Banjo Hangout Top 100 Clawhammer and Old-Time Songs

This is another recording made with Don Couchie on Sunday morning at Clifftop 2011, after we had packed our gear to leave. This is from the repertoire of the legendary West Virginia fiddler Edden Hammons. I seem to recall reading somewhere that the title of the tune refers to a baby being born. That would explain the lyric "Fine times at our house, Katie’s got a little one, bless its little soul, it’s another little pretty one." That's just how I always felt about it, I remember those moments like it was yesterday. Key of A, sort of mixolydian; Don is playing fiddle, I am playing three finger style banjo on my short-scale, semi-fretless Paramount.

I had a nice jam session early on at Clifftop this year with my good friend Tim Rowell (clawhammertim here on the Hangout and on YouTube). Tim has established and now runs the Traditional Music Program at the Real School of Music in Burlington, Massachusetts. We see each other a lot at jams around the Boston area, but had to travel 800 miles to West Virginia to find some quiet time to do play some nice double banjo togrther, clawhammer and three-finger style. This is our take on Gary Harrison's fine twisty fiddle tune.

Julie Ann Johnson on a Chuck Lee Ovilla with NylGut strings.

aDADE

Cool tune, but not ready for prime-time yet. I need to refine it some more.

Burnett and Rutherford played it as a dance tune called Ladies on a Steamboat. My mother once said that great tunes have a minor chord. This one has E minor. Does anyone agree with her? Ever since she told me that, I've found that my favorite tunes do have a minor.

Inspired by Megan Lynch. Also known as Lord McDonald's Reel.

I thought I'd re-do this one, using a different picking style. Hope you like it.

Probably another one of the very first tunes I learned from John Corzine in So. Cal.

My friend and I still can't resist the affectionate name "Sally in the Garbage."

5-String, Soprano 4-String, and Fretless Bass Banjos, plus running commentary! ;-)