BANJOJUDY - Posted - 03/27/2010:  07:38:59

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The volunteer for this week's tune failed to post a tune, so I am going to post one. As I am on my way to the airport in a few minutes, this is not going to be an in depth post. I am merely getting things started, knowing that the rest of you will follow through.

This week's tune is Big Liza Jane. It is played in double D tuning, and I was introduced to it by my friend in ABQ, Robert Fleming. Other than Robert playing it for me, the only version I had was of Nancy Sluys.

When Adam Hurt was visiting, I asked him to play it for me, and I was lucky enough to catch the recording/video that I uploaded to you tube (youtube.com/watch?v=6UG1rqzRa8k). There are other youtube videos, so I will let you look for those after you watch Adam in action.

I know nothing about the history of the tune. It is a catchy melody and fun to play.

un5trung - Posted - 03/27/2010:  08:12:56

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I don't know if it's the same tune, but Bob Thornburg plays Liza Jane with a grain measure banjo on the Banjo Gathering CD. It's a great tune -- IMHO one of the highlights of CD that features a lot of highlights! As I recall the liner notes suggest that he learned this tune in direct transmission from Doug Dillard. The CD is in the car - I'll have to check and confirm that.

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Edited by - un5trung on 03/27/2010 08:16:58

vrteach - Posted - 03/27/2010:  08:35:12

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That is a good tune, and new to me (at least by that name). Doesn't seem to be recorded much, nor much info on fiddlers companion:

BIG LIZA JANE. Old-Time, Breakdown. D Major. Standard tuning. AABB’. Source for notated version: Franklin George (W.Va.) via Alan Garren & Rose City Aces (Portland, Oregon) [Songer]. Songer (Portland Collection), 1997; pg. 28.

There is a guitar version by Mason Brown at:

cdbaby.com/cd/masonbrown (and also emusic)

It also shows up on an album by Wild Notes, but it is the last tune of a medley:
cdbaby.com/cd/wildnotes2 (and also emusic)

Also on flat-pick guitar by Todd Hallawell:
cdbaby.com/cd/hallawellkessinger

Mountain Dulcimer by Bonnie Russell:
emusic.com/album/Bonnie-Russel...5494.html

The Todd Hallawell version reminds me of the tune that I know as "Hard Road to Travel"

banjohangout.org/myhangout/med...archived=

But the other versions don't.

Edit: now that I view the Adam Hurt video again, I think it is the same melody as what I learned as "Hard Road to Travel"

Here is a version of that tune from the Fiddle Hangout, by "Hawaiian Hayseed"

fiddlehangout.com/myhangout/me...icID=1103

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Edited by - vrteach on 03/27/2010 08:45:31

banjo bill-e - Posted - 03/27/2010:  11:31:39

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unStrung, what Bob Thornburg played was a different tune than Big Liza Jane. His source was Dwight Diller, and I think that the tune is often called Liza Poor Girl. I agree that his performance is a highlight of Banjo Gathering, and it has put a serious lust in my heart for one of Bob's banjos. Both of these Liza tunes are different from yet another tune, Little Liza Jane.
So, we have Big Liza, Little Liza, and Poor Liza.

olpete - Posted - 03/27/2010:  12:38:29

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Good pick Judy. I learned this tune off of Kyle Creed's Liberty album. Every time I tell some one let's play Big Liza Jane they always play the other Liza Jane's. So we started calling it Creed's Big Liza Jane. Here's a link to my BHO page with a pretty simple version of the tune.
banjohangout.org/myhangout/med...archived=

ramjo - Posted - 03/27/2010:  12:43:08

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Nice job, olpete. Fine playing on a fine tune.

jsmapr1 - Posted - 03/27/2010:  13:26:53

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That's a good tune. Don't think I've heard it before. I appreciate the video you posted, thank for focusing on the hands.

un5trung - Posted - 03/27/2010:  13:40:04

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Thanks for the correction, BanjoBill-e!

Bisbonian - Posted - 03/27/2010:  17:02:24

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quote:

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Originally posted by banjo bill-e

Both of these Liza tunes are different from yet another tune, Little Liza Jane.
So, we have Big Liza, Little Liza, and Poor Liza.

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...and one of my favorites, Goodbye Liza Jane (AKA "Going Back to Cairo" and not to be confused with "Goodbye Sweet Liza"). One time, at a jam, we played as many "Liza" tunes as we could think of. I wasn't familiar with this one, though.

J-Walk - Posted - 03/27/2010:  18:23:20

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quote:

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I wasn't familiar with this one, though.

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That's because you don't spend enough time jammin' with me, Bisbo. I play that one all the time. Learned it from the Nancy Sluys recording.

Also, check out her recording of Kyle Creed's Lost Indian:

myspace.com/nancysluys

That one blows my socks off. Another year, and I'll have it down.

Dock Jekel - Posted - 03/27/2010:  21:03:27

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I understand that "Liza Jane" was a code for a prostitute.

WildJimbo - Posted - 03/27/2010:  21:05:58

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Thanks for the tune suggestion Judy! Listened to several versions and I think Adam's is just awesome (no duh!).

Anyway, who'd would be dumb enough to post their version of the tune after hearing Adam's? Well, obviously 'olpete' and me. :) We are what we are, and no sense in being ashamed of ourselves if we're giving it a fair try, eh?

Here's my quick and dirty version I just recorded after seeing this thread. I probably spent more time fussing with the computer than I did with the tune, but I'll remedy that over the next several days.

