ERNIE'S POT 'O GOLD is a re-mixed compilation of our most requested Gypsy Guerrilla Band tunes from the cassettes ERNIE'S JOURNEY (EJ), ERNIE RIDES AGAIN! (ERA), ERNIE'S BREAKDOWN (EB), and ERNIE PLAYS FAIRE (EPF). Most of these mixes are available only on this compact disc, enjoy them! The Music SENECA SQUARE DANCE/JUNE APPLE (EB) "Seneca Square Dance" is from the Echoes of the Ozarks, a three-album collection of Ozark mountain music recorded in the late 20's and early 30's. June Apple is a standard fiddle tune learned from the Allen Street String Band, an old time string band that Jim was a member of from Springfield, Illinois. We learned both tunes by ear, a rare moment for Jim, who learns most of his music from written sheets and books. MORRISON'S JIG (ERA) This rakish Scottish jig, a favorite standard of the Gypsy Guerrilla Band, |--(THIS IS PASSIVE VOICE. CONSIDER REVISING USING ACTIVE VOICE. SEE HELP FOR MORE INFORMATION.)--| was learned from Bob Bielefeld, including the wild second section of the third and fifth repeat. The flute, played by Melanie Webster, is featured here, and on many other Ernie Rides Again! tunes. SHAME ON YOU (c)1981 Sunshine Company (EJ) Composed by Jim Lillquist, "Shame on You" may be our most requested tune. It is a fun and highly synchopated little tune that was a favorite of Joyce and Jim's pet cockatiel named Trooper. Trooper would sit on the strings of the hammered dulcimer and scold the hammers as they flew by while Jim played this tune. An impressive feat when you think about how fast those hammers can fly! Listen closely and you will hear drummer Rio Blue say something at the end of the cut. STAR MEDLEY (EB) The "Star Medley" is our second most requested tune(s) and begins with the "Star of the County Down." This lovely Irish ballad is done instrumentally on the hammered dulcimer using felt hammers to give a soft and mellow sound. The medley ends with the "Star of Munster" and is quite different, being a hot rakish reel done fast and furious. We introduce Bob Bielefeld on recorder and Malcolm Smith on the fiddle. MARCH MEDLEY (ERA) The first tune in this medley, titled the "Pikeman's March," also known as the "Halting March," was used by the ancient pikeman to practice their techniques of war. Guitarist Jim Hancock prefers to call it the "Halting March" for obvious peaceful reasons. Our second tune in this medley is titled "Listowel" for a town in Ireland and is found in the newer edition of O'Neill's Music of Ireland. FLOWERS OF EDINBURGH (EPF) This Scottish reel is one of the first tunes that Jim learned. It is still a favorite and included in nearly every show. COLD FROSTY MORNING (EPF) "Cold Frosty Morning" is a folk phenomenon from West Virginia that Jim learned from the Allen Street String Band in 1982. We have heard it at many folk festivals and after-hour jams ever since. We played it straight on and syncopated. KALIMBA WALTZ (c)1985 Sunshine Company (ERA) The African kalimba (mbira or finger piano) is featured in this instrumental lullaby written by Jim. The kalimba is a hollow box with metal tines (or reeds) that are played with the thumbs. It has two holes in the back that are used by the fingers to create the "wah-wah" sound heard on this recording. The kalimba was popularized by the 60's group Earth, Wind, and Fire and is heard in new age music. Jim learned to play one during the very late hours of partying in college. GIVE THE FIDDLER A DRAM (EB) A dram is a beverage requested by the fiddler and is commonly a shot of "iced tea." Because we rarely perform with a fiddler, the band likes to call this tune "Buy the Band a Beer." SHINING CLEAR MARCH (EB) This tune is a traditional