Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Morrison's Reel, Kim Thal live!

Hey Riskitos, this evening I have a recording of Kim Thal playing Morrison's Funk with her band.  The first half is normal, the second half gets funky.  Try playing along, see if you can keep up!

https://db.tt/cCJFYMu5

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Set List: Concert Tue Nov. 19th, meet @ 9:30 at Chautaukua

To play with Risk Jr.
Boil 'em cabbage
Early morning blues
Risk
Mari's wedding
Ashoken Farewell
Morrison's
Snowdens
Bayou ponpon
Here comes the sun
Swallowtail
Blackthorn stick/Ten penny bit
Hangu and freylachs from podoloy
Kesh jig
Mari's wedding
We'll meet at Chautauqua a bit before we play to tune and warm up at 9:30am on Tuesday, Nov. 19th, then perform at 10am.  Performers should wear a Risk shirt or another black shirt that morning.

Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Ashokan Farewell

A real treat in this post, Ashokan Farewell played by the composer himself.  Sheet music and chords included below as usual.  Meant to be played as the last song when saying goodbye.

http://youtu.be/2kZASM8OX7s



Kesh jig

In this post you'll find the sheet music, chords and a recording of the Kesh Jig!  It is even in a set with Morrison's, which we plan to do :-)

http://youtu.be/aV90v6pyK18



Odessa Bulgarish

Here you will find the sheet music and chords for the great klezmer tune Odessa Bulgarish, in the key of A minor. It can be played nicely in first or third position on fiddles, and in third position on violas.




http://youtu.be/eonPVJO5mVg

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Vashon RISK starts fall season Sept. 24th @ 3:45pm

Celebrating our fourth year of excellent folk orchestra music, the Rock Island String Collective is beginning fall rehearsals on Tuesday, Sept 24th, 3:45 - 4:45pm.   Note the new time!  Everyone is welcome to join, no audition is needed, invite your friends and family!

Fall season will run nine weeks through mid November.  Our set list this season will bring back a handful of favorites from last year, and will introduce a new Beattles melody, a Blues song from Tracy Chapman, new Irish, Cajun, French Canadian and Klezmer tunes, a gypsy swing song, and maybe even a piece from the Red Hot Chili Peppers!  As always, the songs have been arranged for string orchestra by your fearless leaders, Kim Thal and Shane Jewell.

Location: Minglement Conference Room.

Cost: $5/per day or $40 for the 9-week session. No one turned away for lack of funds.

Concerts: We are hoping to do a concert at Chautauqua Elementary School during their lunch hour on Tuesday, Nov. 19th around noon (save the date). More info on that to come.  For more info on our schedule this winter, visit the calendar page.
New Pieces:
  1. Kesh Jig
  2. Morrison's Reel
  3. Ashoken Farewell
  4. the Terk in America
  5. Bosco Stomp
  6. Banish Misfortune
  7. Give me one Reason to Stay Here
  8. Drowsy Maggie
  9. Minor Swing
  10. Round the Horn
  11. Imagine
  12. Poleen
  13. Fluer de Mandragore
  14. Jolie Blon
  15. Under the Bridge
Pieces from last season:


Friday, August 9, 2013

Risk plays at OSpace, Sat. Aug 17, meet @ 3:15

Risk's ultimate show of the summer  (i.e. last :-) is coming to the Open Air show in the field outside O Space, next Saturday, Aug. 17th.  We will play at 3:45 pm, so performers should plan to arrive at 3:15 to tune and warm up together.  The weather promises to be beautiful, the performances awesome, the people amazing.

Performers, in preparation, play through the songs played at strawberry festival, you will find the set list here:
http://riskollective.blogspot.com/2013/07/risk-at-vashon-strawberry-festival.html

Concert dress is your risk T-shirt (or a black shirt) and dark pants or shorts.  We've been asked to play for about 20 minutes to get the show started.  See you there!

Friday, July 19, 2013

RISK at the Vashon Strawberry Festival, Saturday 2:15pm, Varsa Stage

Come hear RISK perform this Saturday (tomorrow) at the Vashon Strawberry Festival's Varsa stage (where the farmer's market is held), at 2:15pm.  

