2 The Old-Time News

3 The Old-Time News

Video Review HIGH

he Story of Bluegrass Music featuring Bill Monroe, Ralph Stanley, Mac Wiseman, Flatt & Scruggs, Jimmy Martin, Osborne Bros., Jim & Jesse, Seldom Scene, Alison Krauss, Nashville

Bluegrass Band. Narrated by Mac Wiseman

AND LONESOME

Shanachie 604. The cover shows a remarkable photo of a kid playing guitar and singing which happens to be Jimmy Martin in leaner times. Commentary and imagery are beautifully brought together depicting the Depression years 1929-30 when a diaspora of people from the mountains flocked to the cities, thus creating a ready made market for nostalgic “cabin home” Country and Western music. Fascinating archive footage throughout depicts the influences of early gospel and blues and the Grand ole Opry etc.(worth watching alone for). In this video Bill Monroe comes over as the motivator for excellence from his ever changing band line-up, taking the raw material of Old Time and Country music and forging them into a professional act by the wearing of suits, taking Jazz style breaks, and driven by the unwavering timing of his mandolin playing. The high standards he set paid off and before long Bluegrass was hitting the big time until, that is, Rock & Roll popped up and swept the country, delivering a near fatal blow. Not so easily beaten, the once mighty stayed true to their music only to be rediscovered by the following generation of college kids adopted and expanded the techniques to newer horizons, though without the suits. The narrative links the vocal traditions of gospel and country songs and ballads directly to Monroe’s style. Little reference is made to the great string band’s recording era when Old Time had its heyday but which offered precious little vocal expression. However reference is made to the Baptist influence, which by and large frowned on instrumentation, particularly fiddle playing, and developed that high and lonesome close harmony singing. That these two distinct traditions of the South were brought together commercially in the form of Bluegrass and that Bill Monroe was the genius to do it, was well developed. I saw this video while in the US (I doubt if it’s available in PAL format yet) and was spellbound all the way through. As a documentary it must be rated first class in all fields, production, narration, visual and audio and will reach a far wider audience than just Bluegrass fans. I can highly recommend it as a valuable addition to any video collection. Colm Daly

Old Time VoiceBox Lynn Morris Jim Allen (01653 628824) asks for information about Lynn Morris regarding instructional material she produces. We had never heard of her until we did some research. She turned up on one of our albums called Bluegrass Class of 1990 singing a sweet song. She also turned up as a performer in an Irish Bluegrass festival recently and also in this year’s Augusta Bluegrass Week (W. Virginia) as intermediate banjo tutor. Here they give a brief account of her: She has played with City Limits, Whetstone Run and her own Lynn Morris Band. She’s an acclaimed banjo and guitar player and was named 1993 SPGBMA Female Vocalist of the Year. Incidently, she is also booked as Bluegrass banjo tutor for the next Sore Fingers Week (see ad.). Sorry, besides the picture thats all we have. If any readers can help any further please give Jim a ring. Ira Bernstein Video. Mike Barford (0171 334 6830) tells us that accompanying the book “Appalachian Flatfooting” produced by Ira (mentioned in Mary Larsen’s letter from America, last issue) is an excellent video called “Flatfooting Workshop”. It only mentioned in the letter that Ira planned an instructional video. Mike got his copy at a festival over here only proving that we’re ahead of the Americans. Thankyou Mike.

FOR SALE Banjo - Clifford Essex - Open Back Special XX - New Calf Skin Head - ready to play - poss. exchange No profit sale - £800 Dave Arthur 01892 517902

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4 The Old-Time News C O U N T Y T E A M N A M E T E L E P H O N E

