Notes from Yew Piney Mountain

Government Issue Orchestra

2011-10-24T15:58:00.000-07:00

Oh blog, I've neglected you and neglected you, and yet you do not disappear somehow. And judging by the traffic I see from time to time, some unwitting souls are still finding you as well. Huzzah!

I know better now, with my new job and all, than to say that I'll be a more regular poster. But I have recently come across a now-defunct band that I just have to share.

I heard Government Issue Orchestra the other day on Knoxville's WDVX, and I made sure I stayed in the car until they said who it was that was playing (they're usually pretty bad about getting around to that). The tune was Boating Up Sandy from the album I've pictured above.

From what I gather the band was short-lived and broke up even before the release of the album, so there is no YouTube presence that I can find. I have, however, tracked down a decent recording of this tune from other posters.

Cabinbowman

After I couldn't find them on iTunes, I broke down and bought their album the old-fashioned way. It's a really good time from front to back. My personal favorite is a tune called Brushy Run, complete with square dance calls. I goes like this (again, not them, but this is the best version I found:

Wishuey

Most of the tunes are instrumental, which I prefer personally, and for you who also like some singing mixed in you'll find that as well. The vocals, by the way, are strikingly similar to Uncle Earl, not sure if there is any overlap with the bands, just an observation.

Go to this website for some streaming tracks from the album I've mentioned and to hear more work from former member Michael Ismerio.It's worth the time. I only wish I had discovered them sooner.

Help Support an Old-Time Music Documentary

2011-07-26T14:14:00.001-07:00

Hello Everyone:
I've been on hiatus for quite some time, but I'm happy to make a triumphant return by spreading the word about an upcoming documentary about old-time music. It's by Heather Haynes, who is completing a Master's degree in photojournalism.

As a recent graduate school survivor myself, I know how hard it is to get support for these projects. She has cleverly put together a website to raise money for her upcoming trips to Galax and Clifftop, to big-time festivals I'm sure you've all heard of or been to.

So check it out (here), and take a look at this short clip she's posted:

If you're too lazy to click on over, here's a description of the project. You know you wish you'd thought of it:

I aim to explore the modern world of folk tunes in Appalachia both as a fiddle player and as a visual and oral recorder of a shifting yet thriving tradition. In our rapidly changing world, a candid documentary of old-time fiddle tradition is overdue. While documentaries continue to appear on Appalachian culture, modern media has not preserved a project specifically focused on old-time fiddle heritage. A documentary on this subject will be a valuable addition to current visual and folk literature.

In addition to my own journey, I will follow several other fiddlers whose experience varies from fledgling musicians to masters of their trade. Through observing their various lifestyles, I can accurately frame the context and impact of my exploration.

Based on still photographs, my final piece will include audio recordings of Appalachian folk melodies and interviews with fiddlers. I also intend to include video of traditional, informal jam sessions and both formal and informal fiddle lessons. With this multimedia project, I expect to successfully explore the passage of old-time fiddling knowledge in contemporary Appalachia.

Two for One Tuesday

2011-05-31T17:36:00.000-07:00

Looking through the list of tunes I haven't posted about here before, I came across two that I had never even heard of. The first is Batchelder's Reel, which from I gather is an Irish tune... makes me like it even more. Unfortunately it's kind of hard to find recordings of this tune. But, the one version I could find is pretty nice, it's by a group called the Russet Trio. I believe they are a contra band from New York based on my brief Googling.

Here the are playing Batchelder's Reel at the 2009 Falcon Ridge Folk Festival:

YouTube/mhg251

The second tune, Bayne Water, is also Irish (I'm pretty sure, correct me if I'm wrong). Again, pretty difficult to find recordings. What I discovered in the process of looking was one video:

YouTube/MauroPavanelli

And I also stumbled across a band who has recorded this tune called Claddagh. Check them out by clicking on the link. The album with this tune on it is the one with dragon.

Enjoy, and find some Guinness as you listen.

Barlow Knife

2011-05-29T11:52:00.000-07:00

Here's another tune I don't believe I've posted about before called Barlow Knife. As usual, lots of different versions, some with words most without. Searching for some good examples I came across this version, which I really like but seems to have been filmed in a staircase for some reason. Either way, well done sir:

YouTube/bassmart08

For a different sounding version, here's a group from TX:

YouTube/mandodoc

And for all you people who just like banjo, try out this version from the music archives of dphall:

Barlow Knife MP3

Backstep Cindy

2011-05-17T10:46:00.000-07:00

Looking through my tune book, the one to come up is Backstep Cindy, which I believe is by Tommy Jarrell.

The first thing I did was type this in YouTube to see what versions came up and to my surprise/delight was a video of David Bass playing with Forge Mtn Diggers. I know of him from the Freight Hoppers, and he's been to Knoxville many times and played with some people I know here. Nobody plays with such a driving-yet-clear tone as Bass. He plays so hard he can never contain himself and inevitably breaks out what one friend of mine calls the stank leg.

Here he is with Forge Mtn Diggers playing Backstep Cindy:

YouTube/arthurhaskell

If it's the slower tempo you like with more banjo, try this version out from squawkeye on Fiddle Hangout:
Backstep Cindy MP3

Apple Blossom

2011-05-14T07:48:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone,
I hope to be back and posting with some regularity after my graduation. Now I'm in between jobs, writing articles for journals, and looking to kill time doing stuff like this. We'll see how long it lasts.

In the meantime, here's a tune I haven't posted before called Apple Blossom. As usual there are many versions of this, and I haven't really heard it from my West Virginia circle so if there is some regional affiliation with this tune let me know.

I looked around for a minute to see if any bands had recorded this tune, but then I stumbled across this session from the Mount Airy Fiddlers Convention and I think it's as good as it gets.

YouTube/brucefromga

I also stumbled across this great version on Fiddle Hangout if you are interested in the more portable variety:
Apple Blossom MP3 by David M. on Fiddle Hangout

Enjoy!

New Post, Finally: Cajun String Bands

2011-05-06T09:15:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone, it's been a while I know. I've been busy trying to do all the requirements needed to graduate with a PhD in Geography. Mission accomplished. Now I actually have time to do stuff like this without feeling guilty and/or getting behind.

What really inspired me to start posting again was a story I ran across on a music blog on NPR. The story asks if Cajun string bands are the next big thing, and cites the success of Lost Bayou Ramblers (who I've posted about before) and other bands like "the Pine Leaf Boys, Cedric Watson & Bijou Creole, Feufollet and the Red Stick Ramblers."

Many of these bands are based in and around Lafayette, Louisiana (pronounce the first "a" as you would taffy, not water, if you don't want to get corrected). What's interesting about this scene is that unlike the recent rise in popularity of Appalachian music in places well beyond its traditional hearth (e.g. the West Coast, New England, major cities like Chicago and Minneapolis, among others), this music is mostly performed by folks of Cajun descent and stays close to its geographical roots.

Since I've posted before about Lost Bayou Ramblers (go check that out in the search feature if you're interested), I'll give some space to the Grammy-nominated Pine Leaf Boys, who play frequent shows and have a ton of media out there.

On their very well-designed website, you can access an MP3, stream tracks from their new album "Back Home," and of course find their touring schedule. If you like to dance and want to experience roots music straight from the source, they're worth checking out.

YouTube/savoychugunov

Waterbound

2011-02-08T09:56:00.000-08:00

The tunes just keep on coming. For the first time ever I think, I'm putting a recording of my own playing up here. Here's one of my favorite tunes, Waterbound, with Roger doing some vocals and guitar.

