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Thread: Sugar Tree Stomp

  1. #1
    Gadfly Dr H's Avatar
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    Default Sugar Tree Stomp

    Anyone know if this was originally written for mandolin? It seems to fit amazingly well on the instrument, and the format is more like a guitar or banjo rag than a transcribed piano rag.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1l5PiZG1V0
    Dr H
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  2. #2
    Registered User Russ Jordan's Avatar
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    Default Re: Sugar Tree Stomp

    I think Fiddling Arthur Smith gets the credit for Sugar Tree Swamp
    Russ Jordan

  3. #3
    Gadfly Dr H's Avatar
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    Default Re: Sugar Tree Stomp

    It's a fiddle rag, then?
    Dr H
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  4. #4
    man about town Markus's Avatar
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    Default Re: Sugar Tree Stomp

    The Stephen Parker book sources his transcription to Ralph Blizzard, a fiddler. Sounds like they are playing the book's version.

  5. #5
    Registered User Pete Summers's Avatar
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    Default Re: Sugar Tree Stomp

    Oops. Late to the punch. As above, it's a Ralph Blizard tune.

  6. #6
    Mando-Accumulator Jim Garber's Avatar
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    Default Re: Sugar Tree Stomp

    I think there are two tunes with the same name. The one in that mandolin video above is from the Parker book. The other one (attached mp3) is by Fiddling Arthur Smith.
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  7. #7
    Gadfly Dr H's Avatar
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    Default Re: Sugar Tree Stomp

    Thanks, guys.
    Dr H
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  8. #8
    Registered User Strabo's Avatar
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    Default Re: Sugar Tree Stomp

    I have played this on mandolin for some time -- a great tune, key of D in Steve Parker’s book. Having now become a shadetree fiddler, I figured I’d trot out my fiddle and give it a rip. Well, that high D in bar #2 proved to be quite a challenge for a 1st position player like me. When I looked into it, I found Arthur Smith’s 1936 version in G. Same tune? Different tune?

    I have since corresponded with Sue Parker, who I believe is related to Steve who passed away several years ago. A very pleasant and helpful person. I asked her about this and she said:

    I spoke to my friends who were very close to Ralph and they said he usually played it in G. When he recorded it in 1989 on "Blizard Train" he played it in D and Steve transcribed it from that recording. Ralph attributes it to Arthur Smith. I think it's basically the same tune but Ralph jazzed it up when he played it. Kind of adding a lot of his own variations slurring notes and putting slides in. Ralph was a great performer and he liked to get the audience fired up. He also was always trying to trip up his band by playing things differently each time. So if you are learning it for yourself D is okay, but if you are playing it in a jam it would probably be in G.
    I’m not a musicologist, but this story has captured my attention. I’m gonna dig into this in G and try to figure out how Ralph got to Steve’s transcribed version in D.

    BTW, Ralph Blizard was quite a good fiddler. Tennessee boy, born in 1918, started playing as a kid.

    Strabo

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