A v o n A p p l e j a c k s J u l i e W i l l i a m s 0 1 1 7 9 4 2 7 0 5 1 B e r k s K i c k S t a r t C o l m D a l y 0 1 7 3 4 6 6 8 7 9 1 B u c k s H o t T a p s S h a r o n B u r c h m o r e 0 1 9 0 8 6 6 8 3 3 4 B u c k s / S u s s e x . E . B r o k e n A n k l e s & R o s s A l l e n 0 1 9 0 8 2 2 5 6 8 1 C h e s h i r e M i n d T h e S t e p D o o r e e n O ' H a r a 0 1 2 7 0 6 8 1 9 0 C u m b r i a K e n d a l V i n t a g e G a y n o r W i t h e r s ? D e r b y F e e t F i r s t J a n R o c k 0 1 2 4 6 2 7 8 1 6 6 D e r b y s h i r e L i g h t e n i n g & J u l i e & A l a n J a m e s 0 1 2 4 6 4 5 4 9 8 6 D e r b y s h i r e S o l o F r e e s t y l e R i t a B e a r d & D a v e 0 1 3 3 2 5 5 9 3 7 1 D e v o n A p p a l a c h i a n C a r o l G o s l i n g 0 1 6 2 6 3 3 5 2 5 8 D e v o n A l i v e ' n ' K i c k i n g J o W r i g h t 0 1 3 9 2 8 6 0 8 8 7 D o r s e t S p a n k t h e P l a n k s B a r b a r a H u t c h i n s o n 0 1 2 0 2 5 3 1 0 7 2 E s s e x S o l o p e r f o r m e r M e l a n i e B a r b e r 0 1 8 1 5 1 8 5 7 8 7 E s s e x H o t D o g L i n e & K e r r y F l e t c h e r 0 1 8 1 5 1 4 3 0 0 8 E s s e x B a r n y a r d S l i d e V a l H a i n e s 0 1 2 0 6 4 7 8 3 0 E s s e x S c r a m b l e d L e g g s J a n ] o n e s ? F r a n c e H o t f o o t e r s L e s l e y C l a r k e ( 0 0 - 3 3 ) 9 6 2 7 1 2 5 6 G l o s H o p p i n g M a d J u d i t h P a l n i e r 0 1 6 8 4 2 9 6 1 9 0 G l o s R o u g h s h o d S u e & S t e v e B e a r d e r 0 1 4 5 3 8 3 2 3 7 0 H a m p s h i r e T w o b y t w o / D e v i l s L y n C o l b e c k 0 1 7 0 5 5 9 3 4 0 8 H a m p s h i r e T u r n o n t h e T a p s S i m o n C a n e 0 1 9 6 2 8 6 6 8 5 5 H a m p s h i r e L o o s e S c r e w s J o R i h a n 0 1 7 0 3 7 8 4 9 0 0 H a m p s h i r e L o o s e S c r e w s S i o b h a n N e l s o n 0 1 7 0 3 7 8 0 3 8 6 H a m p s h i r e C h e q u e r e d F l a g J o & S i m o n H a r t n e r 0 1 7 0 5 8 1 9 3 7 0 H a n t s I o w a S t o m p e r s B r e n d a R e e v e s ? H e r e f o r d / S h r o p s h i r e K i c k i n ' A l i c e T e r r y M c K a y 0 1 5 6 8 6 1 3 5 0 6 K e n t T a n g l e f o o t S u e W e s t w o o d 0 1 3 2 2 2 7 0 5 2 0 K e n t ( K e t t l e b r i d g e C l o g ) B a r b a r a S h i p p 0 1 6 2 2 8 6 2 8 2 0 L e i c e s t e r s h i r e T o u c h w o o d J a y & G e o f f C u b i t t 0 1 5 0 9 2 1 2 7 6 1 L o n d o n H o t D o g L i n e S u E v a n s - T u n i e r 0 1 8 1 9 2 5 8 0 7 8 M i d d l e s e x ( R e a d i n g C l o g g i e s ) C h r i s B r a d y 0 1 8 1 8 9 7 1 7 0 0 M i d l a n d s F i r s t C l a s s S t a m p K a r e n D e l l 0 1 7 8 8 5 4 0 7 2 9 M i d l a n d s W O n e S t e p B e y o n d P a t D u n b a r ? M i d l a n d s . W . C a s t O f f A u d r e y Y i a n d ( ? ) 0 1 2 1 4 2 7 3 2 1 2 N o r f o l k ( H o x o n 1 0 0 ) B u n n y N a s h ? N o r t h a n t s C r e e k y J o i n t s C a t h e r i n e W h i t e 0 1 6 0 4 8 4 6 3 8 3 N o r t h a n t s B r i g h t S p a r k s M a j o r i e C o v e n c y 0 1 3 2 7 8 5 7 0 0 7 N o r t h a n t s F o o t n o t e P a m e l a H u m p h r e y s 0 1 6 0 4 8 4 6 1 2 8 N o r t h a n t s . C a m b s . T a p a n d S y n c P a m R u s s e l l 0 1 8 3 2 6 4 0 6 N o t t s J u s t f o r K i c k s R o b K a y ? O x f o r d s h i r e H a d d e n h a m H o o f e r s A n d y C u n n 0 1 8 4 4 2 1 4 2 9 5 S h r o p s h i r e ( T i l e r s J i t t y ) L i n B i s p 0 1 9 5 2 5 0 5 0 7 3 S h r o p s h i r e R a i s e t h e D u s t A n d r e w D a v i d s o n 0 1 7 4 3 3 5 4 0 8 1 S o m e r s e t H o t F o o t M i k e & A l i H i g h f i e l d 0 1 8 2 3 2 5 7 4 8 8 S o m e r s e t N o M e a n F e e t V a n e s s a W i l l i a m s 0 1 9 6 3 4 4 0 0 1 0 S t a f f s . W r e c k e d S o l e s J u l i e O x b e r r y 0 1 5 3 8 3 8 2 6 0 2 S u f f o l k / N o r f o l k S u s q u e h a n n a h M a r i o n F a n n i n g 0 1 3 7 9 7 8 3 0 1 5 S u r r e y K n i c k e r b o k e r G l o r y D e n i s e S a v a g e 0 1 2 5 2 7 3 3 3 1 4 S u s s e x , E . B r o k e n A n k l e s P e n n y & A n t h o n y 0 1 2 7 3 5 4 1 4 5 3 S u s s e x , E . S o l o F r e e s t y l e R o s i e D a v i s 0 1 8 9 2 7 8 2 4 1 2 S u s s e x , E . C i n q u e t a p s L y n d a R i d l e y 0 1 4 2 4 7 1 2 5 7 4 S u s s e x , E . ( g r o u p i n W o r t h i n g ) B e t t y D o w e l l 0 1 9 0 3 8 7 2 9 8 2 S u s s e x , E . H i - j i n x S u e M i l l s 0 1 2 9 3 5 1 4 8 8 2 ( d a y ) ,T y n e & W e a r T y n e s t e p J e n n i f e r S l o c o m b e 0 1 9 1 2 3 4 4 5 8 0 T y n e & W e a r B a r n s t o r m e r s R i c h a r d C a r t e r 0 1 4 3 4 6 3 3 2 6 1 U K R o u g h s h o d P a u l S h e r i d a n 0 1 4 5 3 8 2 7 2 8 6 W a l e s . G w e n t . B r a n d y w i n e M a r i e B e a l 0 1 6 3 3 8 5 6 9 6 7 W a l e s . G w e n t . S h o o s t r i n g T i m & D a w n M a n n i n g ? W a l e s . S . C l a m . O n e S t e p A h e a d J a n e t H u g h e s ? W i l t s O f f t h e R a i l s T e r e n c e M . R u m b l e 0 1 7 9 3 4 2 0 9 4 5 W o r c s T a p R o o t s G r a c e E l l i o t 0 1 6 8 4 5 6 8 1 9 2 W o r c s / M a l v e r n S o f t O p t i o n C a t h y R o o k e 0 1 9 0 5 6 4 0 5 9 8 ? Y o r k s S S t e e l ' n ' T o e J e n n y D a y 0 1 1 4 2 4 7 0 0 9 9 Y o r k s W C l u b o n l v F e l l a Y a s l - i p o n 0 1 1 3 2 6 8 2 3 4 0 Y o r k s W . C l u b o n l y . A l a n B a t e s 0 1 4 2 2 8 4 3 3 9 9

