Taller Dog: Listen
Cotton Eyed Joe/ Red River Jig
There are many versions of the Cotton Eyed Joe, from the Appalachian open tunings, to the "line dance country b******t version, to the Bob Wills' version. Generally, when men sing a song, a woman will sing it in a different key. Well, what are ya gonna do, when you're a woman who wants to play the fiddle tune AND sing it? The key becomes an issue. So I made up my own arrangement. Then, I made a medley out of it by adding the Metis fiddle tune "Red River Jig." The Metis are a tribe of first nation who mostly live in Manitoba and Norther Ontario, in Canada. They have the coolest sense of rhythm, and the most modal sound I've ever heard. They are mesmerizing to me. This particular version was the straightest, simplest version I could find because otherwise normal white people can't find them accessible to listen to. And, by the way, I played the fiddle and sang this on one mike at the same time, with no click track. Then I went back and overdubbed my guitar part.
For now, we'll skip lyrics. These are all traditional songs, (with the exception of Hoodoo Blues, which I wrote). I think the stories are what makes traditional music interesting.