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...
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, 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.
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
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.
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.
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
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?
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.
quote:
Originally posted by DougDI 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?
"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
Steve - Thinking further, Harry Choaes did not write this song. It existed before his recording, but I still think that's the definitive modern version. But I meant in terms of melody and structure - nobody tries to copy the fiddle breaks note for note. They all improvise - its just kind of a blues progression after all. So play whatever you like and enjoy yourself!
Mercifully, the Super Bowl is past and done anyway, so we can all move on.
Edited by - DougD on 02/10/2025 02:29:39
