zach w - Posted - 09/08/2023:  07:12:06

For this week’s TOTW I've chosen ‘Spring in the Valley’ composed by Tom McCreesh. The tune was first recorded by the Fennigs All-Star String Band on their 1977 album ‘The Hammered Dulcimer Strikes Again’ making this a contemporary old time tune. I had trouble finding any information about Mr. McCreesh, but I've provided what I could below. 

Tom Mccreesh: Founding member of Fennigs All-Star String Band, recording for Front Hall Records. Played together with Walt Michael and Harley Campbell for a number of years as Michael, McCreesh & Campbell, and then moved on to The Hotmud Family.  discogs.com

The Traditional Tune Archive provides the following info:

American, Reel (cut or 4/4 time). D Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB. Composed in the mid-1970s by fiddler Tom McCreesh, who played with the Hotmud Family for several years. The bands leaders, Dave and Suzanne Edmundson, resided in Spring Valley, Ohio, and McCreeshs title may be a word-play on the town they lived in. tunearch.org

It wasn’t the Melody that intrigued me so much as that the tune originated in Ohio. I’m from Ohio and as far as I can tell Ohio isn’t known for any regional style of playing or set of tunes such as West Virginia, Kentucky, or Missouri. Since first hearing ‘Spring in the Valley’ I've been on a small quest to find and learn tunes with a connection to Ohio. I’ve taken this opportunity to present one of them to you here. 

Videos and Recordings Links:

Mandolin 

Claire and Walt Happy Hour - Spring in the Valley (2020)

The New Bad Habits - Spring in the Valley (2013)

Spring time in the Valley - youtube.com Besh Kodiak

The Good For Nuthin String Band - Spring in the Valley (2008)

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  The Good For Nuthin String Band’s recording was used for parts of an hour-long documentary called “The Valley that Changed the World”. The program has aired on various PBS TV stations throughout the US and is also available as a DVD.

  
  

Slippery-Hill.com (1989)

Tabs are available at taterjoes.com - banjo and standard notation at tunearch.org and taterjoes.com - Standard

The chord progression is:

A: 1 1 1 5/1 , 1 1 4/1 5/1 

B: 1 1 4/1 5/1 , 1 1 4/1 5/1

My recording is a simplified clawhammer version of the tabs found on Taterjoes.com.  I hope you’ve enjoyed the tune ‘Spring in the Valley’.

Spring in the Valley Tab

VIDEO: Spring in the Valley
(click to view)

dbrooks - Posted - 09/08/2023:  08:20:37

Well done! Nice tune with a helpful history and links to various recordings.

David

cmic - Posted - 09/08/2023:  09:21:57

Is it me or the last measures of A and B parts reminds me Whiskey For Breakfast?
Anyway. This a very fine tune and pickin'

JanetB - Posted - 09/08/2023:  15:43:04

Nice tune to work on, Zach.  Thanks for pulling Ohio into our TOTW explorations.  Your video was energizing in a relaxing way.  The New Bad Habits version has a great string band sound. 

I tried a couple of arrangements in different tunings based on the Bob Mill's notation on the Traditional Tune Archive site linked above and recorded the one with double D tuning.  Bob's notation goes along pretty much with The New Bad Habits, though they play Bob's A part second, perhaps because it's the fine (high) part.  My recording slows down part of the tune because I wanted to hear its pretty melody.

Spring in the Valley

Spring in the Valley (gCGCD tuning)

Spring in the Valley (aDGBD tuning)

 

zach w - Posted - 09/08/2023:  17:21:04

Beautiful playing as always Janet. Thanks for the opportunity to contribute.

Matt Buckley - Posted - 09/12/2023:  14:43:06

I was born and raised in Wilmington, 40 minutes or so from Spring Valley, and I remember Hotmud way back in the day. Canoed on Caesar's Creek which runs through Spring Valley.  I discovered Bluegrass and OT in 1970, purchased my first banjo, and, having gotten my driver's license in 1971, drove all over SW Ohio and SE Indiana chasing the music.  In Vermont now for over 40 years, but great, great memories of those times.   Thanks for posting the tune. 

Funny how, even though it's been 40 years, it still matters to me how the Reds are doing.  Not too bad this year.  :)