Belecha/Mariam Sajoe

Posted by ChuckJo

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Size: 2,410kb, uploaded 10/28/2009 5:42:02 PM
Genre: Other / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time

Two Jola tunes from the Banjourneys CD: Chuck Levy on Akonting/vocals, Mike Eberle on Fiddle. Mariam Sajoe is a beautiful woman who disa ppointed a suitor by keeping company with another man. In the song the jilted suitor is saying "My beautiful girl named Mariam Sajoe left me but I won't blame her. i will just have to accept thatit is the will of God". Belecha is a young beautiful girl who is asked by her boyfriend to kneel in front of him in public so that the community will know that she is in love with him, so that nobody else can take her from him.

Billy Wilson

Posted by ChuckJo, written by Bill Owens

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Size: 1,083kb, uploaded 12/25/2013 6:36:03 PM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Unknown/None Chosen

This recording of Bill Owens was sent to me by Joel Shimberg. Joel reports that the recording was made by his friend Fred Coon, who recorded Owens in 1968 at the Athens, AL fiddlers' contest. Bill Owens, from Athens, Alabama, won the 1966 fiddling contest held at West Limestone High School before the contest was moved to the campus of Athens State. Owens got his first fiddle at 15, when his father swapped a calf for it. He and his brother formed a band, the Elk River Drifters, playing on occasion with the Delmore Brothers. It was Owens’ rendition of “Gray Eagle Hornpipe” that won him the 1966 title. He continued to attend Tennessee Valley Old-Time Fiddlers Convention virtually every year until his health precluded it in the 1990s. The 2001 contest was dedicated to Owens, who died shortly thereafter. The TVOTFC takes place in Alabama. Joel writes, "Eck and Owens each played two-part versions of Old Billie Wilson, with one common part. I took the other two parts and played them all together as a three-part tune. As far as I know, that's where everybody's three-part version comes from.

Boats up the Riiver

Posted by ChuckJo

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Size: 3,157kb, uploaded 10/28/2009 3:56:57 PM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time

An Ola Belle Reed tune done in a combination of two finger up-picking and Ola Belle style down-picking

Cuffy

Posted by ChuckJo

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Size: 1,221kb, uploaded 11/6/2014 6:34:09 PM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Other

Armin Barnett's 1972 recording of Nicky Mills playing Cuffy.

L & N Rag: Alex Hood and his Railroad Boys

Posted by ChuckJo

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Size: 3,075kb, uploaded 7/7/2013 8:04:48 AM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Unknown/None Chosen

Milwaukee Blues

Posted by ChuckJo, written by Charlie Poole

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Size: 3,659kb, uploaded 10/28/2009 5:55:08 PM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time

From Charlie Poole, but played clawhammer style on an August Pollman "mandoline-banjo". From the Scratching and Clawing CD.

No Expectations

Posted by ChuckJo, written by Author UnknownKeith Richards/Mick Jagger

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Size: 1,878kb, uploaded 10/28/2009 5:44:48 PM
Genre: Unknown/None Chosen / Playing Style: Unknown/None Chosen

Form the Rolling Stones: Chuck Levy on the Gold Tone OT-6 6-string banjo. Mike Eberle on fiddle. From the Banjourneys CD

Red Rocking Chair

Posted by ChuckJo

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Size: 4,152kb, uploaded 10/28/2009 5:51:25 PM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time

From Steve Slottow long ago via the Hammons and distorted by my leaky brain and the passage of time. I am playing a Dave Forbes banjo once owned by Bruce Molsky. This is from the "Scratching and Clawing" CD

Rocky Road to Dublin

Posted by ChuckJo, written by Wlison Douglas

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Size: 3,915kb, uploaded 8/24/2013 4:17:19 AM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time

Banjo: Gold Tone BC 350+ with a ZerO Glide Nut. Recorded in Gainesville, Florida, accompaniment provided by the Cicada Chorus. This version of Rocky Road to Dublin comes from Fiddler Wilson Douglas of Clay County West Virginia. Wilson was born in 1922 on a farm in rural Clay County in an area known as Rush Fork. Sometime in the early 1980’s, Kate Brett and I decided to visit some older players in West Virginia. We were looking for Wilson, and happened to stumble upon David Morris, who arranged a meeting. I did not know Wilson well, but he had a fierce feeling and a deep passion for old-time music that was moving and inspiring. Wilson Died at age 76 in 1999. Wilson recorded “Rocky Road to Dublin” on “The Right Hand Fork of Rush’s Creek”, Rounder Records 0047, recorded and produced by Guthrie T. Meade and Mark Wilson, 1975 , re-released on CD in 2005. Wilson plays this tune in the key of G on the recording. When I worked it out on the fiddle, it seemed to fit best with the fiddle tuned “GDgd”. The album notes say this: ‘The title has been used for at least one jig and a polka, presumably referring to the Irish city. Wilson says, “that tune was composed about Dublin, Virginia. That was the only trail at that time through Virginia and they named the town Dublin”’. Wilson’s recording actually starts on what I would call a fragment of the “B” part, and then goes to the “C” part, before going to the “A” part. (The tune ends on the “C” part). I have recorded the tune with the “A” part first, the “B” part second, and the “C” part third. The “A” and “C” parts repeat, but the “B” part is only played once. Towards the end of the recording, Wilson plays a variation on the “A” part. The first time I play through the tune, I play it straight, but the second time through, I play the “A” variation. For variety, I created some up-the-neck variations for the third time through before returning to the theme the last time around.

Rocky Road to Dublin (from Wilson Douglas)

Posted by ChuckJo, written by

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Size: 3,915kb, uploaded 8/24/2013 5:08:04 AM
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Reference recording for the tab posted--view my tabs here.

Sandy Boys

Posted by ChuckJo

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Size: 4,059kb, uploaded 10/28/2009 5:47:49 PM
Genre: Old Time / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time

Form the Banjourneys CD. David Forbes on Fiddle, Chuck Levy on a custom 6 string fretless banjo built by Ken Bloom.