cool tunes that no one plays at jams [Archive]

JeffD

Sep-11-2009, 4:43pm

Its funny, I have two or three jams that I go to. My local Tuesday night jam, mostly northern OT, you know, contra dance tunes, Irish traditional, New England, French Canadian, a little southern OT. Things like Liberty and Over the Waterfall

Then there are folks I jam with regularly at festivals. And while its the same music, its different tunes, wilder, lot of French Canadian, lots of obscure Irish. THings like Reel Te Me and Josephins and Wizards Walk, and Jump at the Sun and some Scandinavian tunes.

Then there are the southern OT jams and folks I jam with Southern OT festivals. We do all the regular southern, and some of the more obscure OT stuff. Western Country, Black Eyed Susie, Spotted Pony would be typical.

Most of the tunes I do in the second and third jam I don't do in the first jam, not because they don't like them, they just don't play them. The regular Tuesay jam has a narrower set of tunes. I can bring a tune in, but I have to teach it to them, and bring it up every week or so, and hope it catches fire. Occationally it does.

I have a few set pieces that I do, slowish aires, some beautious waltzes and the like, and tunes in odd keys that really aren't good in a jam because they are not as well known and don't seemto catch fire at jams. Things like Limerick's Lamentation, Planxty Drew

And then there are a few tunes that nobody plays at jams anymore, because we have all gotten plain tired of them. Beautiful tunes, yea, but after the 3541638413687168176387 time playing them, you need a break. The tunes will come back into vogue I am sure, but not right away. Ashokan Farewell comes to mind.

Mandobart

Sep-11-2009, 10:17pm

Several by Robert Earl Keen; Willie, Lonely Feeling, Bluegrass Widow, his cover of Sonora's Death Row (Kevin Farell originaly), Train Trek, Let the Music Play

Some by James McMurtry: Levelland, Song for a Deckhand's Daughter, Six Year Drought

Of course Time by Tom Waits.

Phil Goodson

Sep-11-2009, 10:22pm

Waltz for Bill Monroe
Watson Blues
Dawg's Waltz

SternART

Sep-11-2009, 10:42pm

mandolirius

Sep-12-2009, 3:51am

Philphool.....come on over, we'll jam out on Watson's Blues & Dawg's Waltz.
I've only found a few folks who played Tony Rice's Swing 51 from on the first DGQ album.
Most Bill Monroe instrumentals..... except for a few..... & just about all Dawg tunes fit in this category.......the Grisman tune I hear the most is probably EMD.

Swing 51...yeah! Great tune. I've been playing it for years. For Grisman tunes, Cedar Creek gets played a bit around here.

Phil Goodson

Sep-12-2009, 5:53am

Philphool.....come on over, we'll jam out on Watson's Blues & Dawg's Waltz.
I've only found a few folks who played Tony Rice's Swing 51 from on the first DGQ album.
Most Bill Monroe instrumentals..... except for a few..... & just about all Dawg tunes fit in this category.......the Grisman tune I hear the most is probably EMD.

Thanks. If I ever get to the Left Shore, I'll look you up. Not too many folks around my area seem to get into Dawg much.
I'll have to try Swing 51. I haven't heard it in years. Another goal for me.
Yeah, if I hear a Grisman tune around here, it's gonna be EMD!

300win

Sep-12-2009, 8:55am

Oh theres a ton of the obscure Monroe, Reno and Smiley, Jim and Jesse songs/ tunes that a lot of the people I see at jams don't know any of them, but now all this new stuff they know.

AlanN

Sep-12-2009, 9:36am

There are loads of tunes which have fallen away:

Crazy Creek
Snowball
NCR
Billy In The Lowground
Kentucky Chimes
Sure-Fire
many more

And to call out the changes whilst I'm playing takes away from the whole thing big-time.

Unless I get up with a similarly-experienced mando or fiddle picker, these and others are simply not done. What is done are the ultra-common: Wheel Hoss, Goldrush, Soldier's Joy, Daybreak In Dixie..etc. It gets old to play these over and over.

And fuggetabout Dawg tunes, other than EMD. Even the simple ones like Fanny Hill, Cedar Hill are neglected. Ah, civilians....

mandopete

Sep-12-2009, 9:59am

The thing about a jam session is that the tunes (I'm reading instrumentals, no singing) have to be familiar enough for everyone to follow along. Once it gets too complicated it's not going to work for everyone.