UK Appalachian Clogging Teams by permission of Penny Allen. Those in brackets are queries and ? indicates not known. Readers are requested to call us or Penny (01273 541453) with additions or updates.

5 The Old-Time News

Letters Dear Friends ! Why don’t we have extra, out-of-season get-togethers, say in Spring and Autumn ? The idea being a low-cost meet-up to enjoy the aspects of festivals we like best : meeting our friends, playing together, hanging out. We could centre on someone’s house (has anyone got a country place with a barn !?) and accommodate ourselves as variously as we do already : cars, tents, B & B). The “host” member could pre-arrange with a local pub for sessions. What do you think ?! Unfortunately my house is tiny, otherwise I’d offer to get it started ! (If anyone is daft enough to imagine I’m in any way trying to detract from the existing festivals, shame on you !!) Incidentally, it’s not beyond the realms of possibility that we should buy a piece of ground for a permanent site. It wouldn’t take too long to raise the price of an acre of ground. I know there’d be problems - isn’t there always ! But don’t forget, land can also earn money. Comments, free gifts, endearments etc. please ! Helen Logan 4, Argyll St Shrewsbury Shropshire SY1 2SF (Thanks for your suggestions Helen - your faithful committee is already looking at possible venues for a week or week-end camp, summer or otherwise and we’d be glad to know how much interest there would be among members for this. As you suggest, we could just have a get-together to play etc. which is what most of us do at festivals anyway, and this way we’d only have the minimum amount of expense. Eds) Dear Ed, Please note:- Owen O’Neil’s session at the Crown, Old Town Eastbourne has closed ages ago. However, Old Time is popular at the White Horse Inn, Bodle Street Green near Herstmonceux, East Sussex, phone Dave Dyke 01323 833243. Old Time is also played at Wadhurst, at the Greyhound on the 1st Monday of the month, tel. 01892 882947 and St Julian’s Club, Sevenoaks on the last Friday of the month. Most of the folk clubs in Sussex accept Old Time and feature it at times. For more up to date info. in Sussex phone BBMA International rep. Ray Whiteway-Roberts on 01825 767206. I shall be running a one-off event for Old Time and Bluegrass at the Six Bells, Chiddingly, East Sussex on 17th Sept at 8.30. Hope to see someone new. Lastly, if anyone who plays the autoharp would like to write to me about themselves or would phone me and tell me, I’d like to write it for “Autoharp Clearing House” a USA publication. PS I’d be glad to host any visitors down this way. Ray Whiteway-Roberts 24, Vernon Road Uckfield East Sussex England TN22 5DY

(I’m afraid we’ll be too late for Ray’s session at Chiddingly - but he’s obviously the man to contact if you live in that area - Eds.) Dear Fiona and Colm, Thanks for all your newsletters, please keep up the good work. I am interested in corresponding with members with a view to swapping tapes etc. Of particular interest to me are recordings of Uncle Dave Macon, Sam and Kirk McGee, Roy Harvey and Leonard Copeland, Norman Woodlieff, Posey Rorer, Jerry Jordan, Charlie Poole and the North Carolina Ramblers, Delmore Brothers, Tommy Jarrell, Fred Cockerham, Gid Tanner and the Skillet Lickers, to name but a few. My own collection includes many Old Time songs and instrumental music and I would be happy to send a list to members. Sean Nichol 32, Worcester Road, Middleton, Manchester M24 1WZ (It’s nice to think of our members getting together and listening to each other’s collections of Old Time music but watch out for copyright folks ! Eds) Dear Fiona, Whilst at Sidmouth as a sound services provider, I was delighted to see an Old Time Music session programmed for the Tuesday evening. This was my passport to a little light entertainment between working the P.A. Armed with my guitar I went to the “Balfour Arms” hoping for some good time picking and that is exactly what we got ! This session was ably run by “Same Train Different Teapot” who ensured things didn’t go astray. This they achieved without formality and everyone got a chance to play in a convivial atmosphere. All levels of ability were represented, from beginners to experienced and the playing was confident and entertaining. Displays of Appalachian clogging provided some variety and Mike invited a few Bluegrass musicians to further widen the appeal. The audience was attentive throughout and I was pleasantly surprised to see how well attended the event was considering we were at a Folk Festival. So where do we go from here ? We want more of these sessions at Folk Festivals, we want more Old Time and Bluegrass musicians to attend and finally, if you have a band, send your demos and publicity to organisers of such events. I have heard a lot of people in both the Bluegrass and Old Time suggest it was a waste of time going to Folk Festivals and Folk Clubs. This is not true, nothing will change until we have a wider following and promoters book Old Time music as a matter of course and not as an experiment. I know from experience, it works and audiences like it. So it is up to us to get on our bikes !!! Just a little note on demos and publicity. Take a little time to prepare a decent publicity package. Include a good photo and a short profile of the band produced on a word processor. Your demo should have at least three tracks and choose not necessarily your best songs or tunes but those most likely to have an impact with the promoter (they receive dozens of them in the course of a year). If anyone needs advice on this matter, you are welcome to contact me on 01373 813590, I may be able to help. Good hunting and see you all at next year’s festivals ! John Wirtz South West Area Rep for the British Bluegrass Music Association

