carolynf - Posted - 06/21/2019:  06:35:19

Trader Boatman isn’t a tune I have heard called for in an old time set before. Reasons may include: it is not fancy or unique, it sounds a lot like Julianne Johnson, which gets more play, and it just hasn’t been brought around for lots of folks to know it. I like it because it is a good one for getting in “the zone,” it has lots of places to try out variations, and if you don’t play it too fast, it has a sort of rocking, mellow, good-time feel of a riverboat man at his work. 

The other reason I like Trader Boatman is because of how I learned it. Sometimes you remember a thing that is paired with a new food, aroma, or tune. The person that is linked to this tune in my mind is the late Bill Buehring, from Kensington, CA, who was my Old Time Banjo Buddy at several music camps. I missed seeing him at a couple festivals, and when I asked about him, I found out he had passed away. He was friendly and patient, a wonderful banjo player, and a pleasure to be around. He let me tape him playing this tune so I could go home and learn it. Here is Bill B. on YouTube teaching me.

Bill B. Trader Boatman

The information I could find on the tune is that Pug Allen learnt it “way back” from his father, and it appears to be distantly related to Julie Ann Johnson, as played by the late Emmett Lundy of Galax, VA. 

As with many tunes of that era, and the era preceding that, a pejorative, the “N-word” is stuck in front of the tune name commonly used today. I suppose that is why you may do a search online and find that YouTube has removed the video, because the N-word appears in some text.

Pug remembered the following verses:

N* trader boatman, now mammy don’t you cry

Hug and kiss you ‘fore I go, and call you honey pie.

When I was a little boy about six inches high

I used to climb the table leg and steal my mammy’s pie.

Great big hog into the pen, corn to feed him on.

All I want’s a pretty little girl, to feed him when I’m gone.

It is obvious how many phrases are floating verses that show up in lot of other tunes. There is origin in the old Minstrel era, and with more digging, one can probably find out more. 

Glen Neaves and the Virginia Mountain Boys recorded a version (folkways LP3830) which has more content about the slave trade. 

This information came from Mike Yate’s 1979-83 Appalachian Collection Music page. It has many more interesting pieces also.

Mike Yate's Appalachian Collection

I found Yate’s page from Strumelia’s blog, where she explores the tune with a dulcimer.

Strumelia

If you want to hear Pug Allen play Trader Boatman, here is a sound file.

Pug Allen Trader Boatman

Mike Seeger and Paul Brown play it on a track in their album.

Seeger and Brown - Way Down in North Carolina

Here is a fun video on YouTube of Jim Wilson doing a split screen of banjo and fiddle. Lots of plaid! It helps you not forget which clip you want to go back to!

Trader Boatman in Plaid

I am going to try to get a tab written up for the tab library, but in the meantime, here is one Ken Torke wrote up.

Trader Boatman tab - Ken Torke

And finally, here is a sound clip of me. I messed up a couple times (hard to remember how many times you have cycled through the parts!) but I was tired of erasing and re-recording to get it perfect.

Trader Boatman

 

banjo bill-e - Posted - 06/21/2019:  09:14:32

Nice one, Carolyn. That tune keeps reminding me of bits of other tunes here and there. I think it probably makes a good song when sung with lyrics.

RG - Posted - 06/22/2019:  14:00:58

That's a real nice tune and enjoyed your version, thanks Carolyn!

Wyozark - Posted - 06/23/2019:  06:41:24

Very well done. I really enjoy the history and context and personal stories associated with the TOTW. Thanks for the effort you put into this.

carolynf - Posted - 06/23/2019:  06:46:05

Thanks! I enjoy the chance to do these!

JanetB - Posted - 06/23/2019:  18:31:13

Carolyn, you always do such interesting and novel TOTWs and have a good version of your own. The sentimental reason to learn it is touching.

After listening to several versions and also finding Pug’s fiddled version from Far in the Mountains, I chose to mainly use the banjo link you gave of his playing. I thought he might be using a fretless, so I tried it on my small scale gourd banjo. Recently it was fitted with Peghead tuners that look like friction tuners, but are not and are much easier to use.

I found some information and a photo of Pug Allen with his sons. I’ll post that later.

VIDEO: Trader Boatman (TOTW)
(click to view)

 

carolynf - Posted - 06/23/2019:  19:30:45

Janet, that was so lovely!

JanetB - Posted - 06/25/2019:  18:53:32

Thanks, Carolyn.  Here is a little information on L.G. Pug Allen of Augusta County, Virginia.  He played banjo in a group in the 1940's called the Skyline Boys.  Check out this recording using 2-finger picking:  Cluck Old Hen -- Ed Weaver fiddle, Pug Allen 2-finger banjo).   In another recording Pug played fiddle and Paul Brown played banjo.   With his son George on fiddle and nephew Glenn on banjo, Pug played guitar and they recorded together.  I decided to purchase the 2 volume set Far in the Mountains because of another TOTW a while back and am glad to be able to refer to it again this week.

Pug Allen on fiddle, son George on banjo, nephew Glenn on guitar, photo from DLA

Edited by - JanetB on 06/25/2019 19:08:27

JanetB - Posted - 06/25/2019:  19:20:49

Apologies -- two errors. One is I accidentally posted Mark Ralston's Cluck Old Hen from Ed Weaver. I meant to post Gail Gillespie's post of Cluck Old Hen which has Ed Weaver on fiddle and Pug Allen playing 2-finger style banjo:  Cluck Old Hen, Weaver & Allen.  My second error is in describing the instrumentation of Pug with his son and nephew. Pug played fiddle, son George played banjo, and nephew Glenn played guitar.

I must be doing too much yard work and should clear my head by working less and resting and picking more! :)