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Bill Evans' "Germaine's Dream"

from Bill Evans Plays Banjo

It's a pretty rare thing for me to compose a tune in my sleep and then be able to remember enough of it the following morning to actually bring it to completion but believe it or not that's what happened with "Germaine's Dream," a triple .ddle cut from my 2002 banjo CD Bill Evans Plays Banjo on Native and Fine Records. Dreaming or not, my inspiration for this tune came from the many wonderful double and triple fiddle tunes associated with Bill Monroe such as "Brown County Breakdown," "Wheel Hoss" and "Tall Timber."

While the I-IV-V chord progression of this tune is certainly straight forward, the timing of the chords and the wide leaps in the melody makes this a bit challenging on the ol' five-string. The second half of the tune is especially tough in this regard. The left hand .ngering that I use for this section is indicated above the tab staff. Note that I use the left hand index finger on the second string in most places as the melody moves quickly up the neck.

An mp3 of the CD version of "Germaine's Dream," featuring Darol Anger and Greg Spatz on fiddles and Rob Ickes on dobro, can be downloaded by visiting my homepage at www. nativeandfine.com. Click on the "What's New" link and scroll to the bottom to find the mp3 link. You can also sample additional downloads from this recording as well as from recordings by my bands Due West and Bluegrass Intentions by visiting www.nativeandfinerecords.com. I hope you enjoy "Germaine's Dream" and keep on picking!