6 The Old-Time News

Recent Releases

n accordance with Foaotmad’s interest in promoting British Old Time music, I would like to draw your attention to some recordings by British bands which have recently come into our

possession ! But I mention them not in a spirit of jingoism but in the interests of our readers - all three are really good, lively Old Time bands and if you prefer “easy-listening” music, read no further! Old Red Eye by Old Red Eye (of course) Contact No: 0114-2816643. Side One: Rockingham Cindy/ Booth Shot Lincoln/ Breaking Up Christmas/ Daniel in the Lion’s Den/ Sugar Hill. Side Two: Free Little Bird/ Katy Hill/ Tempie/ Stay All Night/ Tell Her to Come Back Home. The players are not given on the sleeve but I believe it was Dave Young (fiddle), Nicky Harris (accordion) , Jim Pyecroft on banjo and Kieron Clements on guitar. I’m not sure who else is playing but I understand the recording was made without their usual bass player, Eve Morris and that Dave plays bass on some tracks himself. The fact that it was recorded “in the kitchen between cups of tea” may explain the fact that you can’t really hear the bass unless you turn it right up. But anyway, this is good lively music with that special kind of bounce and rhythm that is Old Red Eye’s hallmark - how they manage to sound relaxed at the same time I’m not sure. As far as entertainment goes, I particularly

enjoyed Daniel in the Lion’s Den (and if you want to know why, get the tape !) - one of several songs - or tunes with words included, if you prefer. For my money, Dave Young is one of the best Old Time fiddlers we have in this country and this is certainly one of my favourite bands.

GRAND DRAW NOTICE Would all members who sold tickets please return the draw ticket stubs and monies before the end of November. All winners will be notified individually and they will also be published in the next Newsletter. Futher donations for prizes are welcome.

Up Jumped Trouble by Gas Pig Contact No: 0181-263-7904 Side One: Dry and Dusty/ Diamond Joe/ John Brown’s Dream/ Donna’s Got a Rambling Mind/ Cindy. Side Two: Up Jumped Trouble/ Looking for Money/ Whole Bunch O’Sleaze/ Sally Ann/ Clean Shaven Jesus/ Hell Broke Loose in Georgia/ Beaver Valley Breakdown. This is cheating a bit - it was recorded at Elk Creek in Virginia and most of the players are actually American but it is fiddle-led and the fiddler in question is Dave Wright, of Luke Gazooks fame etc. etc. and another of the best Old Time fiddlers we have, though not in this country at the time of recording. With Dave in this band are Tom Bailey on guitar/guitar banjo, Taylor Grover on banjo and Heidi Sanders on bass. Being more or less acquainted with all but the bass player I can’t help feeling that their choice of tune titles is intended to tell a story, for instance - the whole bunch o’sleaze were dry and dusty and looking for money when up jumped trouble and hell broke loose in Georgia. Seriously though, this tape has a fast, driving sound, a good mixture of songs and tunes and a really silly picture on the front of Tom riding a sheep. It says it’s “hot string band music” and it is and I thoroughly recommend it!. Little Dutch Girl by The “all new” Muswell Hilltoppers Contact No: 0181-347-9484 Side One: Chilly Winds/ 8th of January/ Fall on my Knees/ Natural Bridge Blues/ Frankie and Albert/ Flop Eared Mule/ Dry and Dusty/ Old Time John Henry/ Rya’s House. Side Two: Old Jimmy Sutton/ Corrina Corrina/ Hard Road/ Skipping Through the Frost and Snow/ Breaking Up Christmas/ Cumberland Gap/ Reuben/ Little Dutch Girl. I have to say that the picture on the front of this tape showing the eponymous heroine clad in nothing but two small stars is not really to my taste - I prefer Tom and the sheep - but fortunately the music is. The players in this case are Mark Wallace on fiddle, Dave Wright, this time on banjo, and Frank Weston on guitar. Dry and Dusty, Breaking up Christmas and Cindy are all the rage this year it seems but it’s good too to hear some less familiar tunes on this tape, all of which are apparently traditional. It’s nice to go along to a session and be able to play tunes you all know but the chance to learn some new stuff is one of the advantages of

I

7 The Old-Time News sessions. Mark was well known for bringing some great new tunes to the London sessions and he has done the same again here. At the risk of repeating myself, let me say that the players sound great together, there is a good mixture of songs and tunes and that this is also just the kind “ hot string band music” that I like to listen to and I suggest you give it a try!

