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Tune History The Stories Behind Your Favorite Tunes Altamont The John Lusk Band from Warren County, Tennessee Read More Billy In The Low Ground Who is Billy? What is The Low Ground? Read More Bonaparte Crossing The Rhine The Most Played Old Time Tune Ever? Read More Calico Billy In The Low Ground Modern Version(s) Of A Classic From The West Coast Read More Dubuque A Midwest Favorite With Lots Of Different Names Read More East Tennessee Blues Charlie Bowman from Gray Station, Tennessee Read More Going To The Free State From Virginia Fiddler John Ashby and The Free State Ramblers Read More Hangman's Reel A Popular Canadian Export Read More Knoxville Rag Richard Burnett, Byrd Moore, and Dick Taylor Read More Mountaineer's Love Song Goodbye Liza Jane Read More New Five Cents Buffalo Nickel, Ruffled Drawers, etc. Read More Sandy River North Carolina Fiddler Marcus Martin Read More Tennessee Girls John Dykes Magic City Trio from Kingsport, Tennessee Read More Anchored In Love Divine James Rowe and James Vaughan Read More Bob Taylor's March From The Playing Of Charlie Acuff Read More Booth Shot Lincoln From The Collection Of Bascom Lamar Lunsford Read More Chinquapin Hunting What's a chinquapin? Why hunt it? Read More Duck River From The Playing Of John Salyer Read More Fine Times At Our House West Virginia Fiddler Edden Hammons Read More Green River March Roane County Ramblers Read More Hy Patillion Chattanooga Fiddler Jess Young Read More Mississippi Sawyer The Downfall Of Paris Read More Nail That Catfish To The Tree By Steve Rosen From The Volo Bogtrotters Read More Old Piss Sprightly March, Unfortunate Title Read More Shove The Pig’s Foot A Little Further In The Fire A Crafty Tactic To Conceal Porcine Pilferage? Read More

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Music Exploring Old Time Recordings and Artists < Back To List David Bragger Old Time Tiki Parlour Big Fancy (2016) David Bragger first came to my attention via his 2016 solo album "Big Fancy" . Not recalling exactly how I found the album, but I do remember that I bought it immediately - and it is still one of my favorite records. There are 21 tracks described as "...golden old-time classics and rarities". The selection of tunes includes combinations of tunings and instrumentation ( including bagpipes, pump organ) that sound both old and new at the same time. However you choose to describe it-it works! David also released an album of fiddle duets in 2018 with Susan Platz called "King's Lament" . Old Time Central has a great interview and video on the making of this album. Fiddle duets doesn't mean Texas twin fiddling or bluegrassy double stops in this case- think two Old Time fiddlers playing in harmony, locked in as one unit. Good stuff. Below is "Davy Come Back And Act Like You Ought To" from the playing of West Virginia fiddler Delbert Hughes to get you started with the Big Fancy album. The title track from "King's Lament" is from the playing of Illinois fiddler Mel Durham. ​ Old Time Tiki Parlour ​ In 2014, David Bragger and partner Rick Hocutt started the independent record label Tiki Parlour Recordings, and The Old Time Tiki Parlour which, in their words, "... has served as the concert, workshop, jam, film and instructional epicenter for traditional old-time music around Los Angeles and beyond." Teaching classes in the ethnomusicology department at UCLA in old-time string band music, and coordinating the Santa Barbara Old-Time Fiddler’s Convention & Festival are also on the list. If you are looking for videos, instruction, or music to add to your own collection, Tiki Parlour has become a valuable resource for hard core traditional music. Their 2015 release of a CD/DVD set featuring Dan Gellert started them on their way. A sampling of artists in the Tiki Parlour catalogue now include Bruce Molsky , Hog Eyed Man , Squirrel Butter , Spencer and Rains , Paul Brown , and Kurt Sutphin . Tiki Parlour is west coast based, but, as we know, Old Time music has no boundaries. We have a local connection via another artist in their catalogue - our own Mike Bryant, who made an album of Old Time fiddle tunes with banjoist Paul Brown. David Bragger Big Fancy King's Lament back cover David Bragger 1/5 Peter Francisco David Bragger 00:00 / 02:11

