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
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