New Tunes

Like many fiddlers, I have a goal of learning a new tune every week. Most of the time, it happens more like one a month. But that's okay, too.

Tunes I'm currently working on getting into my repertoire are:
Georgia Row
Joys of Quebec
Run Down Boot
La Grande Chaine
and Grand Picnic

Most of these are tunes I heard folks play while at Mt. Airy last week and just enjoyed so much I want to be able to play them whenever the mood strikes.

"Run Down Boot" is an Illinois tune that I had heard Chirps Smith play and was reminded of last week in a jam session in Mt. Airy. Then, playing with my friends here in St. Louis on Wednesday evening, it came up again. It's fate. I have to sit down and learn it.

"Grand Picnic" is a tune I originally heard Joe Politte play on (I think) the great I'm Old But I'm Awfully Tough LP that the Missouri Friends of the Folk Arts put out many years ago. The early 70's, unless I'm mistaken! It never made much of an impression on me until yesterday when I heard a recording of my friend Lois Hornbostle playing it with a contest band at Union Grove. Played at a moderate speed, it's a beautiful tune! Here's a link to a You Tube clip of them playing it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aB-XfD9hoMQ. Now I'll have to dig out the CD copy friends Janet and Mark made for me of ...Awfully Tough and see how Mr. Politte played it.