Simon suggested this collaboration on a jig set, based on our YT channels Mandolin sunrise and Octave Obsessions, and boy was it fun... Besides music, there is Simon's flight on Harry Potter's broomstick around the Green Fields of France, and a Film Noir rendition of our instruments. And a slight hint at Deep Purple in the intro, just couldn't resist.
Very well played Bertram, if I do say so myself! Thanks for all your work editing the audio, producing the video and chasing up your mando-partner to get his show on the road. Yes it was fun, and certainly a challenge to get up to that tempo! Holy smokes! My fast tempo playing has improved quite a lot so thanks for the motivation on that too.
This is a great collaboration - fun song and yes quite fast, good work and nice video presentation. Love it ! .
Well Simon, it seems we took each other on rollercoaster rides respectively and isn't that what playing music is all about. It's also what assembling a video is about for me - once I have all the parts in mind I can't wait to put them together in reality. Thanks Ginny for appreciating the not-so-quiet action.
Good work, gents. A driving set with driving video footage.
Great work chaps…an accomplishment on many levels…even though the not so demanding cycle ride appeared as a scary journey on the road! More please!
Thanks John&John - I am not a cyclist myself (the construction itself is scary to me for a lack of wheels), and the ride may not be demanding for cyclists, but it shares a narrow road with car drivers who cut corners and overtake without seeing what's coming... French traffic at its best.
Thanks from me too, J+J. Yep, the standards bar was set quite high on this one. Took me quite a lot of practice to get up to Bertram’s sizzling tempo. The cycling, I’ve been doing it for years and can confirm that, yes it is a scary, terrifying journey when drivers make even slight errors of judgement. When the Gendarmes arrive all loaded up and ask what exactly happened, these drivers can sometimes lose it altogether! I feel sorry for them.
Simon, re the tempo: this is about the normal session speed as I know it. And there is a secret behind playing an instrument with sustain: you don't have to play all of the notes and you can shortcut some of the runs with pull-offs, double stops and other dirty tricks. If the fiddlers do that, why shouldn't we? There is a catch, though: you have to work the tune and whittle away at it until it suits your instrument and playing style, and that takes time for preparation - you're not just a player, you're a composer.
It’s the little Keech banjolele, I love it.
Nice set that!
Man! You two really clicked on this tune! It's got feeling, energy, style, GREAT playing, and on and on. It's interesting you both look away at 00:43, some kinda intergallatic communication? And almost looked at each other at 1:19, brilliant.
Have to admit though that I’m a bit disappointed that no-one praised my sensitive yet subtle Muppet dance moves. It took me quite a while to get into character. And even longer to get back out. It’s true, Bertram did warn me: 'Simon just play the thing, whatever you do please don’t go Muppet on me!'
Two guys wearing hats play great music and one of them does some nice Muppet dancing.
A really great collaboration! I’m happy that Simon found a partner to play fast tunes with.
Thanks to Bertram, and you people, Jill, Frank, Christian and my mountain-hiking partner, Frithjof. Well my banjolele playing certainly improved a lot on this project, but now I have to be careful that as in Hollywood I don’t get type-caste as a Muppet actor. Have to record some Bluegrass or a few seriously slow minor tunes with lots of depth and atmosphere.
Ah, yes, Simon. One of my favourite television shows when my daughters were very much younger. I can just picture you and Bertram in classic Waldorf and Statler pose up in the gallery looking in and delivering your one-liners on all of us in the SAW Group, though to be fair, your comments are always very positive, unlike W and S. Now, which of you is Waldorf and which is Statler, I wonder?
John, now you did it. All the time, I've tried hard not to mention Waldorf and Statler, but it's out now. They're both inside my head, watching the world, having misanthropic fun (and I can hear them talking)
Great minds, and all that, Bertram! We are on the same track, my friend.
Stylish gents rocking on the octaves and tiny banjo with some wild cycling thrown in. Great collab!
It's not just the speed, the rhythm is so good here that dancing is an almost automatic reaction. Everything is in perfect sync.
Thanks Don and Dennis. Yes, style was on the cards when we put on our hats. One issue though was coordination between the two stars. We were getting into post-production. Bertram’s outfit was impeccable, but my costume designer hadn’t even conferred with Bertram’s beard manager.
Thanks from me, too, Don & Dennis. I guess the beard makes me Waldorf, leaving Statler for Simon, though his moves were rather Kermit. We're taking applications for Miss Piggy yet... How did we arrive at Muppets for character role models anyway? I would have preferred Winnie the Pooh (Simon would be Tigger, I would be Eeyore).
What a great idea to bring in Winnie The Pooh, Bertram. So many of Simon's videos have featured him playing in remote spots among the trees - perfect location for The Hundred Acre Wood! Now who is going to be Christopher Robin?
Excellent set, gents. I like the two tunes together, are they a common session combination @Bertram? Sounds like you’re ready for a local session, @simon. Which instruments will you take on the bike, I wonder?
Thanks bbcee, our Jamulus session group played this combination on the Jamulus Word Jam, that's when I got acquainted with it. John, there are other fiction worlds, where characters can be mapped to reality, especially when it comes to hats. In this style 10/6...
If I went to a session, I’d take all my instruments, Bruce.
Realise that I've become lazy and slothful - this performance with Bertram was a real workout!! Christmas is coming it's the season of collaboration on new and old tunes...
Cycling in a snowstorm is exactly what we need for a follow-up video, Simon
