Posted by JanetB
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- Play count: 1105
Size: 1,723kb, uploaded 4/1/2013 9:17:46 AM
Genre: Traditional / Playing Style: Clawhammer and Old-Time
This is my interpretation of Edden Hammon's fiddling. There's been much discussion on the Hangout about this tune and I wanted to find the oldest known source of it, though it's said it comes from his great-uncle Pete, born 1847. I like to think it's about the waterfalls of the James River, but the somber modal tone sounds more like it's about a historic event in Richmond, which would actually make the title "Fall of Richmond," as many also use.
5 comments on “Falls of Richmond”
rgoad Says:
Monday, April 1, 2013 @9:54:03 AM
Janet, I always like your playing, but I sincerely appreciate how you teach a little about the tune, too. I really love the history info. FWIW, I have always heard it as 'FALLS of Richmond' and just figured it had something to do with a river. Is that not right?
JanetB Says:
Monday, April 1, 2013 @10:13:09 AM
If you search for it as the Tune of the Week on Banjo Hangout you'll get lots more info. If you go to the Playing Advice: Clawhammer and Old-Time forum there was a recent thread called "Falls of Richmond" with lots of discussion. And if you go to to the Sound Off forum I included relevant artwork that shows both interpretations could be correct, but I bet we'll never know. In the liner notes for Edden Hammons collection Volume 1 Alan Jabbour states that the tune hasn't turned up outside of the Hammons family and that they traced it back as far as their West Virginian Uncle Pete. Since West Virginia had recently been a part of Virginia, events in Richmond would have been significant to them. It also states that there were other tunes about rivers and creeks. Edden's nephew, Burl, who I believe taught it to Dwight Diller, didn't provide any additional information about the title.
rgoad Says:
Monday, April 1, 2013 @10:42:46 AM
Thanks! I saw one of those threads and until then never thought about the 'FALL of Richmond' before then. Now I have some reading to do.
VancePants Says:
Monday, April 1, 2013 @8:01:46 PM
Sweet rendition of this tune Janet... one I enjoyed learnin' a while back... cheers!
JanetB Says:
Tuesday, April 2, 2013 @6:52:42 AM
Thanks, Ken. I'll have to look for yours. Which one did you learn from? I'd like to hear other versions One I heard based on Dwight Diller's was more modal than Edden Hammons'.
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