maryzcox - Posted - 02/16/2017:  15:44:27

HAPPY February2017  to everyone at TOTW.   It's been a year since I hosted TOTW--and Wow--what a year its been :)  All kinds of the world twisting and turning & moving faster and faster into the 21st century.  And so much of the traditional crafts, music, arts, & cultures are quickly disappearing around the world--it's nice to visit this little corner of Banjo Hangout where banjo tunes are being shared.  

So I decided to share a traditional old NC tune with you that I first learned from the playing of Marvin Gaster. 

Chickens Crowing at Midnight – Marvin Gaster

Uncle Henry’s Favorites

Rounder 1996

( and yes--I have met and jammed with Marvin a couple of times over the years & the moment I remember best with Marvin was when we were both finalists in an old time banjo contest in NC & Marvin was right behind me in line waiting to go on and he leaned in to me & whispered "I'd like to break your little fingers " :)

Here I'm playing on dulcimer & the old minstrel Hunchback banjo :)

If I remember correctly--Bob Carlin recorded Marvin on the Rounder CD --and I played it quite a bit and since Marvin played it in the key of D--I got to playing along with it on my mountain dulcimer because it just sounded like a wonderful mountain dulcimer tune to me.  I started showing it to folks in mountain dulcimer workshops & they liked it and played it because it was easy & fun too. I even put it in my "Easy String Band Method For the Mountain Dulcimer Book."

Then I recorded Chickens Crowin At Midnight in 2003 on a Cd called Dulcimer Fandango--which I later changed the name of the CD to Chickens Crowin' At Midnight (don't ask)

Here's Marvin playing it a couple years back with the Harknesses :)

I always liked the way Chickens sounded on a gut strung minstrel banjo--so I recorded it again in 2011 on my John Bowlin 1865 fretless banjo & Ellen Sheppard accompanied me on a banjolin & it sounded like this .

But I know there is more to say about this old tune & I know there are plenty of other folks that have recorded it--so I hope that everyone will join in and post what they know about it or find online. 

Best wishes always,

Mary Z Cox

maryzcox.com

ps. Some folks think I may have died or retired or just faded away--so posting some recent pix in the last couple years just to let you know--I'm still alive and kicking--still picking 3 hour late at night gigs while standing--still playing more than ever and still recording and still having a great time --I've even actually met some of the banjo players on BHO & FB in person these last couple of years & it was a great pleasure to finally meet some of these wonderful folks in person :)

Edited by - maryzcox on 02/16/2017 15:54:33

conversations with old time performers vol II	Banjo Days	MaryZCoxDavidGrisman	FSU Irish Ensemble
maryzcox	Good Morning Banjo jacket cove

JanetB - Posted - 02/17/2017:  14:30:21

Thanks for a neat little tune, Mary, and for introducing me to Marvin Gaster's fiddling (and 2-finger style banjo picking).  Here are some interesting links about him:  cmt.com/artists/marvin-gaster/biography/,  youtube.com/watch?v=19QRbbCkTjw, and  youtube.com/watch?gl=GB&v=...;hl=en-GB.

Your combinations of instruments and playing are great, as always, and you never fail to choose super tunes for learning.  Don't stay away so long next time!

Chickens Crowing at Midnight (TOTW)

maryzcox - Posted - 02/17/2017:  15:49:09

quote:

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Originally posted by JanetB

 

Thanks for a neat little tune, Mary, and for introducing me to Marvin Gaster's fiddling (and 2-finger style banjo picking).  Here are some interesting links about him:  cmt.com/artists/marvin-gaster/biography/,  youtube.com/watch?v=19QRbbCkTjw, and  youtube.com/watch?gl=GB&v=...;hl=en-GB.

Your combinations of instruments and playing are great, as always, and you never fail to choose super tunes for learning.  Don't stay away so long next time!

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Thank you JanetB--pretty version & hey--the other Marvin Gaster tune I liked and learned was "Johnson Gal"  But like most of the collection on that rounder album because they chose tunes that were a little more melodic and not as crooked as many of the tunes coming out of that area these days. :)

maryzcox.com

rickhayes - Posted - 02/17/2017:  16:23:25

Good picking ladies.

cmic - Posted - 02/18/2017:  05:28:06

@Mary Z. So bad we can't see/listen to the 3 Youtube videos you offered.

For the error message is always "This video is not available". Youtube seems to

"censors" countries outside US for some reason ? 

The solution might be to get a proxy in USA. Hum..

I think many of us (Jan Olov, ..) are impacted.



Not catastrophic, but it's a pity.

Cheers

maryzcox - Posted - 02/18/2017:  07:49:26

quote:

---

Originally posted by cmic

 

@Mary Z. So bad we can't see/listen to the 3 Youtube videos you offered.

For the error message is always "This video is not available". Youtube seems to

"censors" countries outside US for some reason ? 

The solution might be to get a proxy in USA. Hum..

I think many of us (Jan Olov, ..) are impacted.



Not catastrophic, but it's a pity.

Cheers

 

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maryzcox - Posted - 02/18/2017:  07:55:13

quote:

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Originally posted by maryzcox

 

quote:

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Originally posted by cmic



 

@Mary Z. So bad we can't see/listen to the 3 Youtube videos you offered.  Just go to  maryzox.bandcamp.com and you can listen to those tunes 😀



For the error message is always "This video is not available". Youtube seems to



"censors" countries outside US for some reason ? 



The solution might be to get a proxy in USA. Hum..



I think many of us (Jan Olov, ..) are impacted.







Not catastrophic, but it's a pity.

 

Cheers

 

 

 

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janolov - Posted - 02/18/2017:  09:51:14

quote:

---

Originally posted by cmic

 

@Mary Z. So bad we can't see/listen to the 3 Youtube videos you offered.

For the error message is always "This video is not available". Youtube seems to

"censors" countries outside US for some reason ? 

The solution might be to get a proxy in USA. Hum..

I think many of us (Jan Olov, ..) are impacted.



Not catastrophic, but it's a pity.

Cheers

 

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I couldn't watch those three YouTube clips, but I found another so I could listen to the tune: youtube.com/watch?v=6CXxZYK95C0 (and the next tune is the version on cello banjo). 

I think it happens rather often that Old-Time videos are not available for us European (even before the presidential election) - but remember a lot of the American music traditions comes from Europe so it should be our right to listen to you do with the music.

maryzcox - Posted - 02/18/2017:  10:33:48

I tried to post from my phone & it didn't do well.

But all the tracks from my CD of Chicken Crowin--you can listen to on Bandcamp.

They are international--you can even download their free app for free streaming.  

You can play my cds for free on there--although lots of folks voluntarily pay me for the tracks because they know I'm just a lone indie artists & I have to do the expenses all out of my own pocket and they want me to be able to continue recording good banjo music :_

maryzcox.bandcamp.com

Edited by - maryzcox on 02/18/2017 10:37:15

bhniko - Posted - 03/01/2017:  14:09:00

Once again...a terrific post. Thanks Mary.

maryzcox - Posted - 03/07/2017:  12:55:39

quote:

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Originally posted by bhniko

 

Once again...a terrific post. Thanks Mary.

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You're welcome :) 

maryzcox.com