Fiona Cameron.

etting Started on Fiddle

sometimes get the impression that anyone who has had anything to do with Old Time music is eventually going to want to try their hand at the fiddle. I’m not exactly sure why this is, and it is

certainly not an easy instrument to play - at least with frets if you put your finger down on the fingerboard and pluck a string you can be sure of getting a reasonable note ! Not so with the fiddle, of course, as anyone who has tried to live with a beginning fiddler will tell you. But if you are already familiar with the music, then you do have a head start and to any would-be fiddler who is not, my first suggestion would be to go and listen to lots of it. Listening is an essential part of learning this kind of music anyway and it’s amazing how different your favourite tracks can sound when you’re concentrating on the fiddle part instead of the banjo or guitar or whatever you usually pick out. Whether you already know the Old Time tunes or not, the next question is whether you can read written music. Personally, I managed to get the hang of banjo tab in order to learn the banjo, but I’ve never really managed to read fiddle music. That has never stopped me buying fiddle books though, and some of them do try to explain basic musical notation. Most of them also include other information about the history of fiddling and fiddlers, bowing licks etc. and may be worth buying for this reason. And while I am on the subject I must mention again the Fiddler Magazine, an excellent American publication. Although it is not confined to Old Time music , it includes a wealth of information on

bowing techniques, fiddle maintenance, fiddlers and fiddling generally which must be of interest to any fiddler. In fact, it is possible to find fiddle tunes written in tab form and one of the books mentioned below (Kaufman) includes both tab and music. The musical notation itself will be more or less complicated according to whether the writer has tried to get every nuance and detail actually written down or whether he or she has confined themselves to supplying the basic notes of the tune and left the reader to add their own ornamentation, rhythmic variations etc. If you have never even played a fiddle, you will find that some of the tutor books will include information on how to hold it, tune it, look after it and so on. They will usually include a description of bowing patterns as well which may or may not be marked on the musical score. The whole question of bowing techniques seems to be very dear to the heart of Old Time fiddlers - much of the music is intended for dancing after all and the right bowing techniques will give it a good, driving rhythm provided that it is not at the expense of the melody. There are some great Old Time tunes about and some of the melodies are quite elaborate and it is a shame to hear them sacrificed for the sake of speed. If you can’t play a tune fast enough without cutting out some of the melody notes, then perhaps you haven’t practised enough. I don’t really think that any Old Time fiddle book is complete without a discussion of alternative

tunings. Some Old Time fiddlers do not cross tune their fiddles - I remember hearing Gordon Freeman, a North Carolina fiddler, now in his seventies, saying that standard tuning (GDAE) was just getting popular when he was learning the fiddle and so he tends to use it himself. But many fiddlers do retune their fiddle according to which key they are playing in, or even for individual tunes and some commercial recordings actually give the fiddle tunings on the sleeve notes. Not only does cross-tuning

make the fingering easier, especially if you find it hard to use your fourth finger, but it can improve the sound of the fiddle itself e.g. a fiddle tuned to AEAE for an A tune will ring out in quite a different way. Whether or not you can read music, it is a good idea to go to workshops or classes where you can actually see as well as hear what the fiddler is doing. Although some books include a soundsheet, it is easier to get the bowing right if you can actually watch. The next best thing is a good video, which has the added advantage that you can endlessly replay the difficult bits without driving your tutor or fellow students up the wall, and I have included the one by Brad Leftwich below.

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Cartoon by Bill Cox

8 The Old-Time News Once you have learned to play at a reasonable speed you may prefer to learn tunes by ear from a tape - I use a personal stereo for this as turning the music up loud enough to hear it over the sound of your own fiddle may get you into trouble with your neighbours. When you first start trying to play along with a tune it seems almost impossible but if you start by catching the main notes every time they come along then you can gradually fill in the rest later. How long it takes to learn a tune depends on you but it really does improve with practice and then when someone plays a tune you don’t know at a session, you will find it much easier to play along instead of sitting out. The only problem with playing along with commercial recordings is that they may be at a slightly different pitch and you may have to retune your fiddle a bit or find a tape player with varying speeds so you can play the tape a little faster or slower till it sounds right. I find that music I have recorded myself at a workshop doesn’t seem to create this problem. My final observation would be that of course there are many different styles of “Old Time” fiddling and where some tutor books will confine themselves to one particular style, others will attempt to cover all of them! The books (and video) I have included here are just a selection and are all available in the UK- I think there may even be as many fiddle books as there are banjo books but I’m not too sure ! 1. Learn to Play Old-Time Fiddle by Brad Leftwich (Homespun Videos 1994). I feel I have to start with this video and frankly, I advise you to do the same ! It will be far more useful than any book and at least as useful as many workshops I have been to. It is designed for “early-intermediate” players and sets out to give you “a grounding in the basics of old-time fiddling style”. According to the brief notes included with the tape, Brad’s main influence was North Carolina Fiddler Tommy Jarrell (who better ?) and he calls this style “traditional downbow fiddling”. The video includes bowing techniques, tunings, double stops and simple variations, all delivered in a clear and straightforward manner. You would need to be able to at least play the instrument a little bit as it does not cover the very basic stuff such as how to hold the fiddle etc. but everything is broken down into easy stages with close-ups on the left hand to find the notes and the

bowing explained in great detail. The six tunes he teaches are Shortening Bread, Sugar Hill, Old Jimmy Sutton, Black-Eyed Susie, Great Big Taters in Sandy Land and Jeff Sturgeon and the accompanying leaflet gives the musical notation as well. The first three tunes are done more slowly and in greater detail and then when he has taught all the basic bow licks covered here, he speeds up a bit for the last three. He finishes off with a performance of Breaking Up Christmas (not included in the tutorial part) and is ably accompanied throughout on banjo-uke by his wife Linda Higginbotham. 2. Beginning Old Time Fiddle - Alan Kaufman (Oak

