Origins: Cherokee Maggie (youtube)

Subject: Origins: Cherokee Maggie
From: John Hardly
Date: 13 Jan 07 - 04:34 PM

Anyone know where this came from?

Subject: RE: Origins: Cherokee Maggie (youtube)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 13 Jan 07 - 04:45 PM

John, can you describe it for us rural dialup people who can't access Youtube?
thanks.
-Joe-

Subject: RE: Origins: Cherokee Maggie (youtube)
From: John Hardly
Date: 13 Jan 07 - 04:54 PM

Man, I wish I could. I'd say that as close as I can come to describing it is that it's an Em version of Jerusalem's Ridge (a tune usually played in Am) but it's not a four-parter like JR. It's just an AABB tune.

Another difference is that the B part is in E (instead of Em). Jerusalem's Ridge only departs for a brief one chord beat in C. This would be like a whole B part in A (if you were playing through JR)

Subject: RE: Origins: Cherokee Maggie (youtube)
From: John Hardly
Date: 14 Jan 07 - 09:45 AM

still wondering if anyone knows the origin of this tune. I can't find any record of it recorded or published anywhere.

Subject: RE: Origins: Cherokee Maggie (youtube)
From: John Hardly
Date: 14 Jan 07 - 09:47 AM

Oh, and I'm wrong.... it has three parts.

Subject: RE: Origins: Cherokee Maggie (youtube)
From: Richie
Date: 14 Jan 07 - 10:44 AM

The tune may be by Blaine Sprouse. Kenny Baker & Blaine Sprouse recorded it a while back, I have the recording somewhere.

Great song, the first strain is similar to Jerusalem Ridge.

Richie

Subject: RE: Origins: Cherokee Maggie (youtube)
From: Beer
Date: 14 Jan 07 - 10:56 AM

You forgot to mention John how great the young lady is and the mandolin player.
Beer
Aka (adrien)

Subject: RE: Origins: Cherokee Maggie (youtube)
From: John Hardly
Date: 14 Jan 07 - 11:24 AM

Good call, Richie!

From Blaine's website...

"Bela Fleck wrote Cherokie Maggie for this album. Bela Fleck is playing guitar on this tune and Sam Bush is playing banjo! This is one of the few recordings that Bela Fleck is playing lead guitar. Jerry Douglas is playing Dobro. This tune can be found on Blaine's third solo LP, Brilliancy (1985) Rounder Records 0209 and was produced by Bela Fleck. The LP is no longer available"

Subject: RE: Origins: Cherokee Maggie (youtube)
From: GUEST,Bob Coltman
Date: 14 Jan 07 - 11:32 AM

Joe:

In answer to your wish for a description, it's called "Carl and Sierra playing Cherokee Maggie." Takes place at Sierra's house. They're sitting side by side on a sofa, Carl in his 30s? (I'm no judge of age) and Sierra ordinary-attractive in old clothes and long dirtyblonde hair perhaps age 15? She plays a Dreadnought-style guitar, he an F-5 style mandolin.

The tune is a three-part minor gem, with no (to me) detectable traditional antecedents, much as described by others above. Very intricate in the Fleck style. Her guitar is mellow-toned and a little down in the (non-) mix.   Just one of those haphazard informal takes.

Carl's a deft strong mandolin player with a sharp quick attack, but it is Sierra who really shines as they toss the lead back and forth. She is one of those very smooth, understated, terrifically fluid flatpick guitarists, handling the tune with no fireworks but a laid-back professionalism. You will see her on bluegrass stages for years, believe me. She is one fine picker, making the near-impossible (for most people) look easy. Very offhand, startlingly good. Great listen. Bob

Subject: RE: Origins: Cherokee Maggie (youtube)
From: John Hardly
Date: 14 Jan 07 - 11:39 AM

Good description, Bob. I thought Joe wanted to know about the tune, but your description was just a nice read on its own. And yeah, you described Sierra very well.

I saw her featured in Flatpicking Guitar Magazine a year or so back along with other "Women of Flatpicking", but the accompanying CD didn't feature any of her playing. I was tickled to get to hear this bit.

If one were to look further through the YouTube files of Sierra and her pop, you'd see she does well on mandolin too.

The video is just as enjoyable to watch as it is to hear.