This is a bluegrass waltz written by Chubby Wise, recorded by me as a duet of mandolin and tenor guitar. I used this transcription: http://www.cvykr.net/noty/sidewalk_fiddle.pdf 1921 Gibson Ajr mandolin Vintage Viaten tenor guitar Martin
Beautiful waltz, nicely played. I especially like the little tenor guitar solo. Thanks for the sheet music, I'm on a waltz journey, so this came in handy!
Great tune and a fine job on your version, Martin. Thanks too for the music link.
Nice waltz, good-sounding recording. I downloaded the music too.
Very enjoyable. Well done!
Thanks for the kind comments! It's a sweet tune, and pretty straightforward to play. Chubby Wise (1916-1996) was Bill Monroe's fiddler from 1942 to 1948, including the seminal 1946/47 sessions with Flatt & Scruggs, who he then joined in the early Foggy Mountain Boys. After that, he was Hank Snow's fiddler from 1954 to 1970. This waltz is from the 1961 album "Chubby Wise and the Rainbow Ranch Boys" -- an all-instrumental album for which Hank Snow effectively lent his backing band to Chubby (and also acted as producer, in his own home studio). That original studio recording is here: Link. Martin
Very nice, Martin! Thanks also for the written notation, glad it has chord-names already written into it, that keeps me from getting too carried away with guessing at chords and coming up with a bunch of weird chords (which is what usually happens when chord names aren't specified lol).
Nice duet, Martin, and thanks for the tune info and the music link
Yesterday, I recorded my version of the Sidewalk Waltz. Many folksongs are notated quite low, so I play them an octave higher. I did that without thinking with this tune, just by habit. I got aware of my mistake only, when I relistened to Martin's version. The higher version doesn't sound too bad either, and it can be played entirely in the first position. Thanks again, Martin, for bringing up such a nice tune and for the link to the sheet music.
Lovely version, crisscross.
What a nice tune this is! You sound great crisscross, a good tremolo and that fine warm sounding guitar makes a nice combination. I enjoyed this very much! Thanks for your nice recording too Martin Jonas, I almost missed this one.
Very nice, crisscross! It sounds good slightly slower than mine and an octave higher -- your tempo is closer to Chubby's original (although he plays it in my octave), but I had already learned it from the notation by the time I listened to the original and it stuck in my mind at that tempo. Chubby himself played it faster in later recordings, e.g. here. Incidentally, the reason this is called the "New Sidewalk Waltz" is that it is a reworking of the older tune "Sidewalk Waltz", a Western Swing song by cajun fiddler Harry Choates (link). Martin
Thanks a lot Frithjof, Hendrik and Martin. The guitar, that plays the chords is a romantic guitar built in Slovakia by Martin Okenica. It's a bit smaller than a modern classical guitar and has a shorter scale length, thus the warm sound...
A great version, crisscross. Lovely, controlled tremolo and a great sound and mix.
Thanks, John!
Caught the waltz bug from crisscross, and decided to have a go at this one from back in April. Played on mandolin and acoustic guitar with second mandolin track adding more backing and arpeggios. I recorded the tune in my usual way in REAPER, rendered it to mp3 and played this back while filming myself playing along to it (hence the odd lack of sync in places)!
Great arrangement and mandolin playing!
Our waltz bug is the one and only CC - and it seems everyone is loving them. Nice work all.
Great playing again, thanks John, CC and Martin. It wont be long now that I can play a waltz.
Really fine versions, gents! I'm going to have to give this a go with Mr. Mandola. All I need is some time!
Thanks for your lovely submission, John.
Excellent versions of this great Chubby tune already here for sure! Here's mine. Thanks for Listen'n!
Sounds great, Frank, I adore your relaxed two-string-tremolo!
Very nice, Frank. You really have a great feel for those old-timey/bluegrass waltzes! Martin
Just beautiful, Frank. I’ve to wait a few minutes until listening to another recording.
Great stuff, Frank. I like that octave shift a lot.
Nice…you had a productive day, Frank…
Thanks Christian, Martin, Frithjof, John, and John W.