Notes for performers: wear your RISK shirts!  Plan to get there 20 minutes early to unpack and tune instruments.  We will play the set list we worked on this spring:

  1. Mari's Wedding
  2. Cluck Old Hen
  3. Eleanor Rigby
  4. Swallowtail Jig ---> Ten Penny Bit
  5. Bayou Pon Pon
  6. Snowden's Jig
  7. Hangu ---> Freylachs from Podoloy
  8. Blackthorn Stick
  9. Here Comes the Sun
  10. Mari's Wedding

Saturday, June 22, 2013

Island Folk Orchestra Summer Song List

Hello Riskies,  thought I'd share a post that our guitarist Karen did over on the Beachcomber blog - check out some fun pictures of the event too :)
http://blogs.vashonbeachcomber.com/gardenon/blog/happy-homesteading/2310/


Here's the set list for our performances this summer:

  1. Mari's Wedding
  2. Cluck Old Hen
  3. Eleanor Rigby
  4. Swallowtail Jig ---> Ten Penny Bit
  5. Bayou Pon Pon
  6. Snowden's Jig
  7. Hangu ---> Freylachs from Podoloy
  8. Blackthorn Stick
  9. Here Comes the Sun
  10. Mari's Wedding
RISK will meet this Tuesday at Minglemint for the last gathering and celebration of the Spring Season at 3:30 as usual. Next we will meet is Tuesday July 16th, 3:30 at Minglemint again, for a pre-strawberry festival warm-up.  See the calendar for more details about our performances this summer.  Saturday July 20th at 3pm we will perform at Strawberry Festival.  August 17th at 1pm we will perform at the Open Air show outside Ospace as well.

Thanks for a great winter of music everyone!  See you soon!
S&K

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

RISK summer concerts

We have a Strawberry Festival show on Saturday, July 20th around 3pm, more info TBA. 

Also, mark you calendars for another interesting date:  Saturday, August 17th RISK has been invited to play at the O Space Open Air event between 1 and 3pm.  Open Air is an Outdoor aerial performance festival, featuring local, regional and national artists; the community is invited to bring a blanket, a picnic and pay what they can! More info coming as it gets closer :)

That's it for now.  Keep loose!  Don't get too tight!  And keep your rosin dry...

 S

(Rosin being made:)

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

5/30/13 7:15pm RISK String Orchestra RSVP + Gods and Goddesses

Next week we have an evening string session planned for the last Thursday of this month, and need your input if you want it to happen!

Evening RISK is something Kim and I thought up so that people with busy schedules during the day can come play some good folk music in the evening from 7:15pm to 8:15pm on Thursday, May 30th. Please RSVP to this post if you plan on coming - if we get enough replies, Kim and I will be there next thursday! If we don't, we'll let those who RSVP know, and we'll all have a nice quiet evening at home :)  So, invite your friends, neighbors and family!  We ask that participants chip in $5 if they have not joined RISK this session.

On another note, I had a request for the words to the Medieval song Gods and Goddesses:

Gods and Goddesses
Angels Fairies
Boys and Girls
Come dance in May

Gods and Goddesses
Angels Fairies
Boys and Girls
Come dance in May


Sun and Moon
and Rain and Stars
and Earth and Sky and
Trees and Light

Sun and Moon
and Rain and Stars
and Earth and Sky and
Trees and Light

Monday, May 6, 2013

May Festival RISK


RISK has been invited to play the music for the spring May Festival Dance on Saturday, May 18th from 1pm to 4pm.  The celebration will take place at the Homestead School, 16245 Westside Hwy, Vashon, WA.  

May Day is related to the Celtic festival of Beltane and the Germanic festival of Walpurgis Night. May Day falls half a year from November 1 – another cross-quarter day which is also associated with various northern European paganisms and the year in the Northern Hemisphere – and it has traditionally been an occasion for popular and often raucous celebrations.
As Europe became Christianized, the pagan holidays lost their religious character and either changed into popular secular celebrations, as with May Day, or were merged with or replaced by new Christian holidays as with ChristmasEaster, and All Saint's Day. In the 20th and continuing into the 21st century, many neopagans began reconstructing the old traditions and celebrating May Day as a pagan religious festival again.

Here's a map to the event:

View Larger Map

Thursday, May 2, 2013

RISK STARTS TUESDAY ;-)



Hello RISK-ateers!!
RISK STARTS UP AGAIN NEXT TUES., MAY 7th, 3:30!!

