The Fat Boy Jig

Well, it's actually called "The Corpulent Stevedore", but doesn't "The Fat Boy Jig" also have a nice ring? This is a REALLY nice tune that Jim just wrote. Ah, yes, it's just in G, right where those dulcimer players like their tunes -- if they aren't in D. A would be pushing it for some. It's a trick. Sure, it's in G, but nicely splattered with accidentals -- C#, F natural -- middle-ish and high, B flat, G#. Come on, you dulcimer players -- you CAN do it. Most of it isn't really full of accidentals, anyway. They are there, and just make this tune different and one of those good ones.

This tune doesn't even really have a challenge until measure 7. Work on that for 5 minutes, and you'll have it. Yes, there is some right bridge business involved.  E, D, E, F natural -- just right, right, left right over there. So you have your left hand free to hit that F# at the middle bridge now. Then back to the bass bridge.


I'm sure Jim will share this tune, so let us know if you'd like a copy. IT IS a nice one!!

Playing Some of Cub's Tunes and Calling a Bit

This Friday, Jim and I will be at the Caller and Dance Lab in Ann Arbor. This is a lot of fun, so if any of you would like to just do something different, come on out. The "workshop" part is from 7-8, with the dance at 8, where new callers can give it a try, and experienced callers can try dances just to see how they work out. The entire evening is FREE for callers and dancers alike, so there's another good reason to visit.

This month, the event is at  Concourse Hall (4531 Concourse Drive, Ann Arbor, MI). For more information on this and other great local events, go to the AACTMAD site -- AACTMAD.

I'm hoping our voices are back for tomorrow, or we're definitely not going to be commended for following the tonal quality standard that was discussed last month!! We ended up coming down with awful colds, with all the coughing, throat-clearing and laryngitis. How lovely right before a calling night. We had to cancel our Golden Griffon rehearsal for tonight, too. Very sad.

We've also been working on lots of new tunes. One really nice tune that I'm polishing up on is "Cub" Berdan's Pacific Quadrille Figure 1. It's in 6/8 and key of G, with a nice lilt. We'll be playing this one soon for dances.

Kalamazoo Contra Dance

Golden Griffon and Danika Murray

Saturday was a nice day for a drive. Bob Ewald (bass), came over to the McKinneys, and we drove out to Zeeb Road to pick up Renzo (guitar). It's always nice when we can ride together to the further-away events, because we get a chance to go over what we've done, what we want to do for that event, and whatever's coming up. We have so many musical dates on our horizon, and they are so varied! Public contra dances, private weddings, public school history days, Henry Ford re-enacting . . . Lots of planning!


I do always like playing (and dancing) at the old grange halls with the wooden floors, and just all of the historical ambiance. Most people these days, though, seem to prefer modern air-conditioned halls or church basements. The The Oshtemo Grange Hall northwest of Kalamazoo is very much the type of location I love to be in. It has the wonderful wood floors, and a stage we can use without being stuffed with church yard sale merchandise. The huge, steep back steps were a little difficult for my creaky knee, but I made it. Luckily, I don't have to carry the heavy stuff.

With 70+ dancers and fun calling by Danika Murray, the hall was rocking!  These were mostly advanced dancers that seemed to nudge our speed up some. We were definitely pushing it for a few sets, although generally, we like to keep our dance tunes a bit more syncopated and "groovy." All seemed to be having a grand time, and we got no complaints, and lots of compliments!

Once again, trying to upload a video to the blog, but can't get it to cooperate!

Kalamazoo-zoo-zoo

Just a quick blog today . . . We just got back from a whirlwind tour of 2000 miles in less than a week. We went from New Boston, Michigan to Crystal Falls in the U.P. This is where I bought my first dulcimer from the very talented Premos and where the Fortune Lake Festival is held. Then we headed down through Wisconsin and Illinois to Missouri. We stayed at the wonderful Marriott Union Station -- WOW -- Union Station St. Louis. Jim interviewed Ms. Ginny. I don't want to give away any surprises, so stay tuned for a future post . . .

And today we're heading, with the rest of The Golden Griffon Stringtet, over to Kalamazoo for a contra dance. It's fun -- come over, if you can!!

