Melodeon.net Forums
Discussions => Tune of the Month => Topic started by: Clive Williams on March 01, 2015, 11:28:53 AM
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A simple, yet very broad theme this month, that you can interpret anyway you like; do something that you wouldn't normally do. That could be anything from (and not limited to) playing in a key you haven't really tried before (I still can't really do Dm on a D/G for example), singing, writing a tune, playing a type of music or style you don't normally play, crossing rows for the first time... or even, if you've never done it before, recording your first TOTM/ThOTM video or soundcloud file!
You don't have to be too wacky (though of course you can)... just enter into the spirit and choose something that stretches you a little beyond what you'd normally do, and that would be good.
Good luck!
Clive
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You asked for it.....
http://youtu.be/Xnq1AwnfV6o
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That's wonderful Pikey, ha ha ha! but you have a cowboy on your left shoulder - shouldn't it be a parrot?
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(:)
http://youtu.be/LUWECn4rbVo
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(:)
http://youtu.be/LUWECn4rbVo
That's your best yet :D
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Haha - trouble is Pikey, these are exactly the sort of things we'd expect from you! ;D ;)
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Haha - trouble is Pikey, these are exactly the sort of things we'd expect from you! ;D ;)
Agreed ::). Must try harder Pikey.
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Delilah backwards ?
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(:)
http://youtu.be/LUWECn4rbVo
Admirably succinct.
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(:)
http://youtu.be/LUWECn4rbVo
funny!! but I thought we were going to get a smile ;) (:)
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Like this ??
http://youtu.be/tQSVvzqkC_c
>:E
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Can you send this escapee back to the Startrek thread Clive ?? ;)
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Like this ??
http://youtu.be/tQSVvzqkC_c
>:E
I think I am going to have nightmares about that one Pikey ;)
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mental health act 1959 (lunacy)/1983/2007. (all melodeon players take note)
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mental health act 1959 (lunacy)/1983/2007. (all melodeon players take note)
Oh dear I was born in '59 :o
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Like this ??
http://youtu.be/tQSVvzqkC_c
>:E
Hahaha! Love the shoulder-hunch action. Chaplin-esque.
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(:)
It's someone else's turn now ;)
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I set out to write an An Dro (or Hanter Dro, I hadn't decided) earlier today as a departure from only ever inventing waltzes, and managed to miss spectacularly and (unexpectedly!) end up with a tune that reminded me of steam locomotives ::)
I've spent the whole evening recording it, to the point where I actually spent 5 minutes failing to play even the first bar due to my fingers failing to co-operate after playing it too much.
https://soundcloud.com/robotmay/stoke-bank
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Nice job.
What box did you use on it?
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Thanks! It's on my Castagnari Lilium in D/G, with the low treble voice, low bass, and thirds out (:)
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Glad I asked, as I would not have expected all the nice click clacks from that box. It fits nicely.
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Aye it can be a strangely clacky box when I play certain types of tunes. Not sure if it's just my technique or if it's amplified a bit by it having a metal fondo/palletboard/soundboard (never sure which is the best term) and not being an especially loud box ;D
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Q" I would not have expected all the nice click clacks from that box. It fits nicely."
And partly representative of the slop in Mallard's vitals after the record, I heard a recording of Joe Duddington talking about the damage resulting from the run some years after he had retired (My grandfather was with the GE/LNE/BR and knew Joe) which was not quite the 'party line' description recorded on the day!
A grand job and a nice tune but it needs more in the tortured groaning dry joints and clunking metal registers, I fear you will have to re record on a suitably abused Hohner for the downhill part...........
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Some tunes we call out, "play spotted pony".Others we introduce, "here's Robert May's Stoke Bank".Thanks for a great tune.
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Q" I would not have expected all the nice click clacks from that box. It fits nicely."
And partly representative of the slop in Mallard's vitals after the record, I heard a recording of Joe Duddington talking about the damage resulting from the run some years after he had retired (My grandfather was with the GE/LNE/BR and knew Joe) which was not quite the 'party line' description recorded on the day!
