Photo: Ruthven Lane, off Byres Road, 2003. Note guitar case as described on "In My Life" page!
I recorded this CD "At Home, In the Street" round about 2001 when I was working as a street musician.
It has music I played in the street together with some tunes I would have played at home.
Track 1 Sleepers Awake (Watchet Auf) (J.S.Bach.) In Thomas Pynchon's novel "Vineland" he describes this as "one of the best tunes ever to come out of Europe." That was enough to get my attention!
Track 2 We Shall Be Happy A hymn tune, learned from a recording of John Kirkpatrick and Sue Harris playing this on hammer dulcimer and concertina.(DADGBE)
Track 3 The Humours of Whisky A slip jig, I learned this from the arrangement by the virtuoso guitar payer Duck Baker.(DADGBE)
Track 4 The Silver Swan by Scott Joplin (arr. Ton Van Bergeyk) (DADGBE)
Track 5 Wilson Rag (Elizabeth Cotton) This version is very different from Elizabeth Cotton's original but that's where it started.
Track 6 Modal Tune One of my own, composed while playing in the street one day.
Track 7 Blind Mary A tune by the Irish harper Carolan.(EADEAE)
Track 8 G Blues My blues in G.
Track 9 St Louis Tickle A ragtime tune.
Track 10 C pick Fingerpicking in the key of C.
Track 11 There Will Be a Happy Meeting. I heard this on Ry Cooder's "Jazz" album. It's originally by the Bahamian guitarist Joseph Spence.(DADGBE)
Track 12 George Brabazon An Irish tune that some credit to Carolan.(DADGAD)
Track 13 Slide 1 My slide guitar tune of the time.
Track 13 Lady Athenry A Carolan tune. An Irish harp player and composer of the 17th century, he travelled the country and wrote tunes which he named for friends and patrons.(EADEAE)
Track 14 C Blues
Track 15 West Coast Rag A basic busking version of West Coast Blues by the amazing and wonderful Blind Bake.
Track 16 Save Up Your Money(Etta Baker)
Track 17 Carolan's Draught One of Carolan's best known tunes.(EADEAE)
Track 18 The Long Day One of my tunes developed while playing in the street.
Track 19 The Dark Plaintive Youth I first heard Martin Simpson play this tune and I learned this by following his arrangement.(DADGAD)
Track 20 C Pick 2 Another fingerpicking tune in the key of C.
Track 21 Happy Blues "It just sounds so happy!" she said, hence the title.
Track 22 Slide 2 A little slide guitar to end.(DADGBE)
Celtic Knot lino cut by Barney Higgins
