Frank Lawes is alive and well.

[thereallyniceman]

Some may know that one of my VERY favourite composers for classic banjo was Frank Lawes. Lawes played with Joe Morley and also was a good friend of Fred Van Eps, so he really was in with the top flight of playing and composing.

I spotted that site member Remi had recorded one of Frank's Compositions

[Rémi]

Thank you very much Ian and Steve for your kind words and for taking seriously these guitar arrangements, I appreciate it a lot. I always pass some hours arranging them and 1 to 3 days for learning, every one is a challenge. This was the seventh banjo tunes arranged and I m still totally happy to have discovered this music. Ok the ragtime piano repertory is virtually infinite, but here is the equivalent for the banjo, with equally greats composers.

I really like Hot Frets and will surely play it on a wedding (21th october, true) thinking to Hal, and all of you.

ps:The Lilliputian Bazar is totally a "classic rag", with all the caracteristic, plus it's not so much an easy one (but surely less sophisticated that the later Lamb Rag that's right)

Have a good evening

[Trapdoor2]

No gurning either! ;-)

I simply am in awe. If I had attempted this stuff on the guitar, I'd be playing the tambourine now. :-)

[Hal Allert]

Remi, you are amazing. I can appreciate the work you put into your arrangements. You should consider a book of TABs of your pieces. 

[Rémi]

Trapdoor what do you mean by gurning "no gurning either" ? incontrobale mouth/jaws mouvements ? Im not used to do it but I can understand that it appears to people sometimes, it can happened so much stuff during the time bewteen the "melody/neurone creation", the arm, fingers mouvements and the strings sounds.

Thank you and to Hal, nobody ever said such word near my name, it's super kind thank you.

And you're right, I already tried to go to in a music library here in Liège, showing my "24rags Joplin" homemade book, but the guy said to me that they don't edite new books anymore at the shop.. so.. Finally it was good cause I have 38 of them now (and plan to finish by arranging the few last "rags", cause there also the march and songs), and also did dozenes of coon songs and classic rag (all Turpin, plus lot of other). But I have no idea how to make that more official, I would like very much have these transcriptions in "real", not so much for selling (nobody will buy that), but for having a serious music related line on my cv.

Have a good evening

[Trapdoor2]

Yes, facial gymnastics. Just a little joke with Ian (who is our resident master of gurning). ;-)

Uncontrolled movements are very common. I don't tend towards facial movements...but I often get cramps in my feet when playing. I curl my toes very hard when I concentrate.

Rémi said:

Trapdoor what do you mean by gurning "no gurning either" ? incontrobale mouth/jaws mouvements ? Im not used to do it but I can understand that it appears to people sometimes, it can happened so much stuff during the time bewteen the "melody/neurone creation", the arm, fingers mouvements and the strings sounds.

[Rémi]

Oh I don't call gurning the way Thereallyniceguy is playing ! Quite the contrary, I find it very great and communicative, with kind smile and expressions when strong melodic lines and other are happening.

On the opposite side, I find the jazz guitar players the more comedian musicians in the world. I love jazz guitar ad play with a dude (bass) on tuesday (it was today), but can't stand the players who have facial expression of awe etc. for their own improvisations.

Haha for the feet I can und too, as the legs muscles can be conctracted parallely to the fingers/arms muscles!

By the way: I was checking some Frank lawes compsitions (on the music lirary here), so bad hat there are so much only for "banjo solo", because the work for getting the chords is 2x more. But surely I will arrange another Lawes compositions, they seems very fun and well constructed.

Bye

[Rémi]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fq-KeRFzIY8Hi,

Hi,

here is Keep It Going. I hasn't heard it before, that was a total discovery along the score. I tried to play the exact structure mentionned. A few notes note not well picked but the essential is +or- ok.

Have a good evening