Since these guys are kind of bluegrassy, I thought Cherokee Shuffle would be a good tune to play.  And my new fact for the day is that Tommy Jackson is credited with creating Cherokee Shuffle from an Lonesome Indian.

Cherokee Shuffle according to Fiddler’s Companion

CHEROKEE SHUFFLE. Old‑Time, Bluegrass; Breakdown. USA. A Major (Phillips) or D Major. Standard or ADae tuning. AAB (Brody): AABB (Phillips/1989): AABB’ (Phillips/1994): AABC (Kuntz). Banjo player Howard Bursen, fiddler Kerry Blech and others, identify the tune as a West Coast version of “Lonesome Indian,” and that it was derived from fiddler Tommy Magness who recorded the “Indian” tune in the 1930’s. Tommy Jackson is generally credited with transforming Magness’s “Lonesome Indian” (in the key of ‘D’) into “Cherokee Shuffle” (in the key of ‘A’). Jackson also added a distinctive second part. The Magness tune also became known as “Lost Indian” subsequently, says Kerry Blech, especially among older fiddlers in North Carolina and Virginia—“Some of these folks even took Tommy Jackson’s addition and stuck it onto the Magness tune, after transposing, of course.” To add to the confusion between the two tunes, “Cherokee Shuffle” is also sometimes played in the key of ‘D’, although the ‘A’ version seems more common. Regarding the form of the tune, there appears to be two versions of “Cherokee Suffle” in current circulation, one “square” (with the ‘A’ and ‘B’ parts the same length) and one not. Along with “Lonesome Indian” (or “Lost Indian [3]” as it is sometimes  known), the melody “Colored Aristocracy” bears some resemblance to “Cherokee Shuffle.” Sources for notated versions: Old Reliable String Band [Brody]; Liz Slade (Yorktown, New York) [Kuntz]. Brody (Fiddler’s Fakebook), 1983; pg. 65. Kuntz, Private Collection. Phillips (Fiddlecase Tunebook), 1989; pg. 9. Phillips (Traditional American Fiddle Tunes), Vol. 1, 1994; pg. 47. Adelphi AD 2004, Delaware Water Gap‑ “String Band Music.” Folk Legacy FSI-74, Howard Bursen – “Cider in the Kitchen” (1980). Folkways FA 2475, “Old Reliable String Band.” Front Hall Records 05, Fennigs All Stars‑ “Saturday Night in the Provinces.” Global Village Records C‑302 ‑ Snakelips ‑ “New York City’s 1st Annual String Band Contest ‑ 1984.” Rounder 0122, Norman Blake‑ “The Rising Fawn String Ensemble.”

Monumental Fiddling Championship Facts

•  The Monumental Fiddling Championship is on May 26, 2012. It is held the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend at Homestead National Monument of America’s Education Center.
•  The day will begin with three free workshops John McCutcheon shares his songwriting talent at 10 a.m. Debbie Greenblatt gives fiddling tips to new and experienced players at 10 a.m. David Seay leads a harmonica workshop at 11:30 a.m.
•  The fiddling competition begins at 1 p.m.
•  Three divisions will compete: Legends Division for those that have won this contest before Senior Division for those with 5 or more years of experience, and the Junior Division for those with less than 5 years of experience.
•  A total of $1275 in prize money will be awarded. The winner in the Junior Division will receive $175, the Senior Division winner will receive $200 and the Legends Division winner will receive $250.
•  For a complete list of rules visit http://www.nps.gov/home/planyourvisit/2012-monumental-fiddling-championship.htm
•  All fiddlers will have a chance to win a new violin.
•  Renowned folk musician John McCutcheon will perform at 7 p.m.
•  The setting is near the restored tallgrass prairie of Homestead National Monument of America.
•  A vendor serves lunch and dinner.
•  For those wanting to spend the night there are motels, camping sites and restaurants available in Beatrice, NE., which is just four miles east of the Monument. For more information visit http://www.visitbeatrice.com
•  Judges this year are Dr. Howard Marshall, Bill Stibor, and Mindy Hunke.

