-09-2012, 8:02pm

Ooh, that's so pretty it hurts.

**SincereCorgi** · Jul-09-2012, 10:53pm

Yeah, but if this is an 'old timey challenge' how is that even remotely 'old timey'?

It's an interesting reworking of the tune, but it veers into what I think of as 'insurance company commercial music'.

**JeffD** · Jul-10-2012, 12:27am

I think I know what you mean. What I think of when you say insurance company commercial music, is stuff that is not meant to be heard, just kind of backgroundy music. Stuff you could turn your back on and not miss anything. There isnt any part of Sarah's playing there that I could turn away from.

**Jim Nollman** · Jul-11-2012, 12:45pm

Here's a version of Kitchen Girl/Cluck Old Hen i recorded about a year ago.

those opening sounds are cowbirds. Common birds where i live. They lay their eggs in other birds nests. The eggs hatch and push out all the mother's babies. The mother of that different species then feeds them until they fledge.