Norman Blake Tunes

[woodwizard]

I bet there's not many acoustic pickers here that don't like to pick some Norman Blake tunes from time to time. Please feel free to post some of you picking your favorite Blake tunes. Vids or music ... it's all cool. Would love to see/listen to them. I'll start with a couple mp3 recordings I made with my Tascam little mixer ...one called "Ruins of Richmond" and "Coming Down From Rising Fawn"

[Don Grieser]

Great idea. Here's the Constitution March that Norman played on guitar, but it works well on mandolin.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ftpwa0dH9s

[Jim Roberts]

Nice pickin' Don!

[Mark Gunter]

I love Norman Blake tunes, and play them often, especially the ones he teaches in the Homespun Video series. I don't have any recent, decent recordings, though. I'll link to a few from when I was more of a rank beginner trying to learn them.

From Norman:

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Here's one where I was attempting to learn and slowly practice Thebes on the guitfiddle ...

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From Nancy:

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And this Nancy tune from when I first began to learn it, and before I started working to cure the "flying fingers" approach, LOL.

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[Don Grieser]

Wish we would have picked at Pagosa, Mark. We share a love of Norman and Nancy tunes.

[Mark Gunter]

Roger that, Don. I took you for a Norman & Nancy fan when I discovered your YouTube videos a good while back. Those folk are the real deal, for sure.

[Ivan Kelsall]

Very nice playing of a lovely tune there Don. I'd never heard it before,but i'll be hearing it a few (100) times more,
Ivan

[mandopaul]

Mark, I love the "Hangin' Dog" tune that you worked out. I tried to follow Nancy on that one, but her fingers fly so fast. There is a very haunting melody on this song.

[MarkusSpiel]

Thanks to this theard I learned a few of Norman Blake´s tunes. Here is Constitution March- I stole a lot of Don´s Video. Thanks for that!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uR08CNnmMhs

[Don Grieser]

Nice, Markus, sounds just right on the old Gibson--and thanks for bring this thread back up. We all need some more Norman and Nancy in our lives these days.

[Anglocelt]

Some nice videos here. I have just discovered N&N Blake tunes. I bought a used Natasha's Waltz CD and am enjoying it. My first project is to learn Blake's March, a great tune on mandolin. Luckily there are a few versions in notation on the internet to help me but I can't find notation for other Blake tunes. Is there a book of their tunes available to buy? Their music sounds to me like a hybrid of US old time and English folk dance tunes.

Kevin

[Anglocelt]

Some nice videos here. I have just discovered N&N Blake tunes. I bought a used Natasha's Waltz CD and am enjoying it. My first project is to learn Blake's March, a great tune on mandolin. Luckily there are a few versions in notation on the internet to help me but I can't find notation for other Blake tunes. Is there a book of their tunes available to buy? Their music sounds to me like a hybrid of US old time and English folk dance tunes.

Kevin

[Tom Ronan]

Some nice videos here. I have just discovered N&N Blake tunes. I bought a used Natasha's Waltz CD and am enjoying it. My first project is to learn Blake's March, a great tune on mandolin. Luckily there are a few versions in notation on the internet to help me but I can't find notation for other Blake tunes. Is there a book of their tunes available to buy? Their music sounds to me like a hybrid of US old time and English folk dance tunes.

Kevin
Mel Bay has a book by Steve Kaufman

[MarkusSpiel]

Some nice videos here. I have just discovered N&N Blake tunes. I bought a used Natasha's Waltz CD and am enjoying it. My first project is to learn Blake's March, a great tune on mandolin. Luckily there are a few versions in notation on the internet to help me but I can't find notation for other Blake tunes. Is there a book of their tunes available to buy? Their music sounds to me like a hybrid of US old time and English folk dance tunes.

Kevin
I got the notation for the first 12 tracks of the Natasha's Waltz Cd from Mike Black
See here:
https://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/threads/142017-Norman-Blake-Original-Underground-Music-from-the-Mysterious-South

[Mark Gunter]

When Markus bumped this old thread, I noticed that the OP woodwizard had posted a version of Coming Down From Rising Fawn in the initial post, and it just happened that this was the tune for the SAW group about the time this thread was bumped. I listened to it a minute ago, and am surprised how closely his playing of the A part resembles what I've been playing on that tune. The rest of what he does sounds more like Norman's tune than what I've been doing.

