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Thread: Norman Blake Tunes

  1. #51
    Registered User Joe Dodson's Avatar
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    Default Re: Norman Blake Tunes

    Mark, I'd really enjoy dropping in on you during one of my trips between Houston and Dallas. Love your taste in music and I know I'd enjoy picking a few with you sometime.

  2. #52
    Registered User Jim Roberts's Avatar
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    Default Re: Norman Blake Tunes

    Mike,

    A number of years ago, I think I saw you play “Bright Days” at the Kansas State Fiddling Championship in Lawrence. If I’m not mistaken, you won the mandolin championship contest that year with this tune. I play this tune from time to time and think about how lovely your picking sounded that day in the park just south of downtown Lawrence.

    Super nice pickin’ in the video, too! Thanks for sharing.

  3. #53
    Mandogenerator Mike Black's Avatar
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    Default Re: Norman Blake Tunes

    Thanks Jim, you are correct I did win that year playing Bright Days. I've always liked how that tune uses the full spectrum of low end as well as the high end. Which makes it a perfect tune for hearing how a mandolin sounds.

  4. #54
    The Amateur Mandolinist Mark Gunter's Avatar
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    Default Re: Norman Blake Tunes

    Wow Mike, awesome picking and great sounding mandolin! Thanks for sharing with us.

    Quote Originally Posted by Joe Dodson View Post
    Mark, I'd really enjoy dropping in on you during one of my trips between Houston and Dallas. Love your taste in music and I know I'd enjoy picking a few with you sometime.
    Joe, that would be awesome. Palmer is just a quick stop off 45 about 15 minutes south of the metroplex. Send me a PM a day or two ahead of time and we'll make it happen, but I'll probably move out of Palmer to parts unknown around the end of September.
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  6. #55
    Registered User lowtone2's Avatar
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    Default Re: Norman Blake Tunes

    Quote Originally Posted by Mike Black View Post
    I was recording a couple of tunes for a customer so they could hear their mandolin in the white before I put finish on it, so I figured I could kill two birds with one stone and record a couple of Norman Blake's tunes for this thread too.

    Here's Norman's Bright Days


    And here's my attempt to do Norman's Third Street Gypsy Rag.
    Hey! Quit screwing around and finish my mandolin! Wow, puts it down in the chair and it's still ringing.

    Nice playing, mandolin sounds great, and I need to learn 3rd Street Gypsy Rag.

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  8. #56
    Registered User MarkusSpiel's Avatar
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    Default Re: Norman Blake Tunes

    I learned another Blake tune. This time one of nancy‘s.


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  10. #57
    Registered User Mike Buesseler's Avatar
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    Default Re: Norman Blake Tunes

    Nicely played! And what a pretty F-2!

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  12. #58
    Registered User MarkusSpiel's Avatar
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    Default Re: Norman Blake Tunes

    Quote Originally Posted by Mike Buesseler View Post
    Nicely played! And what a pretty F-2!
    Thank you, Mike!
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  13. #59
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    Default Re: Norman Blake Tunes

    Here's Dry Grass on the High Fields on a Ratliff Mandocello over Octave and Mandola chops.

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  15. #60

    Default Re: Norman Blake Tunes

    tmsweeney: I really like your playing and arrangement of Dry Grass in the High Fields. Cool blend of instruments and creative video too. Great tune that I need to learn.
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  17. #61
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    Default Re: Norman Blake Tunes

    There are 3 version of "Dry Grass on the High Fields" that I know of

    on "The Fields of November" probably the most well know version with the fiddle taking the melody
    on "Old and New" this version has more of traditional Bluegrass sound with mandolin
    and "Live at McCabes" - this is Norman on guitar with Nancy taking the melody on Cello and what I based my version on.
    Stormy Morning Orchestra

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  18. #62
    The Amateur Mandolinist Mark Gunter's Avatar
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    Default Re: Norman Blake Tunes

    Here's an attempt at New Brick Road, I know this isn't quite right yet, but it's a start. Thanks to Mike Black for a transcription that helped a lot to get started on it.

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  20. #63
    Registered User lowtone2's Avatar
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    Default Re: Norman Blake Tunes

    Quote Originally Posted by Mark Gunter View Post
    Here's an attempt at New Brick Road, I know this isn't quite right yet, but it's a start. Thanks to Mike Black for a transcription that helped a lot to get started on it.
    Nice job! Those are some fancy fretboard markers. Who built your mandolin?