Publications 1977) The most significant thing about this book is that it does include tab as well as musical notation for the tunes. It covers basic instruction, basic musical notation, bowing techniques and cross-tuning and has a soundsheet as well. The blurb says “38 tunes and transcriptions in the styles of J P Fraley, Gaither Carlton, Lowe Stokes, Frank George, Gid Tanner and others” and it includes a discography. 3. Appalachian Fiddle - Miles Krassen (Oak Publications 1973) This is a companion volume to his banjo book and has complimentary versions of the tunes if you have a friend learning the banjo! He says he is concentrating on “the music

of living Appalachian fiddlers” although I think some may have died since it was published. His great influence seems to have been Virginia fiddler Frank George but he has versions of tunes from a number of different fiddlers and they are all identified as such beside the tunes. It includes basic instruction, a discography and some useful double-stop/chord diagrams but, despite what it says on the cover, I couldn’t find anything on bowing techniques. 4. Fiddler’s Fakebook - David Brody (Oak Publications 1983) The great thing about the “Fakebook” series is that all the well-known tunes are covered and they are always presented in a straightforward way. Of course, these are not just Old Time tunes - they include Irish, Scottish, Bluegrass, French Canadian etc. etc. - and what he calls Old Time are the tunes from the American South and Mid-West. It includes tunings, bowing patterns and techniques ( bowings are marked on the music) and a useful, if not exhaustive, list of alternative titles. There is a discography at the back but of more interest is the

9 The Old-Time News discography given beside each tune with the actual version he has used marked with an asterisk. 5. The Fiddle Book by Marion Thede (Oak Publications 1970) This is nothing if not a scholarly book and well-thought of among musically literate fiddlers. Marion Thede was a violinist and music teacher who took up fiddling when she moved to Oklahoma. According to the title page it includes “more than 150 traditional fiddle tunes compiled from country fiddlers” also described as “more than 400 fiddlers of the West”. She collected the tunes, not with a tape recorder but by actually writing down the music as it was being played, including the bowings they used. She describes her method of notation in some detail, much of which is , I must admit, beyond my ken! This is not a beginner’s book, it is designed rather for players who want to learn the Old Time style and who can read music. However, I have to say that it also contains such a wealth of information about fiddling generally that, it may be worth buying even if you don’t read music ! She has dealt with the question of cross-tunings by writing tunes out twice - first, for the cross-tuning with the tuning given at the top, to be fingered as if you were in standard tuning and second, “sounds as follows” gives the notation as it would be played in standard tuning to get the same sound. Confused ? Me too, but I suspect that a violin player would find it quite straightforward. Don’t be put off by the description “fiddlers of the West” - you will find many of these tunes being played by the current generation of fiddlers in the South and as an added bonus, she has included words for most of them. Fiona Cameron.

Death by Old Time

ere is a run through of some of the events of interest that either one or both of us have attended since our last newsletter. This should be taken as a diary rather than a review of

events, from an unpaid, overworked newsletter editor. Either one or both of us (Fiona and I) have really covered a lot of ground this summer, not least our trip to America (expenses unpaid) and it’s far from over yet.

North Wales Bluegrass Festival 5-7 July.

This was really excellent. Conwy town is beautiful and the venue well organised. John Les and Gill Williams pulled out all the stops for the Old Timers by dedicating a large tent to us. Unforgettable was the Saturday afternoon session which attracted a large and appreciative audience. The democracy of session etiquette prevailed despite the number of players (approx. 10). Even the learners were given their go and respectfully supported by the more experienced. Afterwards, one senior and very experienced banjo player praised the session nearly tearfully as having been the best one of his life. Mind the Step Appalachian dancers gave excellent performances and also supported the sessions as did Paul and Clare Sheridan with their freestyling clogging. My tip of the year is don’t miss the next one! Claremont Park American Dream 12-14 July. This was basically a posh fancy dress annual outing with a different theme each year, this year being The American Dream. Thousands of people attended in crazy outfits (Indians, gangsters, cowboys etc.). Still if you had searched you’d have found the Roughshod Appalachian cloggers supported by the Cotswold Mountain Boys who between performances induced the revelers to let off some steam on the boards -that’s what good Old Time music tends to do when its let out of the bag! Swannanoa Gathering Old Time Week 21-27 July. Lucky for some, we were staying with Barbara Scott, a friend in Black Mountain N.Carolina who lives only 5 miles from Warren Wilson College the beautiful venue of this event. We were initiated into this three years ago when we booked the week there. This time we were evening-time visitors but early morning leavers. In short this is an Old Time holiday dream come true -sessions galore, dancing, singing, you name it, bring your funburn cream with you! At the centre of it all are the tutors who are a who’s who in the Old Time world -Ralph Blizard (New Southern Ramblers), John Herrmann (of One-Eyed Dog, Critton Hollow etc. fame), Phil Jamison (Green Grass Clogger), Wayne

