Mtngoat - Posted - 09/06/2024:  07:16:10

I’ve chosen Eadle Alley from West Virginia fiddler Melvin Wine (1909-2003) for this installment of TOTW.  I was introduced to the tune at a recent West Virginia Fiddle Tunes workshop where the instructor kindly let a banjo sit in.

The tune has a healthy internet presence and I’ve attached some samples in the links below.

Wine plays the tune and discusses its history here:  youtube.com/watch?v=JTEUVl2sUPE

Luke Giles has a Fiddle solo here:   youtube.com/watch?v=rG8cYuWGjL8

Pat Lyons has a banjo solo here:  youtube.com/playlist?list=PLM_...v3pkyT9eS

Mike Worden has a banjo solo here:  banjohangout.org/myhangout/med...ived=true

Noah Cline has a banjo solo here:  youtube.com/watch?v=9Tat3dAdb7I

Here’s a banjo/fiddle duet with Dean Robinson on banjo:  youtube.com/watch?v=L8-mjclTsic

Here’s a festival jam setting:   youtube.com/watch?v=3j9VypEinYk

The Haints Old Time String Band with Jason Romero on banjo is here:   youtube.com/watch?v=ZSRyKn86oGY

Here’s a tab by David Brooks: hangoutstorage.com/banjohangou...22015.pdf

And here are the dots   taterjoes.com/Warehouse/Fiddle...Alley.pdf

Mr. Wine seems to have been a sensitive and kind person who could be moved to tears by a fiddle tune and who once gave his contest winnings to another competitor who needed the money more than he did.

Here’s a biography of Wine.  en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melvin_Wine

Fiddler Erynn Marshal posted a video of a visit she made to Wine’s home in 2002 here.   He still played well at age 92.  youtube.com/watch?v=5YL64jUCIhk

Readers are encouraged to post observations, opinions, performances, and tabs contributing to this thread.

RG - Posted - 09/06/2024:  08:22:00

Great tune.

Bob Buckingham - Posted - 09/06/2024:  13:11:47

That's been a favorite around our house.

banjukebox - Posted - 09/07/2024:  08:20:10

Thanks for posting. This seems to be a favorite in the jams I am able to attend. I've done some research and haven't been able to find any information on the location of the alley in question. Anyone have a clue?

JanetB - Posted - 09/09/2024:  15:56:00

Thanks for a new Melvin Wine tune for me.  His tunes comprise one of my many "jukeboxes" on my website, My Banjo World.  Melvin plays a rather notey, square fiddle tune for the most part.  They make for good dance tunes. To play up to speed, the clawhammer banjo sacrifices many notes, which is totally fine.  I manage to get in many here, but that's because I play solo and slower.  

Now that I've focused only on the source recording, it will be fun to hear all the other links you provided, Mtngoat.

Eadle Alley

Eadle Alley (CH) tab