Banjo Hangout Newest 100 Clawhammer and Old-Time Songs

The older spiritual background of this week's tune, called Christmas Time in the Morning, is explored in the latter part of this medley, with two different Black choir band recordings of the 1920's. It seems to me that the "mountain music" of the Christmas reel may have borrowed from the spiritual, but changed it, too, in terms of adding an entire A part, quickening the tempo, and altering the main melody. In another 20's version by Fiddlin' John Carson there are lyrics which have a slight resemblance to the spiritual, so we know there was influence. The TOTW recorded by Mississippi fiddler Stephen Tucker in 1939 lacked lyrics, but resembled the instrumental of John Carson. Lots of connections here!

Das letzte Lied, das ich auf 5-saitigem Banjo gelernt habe.

The last song I learned on 5-string banjo.

My annual new composition around the holidays. Usually an upbeat tune, but took a bit of a different path for this difficult year. For all my Hangout friends and the rest of the Hangout crowd, I wish you a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, or whatever you might celebrate. And whether you mark the season or not, I wish you peace, and a safe, healthy new year. In Double C (gCGCD).

Anything by John Salyer, Kentucky fiddler, has been worth learning. The Jack Wilson melody, however, was drowned out in the source recording by a banjo accompanist, so I went to the notation by Jeff Titon to help.

Mike Gregory's original tune about the baby Jesus. Mike put out a request in 2019 for people to post recordings of this song. I finally got around to it.

Long after composing this untitled little tune, I heard a version of "Cumberland Gap" that had a familiar lick, and realized that I'd subconsciously borrowed (stolen?) it. As a nod to the source, I contemplated titling this tune "Cumberland Gaffe" or "Cumberland Crap", but settled on just "Cumberland".

Otherwise, an original tune on cigar box banjo and guitar.

From the CD "The Old Texas Fiddle, Vol. II", with Howard Rains and Tricia Spencer, fiddles; Brendan Doyle, banjo; Nancy Hartness, guitar; Charlie Hartness, ukulele; Virginia Musser, bass. Recorded in December, 2014 by Mike West at the 9th Ward Pickin' Parlor, Lawrence, KS.

The Tune of the Week goes by several titles. I chose two variations, especially since Take Me Back to Tulsa was a fun piece to sing with the Rough and Ready Fruit Jar Pickers. Shear 'Em had a much older resource than Bob Wills, but I liked how and learned from Gail Gillepsie's group, Happy Valley Band, played it like a real dance tune.