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Thread: Ashland breakdown

  1. #1
    Registered User Jonathan Peck's Avatar
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    Anyone else play this song? I have to admit that when I first started working on it I thought it was a little cheesey. I was going to bag it and move on to another tune, but the melody keeps haunting me. I can't get it out of my head. I'm just curious if this song gets any play at your local jams, or if it doesn't, should it?
    And now for today's weather....sunny, with a chance of legs

    "Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe." - Abraham Lincoln

  2. #2
    Registered User Perry's Avatar
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    Great tune; cool little Am chord change.

    Check out the Compton/long Stomp CD for a nice version.
    As far as I can tell it's not very popular in jam sessions.
    Yes it should get some more play; after all how many songs in the key of C get played often in jam sessions?

    I think Skip Gorman does a version too or am I thinking of "The Old Mountaineer"?

  3. #3
    Registered User evanreilly's Avatar
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    Ahhh...
    A Tune near and dear to me...
    And to my buddy Tom Isenhour.
    Ashland Breakdown

  4. #4
    two t's and one hyphen fatt-dad's Avatar
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    Is this tune related to THE CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE? 'Cause I've had a few breakdowns in Ashland. . . .

    fatt working-in-the-center-of-the-universe-every-day dad
    ˇpapá gordo ain’t no madre flaca!

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  5. #5
    Registered User evanreilly's Avatar
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    Actually, Bill wrote the tune and named it after Ashland, Kentucky.

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by (evanreilly @ May 10 2007, 10:08)
    Actually, Bill wrote the tune and named it after Ashland, Kentucky.
    I believe he ran a festival there.

  7. #7
    Registered User f5loar's Avatar
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    No, it's not your typical jam tune but that's whats so nice about it. You start into it and soon the weak drop out and the strong shall stand proud. Not a tune Monroe did live too often. Kenny Baker plays Monroe CD version is real smooth.
    Monroe only does 2 parts to the song which seems to confuse mandolin pickers. To stand out like a pro you must do all three parts.

  8. #8
    Registered User David M.'s Avatar
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    Yeah, it's a good one to play. Fun.

    If I remember right, there's one that Art Stamper plays (on his Piney Woods, I think) called Louisville Breakdown, that's awful similar. Wonder which came first?
    David Mehaffey
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  9. #9
    Registered User Jonathan Peck's Avatar
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    Thanks, I've been working out Kenny Baker's break from the Kenny Plays Bill album.

    Hmmm, maybe while I'm on to three part tunes in the key of 'C' I'll take a whack at Back up and Push next
    And now for today's weather....sunny, with a chance of legs

    "Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe." - Abraham Lincoln

  10. #10
    Registered User adgefan's Avatar
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    Really nice tune that I finally got to play it in a session a couple of weeks back - give it a few months and it'll be a jam standard!

  11. #11
    Registered User evanreilly's Avatar
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    'Louisville Breakdown' is a great number also. Rarely played, rarely recorded.
    One of my personal favorite Monroe tunes.




  12. #12
    Registered User Pete Martin's Avatar
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    Big yes on both Ashland and Louisville. Wish more folks up here played them.
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  13. #13
    Registered User cooper4205's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by (evanreilly @ May 11 2007, 21:54)
    'Louisville Breakdown' is a great number also. Rarely played, rarely recorded.
    One of my personal favorite Monroe tunes.
    great one, never heard it until i got the Bear family set. the Long Bow is another good one i'd like to try and tackle
    Wes
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  14. #14
    Kelley Mandolins Skip Kelley's Avatar
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    It's one of my favorites! It is usually the first tune I play when I pick up the mandolin to get warmed up.

  15. #15
    Mark Jones Flowerpot's Avatar
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    I love that tune. If you play all three parts, you win the respect of the fiddle tune afficianatos. I think it's on one of Rob Ickes' solo albums, Steffey has a nice lead-in on the melody to kick off the tune, but the original Kenny Baker recording is my favorite. I like to pull that one out in the jams, like you say it separates the wheat from the chaff.

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