National Park Service
U.S. Department of the Interior
Homestead Nattional Monument of America
8523 W State Highway 4
Beatrice, Nebraska 68310

Brittany Haas & Lauren Rioux
Fiddle workshop

When: Sunday, May 20, 2012
Time: 1:00 – 2:30 p.m.
Where: Vectra Bank Colorado
2000 S. Colorado Blvd.
Ste. 2-1100
Denver, CO, 80222
Skill level: Intermediate to Advanced

Cost: $40 for COTFA member
$50 for non-COTFA member

Brittany Haas and Lauren Rioux will teach a workshop on intermediate-advanced fiddle tunes and techniques. The two fiddlers from widely respected bands (Crooked Still, and Darol Anger’s Republic of Strings) share their extensive knowledge of Appalachian music and experience of being at the forefront of the contemporary string band scene. Rioux and Haas are widely sought out for their teaching expertise, and teach classes, workshops, and at fiddle camps across the country. This will be a fun learning environment before the evening’s performance at the Rocky Mtn Old Time Music Festival in Fort Collins.
For more info see www.laurenandbrittanymusic.com

Register online: http://www.coloradofiddlers.org/

I almost worked it up in Bb to continue my streak of tunes in flat keys, but I was tired, and decided to take the easy way out and work it up in G. I hope you enjoy it.

Clarinet Polka From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Clarinet Polka according to Fiddler’s Companion

CLARINET POLKA. American, Canadian; Polka. USA; Pa., New York, Missouri. B Flat Major (‘A’ part), E Flat Major (‘B’ part) & F Major (‘C’ part) {Phillips, version #1}: G Major (‘A’ part), D Major (‘B’ part) & C Major (‘C’ part) {Phillips, version #2}. Standard tuning. AA’BBAA’CCAA’. In the repertories of dance fiddler Ralph Sauers, Buffalo Valley, Pa., and hammered dulcimer player Paul Van Arsdale (North Tonawanda, N.Y.) who added a fourth part to the tune. Source for notated version: Mark O’Connor [Phillips/version #1]. Phillips (Traditional American Fiddle Tunes), vol. 2, 1995; pgs. 341 & 342 (two versions). Greenhays GR 710, John McCutcheon ‑ “Fine Times at our House” (1982). MSOTFA 007, Charlie Walden – “Draggin’ the Bow” (1985). RCA Victor LCP 1001, Ned Landry and his New Brunswick Lumberjacks ‑ “Bowing the Strings with New Landry.”

Saturday, July 28, 2012 — 10 am – 6 pm

More information at: http://www.weldcountyfair.com/FiddleFest2012

greeley fiddle fest 2012 (PDF FLYER)

SIGN UP begins at 9 AM OPEN STAGE 10 -11 AM FIDDLE FEST BEGINS AT 11 AM

Fiddle Fest Divisions

Novice: All Ages (*see rules)

Small Fry: 9 & Under

Junior JR: 10-12

Junior: 13-17

Young Adult 18 – 36

Adult: 37-59

Senior: 60 & above

Hot Licks

No Holds Barred Championship** (see rules)

Location:

Island Grove Regional Park

525 N. 15th Ave

Greeley, Colorado

No entrance fee required to the fair!

————————————————-

Cash prizes and/or policies may be revised and classes may be combined as necessary.

I don’t play with my dad too often anymore, but here is the second installment with him joining me on tenor banjo. The first was at a jam in Loveland. This time, I’m mostly just adding a little flair to the tune.

Bye Bye Blues (song) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

He consented to teach me the tune provided that I didn’t play it at Weiser before he did. Of course, I agreed. I had scheduled it as my 3rd round tune of choice, and since I didn’t make it that far, I didn’t get to play it at Weiser, but it was an honor to have had the opportunity to be one of the first people to learn this cool tune.

Regarding the name and whether it’s a polka or a rag, I remember that Tony originally called it T&T Polka, after asking Clair Lundin what kind of tune it sounded like to him, and Claire called it a polka. When it was published, it was published as T&T Rag.  Either way you call it, it’s a heck of a cool tune.

Share if you love your Mother!

Mother’s Day From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article is about several worldwide days celebrating motherhood. For other uses, see Mother’s Day (disambiguation).

A Mother’s Day cardObserved byMany countriesTypeCommercial, religiousDateSecond Sunday of May (USA and others)
Fourth Sunday of Lent (Mothering Sunday, UK and others)Related toFather’s Day, Parents’ Day, Children’s Day

Mother’s Day is a celebration that honors mothers and motherhood, maternal bonds, and the influence of mothers in society. It is celebrated on various days in many parts of the world, most commonly in March, April, or May. It complements Father’s Day, a celebration honoring fathers.