Waterbound MP3

Spanish Pipe Dream

2011-02-01T10:42:00.000-08:00

If you know the Samples Brothers, you know they are big fans of John Prine.

In keeping with the theme of my recent series of posts, here is another tune played and recorded at Roger's house with the Samples Brothers and the 1937 Flood. Roger, with a cold and unusually deep voice, is singing lead.

Spanish Pipe Dream MP3

And if you prefer the original, maybe this version will suit you:

YouTube/1000Magicians

Ragtime Annie

2011-01-28T08:02:00.000-08:00

If you've never heard Buddy Griffin do his showpiece tune, Ragtime Annie, you're in for a treat. As Mac says every time he breaks it out, Buddy owns this tune.

Here they are playing twin fiddle on Ragtime Annie recently at the Samples house.

Ragtime Annie MP3

And I almost forgot, Charlie Bowen, one of the guitars players here, posted video of this tune. The audio is the same as the MP3, but if you'd like to take a look in, here you go:

YouTube/cebowen

Seneca Square Dance: Samples Brothers Home Jam

2011-01-24T08:25:00.000-08:00

Here's another track from the weekend, this time playing Seneca Square Dance. I learned this tune from the Samples Brothers, and I'm playing here with Mac on the other fiddle. Also included are Roger Samples, Dave Peyton, and Charlie Bowen. I think that's it, possibly a few others in there. You'll also get plenty of background banter, just comes with the territory of a live recording I guess.

Seneca Square Dance MP3

Boatmen with the Samples Brothers

2011-01-23T19:41:00.000-08:00

Over the weekend I had the opportunity to play with the Samples Brothers (featuring Buddy Griffin and John Preston). We got in a few hours worth of tunes, and the ones I managed to record I'll feature here.

The first of those is a tune called the Boatman. There are lots of different versions of this, but here's the one they taught me (I'm the fiddle that sounds good in this... actually, that's probably Buddy).

Enjoy, and there will be more to come in the next few days.

Boatman MP3

New Look

2011-01-23T16:27:00.001-08:00

Hello Everyone:
After realizing that people read this blog despite my lack of attention to it, I have made some changes (hopefully for the better). I've added a Facebook group, I've added a few social media buttons, and I'll actually start putting up some new material.

So enjoy, and sorry for neglecting things for so long.

Black Twig Pickers

2011-01-21T19:03:00.000-08:00

Hello World:
It's been a while, I've been writing my dissertation, I'm almost done by the way, and kind of didn't have time to scour the web for tunes. In fact, I've been quite out of touch with music for the last five or six months.

Anyway, I did come across a band I really love, the Black Twig Pickers. They seem to have been around for a while, but I had not heard of them.

They have a fair amount of stuff on the internet, thankfully.

YouTube/werewold00d

Also, for some music on the go, check out this song. I really like it, and the timing is strange, the tune doesn't do what I expect it to do... but that's what's cool about it. Enjoy.

Don't Drink Nothing But Corn MP3

The Boatman

2010-08-11T13:26:00.000-07:00

I really like this version of the Boatman. I became familiar with this tune through the Samples Brothers, who play a version that doesn't really sound like this one. The one I know is a three-part tune out of A, and this sounds like a two-parter. I like this version too though, and the dulcimer sounds great. You don't get to hear those enough.

YouTube/TradmanTX

Robert Byrd the Musician

2010-06-28T07:55:00.000-07:00

No matter your feelings about his politics, Robert Byrd was a towering figure whose influence shaped the state of West Virginia for over 50 years.

He was also a really good fiddler. Here he is in 1978:

Angus Campbell

2010-06-24T11:04:00.000-07:00

Continuing on through an alphabetical list of tunes, we approach one that I actually have not heard of, Angus Campbell. It seems common enough because it was really easy to find lots of information about it, and sounds like a really great one to learn.

Here is a lesson if you haven't tried to play it before:

YouTube/JohnsFiddleLessons

If you're really good and keep up, you might try following this one:

YouTube/tradeac

Finally, a little something different. I've gathered this is a Scottish tune, and is popular in Scottish-influenced Cape Breton. Here's a version for you if you're a fan of the pipes.

YouTube/gusdrummer

The Music of Mario

2010-06-20T08:05:00.000-07:00

It's kind of reach to suggest that this is old-time, but give credit where credit is due. This is from BoingBoing, which is a collection of digital pop-culture.

Angeline the Baker

2010-06-13T19:04:00.000-07:00

Continuing with my mission to post each tune from a fiddle book in alphabetical order, I have arrived (and so early on) at probably my least favorite old-time tune. How's that for an introduction? But, lots of people like it, and in the words of Seinfeld, "Not that there's anything wrong that."

Here's Trent Wagler and the Steel Wheels during their fine rendition:

YouTube/beastfolly72

And of course, if you want to learn the tune for yourself, there are lots of video how-to's, like this one:

YouTube/JohnsFiddleLessons

Twin Sisters Melvin Wine

2010-06-07T13:41:00.001-07:00

Chance McCoy recently put the tune "Twin Sisters" on his wonderful new album. He no doubt got it from so many other great fiddlers like Melvin Wine, playing here in 1992.

Elk Creek Picnic

2010-06-05T16:02:00.000-07:00

I'll get back to posting an alphabetical list of my fiddle book, but I ran across this and like it better for now, plus I don't have my book with me right so I don't know what comes next.

Lots of good videos in this collection, all available here.

Across the Sea

2010-05-22T08:20:00.000-07:00

The next tune, in alphabetical order, to get to is "Across the Sea." I think this tune is also known by the name "Going Across the Sea."

The first version I came across is by the Foghorn Trio. I've said many times that I think they are among the best of the newer old-time acts. Here's their performance:

YouTube/cashholler

Across the Sea MP3

Another version I found that I like is by the Wahoo String Band:

YouTube/harrybolick

And finally, these are the videos I really like, where it's just people playing at their house or at a store or something. Here's such a video:

YouTube/nnnden

Abe's Retreat

2010-05-17T20:48:00.000-07:00

Well since 2008, I've pretty much exhausted all of the tunes I know off the top of my head and talked about the people I know. So, my new plan is to find versions of each tune in the "The Phillips Collection of Traditional American Fiddle Tunes." To keep it easy, I'm just going in alphabetical order.

First up: Abe's Retreat.

I found a great live version by the Gilded Bats, played in Iowa:

YouTube/YewPineyMountain

Or is it the Irish influence you crave?

YouTube/jsboaty

Fly Around My Pretty Little Miss

2010-05-08T19:33:00.000-07:00

What a tune...

YouTube/wlkerns

Cumberland River

2010-05-06T17:41:00.000-07:00

As you know, last week was rough for the state of Tennessee where I am currently living. Fortunately for me, Knoxville really did not get the rain that middle and western parts of the state got. The Cumberland River runs right through Nashville, one of the finest music towns we have.

Jimmy Johnson by Ralph Roberts

2010-04-29T08:33:00.000-07:00

Frank George Gathering 2010

2010-04-26T17:40:00.000-07:00

I wasn't really expecting to have consecutive posts about Frank George but you know... he's good. And here he's playing with, among others, Bobby Taylor. I guess Bobby's not old enough to be called a living legend yet but he's certainly one of the finest players in the state, if not the US.

YouTube/YewPiney

New Frank George Videos

2010-04-25T09:11:00.001-07:00

I've posted a few things about Frank George on here before. Suffice it to say he's a living legend from West Virginia. Great thing about the modern age is that we can easily document these living legends. So here's Frank playing a few tunes recently.

