EggerRidgeBoy - Posted - 07/29/2017:  18:24:01

For this week's very quick "fill-in" Tune of the Week I am going to once again indulge my affinity for obscure self-titled tunes from even more obscure old-time fiddlers.  Thus today's selection is Mr. Barwick's Tune, which comes to us from Alabama fiddler Coleman Barwick (via two other fiddlers from the state, Tom Jackson and James Bryan).

I have yet to uncover anything at all about Coleman Barwick, other than that he may have lived from 1904 - 1986.  To flesh things out just a bit here is some information on James Bryan, who - along with his occasional musical partner Carl Jones -  seems to have "popularized" (using that term very loosely) Mr. Barwick's Tune in recent years:

James Bryan (b. 1953): kentuckycoffeetree.com/live-mu...arl-jones , arts.state.al.us/Traditional_C...ryan.aspx

Here is Carl Jones teaching a banjo version of the tune at the 2012 Sore Fingers camp in England:  youtube.com/watch?v=32ckllepaV4 (you can read a bit about Carl in the KentuckyCoffeeTree link above)

Banjo tablature (based on Carl Jones' version) by Ken Torke can be found on the TaterJoe's site: taterjoes.com/banjo/MrBarwicksTune.pdf

RG - Posted - 07/29/2017:  23:58:36

Wow, James Bryan and Carl Jones...doesn't get much better than those two...

Kernel - Posted - 07/30/2017:  14:28:37

I can share just one or two things about Coleman Barwick. He also wrote Camp Meeting On The Fourth of July and his granddaughter is dobro/guitar player Kathy Barwick from California. 

I helped her track down this tune after talking with her about old time at the Grass Valley bluegrass festival a couple years ago when she mentioned her grandpa wrote Camp Meeting On The Fourth of July. At some point one of us figured out that he must be the source of Mr. Barwick's tune. Carl Jones has it on his old time mandolin DVD (you can still buy it so I won't post it) and I think I had seen the banjo video at that point. We  told her about Erynn Marshall and Carl Jones and got contact information to her so she could  ask for any info they had and a fiddle version. We suggested that she get a fiddle melody from Erynn since we all know how dangerous it is to take the melody from the banjo player and maybe even the mandolin...not that Carl isn't to be trusted. They eventually recorded a fiddle/guitar version for her (below) that you can play along with. 

The only story about the tune I got back from Kathy was that he "wrote it with Tom Jackson after a night of drinking." I'll let her know its TOTW and maybe she has an update.

Most of our conversation about the tune was via text so I can't look back at details but that's what I remember. And...that's why that particular obscure tune is on my site!

Banjo Tab taterjoes.com/banjo/MrBarwicksTune.pdf (I think I tabbed it out roughly like Carl plays it but I don't remember at this point)

Fiddle Notation taterjoes.com/fiddle/MrBarwicksTune.pdf for your fiddling friends

Erynn and Carl taterjoes.com/fiddle/_recordin...sTune.mp3

Edited by - Kernel on 07/30/2017 14:34:50

JanetB - Posted - 07/30/2017:  17:50:52

Thanks, Bret and Ken, for yet another neat little tune, and this time with some California roots, at least in Mr. Barwick's granddaughter, Kathy, who I've seen several times here in Northern California.  I'm grateful to Ken for posting a recording of Erynn and Carl and for his tab which made learning it much easier.

Regarding the status of the TOTW, I'll just say IMO we'd be suffering a loss to not continue it in some fashion.  With the challenges of posting, let alone playing and recording, it makes this forum thread a genuine achievement and I'm glad to be a part of it.  Let no one feel discouraged by its challenges.  We say we are "playing" music, but sometimes it's real work.  I don't mind some hard work...and the results are wonderful music like this new TOTW.

Mr. Barwick's Tune (TOTW)

 

kbar - Posted - 07/30/2017:  19:49:38

hey guys! Coleman Barwick's granddaughter here.

