Mon tunes

[JMOSS99]

Well...
I am not up on either my version or Butch's at this
moment in time. I don't really play the tune often,
it is a bit dark for what I do these days.
That said, the following might be interesting to read
to understand how I came to record the version I did
as Bill changed it when I got to Nashville.
http://www.candlewater.com/interviews/story008.html

This too might be a little interesting:
http://www.candlewater.com/interviews/story009.html

These were my memories sometime back.

Now, the version of Moonlight Waltz is what Baker played
to us in the field at 4 am back in Bean Blossom 1973 when,
I think, he had just learned it from Bill.

When I recorded that, I was very intent on capturing the tune's
feel as Baker had played it back then. This was very different
from his recording of it on album. The version I recorded in
that field that night had magic in it. It was as if it channeled the
very souls of the tragically heart broken. I have a reputation
for not being satisfied with performances and this comes from
my desire to capture what I have in my head on tape. In this
case it was the melody and feel of this 1973 field recording.
The other was getting Bob Black to play the break he use to
play on Walkin in my Sleep on my project. He kept wanting
to play in his "new style" and I was adamant about that old
melody... which I happened to have recorded back in the field
at Bean Blossom with Kenny Baker in 1975. When working
on a project that I am producing, things can get tense... and I
am not one to back away from a concept. That said, I always
make sure that the people on my recordings sound great.
I was producing the sessions on Bob's CD Banjoy at this
time also. We were in the studio for 23 days straight,
12 were for me and 11 for Bob. I supplied the band too.
That was 23 days of cold cuts and Denny's food.

Jim Moss
FWB

[Moose]

JMOSS: I am certainly impressed...,with your dedication, understanding and wealth-of-knowledge re: Mr. Monroe, recording/engineering, other "greats"- including Mr. Wakefield - and just anything Bluegrass-related. I realize "it ain't the money ; it's the....prestige." - Plese carry on ; I certainly appreciate and value your vast knowlege of the above-mentioned subject(s)- Moose.

[JMOSS99]

Thanks Moose.
Ever since I got interested in this music it seems
I have been trying to get access to information in
one form or another. #Seemed to me early on that the
folks with the information were not that willing to
share it. #Information like important recordings that
would help young players...

When it came to recording it was recording methods
and techniques. #I just had to dig and dig. #
So, I like to share as much as I can when I can.
Monroe said we could trade his live recordings with others
as long as we didn't sell them. #He believed that his
music should be shared with musicians so that more
could learn from it. #

I try to keep this off-line as much as possible these days,
hence, the time limit here.

I have been working on collecting recordings like this
since 1970. #I have over 1500 hours of shows and hope
to get them into a public library someday.

[Coy Wylie]

Is it just me or does "Julia" bear a resemblance to "Blue Moon of Kentucky." It's a very similar melody set in waltz time.

[JMOSS99]

I need to deactivate the web site shortly.
Hope you all had a chance to download it.
Now you should share it. #I suggest you try
to learn the break on On and On.
When you think you have it, go back and
listen again to the recording. #It is pretty
complex when you get into it.

Jim Moss

[Vincent]

I missed the window to download this clip- anybody willing to send it to me? On and On is a favorite break...

[evanreilly]

R.I.P. William Smith Monroe. b: 9/13/11; d: 9/9/96

[JMOSS99]

Did anyone capture the two mp3 files?
I might do this again sometime, but only if it was useful. #
I would prefer to handle this as part of an email list,
but I might run a limited link again.

Jim Moss
FWB

[Zed]

I'll sure snag anything like this you'd care to make available, Jim, and appreciate you doing it. I'm on your mailing list so using that is fine.

[glauber]

I got the files; don't have space to put them up, but could mail a CD to whoever's interested (as long as it's not too many). PM me. I would love to be in the mailing list.

[JMOSS99]

Six hour limited posting time.

[glauber]

Better start tracking this topic

[evanreilly]

Thanks again, Jim!
By any chance do you have an accurate listing of the tunes; there are some I am not sure about.
Great version of 'Smoky Mountain Schottische'.
My guess is it is Rowan on guitar, since he was in the BGB at the time Greene was.

[glauber]

Suggestion: if the tapes are mono, you could make mono MP3s and have them be half the size with the same sound quality.

[evanreilly]

And there is the enigmatic little fragment of 'Our Secret Love'.