A grand job and a nice tune but it needs more in the tortured groaning dry joints and clunking metal registers, I fear you will have to re record on a suitably abused Hohner for the downhill part...........
Haha, I have been trying to play it on my 1940s/50s Maugein but I coincidentally keep running out of steam due to its wheezy air button ;D
My grandfather was also in the rail industry around the same time as Mallard, although I suspect he was mostly conducting local trains in London or GWR. I never knew him, unfortunately, as he died young; if nothing else we would have had a lot of train stuff to talk about!
Some tunes we call out, "play spotted pony".Others we introduce, "here's Robert May's Stoke Bank".Thanks for a great tune.
Thanks Todd! It's a pretty fun one to play too; messing about in that octave of E minor is quite comfortable and it's how I've written two tunes recently :D
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Aye it can be a strangely clacky box when I play certain types of tunes. Not sure if it's just my technique or if it's amplified a bit by it having a metal fondo/palletboard/soundboard (never sure which is the best term) and not being an especially loud box ;D
My Lilium also has a somewhat noisy return action caused by the pallet slapping against the fondo thingy once the button has been released. I've sometimes wondered about replacing the pallet facing for some thicker/softer stuff, but on inspection it always looks pretty good. Perhaps the spring tension could be reduced?
The pallet slap noise is only really noticeable in a close-mic situation. Move the mic further away and the noise becomes a lot less. I used to use AKG 416 clip-ons with this box but not any longer. I use stand-mounted C1000s instead.
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Ah good to know it's not just my technique! ;D
I find it easier to control the pallet return on boxes with longer key travel, but the Lilium's is comparatively short (especially compared to the Maugein which has huge key travel and is oddly comfortable to play on!) so perhaps that combined with strong springs makes it a bit harder to keep quiet.
I recorded this on a desktop mic I use for videogame chatting sat a couple of feet away and it seems to love picking up on percussive sounds for some reason. Thanks for the note on the microphones Steve; I'll probably get around to picking some up this year and that's definitely something to consider that I hadn't previously thought about.
I haven't looked inside any other Castagnari models in person; do any of their other high-end boxes have metal fondos? I would have thought the Handry does but I haven't heard the same pallet noise from those, though I have only played one very briefly.
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All boxes have some pallet sound if you listen carefully enough.
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I don't know whether this qualifies, it does have a melodeon in it.
http://youtu.be/4AoKQBA_i4I
The house was quiet so...........
All the best
Bill
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUoVBqr1N90&list=PLA2D5CC2ED3B76169
Just one part will do.
John >:E
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I don't know whether this qualifies, it does have a melodeon in it.
http://youtu.be/4AoKQBA_i4I
The house was quiet so...........
All the best
Bill
Bravo Bill! Very nice.
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Well this sort of thing normally would not be shared (and probably should remain that way), but here it is anyway. Often before practising, I noodle around a bit to loosen up the fingers. I happened to have the record pressed as I was hoping to get a decent recording of Sous le Ciel de Paris. It didn't happen but this did, stream of consciousness, not well conceived, just me after having been too weak with flu for the past 8days to even lift a melodeon. It was late at night after work, thus the "title."
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=TrL246ioEj0
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Anyone ready for melodeon karaoke? :o
It turns out Spotify is laden with backing tracks, some great, some not, for people who want to play flute/clarinet against well known pieces. They come with an example with the melody played, and another with the melody missing, ready for you to fill in the 'music minus one' bit. Most of the tracks are of course, 80's pop hits and worse, but there are some gems in there, including this... Astor Piazzolla's Oblivion, one of my favourite bits of music .... ever. I have tried, but got nowhere near playing it on the melodeon before, and I'm not terribly good at it on the piano, but when you add a backing track like this, and drop the basses, that's a different party. Had a lot of fun learning and recording this...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wge5r3fBi9c
Cheers,
Clive
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Now then Clive, that is really very good. Also one of my fave tunes, ever.