Well this is cool. I'm curious, EggerRidgeBoy, how you came across this tune?

Here's how I found out about it, I met Joe Newberry a summer or two ago here in Grass Valley CA. He asked me if I was the same Barwick as in Mr. Barwick's tune. I said, I dunno, never heard of it. So I went home and googled it, and found the same Sore Fingers video as you post above. But that was it.

Like Ken, I've sort of forgotten some of the details of locating the tune, but I ended up talking about it with him; he shared the info with Mark Wardenburg, who transcribed it to fiddle. In the meantime, it was also shared with Ed Cirimele, who had the tune on a Carl Jones DVD. He sent it to me via Ken. (Coincidences abound; I played in a band with Ed's late wife Carolyn for a big part of the 90s.) While this was all going on I contacted Erynn to see if I could get her to put a fiddle version down for me, which she graciously did. I ended up learning it from Carl's mandolin version though. I have been pairing it with Farewell Trion, they seem to go well together.

And how I found out about Camp Meeting on the Fourth of July, was I googled my name here on Banjo Hangout! That was when I learned that my grandpa went by the name Coleman! I hadn't heard the tune until I heard Chris Coole & Ivan Rosenberg to it (which is where I first heard Farewell Trion too). It's not clear to me that Grandpa wrote that one; Tom Jackson told me that he brought it with him on his return to Alabama from some time in Georgia.

I found Tom Jackson on Facebook, who regaled me with a few tidbits about my grandpa (I also found a woman on FB that jammed with grandpa "every Friday night"--Betty Sampson) Oh, and why don't I know more? I only saw Grandpa 3 times in my life (maybe 4, not sure), once as an adult under my own power. I do remember him playing fiddle when we stopped to visit in 1960 (I was 5). I was fascinated by it, but most clearly remember the outhouse. I and a friend visited in the late 70's, at that point I was a 5-string banjo player. We played a bit, along with Uncle Homer, who also played banjo, in a very unique style. Wish I had a recording of that!

Ok, well that's enough for now. Thanks for bringing in this tune. It's a fun little ditty.

jack_beuthin - Posted - 07/31/2017:  07:23:47

Sweet little "rescue" tune.  Curiously the bulk of tunes that I have been enjoying lately are from the Georgia-Alabama-Mississippi region.  This just adds one more.  This is also really rare to have a living connection (Kathy).  Great pick, Brett!

So Kathy, is there a "Grandpa Barwick's Outhouse" tune out there, or wanting to be out there?  Curious too that this is the one thing I remember most about my grandma's place.

JanetB - Posted - 07/31/2017:  08:25:45

How exciting to hear from Kathy, an amazingly talented dobro and guitar player and teacher at our local California Bluegrass Associations music camp, and to know that this tune has a new life, perhaps helped on via TOTW.  Before Ken posted the above link to the downhome recording of Erynn and Carl, I wrote to Erynn via Bandcamp to see if there was indeed a fiddled recording.  Here's what Carl Jones replied, direct from Clifftop I assume:  "Carl here ... l saw your message about Mr BArwicks tune & recordings... not familiar with any as of yet. I learned it years ago from Tom Jackson who wAs a buddy of Mt. Barwick... I think his granddaughter CAthy may record it and maby Erynn &I will put it on a future recording.  Have a great summer carl" 

It's all another good reason to keep our TOTW alive, right Bret?!

Winged Words - Posted - 07/31/2017:  08:53:11

Enjoyed the tune, enjoyed the stories too.

A very good reason indeed to keep TOTW alive!

(I was hoping in vain there might be some connection with the tune Barwick Green, known and loved worldwide as the theme tune of The Archers, the BBC Radio soap running since the 50's. Oh well.)

Edited by - Winged Words on 07/31/2017 09:13:47

kbar - Posted - 07/31/2017:  09:51:35

ha ha, Jack. We were on our way to France, where we lived for 2 years. It only got worse, as public facilities there consisted of a hole in the floor with two footprints to show you where to put your feet. I cried and cried! Spoiled little kid!