We will be starting a new session that will take us to the end of June.

Tuition is $35 if paid by May 15th, or you can pay as you go--$5/class.

Also, we never turn anyone away for lack of funds.  So please join us.

See you all soon,

Kim and Shane

PS: We're scheduled to play at Strawberry Festival Saturday afternoon. More info to come.

Sunday, March 31, 2013

Song List for VCCC Concert THIS TUES.


Song List for VCCC (4/2/13)  SEE YOU AT 3:45; Bring a stand if you need one.  I have 2 extras.  Let's have a blast!

1 Mari’s Wedding ---3 X

2. Bayou Pon Pon X2

3. Elenor Rigby 3X

4. Cluck Old Hen
aa bb X2

5. Hongu  Podoloy 1X(aa bb)—Frielach Podoloy 1X (aa bb)

6. Favorite Things 1X
ends on G chord

7. Swallowtail Jig X2

8. Here Comes the Sun:
Arrangement:
Guitars: intro (verse), chorus
Everyone: verse, chorus
                 Verse, chorus

Bridge F  C  G  D X 4
Turnaround A7 A7  Em7 A7

Verse, Chorus

Bridge 3 times loud then fade for 3 more times guitars end on D chord.

9. Blackthorn Stick X1
(aa, bb)

10. Snowden's Jig:
start with rhythm
Violins come in 1X thru
All in at G chord
All together 2X
End with 4X sad 3 blind mice…then rhythm

11.  Mari’s Wedding –X3

Saturday, February 16, 2013

Vashon Benefit for RISK String Orchestra a huge success!

Dear RISK,

Thank you so much for a FABULOUS evening at the Red Bike!!  The music was beautiful and inspiring to all who heard and was a great way to start off the evening. 

What a great showing of support for RISK and RISK Junior: we are so fortunate to be in a community that values music in all it's forms.  Fourty eight musicians came together to sing love duets, and helped us raise $875 for the RISK and RISK jr. scholarship funds!

We're looking forward to more concerts: Strawberry Festival, VCCC,  Farmer's Market, and much, much more.

See you in two weeks (no RISK this coming Tues). Looking forward to starting a new Klezmer song after break!

With Much Appreciation,

Shane, Kim, Sarah, and Michael

Wednesday, February 6, 2013

An evening of Duets to benifit R.I.S.K.

Friday, February 15th
Come out to the Red Bicycle Bistro and Sushi for an evening of song to benifit RISK! Musicians will pair together to perform duets in never before seen combinations of talent. You won't want to miss this. Invite your family, bring your friends, pass the word!

The concept is simple - the only requirement is that it is two people on stage and they both have to sing a duet together, preferably with a love theme. Like the Backbone shows, we will rotate these duo's through so there is a nice variety of music throughout the night. We are requesting one to two songs for each duo and they can be covers or originals. Hear the RISK string Ensemble itself open the show at 7pm. Emcees for this event will be Allison Shirk and Cami Lundeen.

All proceeds from this event will go to the Rock Island String Kollective (R.I.S.K.).  RISK, Vashon Island's string group is one of few string orchestras for fiddle music, folk and rock in a cozy, coffee house setting here on the Island. RISK welcomes a range of string instruments including Violin, Viola, Cello, Guitar, Ukulele, Mandolin, Banjo and Harp. This chamber orchestra brings a string band flavor to Irish music, Klezmer, the Beatles, Red Hot Chili Peppers and more. For ages 8 to 88. Proceeds from this show will go towards the RISK scholarship fund.

For more information: http://vashonevents.com/#/thursday-february-14th-and-friday-february-15th/ 

P.S. We are still looking for volunteers to help take donations at the door - if you can help us out, please drop us a note.  Thanks!

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

My Favorite Things/Here Comes the Sun chords

Just a quick note:  I updated two songs today:  Here comes the Sun and My Favorite Things now have better chords!  Check them out, print them out :)

shane

Friday, January 25, 2013

Vashon's String Ensemble evening for the Folk


http://www.utahagenda.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/Bluegrass-Festival.jpg
Hello Vashon Fiddlers, Pickers and Strummers,

Next Thursday, 1/31, at 7:00 will be our first EVENING RISK for the year.  We invite any and all of you to attend!  We will jam until about 8:30 at Minglement in the Library.
 