At any rate, it was a blessing to see his mandolin version here, since it seems that most recorded versions of the tune are played on guitar. I'm going to link his tune into the SAW thread.

[Don Grieser]

I totally missed Coming Down from Rising Fawn in the original post, Mark. Thanks. Been working on Green Leaf Fancy too. You working on any Norman tunes?

[Mark Gunter]

I totally missed Coming Down from Rising Fawn in the original post, Mark. Thanks. Been working on Green Leaf Fancy too. You working on any Norman tunes?

Been working on Coming Down From Rising Fawn, but that's all. I've been sidetracked by Willie Nelson tunes and also writing some juvenile stuff. Playing Crazy and Ain't it Funny How Time Slips Away and found what I think is a cool way to play Robert Johnson's Kind Hearted Woman on mandolin.

[tmsweeney]

late as usual, here's Nancy's Hornpipe on Octave


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[Anglocelt]

Mel Bay has a book by Steve Kaufman
Mel Bay has many books by Steve Kaufman but I can't see one which covers Blake tunes. Maybe it is out of print?

[Tom Ronan]

Mel Bay has many books by Steve Kaufman but I can't see one which covers Blake tunes. Maybe it is out of print?

It’s called The Norman Blake Anthology

[C. Welter]

I did this a while ago! (Not exactly a tune, but very Norman)

https://youtu.be/EkTANU7JJ8U

[Trader Todd]

Great thread. Thanks for sharing!

[Don Grieser]

Glad to see people adding on to this thread. Here's Coming Down From Rising Fawn.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gy8Uk9nA4m0
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[tmsweeney]

Woodwizard you have no idea what you started

here's a rough attempt at one of my favorites "Walnut River"

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I did double the mandolin - once on the Macica F5 and once on a Flatiron Festival ( not filmed)

[Mark Gunter]

Good stuff Don & Mr. Sweeny :mandosmiley:

[Simon DS]

Some fine playing there Mark. Especially like Hollow Poplar -good job.

[tmsweeney]

Don Grieser was mentioning Green Leaf Fancy - 4/20 significance ? Perhaps

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[wildpikr]

Thanks to Markus for reopening this thread...it prompted me to get out my 'Mandolin of Norman Blake' DVD for review. And thanks to all who contributed! Happy pickin'...:mandosmiley:

[bbcee]

Here's Weave and Way. Working on upping the tempo and fleshing it out.

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[MarkusSpiel]

Here is "Dusty Rose"

https://youtu.be/DaD0EjzRBNY

[bbcee]

A less geriatric (but not even close to Norman-fast) version of Weave & Way. Backing track courtesy of iReal - pretty cool software!

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[Don Grieser]

Grooving to that rhythm track. Very nice. I like the shirt too. Thanks for keeping this thread going. Maybe I'll work on one this weekend. What day is it? LOL

[bbcee]

I'll look forward to that, Don, it's a fun tune to play, with lots of room for improvising. You'll tear it up for sure. That shirt I'm wearing is a great inspiration to keeping your nose to the grindstone :mandosmiley:

[Don Grieser]

Haven't learned a new one yet this weekend, but I found this one in my videos from 10 years ago :disbelief: and a lot of mandos ago. (A Campanella Due) The tune is Georgia Home from Original Underground Music from the Mysterious South.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDCsPCd3Q2c

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[diptanshu]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UW7bU4s9xRw

[tmsweeney]

Some great pickin' on this thread!

Here's a Monday Evening New Chance Blues on the Rigel G110

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[Mark Gunter]

Man, what fun catching up my reading on this thread, so much fun Norman Blake stuff going on here. Bruce, the Weave and Way was cool and the backing track sounds great. Don has posted up one of my favorite tunes, but then all the tunes from that LP are favorites, right? Sounds great, Don. Likewise Dipthanshu as usual knocks it out of the park on Blake's March. Thanks to everyone for posting these, and long live Norman.