H

10 The Old-Time News Erbsen (probably the most known within and without the Old Time genre), Alice Gerrard (of Old-Time Herald and Hazel Dickens partnership fame), Carol Elizabeth Jones & James Leva (of Wild Cats, Wandering Ramblers & Renegades fame), Tom Sauber (the most versatile musician in the cosmos), Bruce Green, Brad Leftwich and more and more. Additionally you may bump into some of their special master guests like Will Keys (two-finger style banjo phenomenon), Janette Carter (Carter Family), Red Wilson, Gordon Freeman and more. Many of the participants return year after year. In fact we met one couple who met each other there last year, married there this year, and plan annual returns. (They also run a B&B in Blountville, Tenn. 423 323 0174 which specialises for visiting music lovers of Bluegrass & Old Time, and they would love you to come). We renewed many acquaintances. In one week you meet, make friends and dance, sing or play with all of them, surely worth every hard earned penny it costs. Ray Green’s Green Acres (every Mon, except winter). Here is a rural gathering of folks from the hills for a little pickin’ and singing at Rays barn just out of Black Mountain. Barbara, our friend goes there religiously every Monday for the couple of hours left before dusk. There’s a couple of microphones carefully placed for the musicians, Barbara and one elderly man on fiddles, a scattering of guitar pickers including Mr Green, a lady playing the piano and various banjo and mandolin players, about ten musicians in all. The audience seems to be composed mostly of women who join in the singing, and there’s a coffee urn on the brew for thirsty throats. I strolled outside to soak in the atmosphere while standing by Ray’s small vegetable plot of sunflowers and maize watching the fire-flies on this tranquil evening. The heavenly strains of men and women singing and playing in that bluegrass/gospel way that is characteristic of the South moved me. One got the feeling that these are the fading years of a whole generation’s style of Blue Ridge Mountain music, not quite Bluegrass as we know it but more Country, nor Old Time either (to which they refer irreverently as “that Irish dance music”), but which does not exclude tunes like Soldiers Joy and Down Yonder. Mike Harding on his televised tour of America discovered this dream and filmed it, of which I’d love a copy (I tried the BBC but I couldn’t give them the exact dates of broadcast). Ray Green himself has never seen the clip either. Throughout the area are many similar Bluegrass/Gospel sessions in peoples homes or shops where the public are welcome, all with a similar composition. Some to mention are Mrs. Hyatt’s and Adams Drug Store and the Asheville Bluegrass Centre, all in the Asheville area. Not very far away are some more commercial events like Friday nights at Old Ford or any night at The Stomping Ground in Maggie Valley. The biggest we’ve been to is The Shindig on the Green every Saturday in the summer in the centre

of Asheville, but the weekend we went something else was on in its place -see next. Bele Cher 27-28 July Asheville city centre. This event is hosted free to the public every year on this weekend and if it’s to your liking to enjoy in one evening a free outdoor concert with world class bands like Ralph Stanley and his Clinch Mountain Boys, Ralph Blizard and the New Southern Ramblers, Balfa Toujours to name but a few, then this is the place for you. One pleasant surprise was the Blue Ridge Mountain Minstrels fronted by Ron Cole on fiddle who played the generally unexplored, early hokum style of Old Time, bringing together Ragtime, Blues and Swing into the traditional string band idiom. Clifftop Tom Bailey, unknown, Dave Wright and Mark Wallace

1-4 Aug. West Virginia. If you want Death by Old Time come here. This is where the young braves of the Old Time tribe test each other’s skills. Only the best can survive leaving the losers to slink off to lick their wounds for another year of tortuous practice. On the other hand there are excellent square dances or you might bump into Joe Thompson (of Joe and Odell fame), or J.P Fraley, or Melvyn Wine. If you’re really unlucky you’ll bump into two British braves, Dave Wright and Mark Wallace. Dave Wright later went on to win a first in fiddle at Fries. Better luck to meet Betty Vornbrock who sends her regards to the UK faithful. Now you might think I’ve got an axe to grind, well if

The late Odell Thompson (left) and Joe Thompson

11 The Old-Time News you must know we came 6th in the string band competition, that is from the bottom! Still, the way I see it there are five American bands worse than us! now that feels better. The Lark In The Park - London 18 Aug. Derry Daly, Frank Weston, Dave Stacey and Paul Stevens. This venue is a welcome replacement for the Three Loggerheads session every Sunday (which was one of

our regular stamping grounds). The two best American sessions in the world and oldest, must be this one and the Bluegrass one, not a mile away, on Mondays in the Hemingford Arms. The fiddle tunes were interspersed with songs and everybody got a go. I came away with another tune to my repertoire-Grass Hopper sitting on a Sweet Potato Vine. I’m sure the success of these sessions is due to their maturity i.e. many of the participants go every week and as well as adding their own style they adjust to each others styles. Carpenters Arms, Mortimer, Berks. 19 Aug. This 3rd Monday of every month session was a new one to me and not that easy to find either. The main offerings were songs of either folk or blues origin. It could benefit by being less remote and also being on an easier to remember cycle. Not surprisingly, Old Time newcomers are well received! Towersey, Oxfordshire. 23-26 Aug. A folk festival in the traditional mode which attracts all shades of music and dance. Old Time shared the main sessions with Bluegrass in the beer tent (where else?). Didmarton Bluegrass Festival 30-1 Sept. We could not find any reference to this being on this year but thanks to Paul Sheridan sending us the details we were able to make it. FOAOTMAD made a good account of itself here under Keith Johnson’s caravan awning. We also held one of our rare committee meetings and trashed out some valuable stuff on your behalf. The Saturday evening was dominated by a huge Old Time session in the skittle alley which despite the odds (ten banjos to two or three fiddles) surprisingly managed to take off, leaving everyone exhausted by the end. Again we missed most of the performances regrettably missing Simon Mayor & Hilary James’s performances and workshops. Stroud Fringe Festival Sept 13-15 This new festival co-organised by Cotswold Mountain Boys banjo player John Sheppard and ably assisted by

the voluntary efforts of Roughshod members, family members and friends. The wide selection on offer of concerts, workshops, sessions and street entertainment throughout the weekend was truly amazing, catering for all tastes. Every corner turned seemed to beget

another event. I, like many others, particularly liked the Square dances which were called by Kate Lissauer in true American fashion. Kate also did several performances as well as an excellent Old Time fiddle workshop. The highlights for dancers were probably the performances and workshops by Ira Bernstein. Not content with confining himself to Appalachian Clogging his performances included an amazing Wellington Boot Dance of the South African mines. I didn’t see everything but what I did see encouraged me to want more of the same. Stroud Fringe Festival is now firmly on the festival calendar and looks like it means to stay. Colm Daly