Tune History The Stories Behind Your Favorite Tunes < Back To List Billy In The Low Ground Who is Billy? What is The Low Ground? Who is Billy and what is the Lowground? As it turns out, there are lots of possibilities.The following is only a partial list of options: Billy? William the Conqueror , or King William III (aka William of Orange, aka King Billy ), or a male goat (Billy), or a female donkey (Jenny), or maybe even a girl named Jinny. Most researchers go with King William III. Lowground? literally low land or ground - a swamp, or the Battle of the Boyne in 1690 where a "deep swampy ravine" figured in the tactics of the battle, or the low country of the Netherlands (see King William III - born in The Hague ), or a grave, or the southern part of Scotland, i.e. Lowlands vs. Highlands . Again, most researchers go with King Billy and the Battle of the Boyne. According to The Traditional Tune Archive , this melody is reportedly centuries old and is also known as "Beaus of Albany," "Billy in the Low Land," "Braes of Auchtertyre," "Fiddler's Drunk and the Fun's All Over," "Jinny in the Lowland," "Kerry Fulton's Schottishe," "Kerryman's Daughter " and lots of others. "Billy in the Lowground '' is one of the most enduring and widespread of American traditional dance tunes. Most versions are played in the key of C. There is a Henry Reed tune "Billy In The Low Land" , which is a totally different tune. And there is an "Old Time Billy In The Low Ground" , which is also a different tune. This version was reportedly being played in Franklin, KY in the 19th century. Versions of Billy In The Lowground continue to evolve. Check out the Calico tuning version by The Onlies HERE . King William III Crossing The Boyne 1690 Billy in the Low Ground notation Burnett and Rutherford recorded "Billy" in Atlanta in 1927 King William III Crossing The Boyne 1690 1/5 Braes Of Auchtertyre Roots of Billy In The Low Ground Eck Robertson "Billy In The Low Ground" 1923 (starts at 1:22) Burnett and Rutherford "Billy In The Low Ground" 1927 Old Time Billy In The Low Ground Kelly Gilbert 00:00 / 01:07

Music Exploring Old Time Recordings and Artists < Back To List Canote Brothers West Coast duo (with a Knoxville connection) Jere and Greg Canote are identical twins from Seattle, Washington who perform as the Canote Brothers. They are known nationally through their touring and teaching at music camps and festivals across the country. The brothers have played an important role in the old-time music scene on the West Coast through a string band class they have been teaching for several decades. Jere and Greg have published an extensive list of tab and sound files from these classes. Jere has additionally published a guitar tab book of their tunes, and is known for building custom banjos . The brothers also performed in a popular radio variety show for nearly 15 years called Sandy Bradley’s Potluck , which earned the nickname “Seattle’s Prairie Home Companion”. The Canote’s repertoire includes original compositions, obscure fiddle tunes, early country songs, quirky novelty numbers, children’s songs, and swing classics. Their shows are “delightfully unpredictable,” filled with jokes and stories as well as good music. The brothers are known for their infectious, positive energy, and for humorously capitalizing on their relationship as identical twins. Here is a link to 21 Canote Brothers videos that showcase their unique style. The Canotes perform lots of Old Time fiddle tunes, saying, “We love the beautiful old fiddle tunes and the hypnotic ‘in the moment’ experience of playing this American Old Time music.” Several of their original tunes have become popular with Old Time musicians, including “Sadie At The Back Door," and “Obama’s March To The White House.” A documentary film entitled “The Canote Twins” has been made that chronicles their “...journey from infancy to festival favorites”. This film, along with a dozen short features, is now available for free home streaming . The Canote Brothers left their mark on the Knoxville area Old Time music scene in an important way. Knoxville fiddler Ken Bronson met the Canotes at Mt. Airy in the late 70’s, and when they were touring the South in the early 80’s, the Canotes often used Ken’s big farmhouse as their base. ( The brothers were also known as “The Clone Tones” at that time - which is now the name of their record company.) When the Canote's touring ended, they returned to the West Coast, leaving Ken two cassette tapes that contained dozens of tunes which they had gathered during their travels. This was a pre-internet treasure trove, and these tapes were shared extensively among Knoxville players. Ken said, "I gave a copy to everyone I knew!" Due to years of playing them at Festivals, several tunes from these tapes eventually became known as “Knoxville tunes” (or “Mumbilly versions”) , such as Rat Cheer , and the "extra chord" versions of Big Sciota and Booth Shot Lincoln. The Canote connection also explains why you may hear uncommon tunes such as Willits Or Won’t Its , Numero Once, Numero Doce , and Throw The Old Cow Over The Fence in Knoxville jam circles even today. Canote Brothers Greg (l) Jere (r) The Canote Twins taken from upcoming documentary film promo Down In North Carolina album cover (2016) Canote Brothers Greg (l) Jere (r) 1/13 Full Canote Brothers Show From the 56th annual Topanga Banjo Fiddle Contest The Canote Brothers "Obama's March To The White House" Greg Canote (2009) The Canote Brothers "Sadie At The Back Door" By Jere Canote, Originally on “Concert Collection II” (1999) by Sandy Bradley & the Small Wonder String Band (Sadie was a cat) Walkin' Back To Texas The Canote Brothers 00:00 / 02:59