Arkansas Traveler

Petronella

and Mississippi Sawyer

YouTube/chrisvia1

Waynesboro and Stony Point

2010-04-23T06:44:00.000-07:00

Here's the Campbell Family Band playing two great tunes: Waynesboro and Stony Point. Any time they upload a video I'm pretty excited about it.

YouTube/CamFamBand

Miss McCleod's Reel

2010-03-31T19:46:00.000-07:00

I've put this tune up many times before, but really I just can't get enough of it. This tune is played a few different ways, and it's also known as Uncle Joe. It's played in either G or D.

YouTube/fiddle4u

More Irish Traditional Music

2010-03-29T17:35:00.000-07:00

I can't get enough good Irish music. Here is a really fine session.

YouTube/coguish

Live from the Blue Plate Special

2010-03-26T14:35:00.000-07:00

I am usually unable to go to the Blue Plate Special in Knoxville because it's in the middle of day during the week. I went on a fluke yesterday and much to my surprise, Chance McCoy was there playing with Old Sledge. They're really great, play a variety of styles from western swing, to Mississippi riverboat-type of music, and of course Appalachian old-time music.

The second band was one I had never heard of, the Defibulators, but they are interesting to say the least. They are high-energy, have like 8 people on stage at a time, and have a good stage presence.

the Defibulators - "Winchester" from BoB Coon on Vimeo.

What struck me with both of these bands (Chance McCoy himself excluded) was the confirmation of what I have commented on here often. The people in the bands are from Vermont, Brooklyn, and California; places that are well outside the traditional hub of old-time music, especially the style they play. Not a criticism, just an observation.

That's the direction old-time music in America is moving. It's increasingly played by young people who come from urban areas out West or in the northeast. They're good, and give the music a new kind of sound that is distinct from what came before it. In the same way, the people playing in the 1930s sounded distinct from those that came before them. It's really interesting to see how the music is evolving, both demographically and geographically.

If you're looking for some modern twists to traditional styles of music, I recommend looking up both of these bands.

St. Patrick's Blue Plate Special

2010-03-15T11:02:00.001-07:00

If you're local, or even if you're not, this should be a good celebration on Wednesday. You can tune on on the web if you want to hear it at www.wdvx.com.

The most beautiful music of all is the music of what happens.
- Irish proverb

WDVX Spring Fund Drive
March 17 to 28

Matt McNeely Four Leaf Peat Cutthroat Shamrock Shamrock Road

JOIN US
March 17th
for an all-Irish, all-local
Blue Plate Special
12 noon to 1:30 PM
A special kick-off party for the Spring Fund Drive

With delicious refreshments from:
Mapgies Cakes

It is time again to show your support for YOUR independent, commercial-free station... WDVX-FM

Don't you feel fortunate to have WDVX as a part of your life? Everyday you know you can tune in and hear quality music, without all the commercials and other distractions. You can always count on WDVX to be your connection to the newest, hottest in bluegrass and Americana, as well as some of the classics you love. And where else can you hear so much quality live music?

WDVX counts on listeners like you to keep the music going. So call us, write us, email us, go online, or just come on by... and make your donation today!

After all "The most beautiful music of all is the music of what happens" when you support WDVX!

Sincerely,

Your friends at WDVX

Not Exactly Old Time, But....

2010-03-12T17:56:00.000-08:00

Well, this is not really old-time at all, but one of the best acoustic performers in Ireland not doing traditional music is Damien Rice, and this is one my favorite songs of his. It's not on one of his two albums, but it is relatively easy to find. It's called Lonely Soldier. Though this isn't the best version of it that I've heard, it's good nonetheless.

YouTube/tripleheartheart

Lonely Soldier MP3

Sandy Boys

2010-03-07T15:13:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite YouTube profiles is fiddlinred because he always posts easy to follow tunes. He's been gone from the internet for a while, but he's back now and his most recent post is a tune called Sandy Boys.

I first heard this from the Striped Pig Stringband, which is linked somewhere in the archives of this blog if you want to use the search box.

If you want to learn the tune, here's fiddlinred's version. Pretty nice.

Petronella

2010-03-05T10:57:00.000-08:00

Frank George is a living legend in West Virginia. Here he is playing a tune I like but don't get to hear too much. I believe it's more popular in New England, and it's called Petronella.

YouTube/chrisvia1

Dervish

2010-03-05T10:11:00.000-08:00

I'm certainly more into American old-time music than Celtic music, but lately Celtic music has been kind of my thing. I still don't know too much about it, or how to play it. No matter, Dervish seems like they know a thing or two.

Liza Jane

2010-02-23T15:51:00.001-08:00

If you're familiar with old-time music in West Virginia, you've probably come across the Samples Brothers. They bring down the house every time with their signature tune, Liza Jane.

I've never really met anyone else who plays it quite like they do, even though lots of people play a tune called Liza Jane or some derivative thereof. But then again, I haven't lived in West Virginia since the 80s and that version may just be a West Virginia rendition.

I don't really know, but here is a West Virginian, Elmer Rich, playing the same version of that tune. Here he's playing about one quarter of the tempo the Samples Brothers usually go, but it's a nice tune nonetheless.

YouTube/YewPiney

Jimmy Tripplett

2010-02-08T18:10:00.000-08:00

Jimmy Tripplett is pretty well known around here, though recordings are hard to find. Certainly one of the finest fiddlers around.

YouTube/boscoheja

Lunasa

2010-02-06T07:40:00.000-08:00

My current favorite new discovery is an Irish group called Lunasa. They play traditional Irish tunes and have a pretty robust web presence.

My favorite tune of theirs at the moment is called "Morning Nightcap," played here in this really great video:

YouTube/sgoworld

The Gilded Bats

2010-02-04T14:49:00.001-08:00

What's up everybody, it's been a while. Turns out finishing a PhD is demanding of one's time. My month-long hiatus has not been good to my music playing or appreciation.

Nonetheless, for the first time in a long time, I stumbled across a really cool band, the Gilded Bats. Like many bands, they have MP3s on their MySpace page and they are worth checking out.

They are from Iowa City, and here they are playing in their hometown:

YouTube/YewPineyMountain

More Chance McCoy

2010-01-02T09:17:00.001-08:00

Still haven't moved on from a strong Chance McCoy phase, so here is some more goodness from him. This is Jimmy Johnson, and he also plays it on his album which you can easily find on iTunes.

Chance McCoy and the Appalachian String Band

2009-12-12T06:17:00.001-08:00

Some of the people I play music with have been raving about Chance McCoy for a while now. For whatever reason, I did not look into it sufficiently until now. I could struggle to write a review myself, but it wouldn't say anything different from what you can already see on his MySpace page.

Here are the essentials:
He's from eastern West Virginia, a major plus as far as I'm concerned, and has learned from many of the state's greats, including Dave Bing.

A recently recorded album with The Appalachian String Band includes Adam Hurt on the banjo, who I think is one of the best young banjo players around. I had bought Adam Hurt's solo album (Insight) a while ago and really enjoy that one as well.

If you've played much in West Virginia, the repertoire on the album will be familiar, including tunes like "Shelvin Rock," "Yew Piney Mountain," and "Jimmy Johnson."

In short, I highly recommend this, I think it's one of the best newer acts to come along in a while.

Here are some videos from what I believe is Chance McCoy's personal YouTube profile:

Dance All Night With A Bottle In Your Hand MP3

And Wild Horse of Stony Point, or just "Stony Point" as I've often heard it called:

Pokey LaFarge

2009-12-10T16:34:00.000-08:00

Saw Pokey LaFarge and the South City Three last night based on a recommendation from my cousin-in-law (if that's a familial category). Even though I was slightly distracted by the Kentucky-UConn game that was simultaneously going on, I'm glad I went. They are a good time and have a really unique stage presence.

