banjukebox - Posted - 03/30/2017:  21:16:42

For this week’s Tune of the Week, I have chosen “Coal Harbor Bend”, a Kentucky Fiddle tune attributed to Manon Campbell from Letcher county, KY. He apparently learned the tune from his Aunt (Viney Lusk Campbell) and Uncle.I first became acquainted with the tune via Bigfoot’s CD: “I’ve got a Bulldog” (a collection of great fiddle tunes that in my opinion should be required listening for any up and coming old-time banjo player).

Here’s a link to their version:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=FiX_zKczmM0

There’s a great story about how the tune got it’s name – having to do with a raft trip down the Kentucky River. Rather than try to tell the story myself, I’ll send you to a link where Kentucky fiddler John Harrod tells it. The entire interview is interesting, but you can skip to around the 14 minute point to hear about the tune.

oralhistory.eku.edu/oh/render....arrod.xml

I was unable to find exactly where on the river Coal Harbor Bend is located, but it may be in Perry County in the Southeast portion of the state:

citymelt.com/county/Kentucky/P...aphy.html

I was able to find two recordings of Manon Campbell playing the tune. The first is in Berea College’s Archives, recorded by Bruce Green in 1977:

 digital.berea.edu/cdm/singleit...585/rec/7

And the second (found at the Slippery Hill Site) recorded by John Harrod in 1978 :

slippery-hill.com/recording/co...or-bend-0

There are a number of other recordings that can be found online.

Here’s an interesting one:

chriswig.com/cds/constancy/track_15.html

Here’s one by member Dan Hayes:

banjohangout.org/myhangout/med...ived=true

Ken Torke at Tater Joe’s has tabbed it out:

taterjoes.com/banjo/CoalHarborBend.pdf

My interpretation was a little different. The Tab can be found here:

hangoutstorage.com/banjohangou...32017.pdf

This is how that sounds on banjo:

youtube.com/watch?v=1cxQ5MrZaMc

Edited by - banjukebox on 03/30/2017 21:24:54

jack_beuthin - Posted - 04/01/2017:  08:40:37

Really lovely tune, Pat.  A new one for me.  Nice banjo rendition too! Takes me back to days of my youth when we would spend lazy summer days tubing down the Cannon River is southeast Minnesota.  

JanetB - Posted - 04/01/2017:  13:03:43

Great tune and nice playing, Pat.  I can play right along with you after arranging it from Rhys Jones' fiddling.  We've had several TOTWs perhaps inspired from Bigfoot's CD I've Got a Bulldog (Newt Payne's, Black Eyed Susie, Indian Eat the Woodpecker, and Gilsaw).  Perhaps one day it will be considered right up there with Bob Carlin's Banging and Sawing.  

I keep thinking I read a similar story about hearing the same tune all night in one of Mark Twain's books, but haven't found it yet.

Coal Harbor Bend (TOTW)

Coal Harbor Bend (CH) tab

Winged Words - Posted - 04/01/2017:  23:43:04

Coal Harbour can be a corruption of Coldharbour which is a relatively common place name in the UK. Also Kalt(er)herberg in Germany.

I was thinking Mark Twain as well. But it's a great story whatever its origin. I'm enjoying the tune too.

banjukebox - Posted - 04/02/2017:  07:08:34

Thanks for all the input!

Janet, I'm amazed at how you're able to learn each TOTW, record it, and then put it into tablature format - all within a day or two of posting. That really contributes to the content of this forum.

During my research, I was able to find a Coal Harbour in Vancouver, BC (only about 60 miles from where I live) and a Cole Harbour in Nova Scotia. Not that the location matters too much.

Let us know if you find that reference from Mark Twain.

bd - Posted - 04/03/2017:  09:53:24

Here's my attempt:

VIDEO: Coal Harbor Bend
(click to view)

 

Tobus - Posted - 04/03/2017:  10:49:31

What a great tune!  Definitely going to work on this one (on both fiddle & banjo).  I could listen to that Bigfoot version all day long.

bd - Posted - 04/03/2017:  14:11:11

quote:

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Originally posted by Tobus

 

What a great tune!  Definitely going to work on this one (on both fiddle & banjo).  I could listen to that Bigfoot version all day long.

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I found THIS to be helpful for learning the tune on fiddle--it's a mandolin lesson but it's easy to follow along. 

ScottK - Posted - 04/03/2017:  15:16:34

quote:

---

Originally posted by JanetB

We've had several TOTWs perhaps inspired from Bigfoot's CD I've Got a Bulldog (Newt Payne's, Black Eyed Susie, Indian Eat the Woodpecker, and Gilsaw).  Perhaps one day it will be considered right up there with Bob Carlin's Banging and Sawing.   

 

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So many tunes from I've Got a Bulldog have entered our local jam scene that my buddy John Luna has taken to calling it the new White Album.  :-)

Great tune choice and write-up Pat and great picking all.

Cheers, Scott

banjukebox - Posted - 04/04/2017:  06:00:09

I like that minstrel-like interpretation, BD. 

Thanks to all for adding to the post.

Zischkale - Posted - 04/04/2017:  07:02:50

Great choice, Pat, glad this one's made it onto the list! Excellent playing too, you're getting a real cool harmony note ringing out in the in the fine part.

Glad to hear the story again for this one, it sounds like Bigfoot had those details in mind when working up their version. Hypnotic take on the tune. First heard it on a recording of Bigfoot at Clifftop in 2010. In the coarse part, one of the fiddles distinctly sounds like a human voice. Really made my ears perk up. Listen to it here 

Tobus - Posted - 04/04/2017:  10:27:59

quote:

---

Originally posted by Zischkale

 

Glad to hear the story again for this one, it sounds like Bigfoot had those details in mind when working up their version. Hypnotic take on the tune. First heard it on a recording of Bigfoot at Clifftop in 2010. In the coarse part, one of the fiddles distinctly sounds like a human voice. Really made my ears perk up. Listen to it here 

---

I hear it too.  Are you sure it wasn't someone singing?  It really, really sounds like someone doing a "hoo hoo" behind the fiddles. 

mworden - Posted - 04/04/2017:  11:27:17

Great tune choice!

We learned this tune in Jeff Titon's Old Time String Band class a few years ago and it comes around here occasionally in jams although sometimes it is hard to get consensus on the crooked B part (probably because I'm messing it up).  The version Jeff taught us was based on this recording of Bruce Greene, which Bruce kindly gave me permission to share here.  Another version I like a lot is from Jeanie Murphy and Scott Marckx on their album The Time's Been Sweet (youtu.be/Cpjq7sQwX5U)

Coal Harbor Bend

 

banjukebox - Posted - 04/04/2017:  11:40:03

Thanks for your input, Mike. Those are both great versions.