JanetB - Posted - 02/10/2017:  07:27:21

Willis, Virginia is merely a “village,” according to resident Mac Traynham, an old-time performer and luthier, and is the location of his carpentry shop where my banjo was built.  If you saw BHO member Frailin’ Craig Evans’ Banjo Builders DVD series, you saw Mac’s shop in Willis. 

I'm not sure when the town Willis was founded, but the family name has history in the 1800's, as noted in this book:  archive.org/details/sketchofwillisfa00will.

Now to the music:  Green Williis is a tune played throughout our old-timey world and has roots both in Willis, Virginia and across the sea.  It has multiple titles and tune signatures -- 4/4 and 6/8.

I’ve long enjoyed the tune as a 4/4 reel, thinking of soldiers in good spirit, marching to its melodic rhythm.  It’s also commonly called The Raw Recruit, so I had assumed “Private Willis” was just beginning his soldiering in the Civil War -- “green,” so to speak.  So much for my imagination…. Actually the real person named Green Willis is said to have been a good fiddler, though I can’t say whether or not he was a soldier.  His brother, John, founded the town of Willis, according to Mac, whose late banjo playing friend, John Newton Hylton, was the great-grandson of John and Green Willis on his mother’s side. 

A bit of lyrics goes with the tune: 

Mac confirmed the modern tune source is Taylor Kimble of Carroll County.  You can hear him fiddle  Green Willis on the Slippery Hill website.  Another of Taylor’s tunes was recently a Tune of the Week – “Don’t Drink Nothin’ But Corn.”  Marcus Taylor Kimble was born in 1892 in Patrick Co, VA and later moved to Carroll County.  He formed a family band in the 20’s, “but stopped playing for many years after witnessing a drunken brawl at a music party.”

I wondered whether Taylor Kimble created the brisk march Green Willis from a slow jig called “Chapel Hill March,” as played by Emmett Lundy, born in 1864 in Grayson County, VA.  My query was partly answered in liner notes about Chapel Hill March by Tom Carter in his compilation Emmett Lundy, Fiddle Tunes from Grayson County, Virginia:  

“Jackson’s (Stonewall) March is another title for this tune around the area.  Nobody is too sure how the Chapel Hill name was tacked on, but rumour has it that this piece was once collected and used in a symphony by a noted University of North Carolina composer. [That college is in Chapel Hill, NC and was charted in 1789, opening in 1795 as the nation’s first public university.]  The tune itself, in 6/8 or triple metre, was commonly used as a ‘school breaking’ march.  The school breaking was the last day of school for many rural children who wouldn’t see many of their friends for some time…If a march were held, the children would line up behind the banjo and fiddle players and march out of the schoolhouse to the strains of this tune…and sometimes march figure-eight or snail-shell patterns on the school yard….

Taylor Kimble recorded an adaptation of it in duple time called ‘Green Willis’ (after a local fiddler).  For examples of the faster set listen to Kimble…or the Fuzzy Mountain String Band.  A British version of the tune, called The New Rigged Ship, has been collected from the Yorkshire melodeon-player George Tremain.”  -- Tom Carter

The New Rigged Ship (aka Da New Rigged Ship), in 6/8 time, was notated in Scotland as early as 1837.  When I discussed this TOTW with BHO member Yigal Zan, he said his jam group plays a medley of “Green Willis and Green Willis Jig.”  Yigal told me of a time when Ken Perlman was playing Green Willis in Scotland and was surprised to be informed it was an old jig tune called New Rigged Ship. Alan Jabbour and Ken called it Chapel Hill Serenade.  Check out The Fiddler's Companion for more information.

There are lots of examples on BHO of Green Willis.  Here are just a few:

Three on the BHO Jukebox (and notice these unique monikers):

From ballbanjo:  banjohangout.org/myhangout/med...;archived=

From Red Zinger:  banjohangout.org/myhangout/med...;archived=

From Supertone:  banjohangout.org/myhangout/med...;archived=

There’s much going on with this tune.  Perhaps you can add more here.  Hope you enjoy!

Edited by - JanetB on 02/10/2017 08:57:57

Green Willis (TOTW)

VIDEO: Chapel Hill March
(click to view)

Green Willis (CH) tab

Chapel Hill March (2-finger style) tab

rickhayes - Posted - 02/10/2017:  07:54:40

Great tune and some terrific examples, yours included.

mjt0229 - Posted - 02/10/2017:  09:25:25

Great tune and great playing, Janet! I was just working on it in my lesson with Adam Hurt yesterday. I'll make a quick recording later today if I get a chance. The version I learned from him is a little different.

Added a quick rendition. It's sloppy but I didn't warm up or try a lot of takes - I'm on paternity leave and need to get back to my family.

Edited by - mjt0229 on 02/10/2017 09:39:49

VIDEO: Green Willis
(click to view)

 

 

 

Winged Words - Posted - 02/10/2017:  23:10:57

Janet - your essay is exactly why I love Tune of the Week. Such a great source for those of us for whom OT music isn't our native tongue.

Thanks Janet and all TOWers!

JanetB - Posted - 02/11/2017:  09:49:01

Thanks for the kind words and thanks for sharing your lesson with Adam, Mark.  It's a dynamic and elegant Green Willis version.  It was through Adam that I got the Emmett Lundy resource where I learned Chapel Hill March.  

Here's BHO member banjoholic Josh Turknett playing Green Willis on youtube, where he also has a link for the tab.

ZEPP - Posted - 02/11/2017:  12:41:14

When I met Howie Bursen in the late '70s, I considered this to be a kind of signature tune for him. Whenever he was around, I played 3-finger banjo or guitar, not wishing for him to hear how feeble my CH was. He simply blew my socks off when he played! (still does, come to think on it).

One night at a party, he and I had each consumed a bit too much scotch, and we played together, including 2-banjo clawhammer on Green Willis. When we finished playing--replete with dueling triplets--Howie said to me: "Darn*, ZEPP, I didn't know you played that shuff*!

Great tune--thanks for all the versions. Here's Howie's version from his Cider in the Kitchen album.

* Cleaned up a bit for this site.

Cheers,

ZEPP

bhniko - Posted - 02/12/2017:  13:44:55

Wow! Doesn't get finer than this. Amazing tune with all the players at their own style and tempo. Thanks Janet and all you other loved members for your versions.