Not necessarily an old-time band the way I've been using it on here, but certainly rooted in music from the early 1900s. Makes me think of the music of traveling shows up and down the Mississippi River in its heyday.

Lots of music samples on the website, so definitely go check those out.

Here's a live recording:

YouTube/djmfilm

Whiskey Bent Valley Boys

2009-12-05T10:33:00.001-08:00

Now that the semester is over I finally have time to enjoy a guilt-free experience at Knoxville's Blue Plate Special, which is of course put on by local independent radio station WDVX.

The main reason I went yesterday was for the Fox Hunt. They were good as usual, all of them are very talented, and I had seen them in town here before.

In fact, the last time they were here was maybe May or so, whenever it was the weather was nicer and they played outside in our downtown commons kind of area called Market Square.

There it is pictured above. Just a real nice, pedestrians-only area of town. Musicians set up there for tips often, but they are not usually as talented as the Fox Hunt. WDVX overheard them playing on the square, got them in studio to go live, and later invited them for the Blue Plate...

But I started this post to talk about the Whiskey Bent Valley Boys. They were billed alongside Fox Hunt, and I didn't know what to expect. But they were actually really fun to watch and played really well. They do a lot of standards, like Old Joe Clark, and I like that about them.

Plus, like me they're from Kentucky. From what I gather, Oldham County to be precise.

The radio said they're from "backwoods Kentucky," I guess trying to play up that mythology. But if you know Kentucky, you know Oldham County has nothing to do with backwoods, it's a wealthy suburb of Louisville. But I guess it sounds better to say on the radio.

Anyway, they put on a good show. Here they are at a different Blue Plate Special.

The Foghorn Trio

2009-11-11T14:06:00.000-08:00

I just saw the Foghorn Trio on Friday in Knoxville at a low-key show. Great time, they sounded great as always.

I didn't realize that the newest member, Nadine there on the bass, was from Quebec. That allowed them to sing en Francais and try out a few cajun tunes I'd never heard before.

This footage seems to be from the same tour that I just saw them on.

And here's a tune called Roving Gambler.

YouTube/fidcoffcig

Old-Time in BoingBoing

2009-11-10T19:13:00.000-08:00

When I was at Pickathon 2009, I stumbled across Frank Fairfield. He was interesting. I saw him playing informally outside of one of the venues and he drew me in because he looked strangely like a photo of an idealized old-time player from the 1920s. He seemed to have borrowed his wardrobe and even his haircut from a young Jimmy Stewart. I was kind of surprised he wasn't somehow walking around in black and white.

The tunes he was playing were familiar, like Barbara Allen, but his cadence and phrasing was such that only he could follow himself, if that makes sense.

Nonetheless, he seems to have created somewhat of a name for himself in the up-and-coming old-time scene of the West Coast. Proof in the pudding is a mention on BoingBoing, and a link to this video.

I learned from the BoingBoing article that he's even been in Rolling Stone:

"He's like 26 years old and he sounds like Mississippi John Hurt," says Robin. Fairfield plays fiddle and banjo player and strums back-porch bluegrass, complete with shaky jug-band vocals reminiscent of The Foggy Mountain Boys from way back in the '40s (think O Brother, Where Art Thou?).
"He's kinda crazy," says Robin. "He has his own radio show where he just plays these old gramophones. He just puts a mic up and plays all these field recordings from the 1900s; it's insane. He dresses like it's the early 1900s. He's born out of time, and his voice is amazing."
Buy his music: His self-titled album Frank Fairfield, and the EP I've Always Been a Rambler (Amazon MP3s).
He's playing a bunch of West Coast US tour dates from now through January: San Francisco, Eugene, Portland, Tacoma, Seattle and other ports of call.

So check him out if you like what you see there. From what I can tell, he certainly has an extensive old old-time repertoire and sound.

Foghorn Trio in Knoxville

2009-11-03T06:17:00.001-08:00

Just found out something awesome. If you're in the area, come out for an old-time treat on Friday, the 6th.

This Week at Laurel

Newsletter of Jubilee Community Arts

Here are a few of our upcoming events. Click here to see the complete listings for November and December.

Foghorn Trio
Oldtime Stringband

Friday, November 6 at 8 P.M.

The Foghorn Trio is Caleb Klauder and Stephen "Sammy" Lind, the foundation of the internationally acclaimed Foghorn Stringband from Portland along with Nadine Landry of the band Hungry Hill. On this southern tour, they will be playing old-time and country fiddle tunes and songs, drawing on material from both Foghorn and The Caleb Klauder Country Band.

While Caleb Klauder and Stephen "Sammy" Lind continue to play with the Foghorn Stringband, they are working together on several other projects. They often play as the Foghorn Duo and continue to travel the world playing with various folks, sometimes as Dirk Powell's or Justin Townes Earle's band, sometimes as the rhythm section for Balfa Toujours, or with special projects like Going Across the Sea. Caleb and Sammy recorded Lonesome Song in the spring of 2008. It's an excellent recording of mostly traditional songs, done in one day, just the two of them trading off on instruments.

$12 JCA Members, Students, Seniors 65+
$13 General Advance
$14 General Day of Show
$7 Children 12 and under

Thanks Hunter for notifying me about this.

The Young Uns

2009-10-10T14:12:00.000-07:00

This is a fantastic video of young kinds playing
Harvest Home - Fisher's Hornpipe - Boys of Blue Hill. Extremely well done. I only hope to be able to play like that some day.

Versions of Waterbound

2009-09-27T20:13:00.000-07:00

One of my many, many favorite tunes is Waterbound. There are two oft-played versions of this tune. The version I like and am familiar with go something like this:

YouTube/fredcoonbanjo

But the other version that seems to be more widespread was popularized by the incredibly talented Dirk Powell. Clearly the second version is much more of a sorrowful tune. You can tell it's related, but the mood and tempo are for a different setting entirely. Notice the Foghorn Duo playing along on this one as well:

YouTube/MoNoHair

Lonesome Road Blues

2009-09-27T20:10:00.001-07:00

There are very few people who can play quite like Sammy Lind of Foghorn. I saw the whole band do this one at Pickathon 2009, but I like this version too.

Gray Eagle: Night Vision Style

2009-09-25T18:08:00.000-07:00

I find this tune really interesting because it has like 10,000 versions. I mean really, nobody plays this the same way. Soldier's Joy, one of the most common tunes, has many styles as well, but each time you could recognize and say, yeah, that's Soldier's Joy. Not so with Gray Eagle.

Here's yet another version by the wonderful Larry Dent, playing in my home state, old KY, and close to my hometown no less:

YouTube/wvldent

Fretless Banjo

2009-09-08T18:56:00.000-07:00

Not sure the name of this tune here, but I really like it, and I like the sound of a fretless banjo. It takes the ring out of the sound and makes it more plucky, more primitive sounding.

YouTube/banjer

Clifftop 2009

2009-08-24T17:46:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately I haven't been able to post much lately because school is back in, which cruelly takes away my time. I did want to make one quick post though because I like this video so much.

It's from Clifftop 2009, taken during a rainy day. I just like the way they play; so calm, controlled, and simple. This video makes playing the violin look easy.

YouTube/WACarder

Overdue for a Post

2009-08-19T15:15:00.001-07:00

I have recently had the displeasure of doing a full system recovery, so I lost all my music and am in the process of getting it back. Bad timing too, because school started today.