Forthcoming Events

FESTIVALS Sept 14 Farnham Footworks 96’Day 0171 3541797 Featuring social dances from around the world. Sept 29 Reading 01734 874510 - Oct 12 Telford 01952 597521 -Stepping Out Oct 26 Maidenhead Clog & Step Dance Festival 01734 873901 -Ross Allen does a workshop on Appalachian clogging incorporating precision and flatfooting styles and accompanied on fiddle by Jackie Rawlinson. The evening is rounded off with a barn dance by Touchstone and Ray Taylor calling. Nov. 9 New Forest Bluegrass & Old Time Festival 01425 618286 -FOAOTMAD Concessions -hosted by Same Train Different Teapot and guesting Down County Boys, A Band Like Alice, Stained Glass Bluegrass, Old Time Collaboration, Hickory Swing, Hard Times String Band (Old Time- from Portsmouth) and Paul Sheridan. Workshops include Old Time banjo, Carter style guitar, Mountain Dulcimer, Appalachian dance and the usual Bluegrass workshops.

Ira Bernstein in full flight

12 The Old-Time News Feb 21-23 Gainsborough 3rd American Old Time Music Festival 01427 810710- The UK’s only dedicated festival of Old Time music. Old Time String Band Night, Fiddle and Banjo Competitions and the 3rd Annual Meeting of the Friends of American Old Time Music and Dance. April 1-5 Chipping Norton, Oxon. Sore Fingers Week Two -01425 618286 A week of workshops in fiddle, harmony singing, bluegrass banjo, guitar and mandolin. Tutors are Jody Stecher, Kate Brislin, Lynn Morris, Chris Moreton and Butch Baldassari, respectively.

OPEN SESSIONS BERKSHIRE Every 3rd Monday of the month at the Carpenter’s Arms, Mortimer. EAST SUSSEX & KENT Session at the White Horse Inn, Bodle Street Green, near Herstmonceux. Phone Dave Dyke 01323 833243. First Monday of the month at the Greyhound, Wadhurst. tel 01892 882947. Last Friday of the month St. Julian’s Club, Sevenoaks. Contact Ray Whiteway-Roberts (BBMA rep) on 01825 767206 for further details. GAINSBOROUGH Regular sessions/workshops led by Old Red Eye if they get enough support. A fiddler (learner will do) is sought to join in. Contact no: Keith Johnson 01427-613643 LONDON Sundays at The Lark in the Park, (Whelan’s by another name) in Copenhagen Street, Kings Cross. Old Time. Contact Derry Daly for details 0181 340 0001. Fridays at The Vine, Highgate Road, Kentish Town. Mostly Bluegrass. Temporarily suspended is Fridays at The Union Tavern Kings Cross Road, Old Time. Contact Dermot(Derry) Daly 0181 340 0001 Mondays at The Hemingford Arms, Offord Road, near Caledonian Road Tube. Mostly Bluegrass. Contact Caspar Cronk, 0181 340 4683. SHEFFIELD Fridays (led by Old Red Eye String Band) at the Red House pub, Solley St, Sheffield S1. Contact no: Jim Pyecroft 0114 237 6989 or Bill Cox 0114 243 8502. SOUTHAMPTON Alternate Mondays at the Frog and Frigate, Southampton. Contact no: Mike Preston 01425-618286 YORK Sundays: The Golden Ball, off Bishop Hill, York. Old Time. Contact : Eve Morris 0194-632674 MANCHESTER AREA The Rising Sun, Mossley, on the Greenfield road. Old Time and Bluegrass. Contact Dave Pope 01457 837166. Contact Sean Nichol 0161-643-7137 for a number of regular events in the Manchester area.

OTHER EVENTS London Every Monday Pete Stanley and friends at The Pineapple, Leverton Street, NW5 (Nr Kentish Town tube). Relaxed and intimate local pub with excellent beers. Royal Festival Hall ( foyer), Appalachian clogging 1-2pm with Broken Ankles (unsure of date -contact Penny Allen 01273 541453) Newcastle on Tyne Y’all Come 0191 234 4580 New centre for Old Time & Bluegrass Sundays clogging/buckdancing,Tuesdays workshops. There are many more events out there that feature Old Time especially in the clogging/dance bracket which we would like to list but we just don’t get the info. Can you help?

LOOKING FOR 2ND HAND INSTRUMENTS ?

For Sale Autoharps & Dulcimers, Banjos, guitars & mandolins! plus strings and accessories. Videos available of all instruments!

STAN GEE, Redcar 01642-478859.

FOR SALE Banjo - 5 string 1921 Fairbanks-Vega “REGENT” original. No 41701. Original Ditson label attached. Very Good Condition Replacement Schaller pegs. Case. £800 ovno. Tel Bob Ward 01353 741640.

Electric Banjo - Deering 5 string £900 The Complete Banjo Service Tuition....Clawhammer, Minstrel, two and three finger picking. Repairs...Restoration....Set-ups. Necks reset...Refrets... Banjos bought and sold. Pete Stanley: 0171-916-4178 visitors by appointment

Tune your banjo g D G C D or a E A D E (if you are a masochist) or even d A D G A (if your into low tuned minstrel banjer. The scale/mode notes are shown on the left. So you can see its a 5 tone scale (pentatonic). This is the same scale as used for “Pretty Polly”. The bracketed notes are just alternatives. As there are plenty of quarter notes, there’s plenty of scope for ornamentation. Have fun with this haunting old tune. Pete Stanley.

Tommy Jarrell &Fred Cockerham

15 The Old-Time News