[Zed]

Way cool... thanks again, Jim.

[JMOSS99]

Yes, you should keep an eye on this topic.
You will need to act fast and please don't
quote my links if you want me to keep this up.
That makes for more work for me on this end.

Some are mono some are stereo... #I guess
I have to get them to CD first, which for these
I had already done, then rip them. #I can see about
ripping them in mono.

As far as a list of songs goes, why don't you
folks make up the lists for each file then
make it available here or send it to me.
That would be a nice thing to do. #:-

[evanreilly]

Well, amazingly enough, after poking around I found a partial 'set list' for the Bus Tape.

Here it is; additional input/commentary/corrections gladly accepted:

Track(s) Selection
1 Lonesome Moonlight Waltz
2 Waltz melody (in G, speeds off about a half step)
3 Waltz melody (in A, ditto)
4 Roxanna Waltz
5 Kentucky Waltz
6 & 7 Smoky Mountain Schottische
8 Methodist Preacher
9 Blues (in schottische time?)
10 We Tried To Keep Our Love A Secret
11 & 12 Jenny Lynn
13 Done Gone
14 & 15 Raggedy Anne
16 Watson Blues
17 Paddy On The Turnpike
18 Wednesday Night Waltz (fragments)
19 Tune in D (with Greene, Grier, & Rowan)
20 & 21 Heel And Toe Polka
22 Chicken Reel
23 The Dead March

[evanreilly]

Okay, Jim Moss has handed out the goodies today; whom else is going to share?
And, a sincere "Thanks" for sharing that material!

[JMOSS99]

At the time of this tape, Del was on the way out
and Rowan was on the way in. #I know that somewhere
on this or an adjacent tape there is Del singing
with the band, but Peter is playing on most of it. #
You can hear it the difference.

[Zed]

Thanks for the track list, Evan. I've never heard most of this stuff so very nice to know what it is.

[glauber]

please don't
quote my links if you want me to keep this up.
That makes for more work for me on this end.

Sorry about that. Deleted.

[Spruce]

I've got "The Lee Weddin' Tune (maybe?)" for #9 on one of my Bus setlists....

[GnomeGrown]

Thanks so much for sharing!!!
Bless everyone who takes the time to tape and share such wonderful tunes!

Have you ever thought of putting this material up on BluegrassBox...there is a treasure trove of good recordings being preserved there, as well as the live music archive...

Of course, that would require the tunes be compressed in a loss-less (NON Mp3) format, which is better for archival purposes, but perhaps not as easy to share...

Thanks again, will be checkin back with this thread often I imagine

[JMOSS99]

Bart,
these recordings were not all that good to begin with.
In most cases I have tried to improve the recordings with
EQ or other things, but in some cases the recordings are
just too far down the copy chain or were poor in the first place.
In a lot of cases I have had access to the actual tape that was
made at the time, then we have something to work with.
I don't think FLAC will help with the poor copies.
Also, even less people will be able to access them as FLAC
is less popular than mp3. #How much smaller would a FLAC
be anyway? #I have it here, but it is not as easy to do and
you don't want me to have to work hard to do this. #I might
lose interest. #I agree that the mp3 recorders are awful,
but I am not sure that conversion software is as bad.

You have to consider that there was a time when musicians
were very happy to have access to rare recordings like this
in any form, a time before CDs. # Most of us would never
complain about the finer points of loss, considering we were
working with old cheap reel to reel recorders at best and
poor cassettes at worst. #We wanted to learn from what the
musicians were doing and maybe doing different at each time. #
These are not intended to replace studio recordings and
never were. #These are intended to help broaden the
understanding of the music by having the ability
to hear it in a more organic state. #The bus tapes, of which
this was one, are trash from a quality standpoint, but golden
from the point of view of being able to be there back then
when some of you were not even born yet. # To be able to
sit there with Richard as Monroe teaches you how he wants
the tunes played is to many of us priceless.

Also, I tried to access BluegrassBox and they seem to
want me to join something. #What is with that?
This is going to cost somewhere down the road of time
and at that point we will have broken Monroe's request. #
Remember, Monroe said we could trade these if we didn't
sell them.

I think I will stay with mp3 for now, however, there
are some recordings I don't feel good about posting here.
For these I would suggest that interested parties contact
me at FWB@Candlewater.com with the text "RARERECORDINGS: " in
the subject line.