When I read Martin's Back to live playing! and the song list for the first rehearsal after a long Covid-break, I noticed that, thanks to SAW, I know most of the songs. An exception was Leona Tuttle.That's a song by Larry Unger, composed for the 90th birthday of his Grandma. I searched the title in Youtube and found Martin's quartett recording of this tune: I liked that so much, that I also wanted to record it. The link under Martin's video doesn't work anymore, but I found the sheet music and ABC here: https://natunelist.net/leona-tuttle/
Thanks Christian -- I hadn't realised that this tune wasn't on SAW yet. Lovely waltz, and I like your slower setting. Larry's own PDF from his website is still archived at the Wayback Machine: https://web.archive.org/web/20080821...unes/leona.pdf Remarkably, Larry's grandmother Leona Tuttle (1896-2008) lived for another 21 years after her 90th birthday celebrations, to the ripe age of 111 years! Larry kindly posted a message on my Youtube video, gently correcting her year of death to 2008 (I had posted 2007). Martin
Thanks for posting this one, Christian. It is a new tune to me and one I really enjoyed listening to in both versions. Might just have a go at it now!
A beautiful piece and beautifully played.
Really pretty Christian, thanks for bringing this up! And thanks to Martin for inspiring you. And I agree with John about a learn here !
My thanks to Christian for making me aware of this tune. Here is my version, with added harmony part I wrote, played on octave, mandolin and guitar. Photos taken this morning after the heaviest of the downpours had passed for a while. Leona must have been such an amazing lady, living from 1896 until 2007!
You work quite fast, John, but the quality doesn't suffer Yesterday you heard the tune for the first time and today, you post a beautiful version with a harmony part, played at your usual standard.
Very nice, John! Quick work, and very tastefully done. I have taken the opportunity to update my old 2015 recording that Christian has posted. Less tremolo this time, and and although I didn't make a deliberate choice as to tempo it turned out a bit faster as well. Same arrangement by Evelyn, which we also play with our group, but the second mandolin harmony comes in only on the repeat. Mid-Missouri M-0W mandolin (x2) Suzuki MC-815 mandocello Vintage Viaten tenor guitar Martin
Such a lovely waltz! I like all your recordings, Martin, Christian and John. Thanks for the link to the pdf. It’s fun to play along with your recordings.
Thanks, Christian, Martin and Frithjof. Martin, I cannot decide between your two versions, but am probably leaning towards your latest one here as I am not a great fan of tremolo. I hope we might hear some other versions of this waltz now. Maybe a David Hansen version?
Boy John, can you interpret a tune! Beautiful renditions by all! John, you cut me; A mandolin with out tremolo, is like a rose without smell.
Nothing personal, Frank, and remember that, as Shakespeare's Juliet said, "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet". Tremolo has its place among all the other mandolin techniques - probably even in original blues compositions (?) Thanks for your kind comment too.
Great recording Martin. Although I'm a big fan of a well executed tremolo, I prefer less tremolo in such simple pieces.
Just a little fun with John, not the first if memory serves me. I've written several tremolo starved songs. I think a mandolin note left on its own is misunderstood in not having enough sustain, when all you have to do is be quite and listen.
John's recordings are a masterclass in timing. This one is no exception. The other versions sound good, too. I think Larry Unger would be pleased.
Tastefully played, everyone. Aaaah, the tremolo debate, the rubato debate, the metronome debate, the mazurka-what-is-it debate, the waltz refrainers’ debate, the strapless debate, the F style shy debate, the TAB resenters debate, the banjo/sexuality debate, the Classical position debate, The Tradition debate, the Imports debate, the bowlback-isn’t-a-real-mandolin debate, the copyright debate, the adverts debate, the antique restoring debate, the Bluegrass debate, the oval sound hole debate, the capo debate, the finger planting debate, The Gibson debate, the click track debate, the accompaniment/layering debate, the versions debate, the exotic timber debate, the fingering parallel on octaves debate, the magnetic/acoustic pickup debate, the ear learning debate, bodhrans... Here’s something to work on for our next debate.