EggerRidgeBoy - Posted - 07/31/2017:  11:49:00

quote:

---

Originally posted by Kernel

 

I can share just one or two things about Coleman Barwick. He also wrote Camp Meeting On The Fourth of July and his granddaughter is dobro/guitar player Kathy Barwick from California. 

I helped her track down this tune after talking with her about old time at the Grass Valley bluegrass festival a couple years ago when she mentioned her grandpa wrote Camp Meeting On The Fourth of July. At some point one of us figured out that he must be the source of Mr. Barwick's tune. Carl Jones has it on his old time mandolin DVD (you can still buy it so I won't post it) and I think I had seen the banjo video at that point. We  told her about Erynn Marshall and Carl Jones and got contact information to her so she could  ask for any info they had and a fiddle version. We suggested that she get a fiddle melody from Erynn since we all know how dangerous it is to take the melody from the banjo player and maybe even the mandolin...not that Carl isn't to be trusted. They eventually recorded a fiddle/guitar version for her (below) that you can play along with. 

The only story about the tune I got back from Kathy was that he "wrote it with Tom Jackson after a night of drinking." I'll let her know its TOTW and maybe she has an update.

Most of our conversation about the tune was via text so I can't look back at details but that's what I remember. And...that's why that particular obscure tune is on my site!

Banjo Tab taterjoes.com/banjo/MrBarwicksTune.pdf (I think I tabbed it out roughly like Carl plays it but I don't remember at this point)

Fiddle Notation taterjoes.com/fiddle/MrBarwicksTune.pdf for your fiddling friends

Erynn and Carl taterjoes.com/fiddle/_recordin...sTune.mp3

 

 

---

Thanks very much for all the additional info, Ken, and for contacting Kathy about this TOTW.

Edited by - EggerRidgeBoy on 07/31/2017 11:49:23

EggerRidgeBoy - Posted - 07/31/2017:  11:54:17

quote:

---

Originally posted by JanetB

 

Thanks, Bret and Ken, for yet another neat little tune, and this time with some California roots, at least in Mr. Barwick's granddaughter, Kathy, who I've seen several times here in Northern California.  I'm grateful to Ken for posting a recording of Erynn and Carl and for his tab which made learning it much easier.

Regarding the status of the TOTW, I'll just say IMO we'd be suffering a loss to not continue it in some fashion.  With the challenges of posting, let alone playing and recording, it makes this forum thread a genuine achievement and I'm glad to be a part of it.  Let no one feel discouraged by its challenges.  We say we are "playing" music, but sometimes it's real work.  I don't mind some hard work...and the results are wonderful music like this new TOTW.

---

Thanks for posting your version, Janet.

I agree with your thoughts about the TOTW.  I appreciate all the work you put into your own write-ups, and in faithfully responding to everyone else's. I think we all can keep the TOTW going in its current form for a while longer.

EggerRidgeBoy - Posted - 07/31/2017:  12:12:58

quote:

---

Originally posted by kbar

 

hey guys! Coleman Barwick's granddaughter here.



Well this is cool. I'm curious, EggerRidgeBoy, how you came across this tune?



Here's how I found out about it, I met Joe Newberry a summer or two ago here in Grass Valley CA. He asked me if I was the same Barwick as in Mr. Barwick's tune. I said, I dunno, never heard of it. So I went home and googled it, and found the same Sore Fingers video as you post above. But that was it.



Like Ken, I've sort of forgotten some of the details of locating the tune, but I ended up talking about it with him; he shared the info with Mark Wardenburg, who transcribed it to fiddle. In the meantime, it was also shared with Ed Cirimele, who had the tune on a Carl Jones DVD. He sent it to me via Ken. (Coincidences abound; I played in a band with Ed's late wife Carolyn for a big part of the 90s.) While this was all going on I contacted Erynn to see if I could get her to put a fiddle version down for me, which she graciously did. I ended up learning it from Carl's mandolin version though. I have been pairing it with Farewell Trion, they seem to go well together.