[Mark Gunter]

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Stuck in a hotel in California, I took the opportunity to record Coming Down From Rising Fawn. Didn’t get it clean, but at least got it recorded in one take.

https://youtu.be/BzOACj79ciE

[bbcee]

Sounding great, Mark, nicely played. Being "stuck in a hotel room" has a whole different meaning these days. Hope you're able to get out of CA soon, but at least you've got your mando!

[Don Grieser]

Really nice, Mark! Thanks for posting. You're in Beverly Hills? What movie will you be in?

[Mark Gunter]

Home at last, after 9 days in Beverly Hills. I was making repairs to upscale woodwork in a new construction building over there, and I am happy to be back home.

Did get to meet David Spade (the comedian) in a sandwich shop, though, and played a couple house concerts for my co-workers at the hotel. Clicking my heels now, like Bojangles or Dorothy ... there's no place like home.

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[tmsweeney]

Guess we got to let the man himself show us how its done, I love how Joel McCormick is like " You wait patiently in silence when Norman is playing, you don't interrupt"

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[W. James Johnson]

Good afternoon! Here is a solo mandolin run through of the main part of Third Street Gypsy Rag off the great Natasha's Waltz. Filed by my son Mack on an iphone last nite down at the Zen Garden/Asado in Asheville NC

https://youtu.be/SWSLMLqpgu8

[dulcillini]

Great playing !

[W. James Johnson]

Here is a second version of Nancy's hanging' dog, one of my favorites:

https://youtu.be/egzjs7tX0CI

[Don Grieser]

Wonderful playing, James! Glad to have you keeping this thread going with Norman and Nancy tunes.

[V70416]

3rd St. Gypsy Rag is a great Mando workout. I always hear Nancy's cello when I hear that tune.
Nice job Mack! Playing that one solo takes some chops.

"Sage Fields" is a rather obscure piece that I feel like Nancy wrote(?) I may even try to overstep my limitations and do a
half-fast recording. Just because I've never attempted such a feat is no deterrent.

Stay tuned.

[Mike Black]

I was recording a couple of tunes for a customer so they could hear their mandolin in the white before I put finish on it, so I figured I could kill two birds with one stone and record a couple of Norman Blake's tunes for this thread too.

Here's Norman's Bright Days

https://youtu.be/IU_UPJ5Hc8I

And here's my attempt to do Norman's Third Street Gypsy Rag.

https://youtu.be/KvpyUnabOlo

[V70416]

That white Black mandolin sounds just right!

Nice pickin on 3rd Street Gypsy.

[Don Grieser]

That white Black mandolin sounds just right!

Nice pickin on 3rd Street Gypsy.

The mandolin and the picker both sound fantastic! Really impressed with that tone, Mike. Congrats to whoever is getting that one.

[Joe Dodson]

Mark, I'd really enjoy dropping in on you during one of my trips between Houston and Dallas. Love your taste in music and I know I'd enjoy picking a few with you sometime.

[Jim Roberts]

Mike,

A number of years ago, I think I saw you play “Bright Days” at the Kansas State Fiddling Championship in Lawrence. If I’m not mistaken, you won the mandolin championship contest that year with this tune. I play this tune from time to time and think about how lovely your picking sounded that day in the park just south of downtown Lawrence.

Super nice pickin’ in the video, too! Thanks for sharing.

[Mike Black]

Thanks Jim, you are correct I did win that year playing Bright Days. I've always liked how that tune uses the full spectrum of low end as well as the high end. Which makes it a perfect tune for hearing how a mandolin sounds.

[Mark Gunter]

Wow Mike, awesome picking and great sounding mandolin! Thanks for sharing with us. :mandosmiley:


Mark, I'd really enjoy dropping in on you during one of my trips between Houston and Dallas. Love your taste in music and I know I'd enjoy picking a few with you sometime.

Joe, that would be awesome. Palmer is just a quick stop off 45 about 15 minutes south of the metroplex. Send me a PM a day or two ahead of time and we'll make it happen, but I'll probably move out of Palmer to parts unknown around the end of September.

[lowtone2]

I was recording a couple of tunes for a customer so they could hear their mandolin in the white before I put finish on it, so I figured I could kill two birds with one stone and record a couple of Norman Blake's tunes for this thread too.

