Old California Waltz

9. Old California Waltz 3:52 (Key of D)

I wrote this waltz for Rachel Anne Goodman’s NPR documentary “Boomtown Chronicles: Reflections on a Changing California.” “Old California Waltz” derives from a contemporary theme I had composed on steel-string acoustic guitar to introduce parts of Rachel’s program. One chapter deals with the housing crisis faced by agricultural workers in California. For that chapter’s music, I looked to California’s Mexican heritage for ways to re-interpret and revise my contemporary theme. This process helped me write “Old
California Waltz.”
I played the melody on a guitar I bought from Antonio Marín Montero
in Granada, Spain in 1971. The “rhythm guitar” is actually a vihuela, played by a great producer and musician, Mexican native Rogelio Cervantes.
Guitar - Joe Weed
Vihuela - Rogelio Cervantes
Guitarrón - Rogelio Cervantes
Harmonica - Norton Buffalo
Flute, Piccolo - Suzanne Weller
Accordion - Jim Oakden
Fiddle - Joe Weed