Matt Buckley - Posted - 02/04/2009:  15:45:26

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I love Adam Hurt's version of "Camp Chase". But I'm curious about his setting. His tuning is aDADE, and Clawdan's version in Old Time Festival Tunes is in A. Further, Adam's version has two additional measures to Dan's version, which of course already has an extended A part.

So, anyone have any insight as to the origin of Adam's version, and is it a version commonly encountered?

Cheers, Matt

Clawdan - Posted - 02/04/2009:  16:10:11

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Hi Matt,
I must admit I am not familiar with Adam's version, but it is not unusual for crooked tunes to have different numbers of measures or notes due to personalization of the "crooked" tags. As to key, Adam seems to use many tunings that he personally prefers, but that is double D tuning. I wonder if it is just a typo? Does the tab he has work in that tuning? Just speculating, but perhaps he'll chime in here too.

Play nice ,
Dan "Ain''t no bum-ditty" Levenson
www.ClawhammerBanjo.us
Get started right with Dan''s Clawhammer Banjo From Scratch - Book and DVD (Mel Bay Publications)

nihilist37 - Posted - 02/04/2009:  16:11:44

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I haven't heard this version yet but it sounds like its similar to Bobby Taylor's version. I believe he got it from Ed Haley. Given that Hurt is such a fan of turning fiddle tunes into banjo numbers perhaps he also took it from Haley.

Bobby told a story about that one when he was here in Australia. He said that some prisoners (at camp chase) were told they would be given their freedon if they won this fiddle contest. Apparently the person who wrote camp chase won the fiddle contest by two notes. (he told us to guess which ones they were).

I have heard a few version and all have been extrordinarily crooked. Dan's is the first version I've seen that mildy resemples a straight tune.

Matt Buckley - Posted - 02/04/2009:  16:19:39

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Adam's CD note indicates that the tune is from Burl Hammons via Beth Hartness.

No tab is with the CD, but the tune sure sounds like it's aDADE.



Cheers, Matt

dculgan - Posted - 02/05/2009:  04:39:46

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My g-g-g-grandfather died as a Confederate prisoner in that camp, of smallpox. I'll have to listen to this tune and maybe learn it. I kinda doubt the story but it might be true. I've got a book on Camp Chase and I don't remember seeing it there but its been years since I read it.
Dave

bagunhe - Posted - 02/05/2009:  04:56:52

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quote:

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Originally posted by nihilist37
Apparently the person who wrote camp chase won the fiddle contest by two notes. (he told us to guess which ones they were).

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The name of the person is Sol Carpenter.

konnichiwa, arigato, sayonara

kingfisher500 - Posted - 02/06/2009:  12:19:06

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quote:

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Originally posted by nihilist37
[

Bobby told a story about that one when he was here in Australia. He said that some prisoners (at camp chase) were told they would be given their freedon if they won this fiddle contest. Apparently the person who wrote camp chase won the fiddle contest by two notes. (he told us to guess which ones they were).

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You can find the story here:

<http://www.hetzlersfakebook.com/NBC...ase.html>



kingfisher500

kingfisher500 - Posted - 02/07/2009:  13:36:26

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quote:

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Originally posted by kingfisher500

quote:

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Originally posted by nihilist37
[

Bobby told a story about that one when he was here in Australia. He said that some prisoners (at camp chase) were told they would be given their freedon if they won this fiddle contest. Apparently the person who wrote camp chase won the fiddle contest by two notes. (he told us to guess which ones they were).

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You can find the story here:

<http://www.hetzlersfakebook.com/NBC...ase.html>

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That is what I said, but it seems that you can no longer get there directly.

This link brings you to Hetzler's Fakebook. From there choose Historical Context, and then Camp Chase.

That will get you to the story.


kingfisher500

clawhammerist - Posted - 02/07/2009:  18:14:06

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Hi Matt,

Thanks for your kind words and interest. I'm glad you like my version of "Camp Chase"; it's something I'm quite proud of having figured out.

Every fiddle rendition of this tune that I've ever heard has been in a cross-tuning: either AEAE or GDGD for the keys of A and G, respectively. While trying to work it out on the banjo, I found that the range of the usual-suspect A and G tunings couldn't accommodate the full melody as I knew it. Since I wasn't planning to record it with a fiddler, I experimented with changing the key to something more banjo-centric, and quickly discovered that the tune very nicely fit within the range of double-D (and yes, in the key of D indeed).