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Like this ??
http://youtu.be/tQSVvzqkC_c
>:E
Pikey, methinks you are getting to look more like Mark Gatiss by the hour. >:E
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[/quote]
Pikey, methinks you are getting to look more like Mark Gatiss by the hour. >:E
[/quote]
Seconded, having had another look. Uncanny. Also loved the pirate look, not sure which vid it was on.
M (:)
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Well this sort of thing normally would not be shared (and probably should remain that way), but here it is anyway. Often before practising, I noodle around a bit to loosen up the fingers. I happened to have the record pressed as I was hoping to get a decent recording of Sous le Ciel de Paris. It didn't happen but this did, stream of consciousness, not well conceived, just me after having been too weak with flu for the past 8days to even lift a melodeon. It was late at night after work, thus the "title."
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=TrL246ioEj0
This is actually quite nice, thanks for sharing. It sounds very musical, and lovely basses. You speed up a bit - but hey: 3am! By the way, how is it possible for you to play at that time? Wife, marriage, child, neighbours, ...?
I hope your are feeling well again.
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Anyone ready for melodeon karaoke? :o
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wge5r3fBi9c (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wge5r3fBi9c)
What a good idea! I love Piazzolla, too.
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Wow Clive 3 am. Great job (:)
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Thanks TomBom. It's a bit raw but I feel like there's a tune in their somewhere waiting to be worked out. Things like NOT speeding up are exactly why I do these warmups. It really is an embarassing problem to have seeing as I spent 25 years playing the drums. :-\
3am is no issue with the wife and little one. Old house means old and thick walls. They can barely hear a thing! Nearest neighbors are a half mile away. I am lucky in at least so far as that is concerned.
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Hopefully something unexpected in here! Maybe if I played the basses or played well, that would be.
http://youtu.be/KAKgMcoRpn4
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Anyone ready for melodeon karaoke? :o
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wge5r3fBi9c
What a good idea! I love Piazzolo, too.
Piazolla is reaaaally nice to play in melodeon. Calm and thrilling. :||:
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Clive,
I really really liked that!
It was beautiful, emotional, perfectly executed, and moving.
Tango, and the music of Astor Piazzolla are things to be explored on melodeon.
I still think Libertango could theoretically be done solo on a melodeon. If it is me who will prove it one day, it will be many, many years from now.
Great, and definately "unexpected!"
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Apart from the odd Cajun tune, it occurs to me that I seldom play any music from the U.S.A. on the melodeon. So I decided to make that my foray into the Unexpected this month.
http://youtu.be/r9nMx2F0gT0
"Arkansas Travel(l)er" was an obvious choice, given that it's known to be of American origin (written by Colonel "Sandy" Faulkner), and that it was an also-ran in the polling for this month's Tune. I pair it here with "The Eighth of January" (a.k.a. "Jackson's Victory," a.k.a. "the Battle of New Orleans"), another (apparently) homegrown tune. (Come to think of it, the bicentennial of that renowned if utterly pointless dust-up just slipped quietly by.)
And just in case this pairing of instrument and repertoire doesn't seem particularly unusual, I added a backing track on fiddle, an instrument I've very rarely been heard to play in public. It doesn't get much more Unexpected than that.
Bob Michel
Near Philly
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Funny I was just dubbing around with the Arkansas traveler today.
Good job!
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Nothing crazy here but this unexpected for me.
https://youtu.be/QJE8zIrNFiA
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Hopefully something unexpected in here! Maybe if I played the basses or played well, that would be.
http://youtu.be/KAKgMcoRpn4
Fun! Also I really like your voice.
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Rainy day doodling. This came about when a Joe public asked was the instrument I was playing a concertina? I said it was a mouth organ in a box.
https://soundcloud.com/cysgod/moothieinabox
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Hopefully something unexpected in here! Maybe if I played the basses or played well, that would be.
http://youtu.be/KAKgMcoRpn4
Fun! Also I really like your voice.