I'm still on the prowl for good old-time music that surfaces on the web. Recently I came across the YouTube channel of malong1852 and was pleasantly surprised. This is one of the best home-recording channels I've come across in a long time. The sound is clear, the videos are high quality, and the music is always top notch.

Here are few entries from that channel. There are lots more, so go check them out.

Another one of my favorites from here that I've been inspired to learn is "Goodbye My Honey I'm Gone."

YPM Edition 7B: Farewell Tunes

2009-07-13T19:20:00.001-07:00

Notes from Yew Piney Mountain Edition 7B: Farewell Tunes

Continuing with the theme of farewell tunes, this time I'm featuring James Scott Skinner's "Hector the Hero." I learned about the tune from when I went to a Four Leaf Peat concert in Knoxville, although I had heard it before.

It was the best part of the show, I thought, when they played this tune. They explained that many in the band had experienced the unexpected loss of a loved one recently, and dedicated the tune to everyone who had a similar painful experience.

When you hear the tune, it's hard not to feel the melancholy that it evokes. Skinner wrote the tune in honor of a late friend who had recently committed suicide. The lament he expresses with the music is palpable.

There are many renditions of this tune. Here is Four Leaf Peat's version:
Hector the Hero

Here's a wonderful live version by Wolfstone:

In case you haven't had enough, here's one final rendition by Breabach:

Credits:
Photo from Flickr user ceiteiren
Wolfstone video from YouTuber UISTMAN59
Breabach from YouTuber HelenH96

YPM Edition 6D: Online Instruction

2009-07-08T14:42:00.000-07:00

Notes from Yew Piney Mountain Edition 6D: Online Instruction

In my final installment of helpful (free) online old-time instruction, here's a few more standard tunes that are easy to teach yourself.

First up is a tune called Liberty:

Here's Billy in the Lowground, which I've probably featured on here before because it's such a nice tune.

Finally, here's a tune that I don't hear out, well, ever, but is easy to learn how to play and is a good practice tune. By the way, this guy, David Kaynor, has a ton of videos like this. You can search for more of his stuff on ExpertVillage.com or on YouTube. This tune is West End.

Credits:
Photo from Flickr user Pic-O-Fest
Videos from YouTubers ExpertVillage and JohnsFiddleLessons

Old-Time in the NYT

2009-07-03T07:14:00.000-07:00

Just a heads up if you're interested: the New York Times has a feature about Fiddler's Grove in North Carolina, including a audio slideshow.

They're pretty stingy with their media so I can't embed anything here, but check it if you're interested in learning more about that and other festivals.

Here's a little excerpt:
Old-time and bluegrass music festivals have become a summer ritual all around the country, but nowhere is the experience quite the same as in the Southern Appalachians, the music’s birthplace. Popular events in Galax, Va.; Mount Airy, N.C.; and Clifftop, W.Va., draw zealous fans and gifted musicians. Fiddler’s Grove may not be the largest or best known of the major festivals, but its claim to fame is that it’s the oldest continuously held one.

Image from Flickr user Rae Hartsock

Update from 7/10: Friends of Old Time Music blog has a link to buy or download recordings of the 1962 Fiddler's Convention.

Poor Benny

2009-06-30T09:21:00.000-07:00

I'll get back to posting in the weekly theme format soon, but I wanted to write about Poor Benny before I moved on. I got their album as a gift recently and was very impressed. They have a true old-time sound; nothing flashy, no embellished solos, and not super polished. In the liner notes of the albums it says they have worked with renowned old-time player Bruce Greene, and it shows. If you get a chance to see them or buy the album, you should do it.

Here's a description of the band from their website:

Poor Benny plays old-time string band music with Clayton Schanilec, fiddle, Corey Mohan, banjo and Dave Furniss on guitar. The Poor Benny repertoire includes traditional fiddle tunes, vocal numbers from such legendary performers as Uncle Dave Macon, Charlie Poole, and Clarence Ashley, as well as traditional percussive dance.

Check out their website to hear a few tunes. Here are a few videos of them playing out.

And for the dancing fans out there:

Credits: Video from YouTuber eleventeentimes

YPM Edition 5D: West Virginia Festivals

2009-06-27T13:08:00.001-07:00

Notes from Yew Piney Mountain Edition 5D: West Virginia Festivals

The final entry in my series on WV festivals is on the West Virginia State Folk Festival in Glenville, WV. Everyone I've heard refer to it just calls it the Glenville Folk Festival.

Anyway, this is one of the smaller festivals as well, but there are lots of great players that have played there, including Dave Bing, Joe Dobbs, Lester McCumbers, Buddy Griffin, and Dave O'Dell. I really like these smaller festivals that feature mostly people from the area. You get a real sense of the unique repertoire of central West Virginia and of how people play the tunes. Everywhere does it a little differently.

Like the Jackson's Mill Festival, it has struggled in recent years with attendance, especially when compared to Clifftop. For the sake of the towns that support these smaller festivals and for the music they preserve, I hope they recover.

Anyhow, here are a few clips from Glenville. First up is Lester McCumbers, a relatively well-known old-time player from West Virgina.

Next, the video quality is poor, but the sound is worth it. Here's Gerry Milnes playing "Give the Fiddler a Dram."

Credits: Videos from YouTubers YewPiney and 1angolier

YPM Edition 5C: West Virginia Festivals

2009-06-25T05:45:00.001-07:00

Notes from Yew Piney Mountain Edition 5C: West Virginia Festivals
Continuing with the theme for this week of West Virginia' s music festivals (or gatherings, in some cases), let's take a look/listen at Vandalia. This event takes place in Charleston, right on the capitol grounds. There are lots of competitions for each instrument, and one thing I think is unique about it is you have to be a West Virginia resident to participate. Cuts out that riff-raff.

There is also a lie telling contest, which you can listen to here.

Goes without saying there is also lots of good music. Here's a few recent clips from the festival. I don't know the names of the tunes in this first video. I do know based on an unfortunate weekend that involved boredom, TBS, and Titanic, that when Leo takes Kate below deck to go to a real party with the Irish, they're playing this tune, just faster. Don't tell anyone about the Titanic reference.

The next video here features mountain dancing. The description of the video says, "People can say what they want about WV - this was a good time!"

Credits:
Videos from YouTubers dantompkins and wrandyrice
Photo from Vandalia homepage

Quick Note

2009-06-23T08:24:00.000-07:00

Just a procedural note here. I couldn't figure out how to make the comments dialogue show up before, but after some experimentation with my template, it looks like it's back. So feel free to leave comments any time. I check almost daily so I'm likely to get back to you quickly if you have a question or anything like that.

YPM Edition 5A: West Virginia Festivals

2009-06-21T14:07:00.000-07:00

Notes from Yew Piney Mountain Edition 5A: West Virginia Festivals

I was out all last week so I wasn't able to move forward with new content. I'm all back to normal now.

My theme this week is kind of a follow up of my extensive post on the Jackson's Mill Jubilee in Weston, WV.

Since the news came out that the Jubilee might not happen in 2009, lots of people have mobilized to try to keep it alive. It looks like something will happen this year... it will probably just look very different.

There are lots of opinions and strong emotions about the Jubilee and its survival (for one account of recent actions, read this letter to the editor written by Dave Miller of the WVU Extension Service). To give an extremely cursory view, there is disagreement about how (and whether) the Jubilee should change to attract new people and new ideas.

Despite all the differing opinions, one thing is for certain: the Jubilee needs people to attend if it is going to survive. The wife (and by extension me, but really it's her) are in the process of trying to figure out what we can do to help. One thing I think we can do is beef up the Jubilee's web presence. Right now the primary website has the information you need on it, but you don't get a great sense of exactly what you're in for if you wanted to get out to the Jubilee.

