Bolero - Cammeyer

A very unusual piece -- often described as one of Cammeyer's finest, it is seldom heard on the banjo, on account of its difficulty and its reliance on a piano accompaniment. Some very interesting modulations and striking contrasts between the quiet intro and trio -- played entirely with artificial harmonics -- and the lively bolero make this one of the finest original compositions written for our beloved instrument. This piece was famously performed and recorded by Ollie Oakley, Cammeyer's erstwhile pupil -- when asked about Oakley, Cammeyer replied, with his usual penchant for understatement, "well, I taught the boy a few things".

I recorded this in one take this morning, no cheating. I only edited out a bit of background noise, though, as apparently the neighbours decided it was a good idea to have a screaming match on the Lord's Day ;-)

I missed a couple of harmonics in the Trio and stumbled a little towards the ending, please forgive my mistakes!

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Comment by Mike Moss on September 12, 2012 at 11:03

I assume you mean the strange psychophonies which were found in the microscopic grooves of a wax cylinder recording of "William Tell Overture", and in which a ghostly voice can be distinctly heard wailing and rattling chains? Thanks to recent electronically enhanced versions of the wax cylinder it has been confirmed that the dreadful din was actually the sound of "All Coons Look Alike to me" being recorded in the adjacent room with banjo acc't by Vess Ossman!

Comment by Richard William Ineson on September 12, 2012 at 16:11

Another tune whose title was changed by the Bolsheviks - 'Comrades, be Aware that Enemies of the People look no Different to Those involved in the Noble Struggle for World Collectivisation' 

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