Category: Au Gre des Vents

Download my new CD!

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It’s finally ready! Download!

My new CD, L’Autre Diatoniste, is now ready for download over at bandcamp! Minimum cost is seven dollars, which was bandcamp’s recommendation. Here’s a track list:

L’Autre Diatoniste at bandcamp

1. La Souflette 3:29
2. FRLO Anthem 4:53
3. Polka Piquee & Polka de l’Aveyron 2:42
4. L’intermittent 2:29
5. Les Filles de Saint Nicholas 2:57
6. Catherine’s Psaltery 3:15
7. Two Mazurkas 2:34
8. Hanter Dro 3:16
9. Not That Guy’s Gavotte 2:00
10. Two Scottishes 2:55
11. Twentieth Century Rondeau 3:41
12. Ballad Of The Bachelor 4:40

I am very pleased with how this all turned out. The recording itself came out great and the process that made it was fantastic and joyful. I’m going to miss working on this project.

I am grateful. Producer Caleb Orion was generous in his time and expertise. And excellent critical friend. Steve Gruverman – of clarinet, sax, and bombarde – has been a part of my musical journey for years. A good number of tunes here, I learned from him. He is an amazing tune finder! Thanks to Will Leavitt. Thanks to Thierry Laplaud, Frèdèric Bordois, and Au Gre des Vents (Danyéle Besserer and Gilles Péquignot), for letting me use their amazing tunes. Thanks also to all the folks over at melodeon.net who have been an invaluable and general support over the past two years.

L’intermittent

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UPDATE: Gilles Péquignot of Au Gré des Vent has pointed me to their more current web site — Association Carnet de Bal. On that site, four of the group’s albums are available for streaming. They also have about twenty-five tunes available as sheet music.

Continuing my fascination with asymmetric tunes — and my fascination with the Alsatian duo Au Gré des Vents — I present one of their most infectious tunes. “L’intermittent” is the opening track of their album Fraxinelles. It’s a scottisch-marche-valse composed by Danyèle Besserer. Here’s their recording of the tune.

“L’intermittent” excerpt by Au Gre des Vents

And here’s a recording of my band, Le Bon Truc, performing same. As Gilles pointed out to me, we take the tune much more freely in this context. He calls it “Wagnerian,” which is fair. For dancers, of course, regularity is everything (all of the “ones” are an equal distance apart).

And for those who want to try such a thing for themselves, here are the dots for the tune, as transcribed by the inestimable Steve Gruverman.

Gilles Péquignot and Danyèle Besserer, with

Sylvain Piron in the tricorn hat.

BONUS Picture, sent to me by Mary Line, of the Journal d’Alsace. That’s the duo on the right, with Sylvain Piron in the tricorn hat.

Branle Asymétrique

Published on by Gary Chapin1 Comment

A branle is a medieval dance, still done in many areas of France and Germany. It’s pronounced “brawl,” and is the etymological foremother of the modern word for a chaotic outbreak of fisticuffs — which should tell you something about the dance. This branle is found on the album Du Piment Dans Le Kugelhopf – Musiques d’Alsace À Danser by the fabulous Alsatian duo, Au Gre des Vents. This is my second attempt at recording it. At first I played it as a 5/4 waltz, but Gilles, of Au Gre Des Vent, emailed me and pointed out that there’s one bar in there that is in 6/4. Tricksy tune! Hopefully, I got it right this time! This was recorded for the Theme of the Month over on Mel.net.

Special thanks to Flora, the Boston Terrier, and her invaluable support.

COMING SOON! An interview with Au Gre Des Vent!