This week's winner is Down Yonder, which was submitted as a bluegrass tune. This is what Wikipedia has to say "Down Yonder" is a popular song with words and music by L. Wolfe Gilbert. It was first published in 1921. Gilbert had written the lyrics for the 1912 song "Waiting for the Robert E. Lee" (for which Lewis F. Muir wrote the music). In "Down Yonder," Gilbert brought back four of the characters from the earlier song—Daddy, Mammy, Ephram and Sammy. However, the lyrics of "Down Yonder" are relatively obscure because the song has usually been performed as an instrumental. Here's a link to some standard notation
Another tune that I don't know but that is fairly easy to pick up from the sheet music and the recordings and that's fun to play. Quite a range of speeds in the recorded versions, presumably because it started as a song and can be played at the original speed or at more usual fiddle tune speed. I've been using a slightly different transcription from the one posted by Barbara, from: http://calfolk.ca/tunes1/down-yonder.pdf Pretty straightforward recording: twice through at the speed given on the score (115 bpm), with boom-chick tenor guitar backing. 1921 Gibson Ajr mandolin (same year as the song!) Ozark tenor guitar <Edit: updated faster recording added in new posting below> Martin
Good intro to this tune, Martin. Here is my effort. I have played this on the fiddle for a while, but have refrained from adding that instrument ...
Lovely renditions by Martin and Manfred. Here's a pretty straight-ahead version, with a bit of accompaniment: Bob Michel Near Philly
On listening back again to what I uploaded on Saturday, and also listening to Bob's and Manfred's versions with their faster groove, I have decided that my tempo was too dreary. Here is a new recording done tonight -- same instrumentation, same arrangement, but taken at 140bpm rather than 115bpm. Much more lively this way, and more fluent playing as well. Martin
Really nice playing. Martin, the updated one is definitely more lively. Bob, you have some great variations there and a nice backup group too. Manfred, nice picking, you're the king of double stops. Here's my go with mandolin, guitar and fiddle. The tune rolls nicely off the mandolin but is a lot more evil on the fiddle so I kept the fiddling to a minimum to reduce your anguish. It seems more effective for me to post videos than straight audio files so I put together a video for you. It has been an unusually warm winter and Spring is early. My bees are already out collecting pollen so you can watch my bees bring pollen home.
I originally put this online for the folks in my local jam who had never heard Down Yonder with lyrics and thought y'all might find it interesting. It's just the audio and it comes from an old Red Foley record. https://www.dropbox.com/s/vm1m2cx2mm...Foley.mp3?dl=0
David - very cool, I don't recall ever hearing it with lyrics.
Bruce (bbcee) and I got together for another transcontinental collaboration. Bruce provided the mandola track and some footage from his kitchen terrace in Spain. I'm playing my Heiden mandolin and providing some footage from around my place in New Mexico. I did some Monroe-influenced improv and finally got to use a Frank Wakefield lick I learned a long time ago. The bass player is iRealPro. Didn't seem like Down Yonder had a lot of action so Bruce picked this one out for us to work on. Maybe we'll see some more participation? How does it go, Bruce? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyuMNtk_alU
And a one, two, three ... I wanted to continue our tune collaboration with one, which has such an appealing, light-hearted feel. Don really captured that in the melodies, along with playing the stuffing out of it! We would have gotten it posted a while ago, but my darn job keeps getting in the way of the important things. Thanks Don for another enjoyable get-together!
When the collaborations are made by two such talented musicians, it only remains to listen and enjoy!
Thanks for that, Jairo! Hope you’ll turn your hand to doing a version, I always look forward to your videos.
Your recording sounds as if played by a duo that performes together for decades.
That's a great version of a really upbeat ragtime tune, Bruce and Don. Lovely pace and such close interplay between the two of you.
You two play really well together!
Such a great tune, well played, thanks Gents! I’ve been playing the riffs of this tune as circle of fourths exercises all day!!
Thanks for all the comments. It's a fun tune to play, and I look forward to hearing some more versions of it.
Like everyone else who has commented, I admire how well you play together. The recording sounds tightly arranged and relaxed at the same time.
Somehow I missed this tune the first time around. Good versions all. Don's and bbcee's version has a nice fun toe-tappin' vibe.