The Jubilee is a celebration of the rich heritage of Appalachia through historic and contemporary events. Over 200 musicians play "old time" music throughout the four day Labor Day event. Over 200 heritage craftsman display and demonstrate their wares in the barn area of the Mill, boyhood home of Gen. Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson. There are historic reenactments and an encampment provided by the Appalachian Rangers Muzzleloading Club allow Jubilee visitors to catch a glimpse of central West Virginia life in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. There are glassblowing, woodchopping, and turkey calling demonstrations. West Virginians' contemporary heritage is celebrated through both the Fine Arts Exhibition and Photo Show. Central West Virginia's finest artists and photographers exhibit their works for Jubilee visitors. More traditional shows include the ever-popular Quilt Show and Needlearts Show. The Jubilee hosts the West Virginia Pie Baking Contest, heritage dancing, children's heritage games and more.

All of these activities are indeed there, and quite worth it I might add. But there isn't any media you can consume, no discussion board, not even any photos on the website. There are a lot of things that we could do to bring in more people to the Jubilee, and increasing its web presence is one of the most important, I think. Contrast the Jubilee's webpage with that of the much more popular Clifftop Festival. There are photo galleries, CDs to purchase (and, importantly, sample online) and an invitation to join their Facebook group. That's not why one festival is attended better than the other, but it sure doesn't hurt.

The sad thing is, I had recently purchased some recording equipment and a video camera to add to the Jubilee's media cache... but you know, now this happened. Not to worry, if the Jubilee happens this year, I'll be there, and do my best to document it myself.

So, the music. I mentioned that you can see some of the best musicians in North America play at the Jubilee. One of those is fiddler Bobby Taylor. At the last Jubilee, right before he played, I remember he said, "Well, it's Jubilee time again... thank God!" To me that kind of emphasized how much the festival means to those who attend. Bobby plays with multiple ensembles throughout the day, and is usually outside playing as well.

Unfortunately, there aren't too many videos of him playing that I can find. Here a few resources that I can find.

You can purchase and/or stream free samples of his tunes here.
You can here a sample of another tune, I believe it is a live recording, here.
You can see his discography and tour info at his website here.

That's the best I can do right now. Here is kind of an old video, before the days of YouTube if you can believe it, of him standing outside the barn, playing 'Billy in the Lowground' at the 1997 Jubilee. I can't identify everyone in the video, but the banjo player is Dave O'Dell, who has quite an impressive repertoire of old-time music as well.

Credits: Video from YouTuber cartoonhepcat

Check back next week!

2009-06-16T18:37:00.000-07:00

Hello Everybody:
Just a quick post here. I'm out doing part of my real job out in Lincoln, Nebraska. And let me just say, Lincoln is awesome. Little Brown Jug Stringband is from here but unfortunately will not be overlap with my short time here. Blast!

Anyway, I don't have much time this week because of this job, but it ends Saturday and I'll be back to posting like normal. So check back on Sunday or Monday for new content.

As always, thanks for reading.

YPM Special Edition

2009-06-11T16:24:00.000-07:00

Hey everybody. I just got news that my favorite West Virginia music festival, the Stonewall Jackson Jubilee, will be canceled for 2009. It's an understatement to say that I'm extremely disappointed/depressed about this.

On my other blog, I wrote a lengthy piece about the festival and thought it would be appropriate here.

Here's my post copied in full:

If you know me, or if you've clicked around on my profile, you know that beyond geography and education, my real passion in life is old-time music.

I come from Appalachia where music is always nearby, and my in-laws (The Samples Brothers) are pretty well-known in West Virginia.

Old-time music is a great communal experience. The tunes are public domain, the community is always eager to teach, it's social... it's just fun.

Pretty much every state has one or more old-time festivals where people get together in the early summer or fall. West Virginia is particularly good about preserving its cultural heritage through traditional music and crafts festivals. Some of the more well-known festivals are Clifftop, Vandalia, and Augusta Heritage.

One of the lesser known festivals in the state is the Jackson's Mill Jubilee (officially the Stonewall Jackson Heritage Arts and Crafts Jubilee). The connection to Stonewall is that the site is his boyhood home, back when the state was still part of Virginia. The mill and some of the structures are still there, and today it's the site of a 4-H camp.

Since 1974, my in-laws and many of West Virginia's (and North America's, quite frankly) finest traditional musicians have spent Labor Day weekend playing music and buying and selling crafts at the Jubilee. It has always been smaller than some of the other festivals, but that was part of its charm. For many families that have been with the festival since the beginning, it's kind of like Christmas in September.

Interest and attendance have slowly dwindled since peaking in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Every year there was talk of having to drop the festival all together. In 2008, with the economy completely in the gutter, attendance was down... way down. Immediately it became difficult to finance the operation through gate admissions.

Aside from gate admissions, a big source of revenue for the festival has been to rent a space to artists and crafters. In the past, festivals like the Jubilee were the best place to get those handmade traditional products. Now, with gas expensive and attendance at festivals down, it's more worth it for a crafter to stay home and sell on sites like Etsy or other web stores. For those same reasons, it's more worth it for consumers to stay at home and just order online.

As if those two financial difficulties were not enough, the traditional financier, WVU-Extension, has also had to make budget adjustments, and we all know how the arts tend to fare during budget discussions.

These three blows, all related to the recession in their own way, finally took the Jubilee down this year. As the Weston Democrat reports:

In an emergency session Monday night, the board of directors of the Stonewall Jackson Heritage Arts and Crafts Jubilee made a difficult decision. Following a lengthy and sad and sober discussion, they overwhelmingly voted to cancel this year’s Jubilee, an event which has been held over Labor Day weekend at WVU-Jackson’s Mill for the past 35 years. The decision came five days after Jubilee president Debra Walker received a letter from David Miller, Associate Provost, West Virginia University Extension, saying that they would be bowing out of the event. After contacting his office two more times, they found out that the $50,000-$75,000 financial sponsorship of the Jubilee as promised by him in a meeting in January would not be forthcoming.

Most of the recession stories I've read thus far have not pertained to me. I don't own property or a house. I don't have investments. I don't work in the financial industry. It's hard to put into words, but this one stings. This disrupts a significant cultural heritage event, it means family and friends won't be getting together, and it could speed up the decline of traditional culture in Appalachia.

On the one hand, my post here is a personal story about the recession... something that almost everybody has. On the other hand, I think there is something here that people beyond my personal sphere can appreciate.

While we celebrate how the web decentralizes and democratizes the arts, how it opens up shops to more customers for more crafters, we also need to be aware of what we're giving up. People getting together means something. Being able to do a custom search on Etsy is nice, but not if it comes at the expense of actual craft shows. Being able to download music and see videos online about old-time music is nice, but not if it means the death of festivals.

I realize that the closure of the Jubilee has more to do with the recession than with the internet. But the internet does play an undeniable role in the revenue generated from the crafters. Some people paid admission just for that. When then crafters stopped coming, rents went down, and so did admissions.

In reality, Etsy and actual craft shows will co-exist, they may even bolster each other. But the benefits will likely accrue in particular places. The Portlands of the world, the Bostons, the Albuquerques, they'll be fine. People live there already, they don't have to go out their way; in academic terms, they benefit from agglomeration effects. The Westons of the world, the places that are harder and more expensive to get to, the small towns... they will likely suffer. It's good for the customer, it's good for the seller, but it's not good for the community in those instances.

