This tune, a pretty waltz and song, was written in 1840, or near abouts, by S. S. Steele (I hope my memory's not failing me). John Hartford recorded it on his album, Gumtree Canoe.
Quite a pretty tune there Joe. Man, you were busy today, busting loose with 4 nice tunes. Like a volcano breaking dormancy.
I found this ABC X:1 T:Tombigbee Waltz L:1/8 M:3/4 K:C {Bc}BA|G2 B2 B2|{B}d4 BA|G2 B2 B2|{B}d4 B2|cB A2 A2|A2 B2 d2|e4 d2| B4 {Bc}BA|G2 B2 B2|{B}d4 BA|G2 B2 B2|{B}d4 B2|cB A2 A2|A2 B2 d2|e2 d2 B2|G4:| |:d2|g4 d2|g4 d2|e3 d e2|d4 B2|cB A2 A2|A2 B2 d2|e4 d2|B4 d2|g4 d2|g4 d2| e3 d e2|d4 B2|cB A2 A2|A2 B2 d2|e2 d2 B2|G4 :|" is this somewhat like you are playing it?
No, I printed it out and played it, against yours..... similar, but yours is much better... do you have notation, ABC or TAB for it?
My apologies, Barb, as I have no notation or tab for this. Years ago I found the tune Tombigbee River in a library titled, Songs of American Rivers, or something like that. I learned what I know of the tune from John Hartford's recording. It's possible I've drifted from it. Yeah, Sore Ears, two of those tunes I needed to get down in a recorded fashion so I wouldn't forget them...the two I learned from Pat Walke...A re-enactor at the dance I played at the other night liked Gumtree Canoe and asked me about it. He only played by ear and had pretty much all of the first part down but was havin' trouble with the second part. I gave him my email and told him I'd record it and put it up on YouTube as he told me he only learns by ear. All this took place between dances. It was kinda crushed...he was playing Pennywhistle. Taught him Stonewall Jackson's Way which he picked up pretty quickly probably heard it quite a bit as he's a Confederate re-enactor. It's pretty easy...I suppose now I'll have to post that...it's in 6/8 (Quickstep or March tempo) in an A B format as opposed to AA BB. Don't know as it has any other relatives in the Celtic music or not.
Joe, you recorded this so nicely, it's easy to learn from your recording. It seems to me you are playing just one A and one B, or are the parts really short? I've almost got it...
Yeah, playing it like the song. One A and one B. It is an easy tune.
This is a great tune. Here are two versions I just uploaded (no vid, MP3 only). I got my version from James Bryan's "Lookout Blues" album, which is one of my favorites. This version's a tad different than the video posted here. Below is a fiddle version first, then a mandolin version. The tune is usually played in GDGD tuning on the fiddle, so you play the fine part and the course part the same, just on lower strings. I think it sounds better on fiddle, but a good mando tune as well. Hope these links work... Fiddle version of Tombigbee: http://www.fiddlehangout.com/myhango...p?musicid=5039 EDIT: Actually, I think this is a different tune altogether... Oh well. same title. Mandolin version played on an old cheap Kay mando: http://www.fiddlehangout.com/myhango...p?musicid=5040
Hillar Bergman has a YouTube vid of Tombigbee River/Waltz too, and it's very much like your first link, David. Very nice mandolin version and playing of this piece, David. You have a wonderful touch. I'm sure my version of the tune is heavily colored by John Hartford's recording which explains a lot of the difference in my version and yours which is probably dead on with the original composition. Here's some info on the tune from The Fiddler's Companion: TOMBIGBEE WALTZ. AKA and see "Gum Tree Canoe," "Tom Big Bee River." Old‑Time, Waltz. G Major. Standard tuning. AB (Mathiesen): AA'BB' (Phillips). The melody is named for the Tombigbee River which flows from northeastern Mississippi into the Alabama River. Tombigbee is rumored to mean ‘coffinmaker’ in one of the Native American languages. A song version, “Tom Big Bee River,” attributed to S.S. Steele, was printed in Heart Songs – Melodies of Days Gone By, published in 1909 by World Syndicate Publishing Company (Cleveland; New York), although it is much older. From the dialect employed in the lyrics, minstrel origins are indicated. S.S. Steele and A.F. Winnemore (1847) are credited with words and music in Garson’s Laura Ingles Wilder Songbook. *** On Tom-big-be River so bright I was born, In a hut made of husks ob de tall yaller corn, And dar I fust meet mid my Jula so true, An I row'd her about In my gum-tree canoe. *** Chorus: Singing row away, row, O'er the waters so blue, Like feathers we'll float in my gum-tree canoe. *** All de day in de flied de soft cotton I hoe, I tink ob my Jula an sing as I go; Oh, I catch her a bird, wid a wing ob true blue, An at night sail her 'round in my gum-tree canoe. *** There are even Australian versions of the song, printed in the early 20th century. Source for notated version: Tom Jackson via James Bryan [Matthiesen, Phillips]. Matthiesen (Waltz Book I), 1992; pg. 50. Phillips (Traditional American Fiddle Music), vol. 2, 1995; pg. 314. Copper Creek 0164, Tom Sauber, Brad Leftwich, Alice Gerard – “Been There Still” (appears as “Gum Tree Canoe”). Rounder 0175, James Bryan ‑ "Lookout Blues" (1983. Learned from Tom Jackson). Davis Unlimited, Indian Creek Delta Boys (1976. Learned from Benny Woods: "Benny says that an old girlfriend of his used to sing this 'old-fashioned waltz'.). Marimac CD, Dan Gellert. X:1 T:Tombigbee Waltz L:1/8 M:3/4 K:C {Bc}BA|G2 B2 B2|{B}d4 BA|G2 B2 B2|{B}d4 B2|cB A2 A2|A2 B2 d2|e4 d2| B4 {Bc}BA|G2 B2 B2|{B}d4 BA|G2 B2 B2|{B}d4 B2|cB A2 A2|A2 B2 d2|e2 d2 B2|G4:| |:d2|g4 d2|g4 d2|e3 d e2|d4 B2|cB A2 A2|A2 B2 d2|e4 d2|B4 d2|g4 d2|g4 d2| e3 d e2|d4 B2|cB A2 A2|A2 B2 d2|e2 d2 B2|G4 :| This looks to be where Barb got her ABC of the tune.
Cool tune Joe. I've picked it up on the tinwhistle from your playing... now all I gotta do is transpose it to the mandolin... I like doing things the long way round...