Here's Norman's Bright Days

https://youtu.be/IU_UPJ5Hc8I

And here's my attempt to do Norman's Third Street Gypsy Rag.

https://youtu.be/KvpyUnabOlo

Hey! Quit screwing around and finish my mandolin! Wow, puts it down in the chair and it's still ringing.

Nice playing, mandolin sounds great, and I need to learn 3rd Street Gypsy Rag.

[MarkusSpiel]

I learned another Blake tune. This time one of nancy‘s.


https://youtu.be/C7nm1fnbhZs

[Mike Buesseler]

Nicely played! And what a pretty F-2!

[MarkusSpiel]

Nicely played! And what a pretty F-2!

Thank you, Mike!

[tmsweeney]

Here's Dry Grass on the High Fields on a Ratliff Mandocello over Octave and Mandola chops.

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[Don Grieser]

tmsweeney: I really like your playing and arrangement of Dry Grass in the High Fields. Cool blend of instruments and creative video too. Great tune that I need to learn.

[tmsweeney]

There are 3 version of "Dry Grass on the High Fields" that I know of

on "The Fields of November" probably the most well know version with the fiddle taking the melody
on "Old and New" this version has more of traditional Bluegrass sound with mandolin
and "Live at McCabes" - this is Norman on guitar with Nancy taking the melody on Cello and what I based my version on.

[Mark Gunter]

Here's an attempt at New Brick Road, I know this isn't quite right yet, but it's a start. Thanks to Mike Black for a transcription that helped a lot to get started on it.

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[lowtone2]

Here's an attempt at New Brick Road, I know this isn't quite right yet, but it's a start. Thanks to Mike Black for a transcription that helped a lot to get started on it.


Nice job! Those are some fancy fretboard markers. Who built your mandolin?

[Mark Gunter]

It’s a pac-rim from the eighties, Ibanez

[bbcee]

Don & I did a version of Georgia Home for the Song of the Week social group, and I thought to post it here to pop the thread back up. I'm playing on my Rigel first time around, then Don plays that Heiden of his (as he said, the Campanella is many mandolins ago!). Great tune, and just so fun to play. Hope you enjoy.

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[tmsweeney]

real nice pickin' there fellers

[tmsweeney]

More guitar related, but then again Norman is known more for his 6 sting work than his 8 string creations, this is a new compilation of Norman covers by picker Bob Minner (https://minnerguitar.com/) "From Sulphur Springs to Rising Fawn" with a stellar cast of supporting musicians, I haven't heard the record yet, though I intend to, but Bob is diehard Norman fan and emphasizes the traditional aspects of Norman's music.

[tmsweeney]

Reviving this thread for "Third Street Gypsy Rag" on a 1925 Gibson H1 Mandola and a 1987 Flatiron Festival

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[Mike Buesseler]

I love everything about that arrangement, Tim! Really nice! (I hope your first name is Tim!)

[pheffernan]

Reviving this thread for "Third Street Gypsy Rag" on a 1925 Gibson H1 Mandola and a 1987 Flatiron Festival

Most impressive! I’d love to hear more about (and from) that mandola.

[Don Grieser]

Tim, that's a rocking version of Third St Gypsy Rag. Such a cool tune and you nailed it. Thanks for bringing back the Norman thread!

[tmsweeney]

Thanks everyone for the kind words and encouragement, its one of my favorite tunes and is a joy to play, it has a kind of "Shostakovich" feel that is probably more of an Ostroushko thing.
As for the mandola I acquired that from a shop in Texas a few years ago, it was fairly beat but playable when I bought it, the tuners were shot and missing a peghead, so I had a friend of mine put some golden age tuners on. Last winter the buzzing got so bad I could not correct it with it humidity or bridge adjustments so I took it down to my luthier friend Tom Dobrovitch, who showed me that entire neck was coming loose, so I let him do his magic , there was separation on the back as well. We agreed not to mess with the top and leave it in its cosmetic state. Well it turned out great with IMHO super tone.
I only did one other video with it (post Dobrovich) and I don't take it out of the house much as it still feels a little delicate, but a charming little box to be sure.