fiddleguy - Posted - 02/08/2025:  11:56:45

Good day all.

I'm looking for any assisance finding tab asociated with the tune Jolie Blon. Since this years Super Bowl in in New Orleans, I thought I 'd learn a Cajun song to celebrate the event!

Any help is much appricated...

farmerjones - Posted - 02/09/2025:  06:29:58

Mandolin tab PDF

Mandolin is tuned the same so. . . . .

I learned much. I always played it as a two chord tune. Nope.

Most popular, Doug Kershaw played it. Springsteen played it. Roy Acuf played it. 

pete_fiddle - Posted - 02/09/2025:  07:53:02

Jolie Blonde

JB3

JB2

JB1

 

farmerjones - Posted - 02/09/2025:  08:05:10

Pete, my friend. That's not tab.
But what do you think? If one just knew the double-stops, (chords) could one play it adequately enough? Obviously not prima-fascia. Ugh! That's 'm probable.

DougD - Posted - 02/09/2025:  09:51:03

If you Google "Jolie Blon violin sheet music (or tab)" you'll find some, including some transcriptions (?) of the fiddle part. Maybe not so much tab. This is a very simple song, and you could just come up with a fiddle part, but you'd really have to be somewhat familiar with the idiom to make it work.
New Orleans is not really in Cajun country to begin with, though - might as well learn a NO jazz piece.
With that in mind, and realizing this is not tab, has no fiddle, and is copletely off topic, today I'm listening to this recording I made maybe 40 years ago. Still like it, hope you all might too. (Good speakers or headphones will make for a better experience).
youtu.be/F0UWR_P024Q?feature=shared

pete_fiddle - Posted - 02/09/2025:  11:07:11

Just sharing what i have on " Jolie Blonde"



Nearest i have come to actually playing Jolie blonde is this

David Lindley is, (was) just cool imo. Love  his music.

DougD - Posted - 02/09/2025:  12:02:05

Here's the original recording by Harry Choates:
youtu.be/vZYmLWfPEko?feature=shared
And here's a heartfelt contemporary version:
youtu.be/gVwJDUAwOho?feature=shared
I did sound for those folks once. Marc Savoy, Joel's Dad was also part of a 1974 tour we did of Latin America, and I played guitar with him whenever we had the chance. I introduced myself to Joel, and he said his Dad still talked about the trip (guess I do too) and that it was one of the things that inspired him to work to preserve and revive Cajun mmusic and culture. Great musicians both.

DougD - Posted - 02/09/2025:  12:15:45

The more you dig, the more you find. Here's a great version in its natural environment, with Jimmie C Newman ("The C stands for Cajun"), Joel Sonnier, and Doug Kershaw. They are having a good time!
youtu.be/UGmwnkVegZg?feature=shared

farmerjones - Posted - 02/09/2025:  14:23:54

Jolie Blon w/P.O.V. camera

I didn't spend all afternoon setting this up. 

Bruce Springsteen plays it in Bb. Indeed, I too found many examples. But this type of tune, the definitive version isn't really there. This is not to say a printed version is less-than.  I call it a springboard to improvisation. No sin in playing it straight, whatever straight is? 

DougD - Posted - 02/09/2025:  17:54:04

I would say that a definitive version is certainly there, by Harry Choates - he wrote the song. In the last video I posted you can see how prominent later Cajun artists respected and followed his lead.

farmerjones - Posted - 02/09/2025:  19:01:53

quote:

---

Originally posted by DougD

I would say that a definitive version is certainly there, by Harry Choates - he wrote the song. In the last video I posted you can see how prominent later Cajun artists respected and followed his lead.

---

No different than anybody else's version, in that he seldom plays the same thing twice.  So what part is "patented?" How 'bout your version?

DougD - Posted - 02/09/2025:  19:30:30

"No different than anybody else's version" - yes it is, because he wrote it - its the original. That doesn't mean you have to play it that way, but it defined the song.
I don't play Cajun music - I don't even speak French. But I have gotten to play with some really good Cajun musicians and have an idea how the music works.

Edited by - DougD on 02/09/2025 19:31:20