Tune History The Stories Behind Your Favorite Tunes < Back To List Fine Times At Our House West Virginia Fiddler Edden Hammons Editor's Note: Upon hearing that several members of our Knoxville Old Time community have recently bought or sold houses, this Edden Hammons tune came to mind. Only later did we find out that the title likely refers to a birth . So we looked again, but could not find any Old Time tunes about mortgages, escrow, inspections, etc. Go figure. However, this is a great tune and does have “house" in the title. May there be many "fine times" for all! This tune is from the playing of famed West Virginia fiddler Edden Hammonds . Musician and folklorist Alan Jabbour wrote, "This tune has turned up infrequently around the country, but its wide distribution shows it to be an old and once widely known fiddle tune." He says that the title appears to refer to a birth in the household, as reflected in a verse that has been collected with the tune from another West Virginia source: Fine times at our house, Kate’s got a little one; Bless its little soul, it’s another little pretty one. There’s quite a bit going on here musically, but don't let it intimidate you. Hammons plays the tune in the key of A in Mixolydian mode , (the 7th degree of the scale flatted). Don't roll your eyes just yet- here are some real world examples of songs in Mixolydian mode: Rock of Ages, When Johnny Comes Marching Home Again, and L.A. Woman by the Doors. ​ In addition, Hammons tuned his fiddle ADAE, which is standard fiddle tuning, but with the 4th string tuned up a whole step from G to A. Although this is a common old time fiddle tuning for the key of D, its use for tunes in A is more unusual. And the doubling of notes and the featuring of a low D note gives the melody its unique character and makes it sound “old” or "archaic". Fitting, because the melody is old. Since Hammons was not formally trained, learning mostly from family members, he (like most of us) was probably not a music theory student. But he did know how to get the sound he wanted. ​ But wait- there's more! The A part is slightly crooked, with an extra beat at the end. Alternate tunings and crooked phrases are fairly common in Hammons' playing style. That is part of what makes him distinctive and interesting to listen to. Learn lots more about Edden Hammonds in the MUSIC section. EXTRA BONUS! 31 tunes from Edden Hammons courtesy of the Slippery Hill website. Edden Hammons Edden Hammons Edden Hammons Collection Volume 1 Edden Hammons 1/6 youtube.com Edden Hammons - Fine Times At Our House Edden Hammons Fine Times At Our House Fine times At Our House Rhys Jones youtube.com Fine Times At Our House - Old Time Fiddle Lesson 🎻 Support this lesson series by becoming a sustaining patron at http://Patreon.com/chancemccoymusicOr you can drop a tip here…..http://paypal.me/chancemccoy... Chance McCoy Teaches Fine Times At Our House Waynesboro Edden Hammons 00:00 / 02:36