-=Jim Pankey

I'm teaching clawhammer at Acoustic Kamp this year. Register today! acoustic-camp.com

Big Liza Jane

olpete - Posted - 03/27/2010:  23:56:13

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Thanks for the kind words ramjo.
I always knew I was kind of dumb but after hearing Jim's version too I might as well be banging two rocks together. Nice job Jim.

ramjo - Posted - 03/28/2010:  05:04:28

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Wild Jimbo, is it because, as Dock says, Liza was a lady of ill repute that you had to make a quick and dirty version?

Sounds pretty clean to me. She must've been one of those high-end escort types.

In all seriousness, really great playing!

WildJimbo - Posted - 03/28/2010:  07:28:33

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Thad...

Absolutely nothing at all bad about your version. I'll bang rocks with you any time. Maybe "dumb" was a bad word choice; "brave" may have been a better word. Then again there's a fine line between dumb and brave too.

-=Jim Pankey

I'm teaching clawhammer at Acoustic Kamp this year. Register today! acoustic-camp.com

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Edited by - WildJimbo on 03/28/2010 07:31:22

olpete - Posted - 03/28/2010:  08:54:54

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" there's a fine line between dumb and brave too"

What a true statement Jim. My wife tells me that regularly.

wormpicker - Posted - 03/28/2010:  09:13:18

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quote:

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Originally posted by J-Walk


That's because you don't spend enough time jammin' with me, Bisbo. I play that one all the time.

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J-Walk even taught me that one. In fact, he teaches it to me almost every time we jam. Next time you come down here, Bisbo, he'll have to teach it to us both.

Paul

tomberghan - Posted - 03/28/2010:  10:04:08

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quote:

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Originally posted by Dock Jekel

I understand that "Liza Jane" was a code for a prostitute.

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Possibly . . . maybe in some circles . . . I've never heard that before . . . . but the name "Liza Jane" or "Eliza Jane" was a standard female character name in minstrel shows. That seems a more likely source with regard to these OT tunes, many of which come down to us from the minstrel shows.

WildJimbo - Posted - 03/30/2010:  06:38:00

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Hey! Where is everyone??

Did I scare y'all off with my recording?

-=Jim

Sign up for Old-Time Banjo at Acoustic Kamp! acoustic-camp.com

jojo25 - Posted - 03/30/2010:  15:55:45

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this yankee has to post this story

about 15 years ago me and the fam where camping out in southern Texas over spring break...only one other family was there...our 4 yr old son took to playing with the 2 kids from the other family...after the usual prelims the kids got along just fine...then after an hour or so, the little girl from the other fam (we're talking 4 yr olds here, OK?) came over to me and told me, in a deep Texas drawl...

"your son is soooo handsome"

her name was Liza Jane

I swear it was

Dock Jekel - Posted - 03/30/2010:  20:43:15

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Jojo25, that is the funniest thing I've heard all day, by far! LOL

LyleK - Posted - 04/01/2010:  16:22:09

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As an exercise in futility, I've tried to tab out Adam's version. One of the reasons this is so futile is because an element of Adam's style is that he effortless changes his playing as he is going along. So the tab I wrote is only for his first time through (the 2nd time is different). But the tab does show some of the things that make Adam's playing so special. He mixes "Round Peak Style" elements with "melodic clawhammer" to very pleasing effect. To see this, look at:

hangoutstorage.com/banjohangou...42010.tef

or

hangoutstorage.com/banjohangou...42010.pdf

Measure 4 is particularly "Round Peaky" while the last two measures are "melodic clawhammer." He also uses the low strings to get a lot of resonance, as in the first measure of the B part. There he is "splitting" the playing of the G chord, while I know that I would have just thoughtlessly brushed across the whole dang chord.

edit: in re-posting the tab, the links changed, so above are the proper current links

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Edited by - LyleK on 04/06/2010 00:32:05

ramjo - Posted - 04/01/2010:  16:51:50

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LyleK--thanks for posting that tab. I can really learn a lot by trying to follow in Adam's finger prints, so to speak. I may not end up copying this version when I finally make it my own, but having worked through it will definitely improve my technique. Thanks again.

BANJOJUDY - Posted - 04/01/2010:  17:53:55

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Lyle:

Thanks for doing the tab. Adam played that little piece of music for me to record after I had played my version that I learned from listening to Nancy Sluys. I was curious as to how he would play the tune, and if memory serves me correctly, I believe I asked him to do the variations - not sure he would normally do that - but it sure is nice to have you analyze his interpretation and tab it out for others.

What I like about Adam's style on this tune (as to compared to my style/version) is that he takes his time and slides the notes slowly without a rushed feeling. Gotta slow my version down now....

See you in 2 weeks - the jam will be a blast! All you anthropology guys getting together for an old-time musical experience in ABQ.

mtnmanjs - Posted - 04/04/2010:  11:23:17

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That was awesome and what a great player .Really cool looking Banjo Inlays.
I'm working on trying to figure out the right hand on that PDF.
Thanks.

LyleK - Posted - 04/04/2010:  12:56:03

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quote:

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Originally posted by mtnmanjs
I'm working on trying to figure out the right hand on that PDF.

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My bad. I've gotten into the lazy habit of not indicating anything about the right hand in tabs. Usually this won't matter because the index (or middle) is used only on down-beats and the thumb only on off-beats. But Adam does use a "roll" ("arpeggio," etc.) twice in the B part. I've marked that with "I I" under the relevant notes on the *.pdf, meaning that the index (or middle) hits on the down-beat and then follows through to the next string on the up-beat.