I agree with Jon. There are similarities to Courville McGee Waltz when he goes high, but enough differences that I would call this one an independent, i.e. a new tune.
Love the cello!
Never been a nobler sounding chanky-chank Cajun waltz than that Courville McGee Waltz, in my opinion. Gives me shivers. Wets my eyes.
I agree 100% about the cello. Been playing one at the place I teach fiddle and it sounds cool as **** when you are playing chords to back the lead.
I am almost 97% certain its mcgee courville waltz. I learned to play it from the dennis mcgee cd I have and the way Joel plays it in the video and it is pretty much the same just different keys. When you play it in G tuned up like Dennis does, then you have some double stops that sound different than they would playing in A, not to mention the fact that Dennis' style of playing was 100 years old when he was a young man, so its pretty hard to replicate. Joel does some neat stuff with the tag end of the A and B parts that almost gives it a different sound. Then the cello gives it a different feel as well.
I know just about everyone has a copy of Dennis McGee and Sady Courville playing this song. I uploaded a video of Faren Serrette playing the Courville McGee Waltz to youtube so you guys can hear his version as well and can compare all three songs. I can recognize the the old recording and Faren's being the same tune but the video with Joel still sounds different enough to me to be a different tune. But maybe the change of key, drone notes and the addition of the cello make enough of a difference to change it up enough so that it sounds like a slightly different tune? Not sure...
See link 1 for Faren's version. Btw, this video is not set for public viewing. Only those with this link can view/listen.
The April 2011 Dewey Balfa Cajun & Creole Heritage Week