Thanks!
funny when one hears their own voice it never sounds good and I don't do much singing, so your words are encouraging.
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This is a recording of "New Land" played in the "Unexpected" keys of E major on a BE Hohner that has just been through a rebuild.
https://soundcloud.com/theboxplace/new-land-e
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Inspired by the idea of doing something unexpected, I decided to throw away my sheet music! Not quite but, I decided that now was the time to play a tune by heart.
All my life, I have played classical music and always used sheet music, of course. I have been teaching myself the melodeon now, for just less than 3 years, always with the sheet music. Then, I had the idea that reading the music was actually holding me back. And I found that it was.
This is the very first time that I have played a tune by heart and I feel a huge sense of freedom! Also, I found that I could play the thing faster than when I am reading the music. Strange but I loved learning it and I loved playing it. The way to go, I think!
Here it is, a beautiful French piece called La Mal Aimable https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5rQUYaYEgA
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Arty? The chains have gone! Just like Houdini. Excellent stuff.
Not to denigrate those who play from sheet music. But the melodeon just cries out for ear playing. :D
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a beautiful French piece called La Mal Aimable https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5rQUYaYEgA
Beautifully played ... it is a lovely piece, one of my favourites.
Thank you
Roger
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Arty? The chains have gone! Just like Houdini. Excellent stuff.
Not to denigrate those who play from sheet music. But the melodeon just cries out for ear playing. :D
a beautiful French piece called La Mal Aimable https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5rQUYaYEgA
Beautifully played ... it is a lovely piece, one of my
Thank you
Roger
Thank you both for the encouragement! "Playing by ear" always makes me smile Nick, "playing by heart" seems to me, what we should all be trying to do, whether we read music or not.
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This is a recording of "New Land" played in the "Unexpected" keys of E major on a BE Hohner that has just been through a rebuild.
https://soundcloud.com/theboxplace/new-land-e
That instantly takes on a fairly Scandinavian feel to me; sounds great ;D
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A couple of songs (http://forum.melodeon.net/index.php/topic,16417.msg203829.html#msg203829), MacCall's Champion at keepin them rollin, and Seven Gypsies
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Here's my version of Osibisa's Woyaya accompanied on my Saltarelle Pastourelle III. 'Fraid the key of G proved a bit high for my voice, hence the rather tortured face (!) but I decided to give it a go anyway.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyO-aOeHzeA
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Here's my version of Osibisa's Woyaya accompanied on my Saltarelle Pastourelle III. 'Fraid the key of G proved a bit high for my voice, hence the rather tortured face (!) but I decided to give it a go anyway.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyO-aOeHzeA
Fantastic! Loved it (:)
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Thank you, Arty and well done you too for setiing sail into no-dots land!
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Something unexpected.....
I've never managed to play Sportsmans Hornpipe in a session. The B part in particular has me beaten.
This TOTM inspired me to have another go, so here it is, warts and all.
http://youtu.be/vXcCnQr8UG8
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Slightly cheeky, but here is my homage to Bellowhead, a band that I do not like very much......
http://youtu.be/myi6SNTCIQk
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Slightly cheeky, but here is my homage to Bellowhead, a band that I do not like very much......
http://youtu.be/myi6SNTCIQk
Pikey, the theme is do something unexpected not do something completely predictable.... ::)
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;). If you can tell what tune it is, then I failed ......
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Slightly cheeky, but here is my homage to Bellowhead, a band that I do not like very much......
http://youtu.be/myi6SNTCIQk
Pikey, the theme is do something unexpected not do something completely predictable.... ::)
Hmmm... now that's an idea for a theme! >:E
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Pikey, the theme is do something unexpected not do something completely predictable.... ::)
Hmmm... now that's an idea for a theme! >:E
Nope, 'cos that'll only encourage him to do bloody 'Delilah' AGAIN >:E
P.S. Pikey, I might have a spare ticket for the BH gig in Guildford next month if you fancy it? ::)
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Slightly cheeky, but here is my homage to Bellowhead, a band that I do not like very much......
http://youtu.be/myi6SNTCIQk
Gordon Bennett! That's amazing.
