Banjo Hangout Newest 100 Clawhammer and Old-Time Songs

This is the last recording from the jam that Don Couchie and I had with West Virginia old time fiddler Ralph Roberts, the last night of Clifftop, at Ralph's camp up on Geezer Hill. There are a lot of reasons people come to the Clifftop festival, that's for sure, but I can tell you that Ralph comes to play music. Ralph plays the tunes he learned from his grandfather, the music of the working people of the West Virginia hills. It is our job to keep it going. I am playing three finger style banjo on this old warhorse, following as best I can, and Don is playing rhythm guitar.

a quick and dirty recording for TOTW. aEAC#E/fCFAC

I'd not thought of this as a potential instrumental tune until I heard, about 12-13 years ago, Martin Simpson's fingerstyle guitar version on one of his albums. In this case, I'm playing an Ome Wizard open back (aDADEplaying in Dminor) to carry the melody for track 1, a Marimbula (Michael Allen, Cloud Nine Instruments) to handle the bass on track 2, and I'm playing a Goodall MdRGCC (tuned to DADGAD) for rhythm guitar on track 3.

A medley of three "New Old Time" tunes ("Otter Creek," "Ithacan Ash," and "Rocky Beaches") from the father and son team of Ken and Brad Kolodner CD "Otter Creek" that I recorded of myself playing three tracks: Clawhammer Banjo (Ome Wizard tuned to Double D tuning), Bass (Michael Allen Cloud Nine 9-Noter Marimbula), and Hammered Dulcimer (Michael Allen Cloud Nine 15/14 model). All three tunes were composed by Brad Kolodner, certainly one of the best of a new generation of Clawhammer Banjo players and composers. This recording I made of myself this morning replaces one I made two days ago, as I just was not satisfied with the earlier performance. My standard qualifier applies: Listen with headphones/earbuds to help bring out the bass.

Another tune from our Clifftop jam with Ralph Roberts. Ralph knows a lot of rare old tunes, but he plays the chesnuts with equal enthusiam; this is his version of Cumberland Gap. Don Couchie is playing rhythm guitar, and I am trying to get straight with some three finger style old time banjo.

Practice session still needs work

Shady Grove, Goodtime banjo recorded on my phone.

Here is Cumberland Gap in the style of Wade Ward, played by Bob Lanham. Ward's recording is on the album "The Music of Roscoe Holcomb and Wade Ward." The tuning is aDGCF, and is played on a Bart Reiter Round Peak banjo.

Double C tuning, Chuck Lee Lonestar Deluxe Based on Bennt Thomasson recording. The tune has little in common with the O/T Dry & Dusty.

Double C Tuning Chuck Lee Lonestar Deluxe

For a region that has seen generations of young people move away to find work in far away auto plants and steel mills, and in uniform, the song Home Sweet Home has a deep meaning lost on most of us today. The song has been around since before the Civil War, and you will find it in the repertoire of most musicians whose roots are in Appalachia. It is most often played as an instrumental; the song is so familiar, the singing of it is unnecessary. This is from our Clifftop jam with West Virginia fiddler Ralph Roberts. Don Couchie is playing rhythm guitar, and I am following along with some three finger style old time banjo.

Sawmill tuning, gDGCD

OT 3 finger (G modal) - based on Allen Hart's playing. Played on my Nechville Zeus.

For the TOTW, the first time I've used Cumberland Gap tuning, and after listening to many, many, many versions offered here, this is a combination of what I heard.

Old Time Traditional Medley: Angeline the Baker (3X), Gray Cat on a Tennessee Farm (3X), Fly Around My Pretty Little Miss (3X), Angeline the Baker (1X). Recorded myself in five tracks: Clawhammer Banjo, Bass, Guitar, Hammered Dulcimer, Fiddle.