JanetB - Posted - 12/24/2021:  09:31:50

Since hearing Laurie Lewis and the Right Hands perform Wild Rose of the Mountain live, this lyrical tune has drawn me in.  Anything Kentucky fiddler J.P. Fraley recorded has impressed me and learning his repertoire is still a goal.  I’ve dedicated a "jukebox" to him on my site, but it only has seven of his many tunes on it. Every one of them is appealing -- some original, some traditional, some learned from his father Richard Fraley.  

In 1974 J.P. (short for Jesse Presley) released an album with Wild Rose of the Mountain as its title.  His wife Annadeene accompanied him on guitar and when it was re-released as a CD ten years ago more tracks were included with the addition of their daughter, Danielle.  This article in Bluegrass Today gives a short, but sweet biography of J.P.  The liner notes in the CD, plus a second 1994 CD called Maysville (a tune covered in the TOTW 6/23/17) give more anecdotes about his career and the festival the family hosted each year at their home.  J.P. passed away in 2011 at age 87, leaving a legacy of his sweet fiddle playing.

The liner notes describe Wild Rose of the Mountain as a most-requested tune for J.P. to play.  He learned it from a friend, June Rice, who played it over and over until he got it all.  The tune is called “deceptively simple” with its long-held notes.  J.P. was told the song came from Bun Oney, a fiddling blacksmith who played it at the American Folk Song Festival.  Its inspiration was a beautiful young lady who came to dances, danced with many young men, and left before the composer -- the fiddler playing for the dance -- could find a chance to meet her, and so she seemed to be a “wild rose of the mountain.”

Here are some samples of Wild Rose of the Mountain:

J P at Clifftop, 1993

J P, Annadeene and Aly Blaine

Laurie Lewis and Tom Rozum  medley

Yigal Zan and David Margolin

I'd worked out three arrangements of the tune with open G tuning, double C, and modal tuning.  From learning it with 3-finger style, I tried playing it in clawhammer and liked it even more.  If I re-record, the open G is the preferable one to play.   The open-string Galax lick in the B part is especially fun.  

After Christmas, I hope to record a fresh version.  In the meantime, wishing all of you a Merry Christmas!

Edited by - JanetB on 12/24/2021 09:32:22

Wild Rose of the Mountain (CH)

Wild Rose of the Mountains (CH) open G tuning

Wild Rose of the Mountains (CH) modal tuning

 

carlb - Posted - 12/24/2021:  12:21:01

quote:

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Originally posted by JanetB

.............Wild Rose of the Mountain...........

 

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Eleven days ago I uploaded my version and also posted it.

banjohangout.org/topic/379752/

Edited by - carlb on 12/24/2021 12:26:56

Wild Rose of the Mountain

 

banjered - Posted - 12/24/2021:  12:24:30

Wonderful! And which one of your wonderful banjos did you use to record this one? Thanks for all your contributions to Banjology and Happy New Year! banjered

JanetB - Posted - 12/24/2021:  14:35:36

quote:

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Originally posted by banjered And which one of your wonderful banjos did you use to record this one? 

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In 2013 I was playing my Mac Traynham short scale, 25 1/2", which now seems like an enormously long neck. The head of my 18 1/2" scale Doc's Banjo tore open Monday with a loud POP!, while keeping myself warm by an electric heater, and I just shipped it out this week to the good doctor for repair. I do like the short necks these days...

Thanks for your kind words and good thoughts!

Hay-on-Wye - Posted - 12/25/2021:  00:48:32

Another great tune Janet and I echo banjered’s sentiments in your running of tune of the week. I havnt contributed this year having lost my banjo playing mojo a bit but I think it’s coming back.

Happy Christmas to all readers and contributors

JanetB - Posted - 12/26/2021:  23:50:39

Nice, Carl!

Here is a 2015 video with the Mac Traynham banjo, which I still have, but don’t play too often (and may consider selling it). The tuning is open G and the tab is posted above.

VIDEO: Wild Rose of the Mountain
(click to view)

 

maryzcox - Posted - 12/29/2021:  13:49:24

youtu.be/petv8Ot9kXg

Here's another Wild Rose of the mountain written by Si Kahn :)

JanetB - Posted - 12/29/2021:  14:38:43

quote:

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Originally posted by maryzcox

youtu.be/petv8Ot9kXg

Here's another Wild Rose of the mountain written by Si Kahn :)

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Pretty piece and dress, like a wild rose itself.  That would make a good TOTW.  Interested?  I know nothing yet about Si Kahn. 

RG - Posted - 12/29/2021:  15:02:43

quote:

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Originally posted by JanetB

quote:

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Originally posted by maryzcox

youtu.be/petv8Ot9kXg

Here's another Wild Rose of the mountain written by Si Kahn :)

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Pretty piece and dress, like a wild rose itself.  That would make a good TOTW.  Interested?  I know nothing yet about Si Kahn. 

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Janet - Si was a pretty prolific singer/songwriter in folk circles in the late 70's early 80's, I distributed his albums for Brice Kaplan's Flying Fish label and his releases on Rounder during that time, he was a civil rights advocate and activist opposed to strip mining and I believe he's still actively recording within the last 2-3 years... 

maryzcox - Posted - 01/01/2022:  16:40:56

Hello Si Kahn Fans,

Attended the IBMA business conference in 2019--trying to see if I could get any interest in my Carolina Banjo CD. When I was at the Songwriter luncheon--an older man came up behind me and tapped me on the shoulder and whispered "I want you to have these" and he handed me a large stack of CDs. It was dark because the lights were on the featured speaker & I whispered back that I wasn't a promoter or dj and I was just trying to get my songs heard & handed them back & he said no--he wanted me to have them. So I said 'just give me one" and he said "no--I want you to have all of them because you won't know which songs you will want to do if you don't listen to all of them. "

So I told him thank you and he disappeared.  I played them on the way home driving from Raleigh to Cashiers & and WHOAH--was he ever right.  There were 3 or 4 I wanted to learn.

Worked up 2 of his songs during the Covid--this Wild Rose of the Mountain & Gone Gone rise again.   I've never recorded either--but many, many musicians have recorded his songs over the years.  He's an excellent song writer :)

Best banjo wishes in the new year :)

Mary Z. Cox

maryzcox.com

Charley 2021

JanetB - Posted - 01/01/2022:  21:58:22

George Jackson, a NZ transplant to the USA, is an incredibly talented fiddler who works hard and happily, becoming quite successful in the old-time music world. I once covered a TOTW after he wrote a neat tune called Dorrigo which went viral on Instagram a few years ago.  Here is this week's tune: TOTW Wild Rose of the Mountain, played by George Jackson.