Every last thursday we have an evening session inspired by string players who cannot make it to RISK's normal afternoon time: players of all ages are welcome. Please enter through the FRONT, MIDDLE door on the porch.  

Thanks and hope to see you there!

Cheers,
Kim and Shane

Monday, January 14, 2013

RISK Songlist! New session starts this Tuesday @ 3:30

Welcome back everyone!

Nothing like a nice cold dark winter for toasty folk music.  Here is the list of songs we are playing this session!  Check the RISK Calendar, and mark your own calendars!

All players (or their supportive and loving parents) should print out all sheet music for this session, and place it in a black three ring binder to bring to RISK each week. Clicking on each song name will take you to the post about that song.

List of things to bring tomorrow:
  • black 3 ring binder with music
  • pencil for taking notes
  • your instrument of choice
  • $1, $5 or $10 for t-shirts, whatever you can afford
  • $40 for winter session dues (by the second session)
We're really excited to see where all the new developments this season take us!  Let's get together and make some noise!

Shane and Kim

Old Songs to bring back
Mari's Wedding
Hangu
Snowdens
Gravel Walk
Eleanor Rigby
Bayou Ponpon
Blackthorn/Ten Penny/Swallowtail

New Songs
Cluck Old Hen
Sis Draper/Arkensas Traveller
Morrison's
Round the Horn
Favorite Things
All of Me
Jumbolaya
Don't mess with my Tutu
Freylachs from Podoloy
Hava Nagila
Here Comes the Sun

(Note: not all songs include sheetmusic!  Some will have to be learned by ear from the recordings and/or in RISK.)

Here Comes the Sun, ukulule and guitar chords, and lyrics


My last new song post for the RISK Winter Season comes with a truly awesome video - melody instruments get to learn this one by ear.  I just finished listening to it four times in a row, I will say no more, just watch this:

http://youtu.be/LqjB667G87U




REVISED VERSION OF:


HERE COMES THE SUN

This might be a little easier to read.  Also, let's keep it in D so no Capo's needed.

D                            G                     A7
Little darling, it’s been a long, cold, lonely winter
D                              G                     A7
Little darling, it feels like years since it’s been here
D             D7    G              E7              D
Here comes the sun, here comes the sun, and I say: “It’s
           A7
allright!"


D                           G               A7
Little darling, the smiles returning to their faces
D                             G                      A7
Little darling, it seems like years since it’s been here
D              D7    G             E7              D
Here comes the sun, here comes the sun, and I say: “It’s
           A7
allright!"


F    C    G                 D  D
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes 
F    C    G                 D  D
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes
F    C    G                 D  D
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes
F    C    G                 D  A7  A7  Em7  A7
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes

D                              G               A7
Little darling, I feel that ice is slowly melting

D                                 G                    A7
Little darling, it seems like years since it’s been here
D               D7    G             E7              D
Here comes the sun, here comes the sun, and I say: “It’s
          A7
allright!"
D              D7    G             E7              D
Here comes the sun, here comes the sun, and I say: “It’s
          A7
allright!"

F C G G D

 
 

The Greatest Hit of all Klezmer, Hava Nagila! Sheet music, chords, lyrics, and a recording

Probably the most widely known Klezmer tune these days all over the world - often played at celebrations, the song starts slow, then steadily increases in tempo, causing the circling dancers to accellerate till their feet are flying!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soUjj-asquM&fmt=18


"Hava Nagila," meaning "Let Us Rejoice," is perhaps the best known Jewish folk song and is a staple for bands playing at Jewish festivals. The melody was taken from a Ukrainian folk song. The lyrics were probably written by Abraham Zvi Idelsohn in 1918 to celebrate the British victory in Palestine during World War I as well as the Balfour Declaration of 1917.
The Lyrics in English:
Let's rejoice
Let's rejoice
Let's rejoice and be happy
Let's sing
Let's sing
Let's sing and be happy
Awake, brothers, awake
Awake, brothers, with a happy heart
Awake, brothers, awake brothers
With a happy heart


-------------------quote from http://messiahstudies.org/HavaNagila.html

Freylachs from Podoly, klezmer sheetumusic, recording and chords


This is a companion song to the one we learned earlier this year, Hangu from Podoloy.  Sheet music and chords are below.  Click the youtube link to start at 1:40, where Freylachs begins, or hit play in the screen below to hear both tunes together!

http://youtu.be/0NP4Fwy5yrM?t=1m40s





Don’t Mess With My Toot Toot, chords, lyrics, and recording

Click here for the youtube live concert, Doug Kershaw and his band playing don't mess with my toot toot:
http://youtu.be/pQjGc2NdrAQ

No sheet music for this one, we'll learn it by ear!

