Tune Dogs Jam Favorites

The Tune Dogs have gratiously offered these tunes for your listening and learning pleasure.

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John Kelley

Tune Dogs Jam Favorites Director’s Notes

This is John Kelley banjo player and director of the new Tune Dogs CD JAM FAVORITES with some notes about our latest musical project.  The idea for this project grew out of a desire to help young beginning and intermediate old time musicians with their jamming skills.  In a revivalist old time jam it is not unusual for seasoned musicians to know and play 200 different tunes. It is daunting for the beginning player to try to decide which tunes to learn first. 

For years I have been handing out business sized cards with a list of about 12 tunes (and the keys the tunes are usually played in) that I consider jam standards- I give them to beginning musicians and tell them if they learn some of these tunes they can make music with anyone over 70 years of age.  I tell them these tunes have been played for a long, long time because they are fun to dance to and are fun to play.  I tell that that if they call out one of these tunes in a jam session I will be happy to join in playing these tunes with them.

Last winter I decided I should get the Tune Dogs to record these JAM FAVORITES in a way that may be helpful for intermediate level players.  I recorded Scott Russell playing guitar in both the right and left track, Jam Smith playing fiddle in the left track, and myself playing banjo in the right track.  This makes it possible to listen to the whole band to get and idea of how the tune sounds in a jam setting and then use the balance knob to tune the fiddle or the banjo in or out of the mix. It also gives the choice of playing along with or “against” the banjo or the fiddle.

On the companion CD- Tune Dogs Jam Favorites- the Director’s Cut- I put the music on one track and “yell” the chords in the other. This allows one to use the balance knob to tune in or out the prompting of the chords.  I also sing a verse on the tunes that have words to help folks remember the tunes, introduce the tunes, and give the banjo tuning I am using.

I have been giving away the Director’s Cut to interested players and asking for a donation for my surgical mission to Honduras in exchange for a copy of the musical CD.  Actually, all they money I generate from our CD’s is going to support the work of the Franciscan Friar’s of the Renewal Mission in Honduras www.cfrhonduras.com and Light of the World Charities www.lightoftheworldcharities.com surgical missions to Honduras.

John Kelley
www.TheTuneDogs.com
John@bassbox.org

Tunes used with permission.