Banjo Hangout Newest 100 Songs

This archaic tune has more than one related version, but this week's old-time Tune of the Week for 12/1/17 focuses on West Virginian fiddler French Carpenter (1905 -1965). I now know why January 6 is also celebrated as Christmas, or "Old Christmas," as the English calendar was changed in 1752 and 12 days were left out, bringing December 25th to January 6th. Learn something new every day....

A little tune I composed and recorded yesterday. I only started to learn clawhammer style banjo a week ago, so it is rough and full of mistakes. But, I am having so much fun and loving every minute of it, I just had to post it!! It was recorded using my new (2007) Jason Romero banjo and my Martin D-18 for the guitar.

Baucom Bibey Graham and Haley

Doubled the number of J hooks, head much tighter.

Another one of Tony Ellis' lovely 3/4 time original tunes. The cascading notes remind me of falling water. Though Tony plays 3-finger picking, I play it clawhammer style. The sound of Tony's music is that of old-time, though he was an excellent Bluegrass Boy banjo player for Bill Monroe in 1960 - 1962. His grandmother frailed a banjo and Tony says his re-tuning the banjo to double C reminded him of what he heard her play when he was young.

We recorded this song in the mid 80's as members of the Hardly Herd Band on a 4 track reel to reel live. My late brother Loren Porter was singing the tenor and I was doing the lead, Bill Gorby was playing bass and the late Art Hammer playing Fiddle. Hope you enjoy it. Larry

This classic piece by the blind harper Turlough O'Carolan (1670-1738) is perfect for Celtic fingerstyle banjo. It's a popular session tune, played with reverence for the last of the Irish harper-composers. The "clairseach" or Irish harp was tuned diatonically and had metal wire for strings, usually made of brass, silver, gold or a silver-gold alloy. With gratitude to Mel Bay, here's a play-along-track from my fourth book/audio download, 20 O'Carolan Irish Classics for 5-String Banjo and All Instruments - find it here: https://www.melbay.com/Products/21599M/20-ocarolan-irish-classics.aspx

For the old-time Tune of the Week, 11/24/17, Ida Red is also known as Down the Road. This is Tommy Jarrell's version. When I learned Down the Road it was Earl Scrugg's version. It's neat to have these two icons linked through this song. I'm playing on a brand new Randy Shelton "The Ironsides Banjo Co." mountain banjo--quite fun!