That's why geography will continue to matter in the digital age. Instead of the internet bringing about the "death of distance" like many people expected, the internet increases the relevance of place. Paradoxically, since some communication and economic activity can be diffused by using the web, some communities will be left out. Geographic differences will be more pronounced. When it comes to communal experiences, distance will matter even more.

We need to ask ourselves if a "flat world" is what we truly want. Part of the beauty of art is being able to interact with the artist. The joy of music is best appreciated live; this is especially true of old-time music, which is an experience that cannot be downloaded. As I've said many times on here, I love the internet, I'm not one to denounce change just because it's different. I do think, however, that the way we think about the digital age needs to be more grounded in reality. That reality should include places that are left out; god knows there are lots of them.

The music and arts in Weston will survive, no doubt, but they will take a severe blow this year. It's been hard news to take. Hopefully next year it will be back, and hopefully it will be able to pick up where it left off.

Here I can show you what you're missing, but it's just a crude facsimile. This is more of an experience than it is a audio/visual exercise. Nonetheless, here's a taste from the 2008 Jubilee. In what I hope was not their last performance there, here's my in-laws playing through their set.

Photo Credit: Creative Commons license "attribution-noncommercial-no derivative works" from Flickr user SpoiltCat

YPM Edition 4C: Old-Time in Canada

2009-06-11T01:52:00.000-07:00

Notes from Yew Piney Mountain Edition 4C: Old-Time in Canada

Erynn Marshall, from Victoria BC, is one of the most highly regarded old-time fiddlers in North America.

You can hear more of her stuff on MySpace, here streaming MP3s and read press releases here, and hear samples of her with the Haints here.

She is also very involved in many West Virgina old-time music festivals has a tremendous wealth of knowledge of music from that area.

Here she is playing in a West Virginia festival (Clifftop) and playing a West Virginia tune (from French Carpenter).

Credits: Video from YouTuber YewPineyMountain

YPM Edition 2a: Carolina Chocolate Drops

2009-05-23T08:14:00.000-07:00

Notes from Yew Piney Mountain: Edition 2a

Taking a look at my post from earlier in the week, I didn't really like it. It's too big. I'd rather just put up frequent short posts. But I do like the Ira Glass idea: each week we bring you a theme, and bring you a number of variations on that theme.

So this week, I'm going to explore Western North Carolina and the Piedmont Region.

First up, the Carolina Chocolate Drops. Few people have been more successful at reviving traditional old-time music from the Carolina Piedmont region. The group is also one of only a few that highlights the tremendous African-American influence in US old-time music.

US Piedmont Region

Here they are in documentary-style promotional video produced for UNC-TV's Our State:

Our State - The Carolina Chocolate Drops from Pete Bell on Vimeo.

Thinking About New Format

2009-05-14T08:41:00.000-07:00

Hello Everybody:
I've been thinking about making a couple of changes to the blog here. Instead of posting everyday or every other day, I thinking of making it like a weekly webzine. I'll still post the same number of tunes and videos, but I might do some research on the tunes and add more of my own commentary. I also just ordered a high-quality recorder so if I'm brave, I'll post some of my own versions of tunes.

Just letting you know, in case you check here frequently, that if you don't see any updates for a few days at a time, I'm still maintaining everything here, just less often. I'll put out an "edition" either on Saturdays or Sundays. Now don't go burning through all the content in one day!

Tunes I'm working on

2009-05-09T09:12:00.000-07:00

One thing I like about the old-time music scene is that it's such a communal experience. Anyone can get together with friends and family and listen or play tunes. Everybody has their own way of playing and people tend to be very happy to share nuances and learn new things.

I'm in the process of learning some new tunes now, which I will do by combining the MP3s posted here with input from other players I know locally. If you're reading this and play, you likely do the same thing.

Anyway, in case you're interested, right now I'm learning these tunes, each of which you can search for and find on here:

Gray Eagle
Frost Morning
Dinah
Old Time Liza Jane (aka Liza Jane, Little Liza Jane, not to be confused with the Liza Jane the Samples Brothers do, that's a different tune.)
I'm polishing up Whiskey Before Breakfast.

What are you learning?

Say, Darling, Say

2009-04-28T18:20:00.000-07:00

When I saw the Fox Hunt the other day they played this tune. It sounds really familiar but I actually haven't heard any of the old timers do it in West Virginia. I'm sure they do, or have done it in the past, I just haven't heard it much.

Just the same, here's a really nice version. Great fiddling.

West Virginia All-Stars

2009-04-27T16:47:00.001-07:00

Stumbled across this video today. It's kind of like an all-star compilation of some of West Virginia's best old-time players, including Dave Bing and John Morris. I'm sure there are others there that I just don't recognize. Always interesting to see these candid shots.

One of the tunes in there is a personal favorite, Girl I Left Behind Me.

French-Canadian Tunes

2009-04-26T12:20:00.001-07:00

Came across these tunes today and loved them. There's a lot of great fiddle music out Quebec and these are two of them. I'm less familiar with this whole genre so I can't really offer any clever insights except to look more French-Canadian tunes up. Genticorum is perhaps the best modern recorded example of French-Canadian tradition. Enjoy.

Adam Hurt: New River Train

2009-04-24T15:18:00.000-07:00

One of the best banjo players I've heard is Adam Hurt. Here he is with New River Train. I have an old-timey recording of this somewhere that I'll post later to compare. I like his playing better though because it's so clean and precise and he's not in a hurry.

Haste to the Wedding: Irish Pub Style

2009-04-19T18:45:00.000-07:00

Here's a more fiddle-friendly version from an Irish pub. It comes complete with people in the background humming the melody. I'll post a scratchy old-time version of this tune tomorrow.

In the meantime... I found a slightly more professional version of the tune by the Corrs, who actually do play well. Remind too much of Wilson Phillips for comfort... don't know why, but it keeps me from being a fan. Nonetheless, here you go.

Ragtime Annie

2009-04-18T20:44:00.000-07:00

Thank you sizefam4, great version of Ragtime Annie. See also sizefam1, 2, and 3 for alternate versions... ok that's a joke. But seriously, I like this tune.

Jimmy Johnson w/ commentary

2009-04-17T10:33:00.000-07:00

Many I'm really grateful Old Time Music for posted a link to this guy originally. In this post he's talking about the Carpenter family, which I alluded to earlier in reference to Elsick's Farewell. Enjoy the tunes and the commentary.

By the way, I'm going to see the Fox Hunt here on Tuesday. That should be a good time. If I can I'll try to get a tune or two from there.

Who Broke the Lock: Little Brown Jug Band

2009-04-12T09:40:00.000-07:00

This has become one of my favorite old-time bands. They have all kinds of stuff on YouTube, and their website is here: www.littlebrownjugband.com

I'm going to be in Lincoln this summer, where this was filmed, hopefully they'll be there again.

North Carolina Breakdown: West Virginia style

2009-04-10T07:56:00.000-07:00

These guys are family friends. I stumbled across them on the internet the other day. In fact John Preston, the bass in the back there, played at my wedding. Dave Odell, the banjo, is one of the better musicians in West Virginia. Here they are with North Carolina Breakdown.

Mark Campbell

2009-04-10T07:47:00.000-07:00

I have a feeling I'm going to go through a Mark Campbell phase now that I've run into his stuff on the internet. I discovered it via Old Time Music on Typepad.

This tune is Ducks on the Millpond. I like this video because it's really clear how they are bowing and easy to follow along.

Here's the MP3 for this tune if you'd like to download it, put it on your iPod or website or whatever.