Here's a couple I jammed on last weekend that dont get played often enough and are pretty easy to pick up:

Salt Spring & Nesser - John Reischman
Tommorow's Breakdown - Avram Siegel
Molly Bloom - Alan Munde

With respect to Salt Spring, we had a jam with Charlie Edsall and Mark Miracle from Sawmill Road and even though they had not head the tune they just tore it up!

And a couple I think could be done pretty easily (that don't get played):

Tennessee Hardwood - Aubrey Haynie
Missing Vassar - Ricky Skaggs

And a couple of "classics" I think shoud get played more often:

Tombstone Junction and Come Hither To Go Yonder - Bill Monroe
Foggy Mountain Special - Earl Scruggs

John Rosett

Sep-12-2009, 10:42am

A tune that I've always liked that almost no one plays is Orange Mountain Special. It's a Pete Wernick tune from the first Country Cookin' album.

Gutbucket

Sep-12-2009, 11:12am

No one plays many fiddle tunes or instrumental type tunes at the jams I attend. They wouldn't know "Old Dangerfield" from Rodney Dangerfield. If it ain't got words, they ain't a playin it! :crying:

mandocrucian

Sep-12-2009, 12:06pm

But, would those tunes still be "cool" if everyone was playing them? :)

Then, otoh, there's the advice of a Sippie Wallace blues song, revived by Bonnie Raitt: "Don't Advertise Your Man". - i.e. if you've found some really cool unknown/obscure songs or tunes, maybe it's better to keep it to yourself and save it for your own band, CD, project.
(For example, I never should have played my mandolin version of "Secret Agent Man" in a jam with various members of Mando Mafia way back at Vandalia (Charleston, WV) back in the late 80s. In fact my wife chastised me for doing it on the ride home, saying..."they're gonna steal your material, you just watch.")

NH

But where, in the course of a "jam", are even some of the "hits" from:
- Hank Williams (Sr.), Bob Wills, George Jones, Buck Owens, Elvis, Merle Haggard, Sons of The Pioneers, Johnny Cash.....
- Muddy Waters, Howlin Wolf, BB King, Chuck Berry & Bo Diddley,
- Dan Hicks, Mose Allison, Commander Cody,
- Smokey Robinson, Temptations, Aretha, Ray Charles, Drifters, Coasters, Wilson Pickett, Otis Redding, etc.
- Beatles , Stones, Kinks, Creedence/Fogerty, Beach Boys, Rod Stewart, surf guitar (Pipeline, The Munsters, Goldfinger etc), Pink Floyd, The Rutles, Elton John, Springsteen, CSNY, Eagles, Byrds, Dead........

There are plenty of tunes/songs that have obvious and/or fairly easy-to-follow chord progressions (at moderate tempos) that aren't "How Mountain Girls Can Love" or "I'll Fly Away" which most of the pickers should be able to follow - besides, it's stuff that folks have heard plenty of times on the radio.

There's nothing better, imo, to enliven a jam more than the presence of someone who used to play/sing in Top 40 bands for years and years.

Phil Goodson

Sep-12-2009, 12:46pm

Mandocrucian:

At last night's jam we played:

2 Merle Haggard songs (can't remember which)
"Last Kiss" by Frank Wilson (We were out on a date in my daddy's car....)
Folsom Prison Blues
House of the Rising Sun
Glendale Train
Blue Bayou
Cocaine (a la Clapton)
Jambalaya
Oh Lonesome Me
Wolverton Mountain
Long Black Train
Are You From Dixie
Summertime
Good Hearted Woman
Rawhide
Honky Tonk Nighttime Man

among the array of usual Bluegrass & Gospel

I thought the mando fit right in.:)

Oh, and I had "Secret Agent Man" ready (really!!) and didn't get to it.

Andy Alexander

Sep-13-2009, 9:12am

Several by Robert Earl Keen; Willie, Lonely Feeling, Bluegrass Widow, his cover of Sonora's Death Row (Kevin Farell originaly), Train Trek, Let the Music Play

We do Willie and Swervin' In My Lane. Robert Earl Keen Jr writes some really creative and bizarre stuff. How about The Armadillo Jackal!

JeffD

Sep-13-2009, 11:05am

No one plays many fiddle tunes or instrumental type tunes at the jams I attend. They wouldn't know "Old Dangerfield" from Rodney Dangerfield. If it ain't got words, they ain't a playin it! :crying:

That's interesting. In our jam there are a couple of singers, so every so often there is a "singing song".

