Some Tunes from Dennis Stroughmatt
Some tunes from Upper Louisiana, aka the old French district of Illinois and Missouri, straddling the Mississippi River down from St. Louis. Dennis here gives us a brief intro to each tune. More stories to come on March 18 at the Leadway.
Press the arrows to listen or right-click the blue title to download and save on your computer.
Old Man Lucky in the key of D: “Old Man Lucky I learned from Charlie Pashia, right at the source. It was a song (no lyrics) for a guy named LaChance. He was a lucky man, and that was his name too.”
Old Man Lucky slow
Grandmere In waltz time in G: “Grandmere is a story song. It means Grandmother Complains. I learned it from Ida Portell in Potosi , MO.”
Grandmere slow
D’ou Viens in A: “D’ou Viens Tu is iShepherd, from where did you come.’ It’s a Christmas song. Also from Ida Portell. But I got the fiddle part idea from Roy Boyer.”
D’ou Viens slow
Dennis Stroughmatt will be the featured guest at the Fiddle Club of the World meeting on Sunday, March 28 at 6:30pm at the Leadway Bar & Gallery (5233 N. Damen) in Chicago. Click here to register.
Filed under: Tunes by Paul | March 15, 2010 | Comments (0)
Next Up: French Creole Tunes from Upper Louisiana
Upper Louisiana is Illinois. The first European-Americans to settle in our state were French. And when the British defeated the French in the Seven Years War, many of the French moved across the river to Missouri. French culture and traditional French folksongs and tunes have survived downstate for over two centuries. Prairie du Rocher, Illinois and Ste. Genevieve, Missouri still celebrate the coming of the New Year with La Guignole, a house-to-house visiting tradition similar to mumming in Newfoundland or old-style mardi gras in Cajun southwest Louisiana. A number of older fiddlers and singers from near Old Mines, Missouri kept the old songs alive for later generations.
La Guignolee played by Charlie Pasha (or Pashia) in 1976 for the landmark LP of field recordings, “I’m Old But I’m Awfully Tough: Traditional Music of the Ozark Region.”
(A 1950s recording of the full Prairie du Rocher singers can be found on Folksongs of Illinois #1.)
(click to enlarge)
Another fine fiddler from Old Mines was Joe Politte. The following are a couple of his unnamed breakdowns recorded 30 years ago. The first one, in D, has been frequently taught at Old Town School fiddle classes under the title “Bass in the Hollow.”
 Joe Politte (click to enlarge) |
 Dennis Stroughmatt (click to enlarge) |
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D breakdown played by Joe Politte C breakdown played by Joe Politte |
Jury Baker played by Dennis Stroughmatt |
Dennis Stroughmatt will be the featured guest at the next Fiddle Club of the World meeting on Sunday, March 28. A younger downstate fiddler and singer, Dennis learned directly from such traditional masters from Old Mines as Charlie Pashia and Roy Boyer. He leads two bands that cover a variety of French-American styles–L’Esprit Créole and Creole Stomp–but will appear as a soloist at the Fiddle Club of the World. That meeting is scheduled for 6:30p on March 28 at the Leadway Bar & Gallery (5233 N. Damen). Click here to register.
Paul Tyler, convener
Filed under: Musings by Paul | March 1, 2010 | Comments (0)
Some Tunes from Liz Knowles
Ready for some Celtic/Irish tunes. Before she headed off to China, Liz gave us these to try. Each recording has the tune played slowly, and then up to tempo.
Press the arrows to listen or right-click the blue title to download and save on your computer.
The Black Rogue – jig
Gone for His Tea – reel
The Factory Smoke – hornpipe
Liz Knowles will be the featured guest at the Fiddle Club of the World meeting on Friday, February 19 at 7:30pm at the Leadway Bar & Gallery (5233 N. Damen) in Chicago. Click here to register.
