Μυστήριο Ζεϊμπέκικο

This tune has an interesting background. Among Greek traditional musicians, it is known as "Mysterio Zeibekiko" and attributed to Ioannis Chalkias (a.k.a. Jack Gregory), who recorded it in New York in 1932.

In Turkey, a variation of the same tune is known as "Rast Zeybek" ("Rast" simply being the makam that the tune is played in), and it is attributed to the acclaimed Turkish composer Tanburi Cemil Bey, who made an Edison cylinder recording of himself playing on the kemençe at some point before his death in 1916.

Needless to say, given the unfortunate history of Greeks and Turks since the end of WWI, arguments about the provenance of this tune can sometimes get prickly, but it is a lovely tune in any case, and I enjoy both Turkish and Greek interpretations of it.

Here's Jack Gregory's 78 recording (note the guitarist's freak-out when the tune changes to a minor key; apparently, it wasn't just Michael Coleman's pianist having all the fun in those days):

Here's a modern version by one of my favorite contemporary Greek traditional musicians, Giorgos Manolakis:

Finally, here is Tanburi Cemil Bey's Turkish version of the tune:

[Oriada]

Your “noodling” is paying off. Sounding great.