There are some groups around here (within an hour or so drive) that are mostly songs, but folks songs and classic rock songs, not a lot of bluegrass songs.

Mandoviol

Sep-13-2009, 8:08pm

Gutbucket

Sep-14-2009, 4:45pm

We always have what seems to be a standard set of the old bluegrass and old-timey tunes...I've tried to get my jam-mates to try something more Newgrass (because we always do the same stuff, strangely), but nobody seems to know any. I guess this comes from me being big on instrumentals....

There are a lot of great Newgrass instrumentals and singing songs. Beats me why no one wants to try them. I respect the old school, but there's a plethora,(how's that word for a hick like me), of new material out there. The last time I tried a new String Dusters tune on the gang, I got blank stares and heard cricketts chirping. Maybe it just sucked, but the responce was dismal. :confused:

Mattg

Sep-14-2009, 5:14pm

The big problem with alot of newgrass is that the chords are more complicated (interesting) than the basic 1,4,5 and sometimes 6 chord progressions. It's hard to get them going.

I one of my fiddle playing friends and I are trying to get folks playing Big Sciota and Jerusalem Ridge. I don't know why Big Sciota does not catch on. Folks tell us it sounds nice and the chords are not bad. We know why Jerusalem Ridge is not played. We just stared with it and we are going to make an effort. Just learned it and I'm obsessed with it.

The group that tends to go to many of the local jams will play 2 DGQ tunes. EMD, and Minor Swing (often). I've learned Opus 38 but have not busted that one out yet.

Capt. E

Sep-14-2009, 5:34pm

I asked at a bluegrass jam on Saturday about Stephen Foster songs and nobody knew any!!!??? No, Camptown Races, Old Folks at Home, etc.
Then again there are things like Streets of Laredo and even Maurice Chevalier's signature song "Louise". All fun to play.

I have a book of Candian Servicemen's Songs from WWII that has great stuff in it like: "Barnacle Bill the Sailor" and "Mademoiselle from Armentieres" and "A Band of Banshee Airmen". Also, easy and fun

brown akers

Sep-14-2009, 5:34pm

So mandocrucian & Philphool thanks for validating in my own mind that I'm not alone in loving these classic tunes that are so much a part of people's musical history. When Lightnin' Charlie and I play these it's like memory lane for players and listeners alike. Some could be adapted into a bluegrass setting but we really go into a Country Blues/Swing kinda thing. How about these:

Crazy Arms
Heartaches By The Numbers Ray Price

Honky Tonk Blues
Hey Good Lookin'
Mind Your Own Business (Great Call & Response)
Moanin' The Blues Hank Williams, Sr.

Swingin' Doors
Tonight The Bottle Let Me Down
Workin' Man Blues Merle Haggard

T For Texas Ernest Tubb

Set Em' Up Joe Vern Gosdin

Stagolee Professor Longhair

Are You Sure Hank Done It That Way? Waylon Jennings

You can start playing any of these songs and players fall into the groove because the chord progression is easy and familiar enough it's not intimidating for the less experienced in the jam.
The blues in these tunes allow a slower tempo if that's what's desired - but man Workin' Man Blues can get going too fast real quick. And Stagolee - really funny lyrics.

lmartnla

Sep-14-2009, 7:00pm

I like to stretch back and do:

A Fool Such as I - Hank Snow version
It Don't Hurt Anymore - Hank Snow version

Fernario (aka peggy-O)

Nobody Wants You When You're Down and Out (Cool progression-Nobody wants to stop playing this one)

Hard Times Come Again No More - speaking of Stephen Foster
(This one has phrases you won't meet every day:
"frail forms fainting at the door"
"pale drooping maiden "
"sigh that is wafted across the troubled wave"
"dirge that is murmured around the lowly grave")

--Lou

Phil Goodson

Sep-15-2009, 5:40am

So mandocrucian & Philphool thanks for validating in my own mind that I'm not alone in loving these classic tunes ..... How about these:

Crazy Arms
Heartaches By The Numbers Ray Price

Honky Tonk Blues
Hey Good Lookin'
......
Tonight The Bottle Let Me Down
Workin' Man Blues Merle Haggard

.....

Are You Sure Hank Done It That Way? Waylon Jennings....