Filed under: Tunes by Paul | January 23, 2010 | Comments (0)
Fiddle Club Meetings – Spring 2010
 Liz Knowles (click to enlarge) |
LIZ KNOWLES – Feb. 19 or A Celtic legend in her own right, Liz Knowles will visit the Fiddle Club fresh off a trip to China with Celtic Legends, the play for which she serves as music director. Liz’s impressive list of credits includes Riverdance, fiddling on Broadway in The Pirate Queen and the soundtrack for the movie Michael Collins. She has been a member of the John Whelan Band, Cherish the Ladies, and currently tours with the super-group, String Sisters. Her solo CD is The Celtic Fiddle. or Click here to register for an evening of Irish fiddling, old and new. or |
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DENNIS STROUGHMATT – March 28 or Part of Dennis Stroughmatt’s education was devoted to recording, observing, and learning many of the Creole French traditions still alive in “Upper Louisiana,” including the old fiddle tunes he learned from masters Roy Boyer and Charlie Pashia. He also developed a fluency in Illinois-Missouri Creole French, and acquired a wealth of stories and songs from elder story tellers and singers. His recorded works include The Gambler’s Fiddle and Cadet Rouselle, two CDs of old French Music from Upper Louisiana. He also performs with Dennis Stroughmatt & Creole Stomp. or Click here to register for a journey through the early music of the Illinois Country. or |
 Dennis Stroughmatt et L’Esprit Créole (click to enlarge) |
 Genevieve (Harrison) & Smith Koester (click for a view of the New Mules) |
GENEVIEVE (HARRISON) KOESTER – April 18 Genevieve Koester’s command of old-time fiddling belies the fact that she’s been playing less than a half dozen years. She comes by it honestly as, in her words, “Both my parents play the fiddle – my mom is classically trained and my dad is a freak of nature (in a talented way).” While her mother Gaye has long led the group Mother Lode in Charleston, Illinois, Genevieve has joined with her father Garry Harrison in the New Mules, a string band dedicated to the old-time fiddle tunes and songs of downstate Illinois and beyond. Husband Smith Koester, also a member of the New Mules, will join Gena at the Fiddle Club of the World. The band’s new CD, Pride of America, is one of the best. or Click here to register for an evening of old-time tunes in a Midwestern key. or |
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MATT BROWN – May 2 or A multi-instrumentalist from West Chester, Pennsylvania, Matt Brown is one of the rising stars in the old-time music firmament. Though he’s just passed the quarter-century mark, he already has 3 albums to his credit, including the solo CD, The Falls of Richmond. On Lone Prairie, his debut CD, he was joined by veteran banjoist Paul Brown and guitarist Beverly Smith. Both CDs are from 5-String Productions, in which Matt is a partner. For his Fiddle Club appearance, he will partner with the Old Town School’s Steve Rosen. or Click here to registerfor a trip to southern climes. or |
 Matt Brown (click to enlarge) |
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All meetings scheduled for Leadway Bar & Gallery 5233 N. Damen Chicago, Illinois |
Check back for links to tunes to learn for the jam sessions for each meeting. Liz Knowles tunes Dennis Stroughmatt tunes Genevieve Koester tunes Matt Brown tunes |
-Paul Tyler, convener
Fiddle Club of the World (Chicago Chapter)
Filed under: Meeting Schedule by Paul | January 23, 2010 | Comments (0)
Kenny Stone tunes
Important Notice: We apologize, but once again we must postpone Kenny Stone’s visit to the Fiddle Club of the World. The workshop listing currently reads that the new date is March 7, 2010. That date is not yet confirmed. Check back soon. I guarantee that Kenny Stone will be our featured artist soon and help us become more bluegrass-worthy.
-Paul Tyler
Kenny Stone is veteran bluegrass fiddler, with a performing career that started when he was nine. He released his first album in 1989, at the age of nine, and followed that up with series of recordings and tours with a variety of bands, including his own, the Kenny Stone Unit and Midwest Wind. Family life and work has taken him off the road. But he continues to perform with the Chicago Bluegrass Band and to teach select students at his home in Dyer, Indiana.
Kenny Stone
(click to enlarge)
The Fiddle Club of the World is pleased to present Kenny Stone to a new audience of fiddlers. He’s looking forward to playing through a potpourri of standard old-time and bluegrass tunes. He’s also offered us several of his own originals.
Kenny Stone will be featured guest at the Fiddle Club of the World meeting on January 24, 2010 at 4:00 pm at the Leadway Bar & Gallery (5233 N. Damen). Click here to register.
Filed under: Meeting Schedule, Tunes by Paul | January 20, 2010 | Comments (0)
Nov. 22 Fiddle Club Meeting postponed
Sorry for the inconvenience.
Kenny Stone will join us at Fiddle Club of the World at the Leadway Bar & Gallery on Sunday, January 24 at 4 pm.
Mark your calendars. It’s on.
Paul Tyler, convener
Filed under: Fiddle Club, Meeting Schedule by Paul | November 21, 2009 | Comments (0)
Pete Sutherland tunes notated
These transcriptions of Pete Sutherland’s tunes were made by Paul Tyler as a sketch of the general melody. Pete uses subtle shadings, ornaments, double stops and variations in playing the tunes. Listen carefully to the recordings, as posted here.
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Click on thumbnail to enlarge.
Dad’s Reel
(The music sheet should print nicely.)
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Pete Sutherland, with Jeremiah McLane & Mark Roberts, will be performing at the Fiddle Club of the World’s meeting at 7:30 on Friday, October 16 at the Leadway Bar & Gallery (5233 N. Damen. Click here to register, or call 773.728.6000.