:o
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;)
Helena, I'm having my hair done that night, plus I'll have a headache, and I've got to watch some paint drying.......and there's a man with a dog that I need to see......
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Slightly cheeky, but here is my homage to Bellowhead, a band that I do not like very much......
http://youtu.be/myi6SNTCIQk
:-P
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No offence meant (:)
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None taken ... and that's obviously Jack Robinson ... as I play it exactly note for note.
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Lol !! ;)
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How's this for unexpected.... An experiment with my Hohner Corona || - G | C | F
I seem to have gone TexMex
https://soundcloud.com/alan_morley/we-danced-all-night (https://soundcloud.com/alan_morley/we-danced-all-night)
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I can smell the chili ;)
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I wanted to play a pas de deux, but a dog's run off with me truss. :'(
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Slightly cheeky, but here is my homage to Bellowhead, a band that I do not like very much......
http://youtu.be/myi6SNTCIQk
Maybe it's to do with the sound level or something, but has that Dino been fitted with air horns?
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It's the way I play it ;)
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Well having been indirectly cited in this thread ... I thought I ought to "do something unexpected" myself!
Here's the Black & White Rag on the Hohner Cornelia ... sorry for the bad audio.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NE9y_BIEPDk
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Here's the Black & White Rag on the Hohner Cornelia ... sorry for the bad audio.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NE9y_BIEPDk
[/quote]
Bloody fantastic!!!
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Here's the Black & White Rag on the Hohner Cornelia ... sorry for the bad audio.
Stonkin'! I haven't heard the Black & White Rag for ages. I love ragtime guitar stuff too, shame it's eluded me for so many years but I just can't get my head around playing it. :'(
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Squeezy that was absolutely amazing!!! Perfect execution start to finish, to call the basses dynamic would be an understatement, just wonderful!! Superb!!! Great!!!
And no, i am not some crazed bellowhead fan, never heard of them except for this site, I just really really liked that. A lot.
I am truly amazed!!!! And now for a few more explanation points!!!! Just to drive the point home!!!!!!
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I have a new phone. Pressed the wrong button at Sandra's Pub in Adderbury (The Bell).
I got a time lapse photo of my second set. 45 minutes condensed to 32 seconds.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZU5pDY7QIs (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZU5pDY7QIs)
Featuring Sandra Shallis on the zydeco rub-board and Lester in the audience. Great gig!
"The Low Ri-der don't go too fast"
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Tis privatised Rees
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Maybe that's the unexpected part ;)
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Thanks folks - that's great! Time to start a new theme, but as ever just stick late additions onto the end of this one!
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Tis privatised Rees
Oops, silly me! Here it is again:
I have a new phone. Pressed the wrong button at Sandra's Pub in Adderbury (The Bell).
I got a time lapse photo of my second set. 45 minutes condensed to 32 seconds.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZU5pDY7QIs (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZU5pDY7QIs)
Featuring Sandra Shallis on the zydeco rub-board and Lester in the audience. Great gig!
"The Low Ri-der don't go too fast"
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(Late addition)
I went to the bathroom hoping to improve the sonority of the Preciosa (as you do with harmonicas).
https://youtu.be/n7TAidPaqgQ
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(Late addition)
I went to the bathroom hoping to improve the sonority of the Preciosa (as you do with harmonicas).
https://youtu.be/n7TAidPaqgQ
The grandson and I are dancing around the kitchen. Superb! ;D
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Sebastian, as a fan for nearly forty years, I have to say that was awesome!!
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(http://wuerziworld.de/Smilies/girl/gi4.gif)