march that we learned from the There's a Buzz album by the Scottish group, the Battlefield Band. Much later, we learned that the actual title is "Sir Cedric's March. Our musician friends especially love this tune as it is powerful to experience and easy to learn and play. The "Shining Clear March" is probably Jim's favorite cut. BALEAU (EPF) Viva la France! "Baleau" is one of the three French Breton tunes that Jim learned from Larry Rone at Scarborough Faire in Waxahachie, Texas. It has become one of our more "(in)famous" vocals. RETURN TO ANAPAEST (c)1981 Sunshine Company (EJ) "Return to Anapaest," one of the first tunes written by Jim (1981), is a visual musical piece dealing with the ancient Spartans. Jim's vision is one of the march to war, the battle, and the leaving. Anapaest (or anapest) is the word for a rhythm in literature that is the background rhythm for this piece. This is probably Jim's favorite cut. PADDY BE AISEY (BONUS) We used to call this tune our "'A' Slip Jig" but we finally found its name in The Roche Collection of Traditional Irish Music. The band recorded this tune on the Ernie Plays Faire project but we did not have enough room on the finished product so here it is this time. An Irish slip jig, by the way, is a tune in 9/8 time and is traditionally a woman's dance, to be played slowly. We juiced this one up too. MORNING STAR REEL (EJ) The "Morning Star Reel" is a typical Gypsy Guerrilla Band tune. Jim found it in O'Neill's Music of Ireland, adapted it for the hammered dulcimer, threw it to the band, and held on. KEVIN'S CAROUSEL (c)1982 Sunshine Company (ERA) "Kevin's Carousel" is our most requested and loved tune. It was written by Jim Lillquist for his nephew, Kevin, and is available on sheet music. All ages dance to this old time styled reel with a carousel third section. BLIND MARY (EPF) This Irish air, written by Turlough O'Carolan (a famous blind Irish harper and composer), illustrates another pole of musical emotion. Jim first heard this melody being played by Silly Wizard, a British Isles group. "Blind Mary" is played with soft hammers and is our slowest and saddest tune ever. EAST NEUK OF FIFE (EPF) Jim likes Scottish fiddle tunes as much as his grandfather who played them. The "East Neuk of Fife" was found in the Gow Collection of Scottish Dance Music using Jim's traditional method of research. We welcome Craig Broers on the upright bass on this one. In case you are wondering what a neuk is, Bob Bielefeld (who is playing fife on this cut) says that a neuk is just another word for a bailiwick. LADY FORBES (EB) "Lady Forbes" is everyone's favorite Gypsy Guerrilla Band vocal tune. We encourage you to sing along with us. GOLDENSEAL REEL (c)1983 Sunshine Company (EPF) Jim wrote this kalimba tune to be a musical journey into the forest in search of the wild and elusive goldenseal herb. The three parts of the "Goldenseal Reel" commemorate a true and successful outing along the Illinois River with Joyce and her family. METAL MAN WALTZ (EB) We learned this Irish waltz from Bob Bielefeld, who transcribed it by ear from somewhere. Bob is playing flute and Malcolm Smith is on the fiddle. Jim asked for a descant from them and got it. Jim is using soft hammers on this great dance tune. The metal man refers to a lighthouse off the coast of Ireland. RAGTIME ANNIE (EB) A favorite with the producer, "Ragtime Annie" is requested even at renaissance festivals. Again, we bring in our two melodic friends, Bob Bielefeld on flute and Malcolm Smith on the fiddle. "Ragtime Annie" is a fabulous old time tune that Jim learned by ear. We play it with the more "modern" third part. WILD "A" TUNE (EPF) This straight-on