Black Pine Waltz is more than just a little way off the beaten path when it comes to waltzes. The structure is non-standard. The chords are a little bit strange (and you are unlikely to find a guitar player who knows it at most contests you go to.) And, I think it’s a cool tune, and when I heard Tony Ludiker play it at Weiser (a long, long time ago), I wanted to learn it. And the next time I saw Tony, he got me a transcription he had made of Mark O’Connor playing the tune, which is where I learned it.
When I talked to Tony about it recently, he told me that he got the tune off of the Doc and Merle Watson album that Mark played on after hearing Mark play it at Weiser in 1983. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.
I have looked for other information about the source of Black Pine Waltz, but the best I have found is a recording and reference of Gwen Foster playing it on harmonica some time between 1925 and 1930.
Another lovely musical performance !
Thanks, Michael. It's a pretty tune. Did you check out the old recording of it on youtube that I linked to?