Mandolinist David “Dawg” Grisman’s take on Django Reinhardt and Stéphane Grappelli’s “Minor Swing” is essentially a rewrite, with a different form length, different key, different rhythmic feel and tempo, and different chord voicings. Offered as an additional track on the CD release of the 1977 David Grisman Quintet record, the recording features Tony Rice on guitar. This “Marin County in the ’70s” version has become the de facto standard for contemporary acoustic jamming. Grant uses the basic melody and chord structure to explore harmony, rhythmic feel, chord voicings, and other musical colors. In this video, Grant focuses on chord voicings and right-hand techniques that evoke Tony Rice’s approach on the Quintet recording.