Hey man. You'd fit right in at my jam group.
I actually did "Secret Agent Man" last night.:grin:

jim_n_virginia

Sep-15-2009, 6:55am

Do you have any tunes that you play that no one plays at jams?

There is a fine line to walk here. You could walk into most jams and play Brilliancy or Get up John and for the most part you would be playing by yourself. In other words you will be "performing" not jamming.

Part of the reason for the jam is the socialization of it in my opinion not just the the venue to play music I think, but I understand that for a lot of folks the jam IS the only place they get to play for others.

BUT ... here is where the fine line comes in ... you have to introduce new tunes to your group or yall will just be playing the same old tunes over and over every week.

There is a balance ... introduce new tunes that are simple and thus jam friendly. My personal rule is if you have to teach it or shout out the chords all the way through it is not a jam friendly tune.

Some of the tunes I think that are not done a lot everywhere but familiar enough to where people generally have heard of them or it would be easy enough to find the tune online to learn is...

Rebecca
Jerusalem Ridge
Down Home Waltz
Dixie Hoedown
Nashville Skyline Blues

AlanN

Sep-15-2009, 7:08am

In my experience, the larger the jam, the more it needs to dumb-down to a lowest common denominator (and no offence intended with that comment).

For all to join in, the tunes *have* to be accessible to all and have to be of the simple type - Soldier's Joy is one. Flowerpot hosted a wonderful gathering at his home. Hans B. was there with his gorgeous mandolins, plus many super pickers showed up - John R (from this site), Eric Robertson, Dave O'Brien, Mandoe (from this site), Jeff Foxall, others. We all sat in a circle. What did we pick? Why...Soldier's Joy, Arkansas Traveller, Redwing, etc. The common herd. Even Monroe tunes were tough to do, as the changes to some of them are quirky.

A couple of us went off in a corner and tried some of the Grisman, Rice, Django stuff. But for the collective group, it was stuff that's on the first page of any banjo book...and that was ok.

Jim Gallaher

Sep-15-2009, 7:36am

I agree that a jam session generally has to focus on tunes with a fairly broad appeal and simple structure to succeed.

That said, I've had success lately with introducing a Texas Swing accompaniment to those who know "Sally Goodin". I'm happy to play a challenging three-note chord accompaniment pattern that follows the bass line while the fiddlers play the melody, then I'll switch to a few simple improv's on the melody and let the guitar players play the simpler chord accompaniment.

The more challenging accompaniment intrigues the guitar and bass players and one or two will usually ask for a copy to work out for future jams. The banjo players like the tune because they can play the melody high up the neck.

The best aspect of this approach is that everyone plays at their own skill level on the same tune.

Matt Hutchinson

Sep-15-2009, 7:40am

I've been to a couple of bluegrass jams in London (there only seem to be a couple!) and at both there have been good dobro players who play Jerry Douglas's 'Tennessee Fluxedo' - great tune to play and pretty simple to pick up.

Matt

AlanN

Sep-15-2009, 8:35am

That is a good tune, has a couple of quirks in the timing, but if you have pickers who know how it goes, perfect. Buck White plays mandolin on the Flux recording, just a great syncopated break.

Matt Hutchinson

Sep-15-2009, 8:39am

That is a good tune, has a couple of quirks in the timing, but if you have pickers who know how it goes, perfect. Buck White plays mandolin on the Flux recording, just a great syncopated break.

Yeah the mandolin break on the recording is great!
I've played it with 2 guys and one plays a simpler version that's easier to pick up the chords to but the original is better if everyone picks up the little pushes in the accompaniment.

We tend to miss out the breakneck re-cap at the end though!

Matt

AlanN

Sep-15-2009, 8:49am

Yeah, forgot about that I-IV fade-out romp at the end. Cool.

Capt. E

Sep-15-2009, 9:34am

Hard Times Come Again No More - speaking of Stephen Foster
(This one has phrases you won't meet every day:
"frail forms fainting at the door"
"pale drooping maiden "
"sigh that is wafted across the troubled wave"
"dirge that is murmured around the lowly grave")

--Lou

I love that song also. Have a great version with mandolin by the McGarrigle Family.

mandroid

Sep-16-2009, 1:19am

I drag out stuff like:
'With a little bit of luck' , and 'Doe a Deer' , from My Fair Lady,

Some where Over The Rainbow, .. 'If I only Had a Brain', from the wizard of OZ

Brubeck's '3 to get Ready'

Mills Brothers' .. 'You only hurt the one you love'

Habenera from Bizet's 'Carmen' Lilli Marlene , Samba de Orphu

Do the Hokey Pokie , teddy bear's picnic , Alabama Jubilee .

