Banjo Hangout Top 100 Clawhammer and Old-Time Songs

CH take on Irish Reel composed by Michael Gorman. AB AB. Wildwood. D tuning

From the playing of the great Texan fiddler Bob Wills and for the old-time Tune of the Week, 9/8/17, it's a treat to have this tune with our old-time repertoire. Mac Benford plays it on banjo and that's good enough for me! The band leader I worked with for 14 years played steel-pedal at one time and his love for Bob Wills showed. He had us learning some of his instrumentals over the years, so here's one I can show him. :)

From the playing of the great Texan fiddler Bob Wills and for the old-time Tune of the Week, 9/8/17, it's a treat to have this tune with our old-time repertoire. Mac Benford plays it on banjo and that's good enough for me! The band leader I worked with for 14 years played steel-pedal at one time and his love for Bob Wills showed. He had us learning some of his instrumentals over the years, so here's one I can show him. :)

CH take of Grub Springs in A tuning. Long.

This old-time Tune of the Week for 8/11/17 reminds us in melody of some other traditional songs, such as Gotta Travel On and even Worried Man Blues. The Monroe Brothers recorded this as their first ever recording in 1936 and Bill said that it was commonly sung in Kentucky at the time.

My Long Journey Home - G tuning

J.P. Fraley is one of my favorite fiddlers and this is one of his few original compositions. I learned Winds of Shiloh last year and am re-visiting now, thinking it reminded me of another original Kentucky tune recently learned called Foxfire, by Owen "Snake" Chapman. Both melodies sound like there's Native American influence -- I think of the many Cherokees who used to live in those mountains and wonder how much musical interaction occurred.

Kentucky tune writers have often amazed me in the delicacy and musical beauty they create. BHO member Jim Reed comes to mind. He'd write a tune at the drop of a hat and they'd all be winners to my ears, worth pursuing on my banjo.

For the old-time Tune of the Week, 8/4/17, West Virginia fiddler Delbert Hughes (1905 -1982) recorded this one. It sounds like Davy is responding in the B part with his grievances, which he finds reasonable enough. I think this story ends where he comes back home....

For the old-time Tune of the Week, 8/4/17, West Virginia fiddler Delbert Hughes (1905 -1982) recorded this one. It sounds like Davy is responding in the B part with his grievances, which he finds reasonable enough. I think this story ends where he comes back home....