mandobanjolibrarian - Posted - 04/27/2023:  18:15:23

TOTW 4/28/2023 -- "Soppin' the Gravy"

This TOTW is a taste of old-time music’s penchant for interesting food (and drink) titles: “Soppin’ the Gravy.” I’ve seen references to title variations “Soppin’ Up the Gravy,” “Sopping the Gravy,” and “Sopping Up the Gravy,” but the title “Soppin’ the Gravy” seems to come up most often, so I’ll go with that.

I was actually thinking, as I worked on this, that a nice medley progression might be “The Squirrel Hunters” à “Squirrel Heads & Gravy” à “Soppin’ the Gravy.” Unfortunately, these are in three different tunings, so that can be a task for someone else.  And as someone who likes my squirrels marshmallowranch.com/wp...&ssl=1">very much alive, I’ll stick to “Soppin’ the Gravy,” which could be vegetarian or otherwise non-squirrel.

The earliest recording I’m aware of came from Clark Kessinger / The Kessinger Brothers (1930) and the SecondHandSongs entry lists another 13 versions. Some of the sound and video highlights include:

• Mark O’Connor – From his 1979 album Soppin’ the Gravy


• Ace Sewell (1976) – on Slippery Hill from Jim Renner’s Oklahoma Fiddle Archive


• Cecil Johnson (1977) – on Slippery Hill from Jim Renner’s Oklahoma Fiddle Archive


• Dick Horton and Cecil Johnson (1977) – on Slippery Hill from Jim Renner’s Oklahoma Fiddle Archive


• Alison Krauss (1989) – recorded live at some uncredited location


• Mel Durham (2000) – this tune starts right at 25’, and accompanying Mel (fiddle) are Hugh Nestor (mandolin); Jack Phillips (banjo); Gene Burdo (guitar); and Chris Berry (banjo)


• Dan Levinson (2001) – on his Light of the Moon album


• Old Time Frederick (2011) – OTF has this fun jam on their web site, and looks like it was recorded in Glen Rose, TX, but I’m not clear on who all’s in the circle


• Tracy Latham (2011) – a bluegrass version in the BHO Music Archive

A Google video search offers some overlapping and some new videos and recordings.

The Traditional Tune Archive has a scanty record for this tune, and the accompanying notation is attributed to the fiddle playing of Eugene Holmes from Eugene, OR. I also believe there is at least standard notation in Dix Bruce’s Old-time Music for Mandolin, but I don’t have that book to see if there are any credits for the tune.  The BHO does not (so far) have any tabs for this, and the only one I’ve been able to find for CH banjo is in Stephen C. Parker’s Clawhammer Banjo String Band Favorites collection. 

Otherwise, I really don’t have any additional information about the tune itself.  I’ve been through all my usual “go-to” sources, and would love to get some more substantive history if anyone has it. If not, at least we’ll have a new tune to add to the TOTW Complete List.

I had intended to record myself but won’t be able to get to that until a little later, hopefully this weekend.  In the meantime, grab your banjo and a big hunk of bread and start “Soppin’ the Gravy”!

Edited by - mandobanjolibrarian on 04/30/2023 19:09:14

JanetB - Posted - 05/01/2023:  21:47:58

That's a great tune!  Any time I can study Clark Kessinger it's a worthwhile venture.  I recall that Bill Monroe said Kessinger's fiddling influenced him a lot, as it did many others.  The Slippery Hill recording is in E, so I took it down several steps and arranged it in double C tuning.  I heard two familiar tunes in that older source recording hiding in Sopping the Gravy -- Soldier's Joy and Year of Jubilo.

I also have two other good source recordings. One from Art Stamper and one from Earl Collins.  They resemble each other, but not so much the Clark Kessinger recording.

Interestingly, I got a decent recording, technically speaking, but heard overtones I didn't want to hear.  I put a new stuffing device behind the head of my short-scale Doc's Banjo, created by BHO member Ric Hollander, along with his wife Deb who sews it together.  The result was pleasing.  It's called Banjo Bolster.  You can read about it in this new thread and also see what it looks like -- a simple tubular-shaped pillow-like stuffer: banjohangout.org/topic/390151.

Edited by - JanetB on 05/01/2023 21:49:47

Sopping the Gravy (TOTW)

Sopping the Gravy (CH) tab