From Kalamazoo Contra Dance

Contra and Square Dance open to the public. American traditional dancing to live music. All dances are taught. New dancers (singles and couples) are always welcome and should come early; dances get more challenging during the evening. Wear comfortable clothes and shoes for energetic dancing. No smoking, no alcohol. Band: Golden Griffon Stringtet. Caller: Danika Murray.
Skills workshop and orientation at 7:00
7:30 pm to 10:30 pm
CDK members $6. Students (13 and up) $4. Others $8.

Fiddler Les Raber . . . A Michigan Treasure

Les Raber was born in Allegan County, Michigan in 1911. Les’s father and grandfather were fiddle players. Les’s mother made his first fiddle out of cornstalks, then another one out of a broom handle and a cigar box. When Les was 10, his mother ordered him a fiddle and instructions for $4.98 from Sears-Roebuck. He started playing for dances around Allegan at age 15. Les and his wife Rosemary had four children who were all musicians. – /from Original Michigan Fiddlers, Edited by Rosemary Raber, 1986, Original Michigan Fiddlers Association. Used with permission./

Les attended Allegan High School, playing violin, alto horn and French horn in the high school orchestra. He played in several local bands, including The Allegan Band, Baker Furniture Band, Otsego Band and Plainwell Band. Les also played with a group of musicians who gathered in theaters in Allegan. He would play music, walk home to milk the cows, and then walk back to town to play more music. After two years at Michigan State University, Les earned his degree in Agriculture and became a cow tester for the state. For nineteen years, starting in the mid-30’s, Les played for square and round dancing every Friday night at the Dixie Dance Hall on the south side of Grand Rapids. This was not just for fun; it was to put food on the table. They all went as a family because there were not many babysitters in those days. They learned to dance some of their very favorite dances like the ‘Sally Waters’, ‘The Rye Waltz’, ‘Heel and Toe Polka’, ‘Put Your Little Foot’, and many square dances. When they would get tired, the children were wrapped up in coats inside the drum case and would fall asleep under the piano while the dance continued. In 1987, Les performed at the Festival of American Folklife at Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan. He was selected to represent Michigan in the art form of ‘Old Time Michigan Fiddlers’ at the Festival of American Folklife for the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C. He played concerts every day for six days. The music was recorded and is now housed in the Library of Congress. In 1991, he received the Michigan Heritage Award from the Michigan Council for the Arts honoring his lifetime of playing and preserving old-fashioned dance music. In 1998, Les was invited to play at the Festival of American Fiddle Tunes in Port Townsend, Washington. In 2000, Les performed at the 12th Annual International Folk Alliance Conference in Cleveland, Ohio and at the 62nd National Folk Festival in East Lansing, Michigan as a featured guest of The Old Michigan Ruffwater Stringband. Les died in August 2000. He was posthumously inducted into the Michigan Fiddlers Association Fiddlers Hall of Fame in 2003. – /from Come Dance With Me: Original Fiddle Compositions and Favorite Tunes of Les Raber by Judy Raber & Jim McKinney, 2008. Used with Permission./

Les Raber’s recordings and the 4th edition of /Come Dance With Me: Original Fiddle Compositions and Favorite Tunes of Les Raber/ with 176 tunes are available at www.GoldenGriffonStringtet.com, the Les Raber Memorial Fund in Hastings, Elderly Instruments in Lansing, Psarianos Violins in Troy and Ann Arbor, Herb David’s Guitar Studio in Ann Arbor and Shar Instruments in Ann Arbor.

© 2012 Jim McKinney Used by permission.

Regina & Grif at The Raven in Port Huron

We drove up to Port Huron Saturday. Our friends, Regina and Griffin Cobean, were playing Irish music there. It was well worth the 1.5 hour drive up and then back. They are absolutely phenomenal musicians with Regina on fiddle and Grif on bouzouki and whistle.

I borrowed Regina's pic of the view from the stage. They were isolated up above, in a corner balcony. The only access to it is via a fire ladder! We would have liked to have been right by the stage, but that wasn't possible at all. We were seated across the room behind where you see the chandeliers.

The Raven Cafe is a nice restaurant/coffee shop with lots of atmosphere. It's full of books, posters -- all the eye candy people like to have. The menu is mostly sandwiches, salads, and appetizers, with a wide variety of liquid refreshments, from fruit smoothies to gourmet coffees. Very delicious.

The Raven has live acoustic music Thursdays through Sundays, so if you're in the area, make it a priority to stop in.