Irish reel is really called "Brian the Brave." Again we didn't know that title by the time of the recording and now it's too late to change. This is a tune from the "Dirty Linen" medley originally recorded by Fairport Convention and transcribed by Bill Rintz, an old time fiddler from Springfield, Illinois. GATE SHAKES MAGGIE (ERA) This is our most requested tune(s) and consists of "Swinging on the Gate," "Wind That Shakes the Barley," and "Drowsy Maggie." Things are fairly normal until we hit "Drowsy Maggie" and Mark Dawson yells, "Faster!", over and over . . . GYPSY ROM (c)1982 Sunshine Company (EJ) "Gypsy Rom", written by Jim, has been one of the most requested and aerobic tunes in the band's repertoire. The production quality of this tune is not perfect, but the spirit is, which is why we included it in this compilation. Gypsies call themselves Rom (meaning Man), hence the title. Gypsy Rom demonstrates why we are called the Gypsy Guerrilla Band. ERNIE'S POT 'O GOLD Jim Lillquist...hammered dulcimer, kalimba, snare drum, triangle, heys Joyce Lillquist...autoharp Jim Hancock...guitar, heys Mark Dawson...guitar, quarters, bodhran Bob Bielefeld...flute, recorder, fife, jews harp Melanie Webster...flute Malcolm Smith...fiddle Craig Broers...upright bass David Ballard...bodhran, firebird and dragon, tabor, guitar Rio Blue...dumbék Producer...Jim Lillquist Mixing Engineer...Don Gates Mixed at... Studio Media, Evanston, Illinois Digital editing by...Don Gates Digital Editing at... Stasis Digital Editing, Morton Grove, Illinois Cover Artist...Joyce Lillquist Layout by...Jim Lillquist All tunes are traditional and in the public domain except: Shame On You (c)1981 SS.C., Kalimba Waltz (c)1985 SS.C., Return to Anapaest (c)1981 SS.C., Kevin's Carousel (c)1982 SS.C., Goldenseal Reel (c)1983 SS.C., and Gypsy Rom (c)1982 SS.C. ERNIE'S POT O' GOLD (EPG 108) (c) 1993 Sunshine Company Please help support the band by purchasing this compact disc and not copying it. Thanks! COMPILATION NOTES ERNIE'S JOURNEY (EJ 101) Producer/Arranger...Jim Lillquist Recording and mixing engineers...Norton Lawellin and Red Freeberg Recorded and mixed at...Track Record Studios, St. Paul, Minnesota (c) 1984 Sunshine Company ERNIE RIDES AGAIN! (ERA 102) Producer/Arranger...Jim Lillquist Assistant Producer...Patti McKenny Recording engineer...Benj Kanters Mixing engineers...Benj Kanters and David Appelt Recorded and mixed at...Studio Media, Evanston, Illinois (c) 1985 Sunshine Company ERNIE'S BREAKDOWN (EB 104) Producer...Patti McKenny Arranger...Jim Lillquist Recording engineer...Benj Kanters Mixing engineer...David Appelt Recorded and mixed at...Studio Media, Evanston, Illinois (c) 1987 Sunshine Company ERNIE PLAYS FAIRE (EPF 105) Producer/Arranger...Jim Lillquist Recording and mixing engineer...David Appelt Digitally recorded at...Studio Media, Evanston, Illinois (c) 1989 Sunshine Company ERNIE'S POT O' GOLD Featuring Jim Lillquist and the Gypsy Guerrilla Band 1. Seneca/June Apple 3:08 2. Morrison's Jig 2:16 3. Shame on You 1:46 4. Star Medley 3:58 5. March Medley 3:14 6. Flowers of Einburgh 2:07 7. Cold Frosty Morning 1:59 8. Kalimba Waltz 1:49 9. Give the Fiddler a Dram 1:44 10. Shining Clear March 4:31 11. Baleau 1:15 12. Return to Anapaest 4:42 13. Paddy Be Aisey 1:56 14. Morning Star Reel 1:34 15. Kevin's Carousel 2:17 16. Blind Mary 2:20 17. East Neuk of Fife 2:26 18. Lady Forbes 1:13 19. Goldenseal Reel 1:56 20. Metal Man Waltz 2:47 21. Ragtime Annie 2:12 22. Wild "A" Tune 1:55 23. Gate Shakes Maggie 3:53 24. Gypsy Rom 5:38 Produced by Sunshine Company Sunshine Company, RR1 Box 2033, Fort White, FL 32038 Warning: All Rights Reserved. (c) 1993 Sunshine Company