I’ve been familiar with the old time tune Chinquapin Hunting for some time, but I didn’t know what a chinquapin was until I attended Midwest Banjo Camp. I figured it was a critter in the possum family, but no, no, no. A chinquapin tree is… Read More
….although many recount stories of famous train wrecks and engineers and so on. I found a great version of Railroading through the Rocky Mountains – a wonderful fiddle tune – on the YouTube machine. Here are Hopping Jenny. Of course if you’re not into Old… Read More
I don’t know anything about Southern Illinois. I drove through it once on the way to or from somewhere else and I did it too fast and I failed to pay attention (not fair I know). Only recently I’ve learned it’s known by the nickname… Read More
Tonight I’d like to feature a remarkable Old Time musician named Kilby Snow. Mr. Snow lived from 1905 to 1980. He was a master of the autoharp. I first became aware of him when I saw a banjo tab for a non-modal version of Shady… Read More
John Hardy is a tune that has been around the block a few times. To say it is well recorded is an understatement. Here’s Cedric Watson and the Mad Minstrels with an unique version featuring gourd banjo, fiddle and stand-up bass. I know Watson’s work… Read More
Emily Spencer again with Thornton Spencer
Here are Emily and Martha Spencer from the Whitetop Mountain Band playing the Carter Family tune, Distant Land to Roam. Very nice performance. Stumbled upon this one on the YouTube machine.
Here’s an entertaining version of the old time standard John Brown’s Dream performed by the Turf Rollers, a band from Copenhagen.
In Old Time music, most standards are by convention usually played in particular tunings. It doesn’t mean they have to be played in certain keys, just that they usually are. This simplifies things for players jamming, for instance. If the tune is going to be… Read More
April Verch is a great Canadian fiddler from the Ottawa Valley. She is also a fabulous step-dancer, as you can see in this clip featuring the April Verch Band performing Sandy River Belle. Now here’s nice version played on the cookie tin banjo, by morbanjo… Read More
27th Street 