Kinda surprised this one hasn’t been a TOW selection but I can’t find it in the TOC. I like the story of this tune. Supposedly during the Civil War, Gen. Garfield, later President Garfield (and even later, the assassinated President Garfield) was playing this on his fiddle. Somebody asked the name of the tune. "Blackberry Blossoms,” said the General. "No it ain't," said somebody else. Apparently even then Americans didn't take authority too seriously. "OK, so it's Garfield's Blackberry Blossoms,” Garfield replied. I learned this from a variety of sources, none of which I ever got completely right, plus a few things I threw in just to disguise the aforementioned. So call it "Romkey's Garfield's Blackberry Blossoms." Can I get a 'No it ain't" from one of y'all?
Wow!!!!
No it ain't, but you could just call it "Romkey's Blossoms". Make sure you write it down so the rest of us can learn it. We'll vote it in as SAW.
Ah, Mike. You will of course be aware that all those tunes from the Civil War period are really tunes of Scottish (and possibly Irish) origin that were brought over from my homeland and then adopted when they reached the USA. We would call it Bramble Blooms or some such Scottish title and the Irish would step in and say it was really Blackthorn Blossoms, and so the history would develop! I remember playing over in County Antrim several years ago at a folk festival in Cairncastle where we were one of the guest groups, along with others from Scotland and several from various parts of Ulster, and the compere introducing one tune, Gary Owen, as an Irish tune that was adopted by the US 7th Cavalry as their regimental march. He said something along the lines of "We're going to play a great wee Irish tune now that yer man, General Custer, stole for his 7th Cavalry". So, No it Ain't! Great picking, by the way.
I’ll vote for Romkey’s Blossoms too! Nice slides and double stops Mike.
That's some exceptional playing and improv, Mike. Love the slides going up the neck to grab the doublestops. Very cool.
Thank y'all for the encouraging words. You're right, John. The old country is where it all came from. Guess that's why I secretly prefer Irish and Old Time to flat-out bluegrass. I'm about 55 percent Irish/Scottish, according to 23 & Me, so it isn't complete cultural appropriation! The other 45 percent is German, which I think means I really like to drink, and I really like to fight -- but I'm mainly trying to behave. (I also have more than the usual amount of Neanderthal...)
very jazzy for an Irish tune, but an insufficient reason to be assassinated for (apparently, there is an increase here: late Garfield became assassinated later for his latest tune)
I kinda learned this one a long time ago and found this Ed Haley version on an old iPod and thought it was a good one to learn. I like the Eb in the second phrase and that crazy swirling lick that ends the A part. http://home.hiwaay.net/~eabaggot/EdHaley/garfield.htm https://youtu.be/9eCSD_g3ozU Played on my 2020 Pomeroy mandolin that I don't play enough.
Fine piece of picking there, Don, and a great sound from that Pomeroy.
Thanks, John.
Very catchy tune ... yes it is! & nice playing guys. Thanks for the history and the post, Mike; thanks for the sheet, Don!
