Banjo Hangout Top 100 Clawhammer and Old-Time Songs

From the playing of Henry Reed, inspired for learning from the fiddling of Rayna Gellert. I'm reminded of crawling into bed when very tired, but satisfied from having had a good day.

For the old-time Tune of the Week, 8/14/15, this one was actually written by the great collector of the Dear Old Illinois compilation (soon to be released again), Garry Harrison. The fine part expresses a bit of the over-exertion needed if your chisel needs sharpening.

This nice modal tune is usually attributed to West Virginian fiddler Henry Reed, but I learned it from the fiddling of West Virginian Dwight Diller. It was a BHO old-time Tune of the Week in 2010 with lots of information in this TOTW link: http://www.banjohangout.org/archive/187542.

Yew Piney Mountain done for July 24th 2015 Tune Of The Week

The most famous abolitionist anti slavery song of 19th century America, published in 1853 by Stephen Foster and made famous by Christy's Minstrels in the same year. Likely inspired by the narrative of popular anti-slavery novelist Harriet Beecher Stowe's "Uncle Tom's Cabin," while likely referencing imagery witnessed on his visits to the Bardstown, Kentucky farm called Federal Hill. In Foster's sketchbook, the song was originally entitled "Poor Uncle Tom, Good-Night!," but was altered by Foster as "My Old Kentucky Home, Good-Night." Abolitionist Frederick Douglass thought the song stimulated "the sympathies for the slave, in which anti-slavery principles take root and flourish.

Double banjos on Big Scioti. My son wanted me to learn this, but I only knew of Adam Hurt's fine version, which was different from what my son played, and also near-impossible for me to figure out. I listened to Mark Johnson's claw grass version and numerous youtube versions. From all that, I came up with a composite. In the B part, I go with the bluegrass way of playing the C major chord before the E minor. I prefer the OT way with the Em first, but none of my picking buddies do that. I inserted one major glitch for your listening enjoyment.

While exploring the Slippery Hill site I came across four versions of Wolves A-Howling. Two were Bruce Molsky's source, too. I used the one by John A. Brown. His photo is a classic one for the LP Great Big Yam Potatoes. See it in the Sound Off thread, as well as the complete liner notes for this rare album from Mississippi.

Do you think the wolves are literal or figurative? I was thinking they could be creditors or the bank wanting their money you don't have....

Tony on fiddle and vocals, Rich on guitar, me on banjo.