St Louis , and Limehouse Blues .. etc.

But my friends that I play with on occasions, are used to my erratic behavior..

AlanN

Sep-16-2009, 8:50am

'Doe a Deer' , from My Fair Lady

Actually, from The Sound Of Music. Regardless, fun to pick (and valuable learning opportunity).

mandopete

Sep-16-2009, 9:38am

... and 'Doe a Deer' , from My Fair Lady

Solfege (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solf%C3%A8ge) Rulz!

mandroid

Sep-16-2009, 10:26am

OOps:redface: it was late, 'with a little bit' was the 'My fair lady', bit,
probably should have waited till after ~o)~o)~o)
.. It's no part of Pygmalion ..

Nolan

Sep-16-2009, 10:50am

Some of the tunes I think that are not done a lot everywhere but familiar enough to where people generally have heard of them or it would be easy enough to find the tune online to learn is...

Rebecca

In my area (Pacific NW) Rebecca gets played in jams so often I cringe when I hear it now!
I'm always trying to get folks to play "Ride the Wild Turkey" but so far I haven't had any luck.

I wish Cheyenne was a little more popular jam tune.

AlanN

Sep-16-2009, 10:57am

Agree about Rebecca. With no offence to the composer, there must be other tunes in B chord that people know and can be picked, like

Richmond, a Larry Sparks/Barry Crabtree number
Blackjack, JD Crowe

I too dig RTWT, but nobody, I mean nobody does it around here. And Cheyenne is very cool, I try to pick the B part when I can. Done Gone is another one for Bb. I try to steer folks to the un-commonly played fiddle tunes, which are all pretty straightforward - Liberty, Miller's Reel, Snowflake Reel.

It's a tough road...

Scotti Adams

Sep-16-2009, 11:04am

SugarHill by Dawg..another bflat tune.

AlanN

Sep-16-2009, 11:16am

Nolan

Sep-16-2009, 1:09pm

And for Bb, NCR of course, daresay it's almost overcooked. One of the best recorded versions I've ever heard of that Wakefield tune was on a Bob Harris guitar album. Barry Mitterhoff and Vic D'Amico on twin mandolins - just perfect.

I'll have to check out the Bob Harris version. I really like Jesse Brock's version on his solo album.

AlanN

Sep-16-2009, 1:28pm

Yes, Jesse's version is very good, as is Ray Legere's break on Wyatt Rice's version on his New Market Gap. Some hot pickin.

Nolan,

That Bob Harris will be tough to find, as it was recorded pre-CD age. If I can swing it, I'll let you know.

mandopete

Sep-16-2009, 1:53pm

I'm always trying to get folks to play "Ride the Wild Turkey" but so far I haven't had any luck.

You pick the tar outta that one Nolan! I'm starting to hear that one more and more (I think Pete Martin plays it too).

Ditto on Rebecca, nice tune, but gets played a little too much IMHO. Herschel has a ton of other great tunes.

Ditto on Cheyenne too. Whenever I try to get people to play that they claim they've never heard it :disbelief:

New Camptown Races? Another tune that's got a lotta jamplay up in our part of the country. Check out David Peters version on Art in America - 5 stars!

...and while we're at it how about Back Up & Push, East Tennesee Blues and Panhandle Country. I never hear those and they are classics!

Patrick Hull

Sep-16-2009, 2:58pm

Brown Akers,
I'm wonderin who/where/when you play with Lightnin Charlie. There is a blues guy who lives near me by that name...

Nolan

Sep-16-2009, 4:51pm

Good call on those three tunes Pete!

brown akers

Sep-16-2009, 9:14pm

Charlie's a neighbor who played for years in various bands from Texas to Colorado to Oklahoma. He's originally from Alabama. Been playing close to 45 years.
The kind of player that even when I produce the most anemic, ill conceived excuse for a lead break he'll be encouraging and try to find something good to say about it.
We play some informal jams in the area but mostly a duo thing - I like playing rhythm and singing and he just tears it up - Country, Country Blues, Swing, little Blues, little Beatles.Too much fun to be able to accompany a playa' like that.
I just call him Lightnin' - just a goof. He's really just.......Charlie. If that's his REAL name.
If your in the area and want to play - send me a message.