Original Bluegrass/Oldtime Tunes in "Bb"

[Hendrik Ahrend]

What about Johnny June Reel on Kenny Baker's Portrait album (1969). Is that an original?

Speaking of Kenny Baker, how about Dailey's Reel, Windy City Rag, Missouri Road, Sweet Bunch of Daisies?

[ralph johansson]

How about “Don’t Give Your Heart (to a Rambler)”
favourite of mine to play.

But that is a song, with the key being the singer's choice. Tony Rice did it in Bb but I´m sure Jimmy Martin did it in A. And Jimmie Skinner, who wrote the song, recorded it in F (at least on one occasion). By contrast, the instrumental pieces enumerated here are usually played in one single key. For instance, I've never heard Cheyenne played in any other key than Bb.

[Rob Ross]

If an original tune that slides into Bb for two measures meets your criteria, Wally Traugott's "Snowflake Breakdown" will fill the bill and truly give your guitar player conniption fits the first time you roll through the B-part. Great tune, truly interesting character who wrote it.

[nick delmore]

I wouldn't say that it does but I do like that tune a lot. This is one of my favourite versions with Sammy Bush on mandolin.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wiz_e4R0oY

What's the story on the author?

[Jim Garber]

Old time Midwest fiddlers love Bb and there are dozens of tunes in the key many of which are pretty challenging. Also East Texas Serenaders main fiddler loved the flat keys even playing a few of their tunes in Eb.

[Rob Ross]

I wouldn't say that it does but I do like that tune a lot. This is one of my favourite versions with Sammy Bush on mandolin.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wiz_e4R0oY

What's the story on the author?

Wally Traugott was one Canada’s highest paid fiddlers in the 1950’s and 1960’s, but he became disenchanted with the Canadian music scene and record companies. He moved to the US and became a recording engineer, mostly at Capitol records. His skill was highy respected, and you've probably heard his work much more than you'd ever think. From the 1970's through the 1990's he mastered albums for groups like The Beach Boys, Charlie Daniels Band, Beatles re-releases, Boston, Crosby, Stills, & Nash, The Bangles, Dr. Hook, Duran Duran, Iron Maiden, Paul McCartney and Wings, Bob Seger, The Band, Sheena Easton, Sweet, and amongst many, many more, a very un-fiddle album that I for one own, Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon."

Just like the Mandolin Cafe covers all your 8 string information needs, there are several large websites covering all things music recording and album production. I got curious about Wally last year, looked him up online, stumbled on those sites, and was quite impressed to see how many folks knew so much about him, but had no inkling he started out as a big-name fiddler.

[nick delmore]

Wally Traugott was one Canada’s highest paid fiddlers in the 1950’s and 1960’s, but he became disenchanted with the Canadian music scene and record companies. He moved to the US and became a recording engineer, mostly at Capitol records. His skill was highy respected, and you've probably heard his work much more than you'd ever think. From the 1970's through the 1990's he mastered albums for groups like The Beach Boys, Charlie Daniels Band, Beatles re-releases, Boston, Crosby, Stills, & Nash, The Bangles, Dr. Hook, Duran Duran, Iron Maiden, Paul McCartney and Wings, Bob Seger, The Band, Sheena Easton, Sweet, and amongst many, many more, a very un-fiddle album that I for one own, Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon."

Just like the Mandolin Cafe covers all your 8 string information needs, there are several large websites covering all things music recording and album production. I got curious about Wally last year, looked him up online, stumbled on those sites, and was quite impressed to see how many folks knew so much about him, but had no inkling he started out as a big-name fiddler.

That's wild. I knew him as a fiddler but none of the rest of it.