  21. #64
    The Amateur Mandolinist Mark Gunter's Avatar
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    Default Re: Norman Blake Tunes

    It’s a pac-rim from the eighties, Ibanez
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    HEY! The Cafe has Social Groups, check 'em out. I'm in these groups:
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    The Woodshed Study Group | Blues Mando
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  23. #65
    Registered User bbcee's Avatar
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    Default Re: Norman Blake Tunes

    Don & I did a version of Georgia Home for the Song of the Week social group, and I thought to post it here to pop the thread back up. I'm playing on my Rigel first time around, then Don plays that Heiden of his (as he said, the Campanella is many mandolins ago!). Great tune, and just so fun to play. Hope you enjoy.


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  25. #66
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    Default Re: Norman Blake Tunes

    real nice pickin' there fellers
    Stormy Morning Orchestra

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    "Mean Old Timer, He's got grey hair, Mean Old Timer he just don't care
    Got no compassion, thinks its a sin
    All he does is sit around an play the Mandolin"

  26. #67
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    Default Re: Norman Blake Tunes

    More guitar related, but then again Norman is known more for his 6 sting work than his 8 string creations, this is a new compilation of Norman covers by picker Bob Minner "From Sulphur Springs to Rising Fawn" with a stellar cast of supporting musicians, I haven't heard the record yet, though I intend to, but Bob is diehard Norman fan and emphasizes the traditional aspects of Norman's music.
    Stormy Morning Orchestra

    My YouTube Channel

    "Mean Old Timer, He's got grey hair, Mean Old Timer he just don't care
    Got no compassion, thinks its a sin
    All he does is sit around an play the Mandolin"

  27. #68
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    Default Re: Norman Blake Tunes

    Reviving this thread for "Third Street Gypsy Rag" on a 1925 Gibson H1 Mandola and a 1987 Flatiron Festival

    Stormy Morning Orchestra

    My YouTube Channel

    "Mean Old Timer, He's got grey hair, Mean Old Timer he just don't care
    Got no compassion, thinks its a sin
    All he does is sit around an play the Mandolin"

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  29. #69
    Registered User Mike Buesseler's Avatar
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    Default Re: Norman Blake Tunes

    I love everything about that arrangement, Tim! Really nice! (I hope your first name is Tim!)

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  31. #70
    My Florida is scooped pheffernan's Avatar
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    Default Re: Norman Blake Tunes

    Quote Originally Posted by tmsweeney View Post
    Reviving this thread for "Third Street Gypsy Rag" on a 1925 Gibson H1 Mandola and a 1987 Flatiron Festival
    Most impressive! I’d love to hear more about (and from) that mandola.
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  33. #71

    Default Re: Norman Blake Tunes

    Tim, that's a rocking version of Third St Gypsy Rag. Such a cool tune and you nailed it. Thanks for bringing back the Norman thread!
    2010 Heiden A5, 2020 Pomeroy oval A, 2013 Kentucky KM1000 F5, 2012 Girouard A Mandola w ff holes, 2001 Old Wave A oval octave
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  35. #72
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    Default Re: Norman Blake Tunes

    Thanks everyone for the kind words and encouragement, its one of my favorite tunes and is a joy to play, it has a kind of "Shostakovich" feel that is probably more of an Ostroushko thing.
    As for the mandola I acquired that from a shop in Texas a few years ago, it was fairly beat but playable when I bought it, the tuners were shot and missing a peghead, so I had a friend of mine put some golden age tuners on. Last winter the buzzing got so bad I could not correct it with it humidity or bridge adjustments so I took it down to my luthier friend Tom Dobrovitch, who showed me that entire neck was coming loose, so I let him do his magic , there was separation on the back as well. We agreed not to mess with the top and leave it in its cosmetic state. Well it turned out great with IMHO super tone.
    I only did one other video with it (post Dobrovich) and I don't take it out of the house much as it still feels a little delicate, but a charming little box to be sure.
    Stormy Morning Orchestra

    My YouTube Channel

    "Mean Old Timer, He's got grey hair, Mean Old Timer he just don't care
    Got no compassion, thinks its a sin
    All he does is sit around an play the Mandolin"

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