Creole Belles - Ragtime instrumental

"Creole Belles - March and Two-Step" is a cakewalk written by composer J. Bodewalt Lampe in the year 1900. Lyrics were added to the middle section and it became a popular song of it's day.
Mississippi John Hurt, the country-blues guitarist, eventually turned this part of the composition into a song which he used to play and sing as : 'My Creole Belle'. This is the version that most people know well.

I play all three sections. the first one has a brass band feeling to it, which comes as no surprise as 'Creole Belles' was one of the early cakewalks that the great bandmaster John PhilipSousa included in his repertoire when looking for new syncompated rhythms. The second section is the song 'my Creole Belle' and the third, a trio in a different key.

I learned this song from an old Kicking Mule lp called 'Masters of the Ragtime Guitar'. This lp has been reissued as 'Fingerpicking Guitar Delights' Shanachie 98013/14

This tasteful and sophisticated arrangement was made by Swedisch guitarist Lasse Johansson. I've always been very fond of his style of arranging and his wonderful relaxed playing.
check out his website (lotsa free tabs)
http://www.lassejohansson.se/

In the background of my video you'll see the cover of Lasse's book 'Early Jazz for fingerstyle guitar' published by Mel Bay
This book comes with a cd on which Lasse plays all the arrangements from the book; you'll find tab for 'Creole Belles' in this book too.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• accoustic
• guitar
• ragtime
• blues
• instrumental
• fingerpicking
• fingerstyle
• john
• hurt
• lasse
• johansson
• daddystovepipe

[lolk31]

Do you have a CD of this version of Creole Belles ?

[daddystovepipe]

@lolk31

google - lasse johansson guitarist - and you'll find out

or go to stefan grossman's site

[daddystovepipe]

@daddystovepipe

see also video description

[hchoron]

hey daddy,

very cool. can you please let me know if you are in standard tuning and the guitar you are using. the guitar is beautiful.

thanks.

[daddystovepipe]

Thanks, I'm in standard tuning, capoed at the second fret. the first two sections are in G and the last one in C.

I'm playing a guitar made by John Gréven, in 1987 - the FX deluxe model. Body and sides are maple and the top is sitka. The size is between a dreadnaught and a OOO

[Fretkillr]

I hear octave notes on the opening bars. Dare I say "digital signal processing"? Always a nice performance by DSP.

[daddystovepipe]

Thanks FK, no digital signal processing though, I'm too lowtech to even understand/know how to do that. I always record with the camcorder's mike (JVC Everio505) and reduce the file to mpeg so I can upload it to Youtube.

[catherineyronwode]

This was superb. I never knew the origin of the Mississippi John Hurt song. Thanks for all the history and the full rendition. Nice guitar, too.

[alonzogarbanzo]

I was expecting a rendition of John Hurt's "My Creole Belle" on quickly reading the title, but this delightful rag came as a nice surprise. I hear John in there but also Scott Joplin and other raggers. Great playing and a gorgeous 12.

[Squarerig]

Delightful.Thank you for fine music.

[pinknblues1]

Lovely playing and sound!

[bonvivant567]

truly sublime!