And how I found out about Camp Meeting on the Fourth of July, was I googled my name here on Banjo Hangout! That was when I learned that my grandpa went by the name Coleman! I hadn't heard the tune until I heard Chris Coole & Ivan Rosenberg to it (which is where I first heard Farewell Trion too). It's not clear to me that Grandpa wrote that one; Tom Jackson told me that he brought it with him on his return to Alabama from some time in Georgia.



I found Tom Jackson on Facebook, who regaled me with a few tidbits about my grandpa (I also found a woman on FB that jammed with grandpa "every Friday night"--Betty Sampson) Oh, and why don't I know more? I only saw Grandpa 3 times in my life (maybe 4, not sure), once as an adult under my own power. I do remember him playing fiddle when we stopped to visit in 1960 (I was 5). I was fascinated by it, but most clearly remember the outhouse. I and a friend visited in the late 70's, at that point I was a 5-string banjo player. We played a bit, along with Uncle Homer, who also played banjo, in a very unique style. Wish I had a recording of that!



Ok, well that's enough for now. Thanks for bringing in this tune. It's a fun little ditty.

---

Thank you very much for posting, Kathy - it is a very rare occasion for a Tune of the Week discussion have this kind of personal connection to the tune's source!

I came across Mr. Barwick's Tune on Ken Torke's TaterJoe's site. I visit his site fairly often, because I find so many great tunes there - he seems to have a knack for digging up rare and interesting tunes that I don't come across anywhere else.

As I noted in my original post, with my "obscure tunes from obscure fiddlers" comment (which was, of course, was meant to poke fun at myself, not to slight all the wonderful but relatively unknown old-time musicians like your grandfather) I always have an eye out for self-titled tunes, and have covered many as Tunes of the Week - Newt Payne's Tune, Uncle Noah Jamison's Tune, Doc Corn's Tune, Sherburn's Breakdown, etc.  When I see such a title, I am immediately curious about the person who gave his or name to the tune, and try to discover as much as I can about them.  My interest in old-time music is in some ways as much about the people and culture who have created it as it is in the music itself.

Since this was a very quick, fill-in Tune of the Week (filing an empty slot on the volunteer schedule), I didn't do much research at all - just an hour or so on the internet trying to find out information on Coleman Barwick (although even with more time I'm not sure I would have gotten to you without Ken's input). Although you only met your grandfather three or four times, I am very glad to read your thoughts about him.  And I'll have to admit, I am a bit envious of your "Are connected to the Barwick of Mr. Barwick's Tune?" experience.  I would love to get such a question at Clifftop!

Edited by - EggerRidgeBoy on 07/31/2017 12:25:00

EggerRidgeBoy - Posted - 07/31/2017:  12:15:33

Thanks to everyone for the comments and information.  I'm glad you liked the tune!

kbar - Posted - 08/02/2017:  22:18:53

I thought I'd see if I could find a few photos of Coleman. Here he is with his wife Mary, one of him alone, and the third is the fiddle he gave to me in 1979 or thereabouts when I was traveling around going to bluegrass festivals. We stayed 2 weeks with Grandma and Grandpa. A highlight was when he carried us over to Arab to meet JT Perkins! My traveling companion Linda was good friends with Ray Park, who told her that JT was his favorite fiddler. We had never heard of him of course, and were surprised to rifle through grandpa's LPs to find several JT Perkins albums. Small world!

oh, and the inlay on the fiddle was done by my traveling companion, Linda. Grandpa gave her a fiddle too, because she could play one.

Edited by - kbar on 08/02/2017 22:23:21

Coleman and Mary Barwick

Coleman Barwick

Grandpa Barwick's fiddle

 

kbar - Posted - 08/02/2017:  22:21:09

and Janet B, thanks for the recording. Your version is just wonderful.