Week #470 ~ The Old Grey Cat (Old Gray Cat)

This week's winner is The Old Grey/Gray Cat, which I find listed as a Scottish Reel. I've also seen it referred to as a hornpipe, so take your pick!

Here's a link to 3 settings of this tune on thesession.org

Here's another on abctunesearch

Oh look, I found a video that said it was made for mandolin cafe's song a week, so I guess I'd better go find it here! Well, I didn't have any luck finding it here, but I did find that we've had a different tune called Grey Cat on a Tennessee farm!

Barbara wrote: "... I found a video that said it was made for mandolin cafe's song a week, so I guess I'd better go find it here! Well, I didn't have any luck finding it here, ..."

February 2015 Song-A-Week 305 The Old Grey Cat.

For some mysterious reason, I could *not* find that page via my usual technique of opening a new tab and going to Google and making a site-specific search:

"old grey cat", site:mandolincafe.com

Usually that works, but sometimes it doesn't. At the time of this writing, Google seems unaware that the page exists. I have no clue why.

However, in those search results I did see a mention of Song-A-Week in a different thread on the main forum, complete with a clicky link, that's how I finally found the 2015 Song-A-Week #305 page.

This tune is played often at the Philadelphia Thursday night contra dance. It reminds me of an Em version of "Cold Frosty Morning," especially the B-part at the end.

Isn't that weird! I did search this title using the cafe's advanced search function, and The Old Grey Cat (as week # 305) doesn't appear! Like you, it took me going to the table of contents page for official tunes, and just searching that page with my computer's 'find' option.

So, sorry about that, but it's not the first (or probably the last) time that a tune has appeared twice as Tune of the Week!

As I voted for it and so far no one has posted a current video, I thought I had better have a go at playing it!

Played on mandolin and guitar, both my own builds.

Hi John, I like your performances.
Your playing is so calm and steady-going that I could think it’s in a low tempo – but only until I tried to play along with you. Setting the YouTube speed on 75 % is okay with me but then your clean picking and the great tone of your instruments disappears.

Inspired by Johns' version above, I found the notation for Old Grey Cat this morning and this is my own unique version. A couple of off moments - but hey, it's live music!



and in case the embed doesn't work here's the link https://youtu.be/nhwXJHnwaEY

Here is your video embedded, Gareth. The one you posted came up with the Error message again. When you post, go to the Advanced option then use the YouTube icon and paste in the video url, using only the part at the end - in your case it is nhwXJHnwaEY.

Hope this helps.

Thanks - I thought that was what I did use! I've had trouble recently trying to see videos on my laptop using Safari - but this was on my main iMac. Deep down I think there are a few bits of the Groups infrastructure that is slightly broken (search for instance) - and Youtube is part of that eg. the videos get embedded in 4:3 rather than 16:9.
But I can see the video in both posts!

At least this distracts from the performance....!

What a great tune! I sure enjoyed listening to all versions.

John, you built that beautiful instrument? So much for looking to buy that very make and model! (But can you recommend one that might come close, for, say, $2000 - $3000?)

Gareth, you've inspired me to consider recording and posting without a backing track. Thanks for that.

@sherry, John is a builder - he can undoubtedly build you this one, or one to your exact specifications. And why not combine it with a trip to Scotland to go pick it up?

Sherry and bbcee, thanks for kind comments re my mandolin. I am very much a hobby builder, Sherry, and the furthest any of my instruments have travelled is across the narrow divide between my base in the West of Scotland and Northern Ireland, and the clients both came over here to collect the instruments personally. I do believe that an octave has been taken to Canada when its Scottish owner sold it on to a friend who was over on holiday here, but this was a one-off event. Other instruments have gone to players who have heard or seen one locally and have then contacted me. I was lucky enough to be able to attend on a part-time basis the excellent Stringed Instruments course at Anniesland College in Glasgow when I retired from being a teacher of English back in 2003 and this is what launched me on my building career.

I would not be happy sending an instrument so far away that I could offer no back-up service to the owner, and now there is also the added paperwork involved in anything that might have exotic or CITIES-listed materials used in construction.

John That does sound nice, its a nice looking mandolin too !

John, sorry for unintentionally upselling you! I honestly thought your current career was as a luthier. Well, I didn't lie when I said you were a builder, at least ...

No problem, John. I'm determined to wait 2 years to upgrade anyway. I've decided, though, those oval holes look really cool, and that may be where I'm headed. I've never played one, so who knows?

As it turns out, I'll be traveling to Scotland (and Ireland) in August, so I could have stopped by. (Just kidding!)

bbcee said "John, sorry for unintentionally upselling you! I honestly thought your current career was as a luthier. Well, I didn't lie when I said you were a builder, at least ..." . No problem, and you have actually given my ego quite a boost with your comment!

Sherry, if you are coming across you will be assured of a great welcome in both countries, and you'll find good music here too.

So many nice videos to follow – week #305 included.
I also tried some accompaniment on my bouzouki. It was fun to learn from your playing, James. That needs a lot more practice before I’m able to make a decent recording with the bouzouki. So you get my mandolin solo as usual.



I found a male cat of my neighbors handy for some pics. It was lazy in the sun and I can assure you it wasn’t harmed with my music.

Nice playing, Frithjof! Looking forward to the bouzouki when it's ready.

Gelsenbury wrote: “Looking forward to the bouzouki when it's ready.”
I’m too.
And thanks for the comment.