A slight mix-up on my part and forgot I was doing a TOTW this week, so throwing up an oldie but goodie, "Down the Road" sometimes know as "Ida Red"... This tune shows up EVERYWHERE, from The Powers Family, Woody Guthrie, Flatt & Scruggs (Earl's version is one of the best), Merle Haggard, Jim Bowles, Riley Puckett & Bill Shores (who had the second biggest selling record of the year with it in 1926), Bob Wills (with which it became a signature tune) to Tommy Jarrell and everywhere in between. Most commonly played in cross tuning on the fiddle (GDgd or AEae), according to the Traditional Tune Archive, it is suggested to have African-American or Minstrel origins (see here): tunearch.org/wiki/Annotation:Ida_Red most commonly named "Ida Red", the tune seems to have been named "Down the Road" in certain areas of the Appalachia's, notably in the Round Peak area, not sure why or when...
One of my favorite versions is Junie Scruggs (Earl's Brother) playing the tune on Mike Seeger's seminal 1957 collection "American Banjo Tunes and Songs in Scruggs Style."
Junie appears to play the tune in a mostly two finger thumb lead style, and that's what my version is based on, with a little different take on the high part, I recorded this years ago two-finger style on a formica fretless banjo I built, just noodling around, it's pretty rough, but you'll get the idea. If memory serves me correctly, there is a tab in Miles Krassen's CH book that will get you started...
I'll let you do the youtube search for other versions of this, lots of great ones out there, but I need to recover from my Turkey hangover now, so take care...
I learned Ida Red years ago from the Miles Krassen book in clawhammer style and a Scruggs version of Down the Road. Funny I never linked the tow tunes as being related until now.
A great choice for TOTW, RG, and great picking, too. After I followed the link to the Smithsonian Folkways page for American Banjo, Three-Finger and Scruggs Style, I went back and checked my own CD copy, and in both places it says Down the Road was recorded by Oren Jenkins, not Junie Scruggs. Anyway, to satisfy my curiosity, I pitch adjusted and slowed down the recording, and made an attempt to tab out the first two times through. He is pretty much employing permutations of the straight alternate thumb pattern (TITM), but nice and loose. I've attached the tab below.
I recorded a video of a fairly standard version of Ida Red back in February, 2015, which I have mebedded below. I had learned it years earlier from my fiddling friend Mike Roguska when we were both attending the Monday night old time jam at the old Sandy's Music in Cambridge, Massachusetts quite some years ago. I'm not sure where he got it, though it sounds a lot like the one recorded by Fiddlin' Powers and Family for Victor Records in 1924. I am picking my Paramount short-scale semi-fretless banjo in an open variant tuning (aEABE).
The same night I made a video above, i also made one based on West Virginia fiddler Lester McCumbers' unique, three part version of the tune, in the key of G. I'm still trying to decide if it is actually a variant of the standard Ida Red/Down the Road, or an entirely different tune. I am picking my semi-fretless 1928 Vega Tubaphone‌ on this one.
Wow, Don, that is sure some sweet picking! Could listen to you play all day, and yes you are right, I had a senior moment without checking the actual album and that is indeed Oren Jenkins playing on "American Banjo..." and not Junie Scruggs...but I really like Junie's playing as well, that is a must have album in my opinion...that Lester McCumbers version is mighty fine, will learn that one tonight!
Agree 100% with you R.D., why I like those old standard tunes that everyone recorded back in the 20's...a lot of fun to improvise and play.
Yeah Bill, it can get confusing with this music from time to time-haha!
R.D. I couldn't agree more about the skill required in rendering the old, simple well-known tunes. To that end, RG and Don really honored this TOTW. You guys just elevated my Sunday morning, and that's not just the coffee talking.
And speaking of the Miles Krassen clawhammer tab of Ida Red (Down the Road), here is Bob Lanham playing that version:
R.D. wrote: "Ida Red is one of those great old tunes like Sourwood Mountain or Sally Goodin. They come off as simple, but it takes some real skill to render them well."
Like others, I totally agree. I love the "simple" tunes--the ones that are easy, yes, but oh-so-wonderfully difficult, too.
Nice choice for TOTW, RG. And, ah, the power of suggestion. I'd say "three guesses who's been noodling Down the Road on the porch recently" but I think you'd only need one. :)
You have a talent for choosing from amongst the best of old-time, RG, and performing them well. Thanks also to Don for the soothing, cheerful mountain music. I think Lester McCumber's tune is different. There's just that last section of the C part that resembles what's sung in Ida Red, but it's still a great tune.
Up till now my favorite well-known version was Flatt and Scruggs, but in honor of TOTW I worked on Tommy Jarrell's Ida Red from the great resource by Brad Leftwich -- Round Peak Style Clawhammer Banjo.
I was given a beautiful poplar mountain banjo by Randy Shelton of "The Ironsides Banjo Company" in Polluck Pines, California (and naturally gave the banjo a name: Paul). The tune fits this banjo with its many slides.
Thanks Jack, Cyndy and Janet, sure appreciate the kind words.
Janet, as always your version is great, really enjoyed that!
I too think Lester's version might be a different song too, but I really like it, thanks again Don for sharing that one...
On that note, I'm always reminded of this great version from Howard Rains & Tricia Spencer from their 'Spotted Pony" DVD/CD release, they learned and adapted this version from Addie Graham via Rich Kirby, Addie's grandson, who had a recording of her singing and playing it on the piano in the 70's...a really nice version and different take on an old standard...
