Jack and Chuck have put up some great tabs based on Doc Watson's wonderful guitar picking on this old Delmore Brothers hit. I used to play this years ago with my old clawhammer banjo picking partner, Ed Britt. The banjo world lost one of its most creative clawhammer pickers when Ed passed away five years ago from Alzheimers. I still listen some every day to the recordings we made together. One of them that I posted here fourteen years ago was Deep River Blues. We are in the key of D, and Ed is doing the singing.
http://www.banjohangout.org/myhangout/media-player/audio_player2.asp?musicid=26611&archived=
I had already tabbed out my three finger arrangement some time ago, and yesterday I slowed down Ed's track and transcribed what he played in the opening break, and combined the two for the tab. Ed is playing in double C (gCGCD), capoed on 2, and I am in open D (aDF#AD). You can download the duet tab here:
Deep River Blues, Ed and Don
I've also attached the two arrangements as PDFs.
I sure miss picking with Ed. Alzheimers is a really hard way to go.
- Don B.
Edited by - Don Borchelt on 04/17/2026 09:24:47
Very nice, Don and Ed (RIP). I’ve listened to some of yooz guys busking vids at Harvard Square,, always enjoyable. So there are two banjo stalwarts from Syracuse - Ed and Tony T, not that far from the Niagara Frontier , Canuck side, where I grew up and first heard old time and bluegrass on the old Stromberg-Carlson in our living room.
Edited by - chuckv97 on 04/17/2026 13:50:17
Don, the videos Ed and you created are true treats.
David
Thanks for posting that Don, such great memories!
Don,
Great links and tabs to feast on. Those folks knew what it should sound like....How are you?....Jack
Edited by - Jack Baker on 04/18/2026 11:15:57
Thanks, guys, for the appreciative comments. I've had a lot of folks I've partnered up with to play music, but none for as long as Ed. When he came down with Alzheimers, it was a long, slow decline, and very heartbreaking. David, you mentioned the many busking videos. Ed loved busking more than anything. You might have noticed that we were eventually joined by John Maguire on fiddle. John had just retired, and I asked him to join us to provide musical support for Ed, who was beginning to forget the tunes. It was easier for him to remember when he could hear the fiddle notes. Eventually, John's support was needed beyond just the music, but together we were able to keep Ed busking for another three seasons, and in private jam sessions for several years after that.
I still listen to our old recordings just about every day, and there is almost always something I notice in Ed's playing that I hadn't picked up on before. It was a great honor to be able to play so long with him.
@chuckv97 @dbrooks @Bart Veerman @Jack Baker
Edited by - Don Borchelt on 04/18/2026 18:07:29
Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Privacy Consent (EU/GDPR Only)
Copyright 2026 Banjo Hangout. All Rights Reserved.
