WVDreamin - Posted - 08/27/2020:  19:17:06

Allen Jabbour collected this tune from Glen Lyn, Virginia, fiddler Henry Reed who called it "the old Franklin County Billy in the Low Land," and distinguished it from the "Billy" tune played in the key of C (Reed played the latter tune, but called it "Shelvin' Rock"). Reed's family had originally lived in Franklin County in the 19th century before moving to Monroe County, as had some neighbors. The melody appears in Knauff's Virginia Reels, vol. 3 (1839) as "Billy in the Low Grounds: A Virginia Reel," and Jabbour finds another Virginia/North Carolina regional set under the same title in Person's Collection of Popular Airs (1889). Jabbour characterizes the tune stylistically as having origins in Britain or similar-sounding American tunes from that tradition, but could not trace any direct antecedents. Jabbour also collected the tune from modern fiddlers Joe Anglin (Martinsville, Va.) and Malvin Artley (central West Virginia). Kerry Blech adds that Artley, who wrote a dissertation on regional traditional music, prepared a recording to illustrate his project that contained a version of "Billy in the Lowlands" played by West Virginia fiddler Emery Bailey.



I really like this tune but could find out nothing more about it. The coarse strain has some funny phrasing and the fine strain has a run up to the B note that can be tricky (maybe not as tricky as that same B in the coarse strain). I found a few recordings of this here on the hangout. Yigal Zan has a nice version, as does Janet B, but I'll let her post her own.  I really like this slow plaintive version by Tom Berghan where he sneaks in a little Lowground into the mix. 

From The Youtubes:

Jabbour and Perlman is never a bad combination! From the horse's mouth, so to speak.

Noah Cline

Paul Draper

Finally here is the recording my friend Paul Perkins and I put together via the email.  There is a hitch in the backing track in the middle there, but by the time I had figured that out, there was no time for more.  Paul handled it fine though.   He pointed out that the first phrase sounds like "Duck River." 

Edit to add Paul's TAB

Edited by - WVDreamin on 08/27/2020 20:15:06

Billy in the Low Land

Billy in the Low Land

AndrewD - Posted - 08/28/2020:  01:50:25

Nice tab. Might be a reason to fret the 5th string for the first time in almost 50 years.

Don Borchelt - Posted - 08/28/2020:  08:23:18

This is such a great tune, but I guess most of all Henry Reed's tunes are memorable. I think I first heard this tune from the first CD that Jabbour and Perlman did together, a great CD that is still one of the favorites of my collection. I love both Noah and Paul's solo banjo videos, lots of smooth picking, each with their own character. Tom Berghan, what can you say, he's an original. Ive never heard a 4 string banjo played so elegantly.  And Billy and Paul's duet fiddle and banjo duet, put together in the dark, so to speak, is excellent, lively and relaxed at the same time.



My version was taped in April, 2015, at a private jam I used to attend every Thursday night. The musicians are Linda Henry, John Reddick, and Mike Roguska on fiddle, Jerry Dallal on guitar, and Ed Britt playing clawhammer banjo, and me playing banjo three finger style. John and I are getting together in my backyard this afternoon to play some tunes; covid rules apply.

Edited by - Don Borchelt on 08/28/2020 08:23:50

Billy in the Lowland

 

JanetB - Posted - 08/28/2020:  08:57:40

A stately tune, Billy, played delightfully by you and Paul.  Is it a coincidence that your name and your moniker fit so well with this week's TOTW?  Personally, I can't get enough of West Virginia old-time music.  Thanks for the history and all the gorgeous links to hear the tune.  

Billy in the Low Land

Billy in the Lowland (CH) tab

RG - Posted - 08/28/2020:  18:43:06

Great tune and great version Billy! Real nice!

the goodhand - Posted - 09/01/2020:  07:31:59

Personally, I love Richtie Stearns' version.
If anyone has a tab version of that