Celebrations of mothers and motherhood occur throughout the world. Many of these trace back to ancient festivals, like the Greek cult to Cybele, the Roman festival of Hilaria, or the Christian Mothering Sunday celebration. However, the modern holiday is an American invention and not directly descended from these celebrations.^[1][2][3] Despite this, in some countries Mother’s Day has become synonymous with these older traditions.^[4]

Founding

The modern holiday of Mother’s Day was first celebrated in 1908, when Anna Jarvis held a memorial for her mother in America. She then began a campaign to make “Mother’s Day” a recognized holiday in the United States. Although she was successful in 1914, she was already disappointed with its commercialization by the 1920s. Jarvis’ holiday was adopted by other countries and it’s now celebrated all over the world.

Jarvis never mentioned Mothering Sunday or Julia Ward Howe attempts in the 1870s, and she never mentioned any connection to the Protestant school celebrations, and she always said that the creation was hers alone.^[5] The observations in the 1870s and the 1880s never had resonance beyond the local level.^[6]

For more information on previous attempts, see the “United States” section in this article.

Spelling

In 1912, Anna Jarvis trademarked the phrases “second Sunday in May” and “Mother’s Day”, and created the Mother’s Day International Association.^[7]

She was specific about the location of the apostrophe; it was to be a singular possessive, for each family to honour their mother, not a plural possessive commemorating all mothers in the world.^[8]

This is also the spelling used by U.S. President Woodrow Wilson in the law making official the holiday in the United States, by the U.S. Congress on bills,^[9][10] and by other U.S. presidents on their declarations.^[11]

Common usage in English language also dictates that the ostensibly singular possessive “Mother’s Day” is the preferred spelling, although “Mothers’ Day” (plural possessive) or “Mothers Day” (plural non-possessive) are sometimes used.

If Cyril’s playing looks a little weird, it’s because he’s a lefty, and he played left-handed.

So, I pulled out my Cole’s 100 fiddle tunes and worked it up for you tonight. I hope you enjoy it!

PACIFIC SLOPE [1]. American, Old‑Time; Breakdown, Reel or Hornpipe. USA; Midwest, southwestern Pa., New England. A Major. Standard tuning. AABB (Christeson, Cole, Hinds, Phillips, Sweet): AB (Bayard). The Pacific Slope refers to that part of North America that drains into the Pacific Ocean, a term that had particular meaning in the 19^th century prior to the formation of the region into states and territories. Then it was America’s “manifest destiny” to settle and develop the lands of the Pacific Slope, then the frontier. The melody is commonly played at mid-western fiddle contests, despite being (as Rodney Miller says) a Yankee tune. “Pacific Slope” is one of ‘100 essential Missouri tunes’ listed by Missouri fiddler Charlie Walden. Samuel Bayard (1981) states that the title has apparently remained constant for this piece, at least in published versions, unlike many other tunes in the traditional repertiore which often feature a multiplicity of titles. John Hartford has identified that the 2nd strain is similar to the 2nd strain of “Harvey’s Favorite” on pg. 20 of Dobson’s New System For the Banjo. An Irish version appears in O’Neill’s Music of Ireland under the title “Chief O’Neill’s Visit,” set as a hornpipe, and a hornpipe version is also known to Scottish musicians as the “Cambridge.” Sources for notated versions: Cyril Stinnett (Nodaway County, Missouri) [Christeson]; Hogg (Pa., 1948) [Bayard]; Ken Kosek [Phillips]. Bayard (Dance to the Fiddle), 1981; No. 136, pg. 75. R.P. Christeson (Old Time Fiddlers Repertory, Vol. 1), 1973; No. 32, pg. 23. Cole (1000 Fiddle Tunes), 1940; pg. 40. Hinds/Hebert (Grumbling Old Woman), 1981; pg. 12. Phillips (Traditional  Music in America), 1994; pg. 178. Ryan’s Mammoth Collection, 1883; pg. 66. Sweet (Fifer’s Delight), 1965/1981; pg. 68. Folk Legacy FSI-74, Howard Bursen – “Cider in the Kitchen” (1980). Great Meadow Music GMM 2002, Rodney Miller & David Surette – “New Leaf” (2000). Missouri Old Time Fiddlers Association 002, Taylor McBaine ‑ “Boone County Fiddler.” Rounder Records – “Country Cooking.” Missouri State Old Time Fiddlers’ Association, Dwight Lamb (b. 1934) – “Old Ladies Pickin’ Chickens.” Missouri State Old Time Fiddlers’ Association, Cyril Stinnett – “Old Time Fiddler’s Repertory” (1976).