Mtngoat - Posted - 12/05/2025:  04:04:02

Going Up To Hamburg  - TOTW 12/05/2025

I’ve chosen Going Up To Hamburg from Mississippi fiddler John Hatcher (1886-1958) for this installment of TOTW.   The Traditional Tune Archive says the title refers to Hamburg, Tennessee, a community just across the state line from Hatcher’s home in Tishomingo County, Mississippi.   Hatcher learned to play from his grandfather Thomas Nixon, a Civil War veteran, and from neighbors Dick Brown and George Cheek, who played dances in the local area during Hatcher’s formative years.  Hatcher continued that tradition himself by playing for neighborhood dances and on the radio with The Tishomingo County Jamboree Boys.

A short biography of Hatcher can be found here: facebook.com/tishomingohistory...02064669/

The tune is well represented online and I’ve included links to some of my favorites below.

Hatcher’s 1939 Library of Congress recording can be found here: slippery-hill.com/content/goin-hamburg

Here’s a string band version:  youtube.com/watch?v=DenTso2Fl78

Here’s another string band: fiddlehangout.com/myhangout/me...ived=true

And here’s yet another string band:  youtube.com/watch?v=QdpvzVu6808

Here’s a jam version: youtube.com/watch?v=SMZE8dzPMBg

Here’s a banjo/fiddle duet:  youtube.com/watch?v=02q5RCAO6MQ

Here’s a clawhammer solo as the first part of a medley:  youtube.com/watch?v=f7Sjx3qDHS8

A jam mate picked up the tune at a fiddle workshop presented by Evan Kinney.   As he said when introducing it to our group “You’ve just got to remember to play the bridge tag before returning to the beginning.”

I could not find an online tab but a transcription in standard notation is here:   taterjoes.com/Warehouse/Fiddle...mburg.pdf

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

ndlxs - Posted - 12/05/2025:  05:52:43

Such a cool tune...thanks for sharing.  I noticed the two TaterJoes transcriptions vary a bit from the one played on the Interstate Express YT link. 

ndlxs - Posted - 12/05/2025:  06:16:24

There are about 20 John Hatcher tunes on this terrific triple CD set (available as a download) that you will not find anywhere else:

thedocumentrecordsstore.com/pr...he-1930s/



Harry Bolick, fiddler, wrote a book with music notation transcriptions of all of the tunes on the above set. 

upress.state.ms.us/Books/M/Mis...the-1930s



Both are obviously a labor of love.  Page 283 of the above book has a short bio of Mr. Hatcher too. 



Note that he also has a set of recordings/books of tunes he has written available for free downing, too.  A mother lode of tunes. 

RG - Posted - 12/05/2025:  10:33:55

This is absolutely one of my favorite tunes to play on the fiddle, David Bragger taught it to me years ago, but oddly enough, I hardly ever play it on the banjo... this post is my kick in the a$$ to start doing that! Love Nick Bachman's version, Nick's an old friend who I used to jam with, such a great fiddler. Great TOTW!

Edited by - RG on 12/05/2025 10:36:31

Mtngoat - Posted - 12/06/2025:  16:56:28

Andy, Thanks for the link. Buffalo Girls is only other Hatcher tune I am familiar with so I will have to check it out.

RG,  I think Bragger is the fiddler here.   Great video.   youtube.com/watch?v=rt_WCFeX1OQ

ndlxs - Posted - 12/07/2025:  06:26:52

I have been neglecting my banjo playing lately in favor of my fiddling; over the last 8 years at least. The fiddle is a demanding master.

I spent a fair amount of time early in my fiddling with David Bragger's videos....I would love to go to the October Santa Barbara fiddle event, which unfortunately is very close to one of my daughters' birthdays which of course requires my presence.

cevant - Posted - 12/07/2025:  13:27:05

Well I dunno how you could leave this version out….

youtu.be/kfW9biM9iVE?si=6SKzskYMtcdl4euD

Great tune!

Mtngoat - Posted - 12/07/2025:  16:01:02

Charlie, I agree. That one escaped me. Thanks for the link.

JanetB - Posted - 12/07/2025:  16:36:23

Thanks, Mtngoat, for the tune, the links and the information.  I've attached here the liner notes for Great Big Yam Potatoes, the 1930's Mississippi collection.  There's a short bio on John Hatcher on page 9 and notes for Track 7 on Going Up to Hamburg.  There are lots more tunes to explore here!

Going Up to Hamburg (CH) tab

Going Up to Hamburg

Great Big Yam Potatoes liner notes

 

RG - Posted - 12/08/2025:  12:57:40

quote:

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Originally posted by Mtngoat

Andy, Thanks for the link. Buffalo Girls is only other Hatcher tune I am familiar with so I will have to check it out.

RG,  I think Bragger is the fiddler here.   Great video.   youtube.com/watch?v=rt_WCFeX1OQ

 

 

 

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That is indeed David, along with Tim Riley, Susan Platz and Chris Berry. That was a great show up in Portland, great time, can't believe that was damn near 12 years ago!  Getting old...