Paris Waltz

  1. Frankdolin
    Frankdolin
    This is my cover of Fiddlin' Arthur Smith's "Paris Waltz". Thanks for the listen!
  2. OldSausage
    OldSausage
    That is just great, I love everything about it.
  3. Jairo Ramos
    Jairo Ramos
    Magnifique!
  4. Frithjof
    Frithjof
    Very enjoyable!
  5. John Kelly
    John Kelly
    Beautiful production, Frank. Your playing is first rate and the pictures add so much to the video's appeal.
  6. Simon DS
    Simon DS
    Best yet Frank, nice solid rhythm and Paris? -the city of love.
  7. Christian DP
    Christian DP
    Great video, Frank, did you learn the tune by ear? Anyway, sounds fantastic.
  8. Ginny Aitchison
    Ginny Aitchison
    Lots of really nice waltzes lately - add this to the list of excellent ones.
  9. Don Grieser
    Don Grieser
    Wonderful playing, tune, and video!
  10. Martin Jonas
    Martin Jonas
    Great recording, Frank, and many thanks for drawing our attention to this evocative old-time waltz. I've never heard of the tune or of Fiddlin' Arthur Smith before but I'm a sucker for bluegrassy waltzes so I thought I give it a go.

    Here is my interpretation of the tune, based on this transcription (which differs slightly from Smith's original):

    https://www.me.psu.edu/lamancusa/tunes/ParisWaltz.pdf

    It turned out a bit faster than yours (or Smith's, for that matter), but I quite like the feel.

    1921 Gibson Ajr mandolin
    Vintage Viaten tenor guitar


    https://youtu.be/8SNz0o7x_Ek

    Martin
  11. Frankdolin
    Frankdolin
    Thanks OS, Jairo, Frithjof, John, Simon, Christian, Ginny, Don, And Martin!!! The song was written about a place in Tennessee near where Smith grew up. But it sure does sound France Paris y. NIce version Martin. I couldn't find any recordings of this by Douglas, but Kenny Baker does a pretty nice one. Thanks again!
  12. Christian DP
    Christian DP
    Another nice waltz session by Martin! The slightly increased tempo fits the tune well.
  13. Frankdolin
    Frankdolin
    Oh and Christian, I did learn this by ear. Everything I've ever learned has been by ear. Thanks for askin'.
  14. Martin Jonas
    Martin Jonas
    Thanks, Frank and Christian.

    Frank: I've had a look, and found that there is a digitised audio tape of Wilson Douglas playing "Paris Waltz" as part of the Alice Gerrard collection at the Southern Folk Life Collection at the UNC website. Source data is: "SFC Audio Cassette 8949: AG 767: Wilson Douglas with Tom King and Ron Mulleney, recorded on 18 July 1989, in Elkins, W.Va.". Paris Waltz starts at 2:10 minutes in the clip linked below:

    https://dc.lib.unc.edu/cdm/singleite...id/50323/rec/2

    The audio quality is best described as "authentic", but it's really nice old-time fiddle playing. I see that Douglas did take the tune at much the same tempo as me, although I hadn't heard his version when I recorded mine. Also fascinating as the tape includes the dialogue between Alice Gerrard and Wilson Douglas where she asks him to confirm the name of the tune ("P-A-R-I-S, as in Paris, France?") and to play the B part again, giving that proper feel of a folklorist making field recordings. I note he didn't give any credit to Arthur Smith!

    Martin
  15. John W.
    John W.
    Another opportunity to hear the pleasure of 2 different versions.
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