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| Nota Bene: Musical notation is only a guide to one way to play a tune. Use the written notes along with the recordings. If you hear something different than what is written down, good. Trust your ears. Play what you hear. |
Filed under: Notation by Paul | October 14, 2009 | Comments (0)
Pete Sutherland Tunes
Here are some Pete tunes, sent to us from the Champlain Valley of Vermont. These will be great to play in the jam. The reel is, in Pete’s words “from our local hero, Louis Beaudoin.” The second tune –pronounced tess-fie-yay–is an Ethiopian waltz song. The last is from the Skillet Lickers.
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or Pete Sutherland, along with Mark Roberts & Jeremiah McLane, will be performing at the Fiddle Club of the World’s meeting at 7:30 on Friday, October 16 at the Leadway Bar & Gallery (5233 N. Damen. Click here to register, or call 773.728.6000. or |
Filed under: Tunes by Paul | September 28, 2009 | Comments (0)
Fiddle Club meetings for Fall 2009
 (click to enlarge) |
ARTO JÄRVELÄ – Sept. 25 or Arto Järvelä is a world-class musician from Järvelä, a small village just across the Perho River from the slightly less smaller town of Kaustinen, seismic center of the Finnish Folk Music explosion of the last few decades. Arto’s grandfather Johannes led the Järvelän Pelimannit (Järvelä Village Fiddlers) through the 1970s. Since then, Arto has made a name for himself as a solo fiddler and as a member of many important folk bands, such as Pinnin Pojat, the Helsinki Mandolinners and Nordic Tree. He perhaps is best known for JPP (short for Järvelän Pikkupelimannit, or little village fiddlers band). or or Arto will perform Finnish polskas, polkkas, sotiisis (schottisches) and more on fiddle and nyckleharpa (Swedish keyed-fiddle). |
 Nyckelharpa (click to enlarge) |
Arto Järvelä will play for the Fiddle Club of the World on Friday, September 25, 2009 at 7:30pm Leadway Bar & Gallery (5233 N. Damen) or Click here to register for Arto’s visit to the Fiddle Club of the World or Go here to download Arto’s jam session tunes. |
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PETE SUTHERLAND – Oct. 16 or Pete Sutherland is a fiddler’s fiddle (also a master songwriter and multi-insturmentalist). A native of Vermont’s Champlain Valley, Pete sojourned in southern Indiana during the 1980s, where your Fiddle Club convener was lucky enough to live, dance and soak up tunes. Pete’s band credits include Arm & Hammer Stringband, Metamora and the Clayfoot Strutters. or Pete will be joined on his visit to the Fiddle Club by Jeremaiah McLane (piano & accordion) and Mark Roberts (flute & banjo). They are in town for a barn dance and workshops at the University of Chicago, where they will spin out more driving square dance and contra dance melodies to complete a great Fall weekend. |
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 Pete Sutherland (click for more) |
Pete Sutherland, with Jeremiah McLane & Mark Roberts will play for the Fiddle Club of the World on Friday, October 16, 2009 at 7:30pm Leadway Bar & Gallery (5233 N. Damen) NB: location may be changed to a larger venue or Click here to register for Pete’s visit to the Fiddle Club of the World or Go here to download Pete’s jam session tunes |
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RUTH BALL – Oct. 25
Ruth and her accompanist, Tom Cronin, are from Newcastle, England.
Unfortunately, the US Department of Homespun Inferiority might interfere with this meeting.
Plans for a substitute guest artist are underway. Stay tuned for more details
Ruth Ball
(click for more)
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KENNY STONE – Nov. 22
Chicagoland Bluegrass. Jam session tunes to be posted in October.
 Kenny Stone of the Chicago Bluegrass Band and a master folk artist for Traditional Arts Indiana |
 Kenny Stone with Vi Wickham (click for more) |
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SEASON PASS for all four Fall 2009 Fiddle Club meetings is available through Sept. 25.
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All meetings scheduled for
Leadway Bar & Gallery
5233 N. Damen
Chicago, Illinois
-Paul Tyler, convener
Fiddle Club of the World (Chicago Chapter)
Filed under: Meeting Schedule by Paul | September 18, 2009 | Comments (0)
Arto Järvelä tunes notated
These transcriptions of Arto Järvelä’s tunes were made by Paul Tyler as a sketch of the general melody. Arto’s uses more fingered and bowed ornaments, double stops and subtle variations in playing the tunes. Listen carefully to the recordings, as posted here.
or
Click on thumbnail to enlarge.
(The music sheet should print nicely.)
or
Arto Järvelä will be performing at the Fiddle Club of the World’s meeting on Friday, September 25 at the Leadway Bar & Gallery (5233 N. Damen. Click here to register, or call 773.728.6000.
or
| Nota Bene: Musical notation is only a guide to one way to play a tune. Use the written notes along with the recordings. If you hear something different than what is written down, good. Trust your ears. Play what you hear. |
Filed under: Notation by Paul | September 17, 2009 | Comments (0)
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