By Denise La Salle 
Tabbed By Larry Mofle

Chorus: 
G
Don’t mess with my toot toot 
G
Don’t mess with my toot toot 
                        D
You can have the other woman 
                      G
But don’t mess with my toot toot 

Verse 1:
G
When I was born in my birth suit 
G
The doctor made up his mind 
                          D 
He said: “You're gonna be special 
                 G     
You're gonna be fine
 
So you can look as much 
But if you much as touch 
You’re gonna have yourself a case 
I’m gonna break your face 

Chorus

Solo 
 
Chorus 
 
Repeat 1st verse

Chorus

Jumbolaya Cajun tune, recording, sheetmusic and chords and lyrics!

Jumbolaya's another Cajun tune, written by Hank Williams, and may be based on an older Cajun tune, like the way much music truly is based on what came before, especially in the folk tradition.

Here's R Cajun and the Zydeco Brothers playing it: sheetmusic, chords and lyrics await your viewing pleasure below :)

http://youtu.be/ehvPAGE8pw4




Jambalaya
written and recorded by Hank Williams 
G                             D7
Goodbye Joe me gotta go me oh my oh
                                      G
Me gotta go pole the pirogue down the bayou
                                 D7
My Yvonne the sweetest one me oh my oh
                                       G
Son of a gun we'll have big fun on the bayou
 
                                       D7
Jambalaya and a crawfish pie and filet gumbo
                                       G
Cause tonight I'm gonna see my ma cher amio
                                  D7
Pick guitar fill fruit jar and be gay-o
                                       G
Son of a gun we'll have big fun on the bayou
 
                                   D7
Thibodaux Fontaineaux the place is buzzing
                                  G
Kinfolk come to see Yvonne by the dozen
                                     D7
Dress in style and go hog wild me oh my oh
                                       G
Son of a gun we'll have big fun on the bayou
 
                                     D7
Settle down far from town get me a pirogue
                                   G
And I'll catch all the fish in the bayou
                                   D7
Swap my mon to buy Yvonne what she need-oh
                                       G
Son of a gun we'll have big fun on the bayou
 
repeat #2

Sunday, January 13, 2013

My Favorite Things Sheet Music, Chords, and the Turtle Island String Quartet!

From The Sound of Music musical, this song has become a jazz and gypsy swing standard.  Here's sheetmusic and chords, and below a video of the Turtle Island String Quartet performing live.  Cello solo at 2:45, you've been warned.

http://youtu.be/xKDwzihp1GI

All of Me: sheetmusic, chords, and a recording: what more could you want?

Ok, gypsy swing here we come, All Of ME! By Seymour Simons and Gerald Marks. Get Down.

http://youtu.be/uXp-x_QCKvs

Round the horn, sheet music and Mandolin Tab, guitar chords

Just like the title says, here it is, sheet music and Mandolin Tab:

Morrison's Jig, sheet music and chords, fiddlers take a risk in the video!

Sheet music, chords and Mandolin Tab, check out below for a really impressive video of two gals bowing eachother's violins in a Morrison's duet!

http://youtu.be/0atTlbeI110

Sis Draper chords and lyrics, and Arkansas Traveller sheet music for fiddlers and Mandolin

The song Sis Draper was written by Guy Clark and Shawn Camp, and has been played by a number of well known bands including Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder.  Verses and Chorus' alternate with the first and second line of Arkansas Traveller.  Here's sheetmusic for fiddles and TAB for mandolin, see below for how the fiddle tune fits into the lyrics and chords.


Here are the chords and lyrics:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/24312009/RISK/Sis%20Draper%20Lyrics%20and%20Chords.pdf

and a video of Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder performing at Bluegrass Underground IN A CAVE (how cool is that):
http://youtu.be/mvgQa5IgFTE