Banjo Hangout Newest 100 Clawhammer and Old-Time Songs

Shaving A Dead Man

a 2004 recording of a Chuck Lee Chautauqua.

Played on Romero in aEADE for TOTW 9/21/12.

This is another tune from the jam that Don Couchie and I had with old time West Virginia fiddler Ralph Roberts, up on Geezer Hill. I've not heard too many people play this, it seems to have been played mostly around southeastern West Virginia. The way Ralph plays it, it sounds sort of like a major version of Boatin' Up Sandy. Don Couchie is backing up on guitar, I am picking three finger style on my semi-fretless Tubaphone in open G.

Found this tune in Ken Perlman's Clawhammer Banjo book. I was captivated, and had just got the drop thumbing down.

This old Scottish love song, based on William Douglas's poem in around 1700, was also the first performance attempt of Lotta Crabtree (1847 - 1923). Known now as the Shirley Temple of the 19th century, Lotta walked onto a school stage in San Francisco as a wee little girl under six years old. She burst into tears when trying to sing Annie Laurie and ran off stage. So, stage fright is certainly nothing new! She got over it and became a millionaire and successful Broadway performer, leaving her millions to charity in the 1920's.

The last night of Clifftop, Don Couchie and I sat down to pick some tunes with Ralph Roberts, an old time West Virginia fiddler who lives near the festival. Ralph knows a whole bunch of tunes that are old, old, that you rarely or never hear anyone else play. This tune, Cherry River Line, is an example of an old mountain song that has evolved into a fiddle tune. I am playing three finger style banjo, winging it as best I can, and Don is playing rhythm guitar.

An original Jim Reed tune played on gourd banjo.

Learned from a workshop by Garry Harrison

This old time waltz is generally credited to Texas fiddler Luke Thomasson. This comes from my jam this week with Ed Britt and Chris Muriel, who was in Boston on business and stopped by to pick a few tunes.

Ari Winnick - 5-string banjo, Yigal Zan - violin. Tablature at, http://direct.hangoutstorage.com/banjohangout.org/storage/tabs/h/tab-haste-to-the-we-17820-272720892012.gif

My BHO Chat pal Chris Muriel (g3zdm), from Manchester, England, was in Boston this week on business, and came over the house to pick a few tunes. We were joined by Ed Britt, my long time friend and street music partner, not enough to play bridge, but enough for a banjo trio! Here is one of the tunes we played, recorded on my hand-held Tascam DR-1.

Good time Deering banjo

Sure 57 mic and a Derring Good time Banjo

After recording this on an openback I thought I'd try it on gourd banjo, too. The D chord is in the B part was hard to cleanly get.