Old-Time Ensemble (Wed) – week 7

Whoa. We almost forgot to do a tune in the key of G.

Jaybird Died with a Whooping Cough

medium tempo

Filed under: Old Time Ensemble, Paul Tyler, Steve Rosen by Paul | August 5, 2010 | Comments (0)

Old-Time Ensemble (Wed) – week 6

A catchy A tune from the Ozarks . . .

Saddle Old Kate, fiddled by Lonnie Roberston
[link to iTunes store]

medium tempo duet

Filed under: Old Time Ensemble, Paul Tyler, Steve Rosen by Paul | August 4, 2010 | Comments (0)

Old-Time Ensemble (Wed) – week 5

The burning question is

Can You Dance Tobacco Hill? played by Bruce Greene

Filed under: Old Time Ensemble, Paul Tyler, Steve Rosen by Paul | August 4, 2010 | Comments (0)

Old-Time Ensemble (Wed) – week 4

Links to the iTunes store for a couple of songs about hanging . . .

Been All Around This World by the Highwoods String Band

Tom Dooley a unique and early version of the song by Grayson & Whitter.
G.B. Grayson, a blind fiddler from Laurel Bloomery, Tennessee, is the descendant of the Sheriff Grayson mentioned in the lyrics.

Here are the melodies . . .
I’ve Been All Around This World

Tom Dooley

And the lyrics (in pdfs) . . .
I’ve Been All Around This World

Tom Dooley

Filed under: Old Time Ensemble, Paul Tyler, Steve Rosen by Paul | July 18, 2010 | Comments (0)

Old-Time Ensemble (Wed) – week 3

A fine Kentucky tune in D. Related to “Rocky Mountain Goat” as played by Doc Roberts.

Mud Fence fiddled by William Stepp of Lakeville, KY. Walter Williams on banjo.

Mud Fence fiddled at medium tempo by Paul Tyler of Chicago, IL. Steve Rosen on banjo.

Filed under: Old Time Ensemble, Paul Tyler, Steve Rosen by Paul | July 18, 2010 | Comments (0)

Old-Time Ensemble (Wed) – week 2

A great modal A tune. The 2nd finger note on the A string is sometimes high (a C# in the A part), sometimes low (a C natural in the B part), and sometimes vague. Listen to how Henry Reel plays it. As recorded for Alan Jabbour and the Library of Congress in 1966.

Kitchen Girl
This link takes you to two recordings and a transcription of Henry Reed’s playing. Check out the whole website Fiddle Tunes of the Old Frontier.

fiddle and banjo, slow version

Filed under: Old Time Ensemble, Paul Tyler, Steve Rosen by Paul | July 8, 2010 | Comments (0)

Old-Time Ensemble (Wed) – week 1

An unnamed tune learned by Garry Harrison from an old home recording made in Prairie du Roche, Illinois. Garry named it, and recorded it with his band the Indian Creek Delta Boys.

Prairie du Rocher Motion played by Garry Harrison and the “Crik Delters”

fiddle and banjo duet at a slow tempo

The notes to this and hundreds of other great tunes can be found the collection Garry Published a few years ago: Dear Old Illinois.

Filed under: Old Time Ensemble, Paul Tyler, Steve Rosen by Paul | July 8, 2010 | Comments (0)

Old-Time Ensemble (Wed) – week 6

Another piece for cross tuned fiddles – AEae

Pretty Little Gal Played by Garry Harrison in 1982. He learned it from Jesse James Abbott.

Filed under: Old Time Ensemble, Paul Tyler, Steve Rosen by Paul | June 3, 2010 | Comments (0)

Old-Time Ensemble (Wed) – week 5

Got it right this time, Five Miles from Town, in G
It’s very similar to Oyster River Hornpipe, but still its own tune.

Indian Creek Delta Boys

Jesse James Abbott

You too can own Mr. Abbott’s version on the 3-CD set Dear Old Illinois.

And we’ll throw in Steve and Paul’s version for nuttin’ . . .
on the slow side

Filed under: Old Time Ensemble, Paul Tyler, Steve Rosen by Paul | May 30, 2010 | Comments (0)

Old-Time Ensemble (Wed) – week 4

A tune in G, from Lotus Dickey of Orange County, Indiana.
He learned it from Allen Downey of Robinson, Illinois.

3 parts; up the neck in the C part

Down the Pike

Filed under: Old Time Ensemble, Paul Tyler, Steve Rosen by Paul | May 20, 2010 | Comments (0)