Though I haven't yet seen or heard the version tabbed out in Dan's book, I am not surprised that it is a bit different in structure from my setting. Burl Hammons' version is distinctly different, both melodically and structurally, from any of the other versions played by various West Virginia fiddlers old and new. It seems to me as though most of the other (and perhaps more well-known) versions derived somewhat from the melody associated with the Carpenter family. In the A part, the initial phrases of the Burl Hammons version are sort of inside-out-and-backwards takes on the Carpenter A-part theme (or vice-versa; I guess the chicken or egg question could come into play here!). Also, the B part of the Hammons version is very short and square, compared to the elongated and crooked (more or less so depending on the player's tendencies, as noted by others) Carpenter B part.

In any case, a lovely and fascinating tune--regardless of the version; I like every rendition of the many I've heard--with a great story to boot!

Cheers,
Adam Hurt
www.adamhurt.com
www.myspace.com/adamhurt
www.cdbaby.com/cd/adamhurt
-regular or one-time lessons available; please contact me for details
-interested in having an Adam Hurt banjo workshop come to your area? Please drop me a line off-list to discuss the possibilities.

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Edited by - clawhammerist on 02/07/2009 18:14:27

BrendanD - Posted - 02/07/2009:  21:31:34

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Like Adam, I like every version of Camp Chase that I've heard, and no two fiddlers play it alike! Burl Hammons's version is indeed rather different than the various Carpenter family-related versions, and for those that haven't heard Burl's version, I recorded Burl playing the tune at his house in 1979, and have uploaded an MP3 to my Music page. It should be the first tune on this page:

http://www.banjohangout.org/myhango...asp?id=14404

In this recording, I think Burl is playing what Adam refers to as his A part as the B part instead, and vice versa. He may well have played it the opposite way in other recordings.

Brendan

"Many thing un-understandable a chicken-hearted seems slim usually."
- from a Japanese shopping bag (printed in English)

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Edited by - BrendanD on 02/07/2009 21:33:38

kingfisher500 - Posted - 02/09/2009:  12:24:52

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quote:

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[i] It should be the first tune on this page:

http://www.banjohangout.org/myhango...asp?id=14404

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But it's not! At least my browser says that there is not file there.

kingfisher500

BrendanD - Posted - 02/09/2009:  15:25:44

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quote:

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Originally posted by kingfisher500

quote:

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[i] It should be the first tune on this page:

http://www.banjohangout.org/myhango...asp?id=14404

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But it's not! At least my browser says that there is not file there.

kingfisher500

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That's odd. I checked just now, and there it was, right on top. Another odd thing: I uploaded the MP3 a few days ago, and checked to see that it was uploaded successfully (it was), but the next time I went to my Music page a day or so later, there were three copies! I deleted two, but the other copy seems to be there. Maybe try a different browser?

Brendan

"Many thing un-understandable a chicken-hearted seems slim usually."
- from a Japanese shopping bag (printed in English)

dbrooks - Posted - 02/10/2009:  06:18:51

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I listened and downloaded the MP3 when there were 3 copies.

By the way, I always download Brendan's music files to listen to on my iPod.

David

kingfisher500 - Posted - 02/12/2009:  08:50:48

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quote:

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Originally posted by BrendanD

quote:

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Originally posted by kingfisher500

quote:

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[i] It should be the first tune on this page:

http://www.banjohangout.org/myhango...asp?id=14404

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But it's not! At least my browser says that there is not file there.

kingfisher500

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That's odd. I checked just now, and there it was, right on top. Another odd thing: I uploaded the MP3 a few days ago, and checked to see that it was uploaded successfully (it was), but the next time I went to my Music page a day or so later, there were three copies! I deleted two, but the other copy seems to be there. Maybe try a different browser?

Brendan

"Many thing un-understandable a chicken-hearted seems slim usually."
- from a Japanese shopping bag (printed in English)

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Did you actually try to play the file? I can see the file name in my browser, but when I click on it, the Jukebox just tries to load the song, but nothing plays, and if I try to download it, there is no file there.

Your other music files are fine.

kingfisher500

dbrooks - Posted - 02/12/2009:  09:54:38

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It wouldn't play for me either. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I downloaded the file when there were 3 instances. I'll bet this one is a "ghost" and the good file was deleted when Brendan cleaned up.

David

BrendanD - Posted - 02/12/2009:  18:37:29

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quote:

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Originally posted by dbrooks

It wouldn't play for me either. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I downloaded the file when there were 3 instances. I'll bet this one is a "ghost" and the good file was deleted when Brendan cleaned up.

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Thanks for the update. I'll try uploading it again when I have the time.

Brendan

"Many thing un-understandable a chicken-hearted seems slim usually."
- from a Japanese shopping bag (printed in English)