Ducks on the Millpond MP3

Elsick's Farewell

2009-04-07T13:37:00.000-07:00

This tune has a story behind that I'm not sure I'm sold on, but I haven't heard otherwise either. My father-in-law's family is from the county line between Kanawha County and Clay County, WV. One of his brother's told me that this tune originated during the time of the Civil War by a family near them that is still around, the Carpenter's (of Ernie Carpenter).

He told me that when brother Elsick Carpenter was going off to fight for the Union (I believe he told me it was the Union) one of his relative's wrote him this tune, and that's why it's called Elsick's Farewell.

He could have told me that just to mess with me, I don't know, but it seemed legit.

Or if you prefer, here's the fiddle version by the very talented John Morris, who I believe is from Clay County, WV.

Live Jam in Harper's Ferry

2009-04-07T13:33:00.000-07:00

Surprisingly good sound for a band this big. You can hear the banjo really well.

Waynesboro

2009-04-05T11:24:00.000-07:00

I heard this tune today on WDVX, a local radio station that plays decent old-time sets on Sundays, and it was killing me because I'd heard it before but couldn't place it. The video above unfortunately cuts the playing short, but it's from Elkins, WV so I had to include.

If you're interested in learning the tune or hearing a longer version, click here to go to another video that has embedding disabled.

Walnut Gap and Ducks on a Millpond

2009-04-03T11:22:00.000-07:00

Always nice to see the young kids learning the tunes.

Here's the same instructor playing Ducks on a Millpond, which is a very nice old-time tune.

Live from Purple Fiddle

2009-04-02T17:50:00.001-07:00

This tune isn't especially old-time, but I kind of like it. Plus it's from the Purple Fiddle in Thomas WV.

Louisville Breakdown

2009-03-21T10:03:00.000-07:00

I stumbled across this in my YouTube subscriptions and realized that this fiddler also keeps a blog about sustainable farming as well as old-time music if you're interested.

This second video is the same tune just played in a different setting with more instruments. The first is good as kind of an instructional video.

Four Leaf Peat: Post Game

2009-03-17T21:08:00.000-07:00

I saw Four Leaf Peat tonight (and made it home to watch my somewhat embarrassing UK Wildcats play) and it was worth it. They are seriously talented.

The best moment of the show for me was when they played James Scott Skinner's "Hector the Hero" and dedicated to recently passed loved ones. Any time you get to hear a Skinner tune out it's a treat, and under those circumstances it was even nicer.

Here's a collection of reels, but I encourage you to also buy the cd here.

The Green Fields of Miltown/The Long Drop/Callaghan's MP3

St. Patrick's Day

2009-03-17T07:53:00.000-07:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day! I'm watching some Irish music tonight. In the meantime, here's Ashley MacIsaac playing celtic tunes with Quinn Banchand.

Cigar Box Fiddle

2009-03-16T16:53:00.000-07:00

I have to get one of these someday... right after I spend that other money I don't have.

Girl I Left Behind Me

2009-03-16T11:53:00.000-07:00

I've generally had a hard time on YouTube finding this tune, so this is one of the better versions I could find. It's followed by Red Wing. Generally I want a little more grit out of my old-time music, but this will do.

Ida Red

2009-03-16T11:33:00.000-07:00

Here's Lester McCumbers again playing Ida Red. This was filmed at the Glenville Festival of 2006.

John Brown's Dream

2009-03-15T08:14:00.000-07:00

This is quite interesting. There are whole series of videos on YouTube that feature old-time music in Japan, and this one has what appears to be a Japanese clogger.

Hangman's Reel

2009-03-14T17:20:00.000-07:00

This is a fun four-part tune to play. This was recorded out at Purple Fiddle in Thomas, WV.

New Cut Road

2009-03-14T08:12:00.000-07:00

People that frequent West Virginia festivals will no doubt recognize these guys (Frank George on Fiddle, David O'Dell on banjo, Jimmy Costa on guitar). The tune is cut off, but I like the way these guys play.

Battle of New Orleans

2009-03-13T09:30:00.000-07:00

This is a really nice version of Battle of New Orleans (aka 8th of January) by Little Brown Jug Band. The tempo on this is just right. A lot of people play this tune too fast.

Four Leaf Peat in Concert

2009-03-13T08:59:00.000-07:00

Going to see Four Leaf Peat (see my previous post about them) this Tuesday at the Square Room in Knoxville. If you're in the area you should go. I got my tickets from here. After that it's off to freezing Snowshoe, WV, for a little family visiting.

Live from Clifftop

2009-03-12T06:43:00.001-07:00

Not 100% certain, but this tune sounds a lot like Cumberland Gap to me. Anybody know any different? Wonderful tune whatever it is.

North Carolina Breakdown

2009-03-11T11:01:00.001-07:00

This is a video I stumbled upon a while ago but it's still my favorite version of this tune that I've heard yet. It features Erynn Marshall among many others.

Temperance Reel

2009-03-10T17:00:00.000-07:00

Here's Joe Dobbs playing Temperance Reel at the 2007 Jackson's Mill. I have a photo of him wearing that same shirt.... from 2008. Coincidence? Probably.

Pictures from Jackson's Mill

2009-03-09T08:04:00.000-07:00

These are a little old, from the Summer of 2008. I took these at Jackson's Mill in West Virginia. Many of them are of the Samples Brothers, but there's a few others in there as well, including Dave Bing and Buddy Griffin.

Notes from Yew Piney Mountain

Government Issue Orchestra

Help Support an Old-Time Music Documentary

Two for One Tuesday

Barlow Knife

Backstep Cindy

Apple Blossom

New Post, Finally: Cajun String Bands

Waterbound

Spanish Pipe Dream

Ragtime Annie

Seneca Square Dance: Samples Brothers Home Jam

Boatmen with the Samples Brothers

New Look

Black Twig Pickers

The Boatman

Robert Byrd the Musician

Angus Campbell

The Music of Mario

Angeline the Baker

Twin Sisters Melvin Wine

Elk Creek Picnic

Across the Sea

Abe's Retreat

Fly Around My Pretty Little Miss

Cumberland River

Jimmy Johnson by Ralph Roberts

Frank George Gathering 2010

New Frank George Videos

Waynesboro and Stony Point

Miss McCleod's Reel

More Irish Traditional Music

Live from the Blue Plate Special

St. Patrick's Blue Plate Special

More Lunasa to Get Ready for St. Paddy's

Not Exactly Old Time, But....

Sandy Boys

Petronella

Dervish

Liza Jane

Jimmy Tripplett

Lunasa

The Gilded Bats

More Chance McCoy

Chance McCoy and the Appalachian String Band

Pokey LaFarge

Whiskey Bent Valley Boys

The Foghorn Trio

Old-Time in BoingBoing

Foghorn Trio in Knoxville

The Young Uns

Versions of Waterbound

Lonesome Road Blues

Gray Eagle: Night Vision Style

Fretless Banjo

Clifftop 2009

Overdue for a Post

YPM Edition 7B: Farewell Tunes

YPM Edition 6D: Online Instruction

Old-Time in the NYT

Poor Benny

YPM Edition 5D: West Virginia Festivals

YPM Edition 5C: West Virginia Festivals

Quick Note

YPM Edition 5A: West Virginia Festivals

Check back next week!

YPM Special Edition

YPM Edition 4C: Old-Time in Canada

YPM Edition 2a: Carolina Chocolate Drops

Thinking About New Format

Tunes I'm working on

Say, Darling, Say

West Virginia All-Stars

French-Canadian Tunes

Adam Hurt: New River Train

Haste to the Wedding: Irish Pub Style

Ragtime Annie

Jimmy Johnson w/ commentary

Who Broke the Lock: Little Brown Jug Band

North Carolina Breakdown: West Virginia style