Are You Lonesome Tonight?

  1. Martin Jonas
    Martin Jonas
    "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" was a big hit for Elvis Presley in 1960, but is much older than that, written by Roy Turk and Lou Handman in 1926.

    My arrangement for two mandolins and tenor guitar is from (CC A-SA, 4.0):

    https://musescore.com/user/1089156/scores/5461099

    Mid-Missouri M-0W mandolin (x2)
    Vintage Viaten tenor guitar



    Martin
  2. Frithjof
    Frithjof
    Nice recording,Martin. And interesting historical background.
  3. Robert Balch
    Robert Balch
    Well done Martin!
  4. John Kelly
    John Kelly
    Nice one, Martin! I have never heard this as an instrumental before, and it certainly works here.
  5. Bertram Henze
    Bertram Henze
    A very good recording Martin.
    There is a subtle contradiction somehow - hearing just the music makes me picture Elvis, sitting alone in an Italian restaurant with vino and half-eaten pizza but being comforted by some mandolin player outside in the street.
    OTOH the anonymous, empty, elegant loneliness expressed in the Edward Hopper paintings bears no hope of such an antidote (which would go with Elvis' singing because that doesn't either). Two worlds side by side.
  6. Martin Jonas
    Martin Jonas
    Many thanks, Frithjof, Robert, John and Bertram! It's an enjoyable tune to play on mandolin (as is "La Vie En Rose") -- one of those melodies that is so imprinted in the brain that the mandolin almost plays itself.

    Martin
  7. Frankdolin
    Frankdolin
    Another bump for another beautiful waltz!
  8. John Kelly
    John Kelly
    Lovely version, Frank, and I really like the absence of any tremolo throughout (but then, I am not a tremolo person; others will certainly differ here). Your Pava has enough sustain to make the tremolo redundant. Once again the backing suits the mood of the tune so well.
  9. Christian DP
    Christian DP
    The Pava really sings in your hands, Frank. Great use of vibrato and double stops to add variation-
  10. Frithjof
    Frithjof
    Outstanding!
  11. Christian DP
    Christian DP
    Thanks Martin for introducing this song and Frank for reintroducing it!
  12. John W.
    John W.
    Vive la difference…the expression being used in a broad sense.
  13. Martin Jonas
    Martin Jonas
    Great stuff, Frank and Christian. I love this song on mandolins -- we play the setting I came up with frequently with our group -- and both of you put your own inimitable style on your recordings. Frank with all his silky fills and ornamentations which fit so organically into the melody notes and Christian with a sophisticated guitar part to go with the smooth mandolin.

    Martin
  14. Frankdolin
    Frankdolin
    Beautiful interpretation!
  15. Frithjof
    Frithjof
    Good sounding recording by Christian!
  16. John Kelly
    John Kelly
    Lovely version, Christian. Fine pictures too!
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