Tune History The Stories Behind Your Favorite Tunes < Back To List Chinquapin Hunting What's a chinquapin? Why hunt it? What is a Chinquapin? Chinquapin, or "chinkapin," is a cousin of the American chestnut also known as a dwarf chestnut. The name comes from the eastern-dwelling Algonquian Indian language. There are several varieties, and chinquapin trees are known as far west as Texas. In East Tennessee and Western North Carolina the principal chinquapin tree is the genus Castanea, species pumila. Small and shrublike, and often with several trunks, a chinquapin seldom grows above 20 to 30 feet in height. The wood of chestnuts and chinquapins is extremely rot resistant and has been used in making railroad ties and posts and rails for fences. Why would you hunt it? Chinquapin husks contain a single kernel that, when ripe in the fall, produces a tasty nut for humans as well as animals. Chinquapin nuts were so plentiful that they were scooped up with shovels and loaded into wagons to be used as livestock feed, to eat, and to sell. According to the Encyclopedia of North Carolina, “...in the early 1950s it was possible to buy a bag of chinquapins at roadside stands in hilly, rural North Carolina counties such as Stokes and Surry. The bag was approximately the same size as a bag of peanuts sold at a ball game and usually cost a nickel.” I've never seen a Chinquapin tree or nut. What happened? The arrival of chestnut blight, a fungal pathogen from Asia which was introduced to the United States on imported chestnut trees during the late 1800’s, caused the steady decline of this species, as well as the disappearance of most all native chestnut family trees. There are many groups currently working on the breeding of blight resistant varieties of the chestnut family trees, including the Chinquapin. The Tune(s) There are four Chinquapins you should be familiar with. They are all completely different tunes. Chinquapin Hunting. This is a 3 part tune in the key of A, associated with the playing of Hillsville, Virginia (near Galax) fiddler Norman Edmonds (1889-1976). His version is the one that you will most likely encounter at a jam or Festival. The modern version's B and C parts differ slightly from Edmonds’ original, likely a result of “Festivalization” over the years. Listen to Norman Edmonds play Chinquapin Hunting . Watch Rachel Eddy and friends play the tune at a 2013 Clifftop jam . Bruce Molsky and friends are in the video below. Chinquapin Hunting. This is a 2 part D tune from the playing of Hiram Stamper (1893-1992), which was passed down to his son, Art Stamper (1933-2005), both from Hindman, Knott County in Eastern Kentucky. There is not much information on the history of the tune, but Hiram Stamper said he thought it was at least as old as the Civil War. Hiram Stamper’s version has a very old/archaic alternate tuning sound to it, with simple A and B parts. Listen to Hiram Stamper’s version . Art Stamper’s “Lost Fiddler” album (1982) has a fast studio version. Listen to Art Stamper’s 1982 recorded version . Modern Festival/jam versions seem to be generally close to Art Stamper’s album version. Watch Art Stamper play at a Clifftop jam (Video also below). Recorded in 2003, it is interesting that this Chinquapin Hunting sounds closer to his father’s version than Art’s 1982 album version. Also interesting- Art Stamper and John Herrmann play a GDGD tuned version . Chinquapin/ Chinky Pin . This is a two part tune from the playing of West Virginia fiddler Clark Kessinger (1896-1975). He and his brother were successful recording artists for Columbia records in the 1920’s. Clark was rediscovered in the early 1960’s, going on to win fiddle contests and record several albums. His last album was recorded in 1971 with plans for more, but a stroke robbed him of his ability to play the fiddle for the remainder of his life. The Kessinger melody comes from the British Isles, specifically a traditional fiddle and bagpipe piece, "My Love She's But a Lassie Yet." Published in 1756, “Miss Farquarson’s Reel,” also has the same melody. Kessinger plays this extremely notey tune at an incredibly fast pace in the key of D in his recorded version. Listen to Kessinger play it here. The title appears as “Chinky Pin” instead of "Chinquapin'' on the record label supposedly due to a Brunswick record clerk’s error. The Festival version popular now is recognizable as a descendant, but more moderately paced, much less notey, and easily settles into a first class Old Time groove. Watch Rhys Jones and friends play it at a 2013 Clifftop jam with fiddles cross tuned in A. (Video also below) Chinquapin Pie. This is a modal banjo tune from Hobart Smith (1897-1965) of Saltville, Virginia. Smith’s playing at the White Top Folk Festival in Grayson County, VA in 1936 attracted the attention of First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, who invited him to play at the White House. This led to recognition from folklorists and musicologists, notably Alan Lomax, for whom Smith recorded 40 tracks. He made several albums over the years and enjoyed a resurgence of popularity in the 1960’s folk music revival. Listen to Hobart Smith playing Chinquapin Pie from his 1964 Smithsonian Folkways recording. Also in the mp3 below, it appears to be in an A modal tuning. Watch David Bragger’s instructional video on how to play Chinquapin Pie. David plays it in G modal tuning. Chinquapin Nuts Chinquapin Castenea pumila aka Dwarf Chestnut Hobart Smith Chinquapin Nuts 1/7 Chinquapin Hunting Bruce Molsky 3 Parts, Key of A, from the playing of Norman Edmonds Chinquapin Hunting Art Stamper 2 Parts, Key of D Chinky Pin/Chinquapin Rhys Jones and Friends 2 Parts, Key of A, modern take of Clark Kessinger's version Chinquapin Pie Hobart Smith 00:00 / 01:54

Tune History The Stories Behind Your Favorite Tunes < Back To List Altamont The John Lusk Band from Warren County, Tennessee Altamont is from the playing of the African-American string band The John Lusk Band . It was first recorded in 1946. John Lusk was from Warren County, Tennessee, near McMinnville, and the band and their recordings have been well documented, as can be seen in this presentation by the Tennessee Folklore Society. The tune takes its name from Altamont, a town in Grundy County, Tennessee, close to McMinnville. David Bragger plays this tune in the key of C, and that is also the key of the original recording (below), as are most jam/festival versions. It appears that there are a couple of different versions of this tune, depending on who contributed the recording. The Rounder CD 0238 Altamont: Black Stringband Music from the Library of Congress version of Altamont appears to be in the key of A. Whatever key you choose to play it in, it's a great tune. See more about David Bragger and his album, Big Fancy, in the Music Section . Altamont, Tennessee Library of Congress card for Eighth Of January Albert York death certificate Altamont, Tennessee 1/6 David Bragger - Altamont Eighth Of January Murph Gribble, Albert York, John Lusk Old Sage Friend (1946) Altamont Lusk, Gribble, York 00:00 / 04:21

Tune History The Stories Behind Your Favorite Tunes < Back To List New Five Cents Buffalo Nickel, Ruffled Drawers, etc. New Five Cents. This fiddle tune is a jam standard, but do you know the history? After reading this, it will all be crystal clear. On second thought... no it won't. Also known as "Five Cents," "New Five Cent Piece," and "Brand New Five Cents", this tune is also known as "Buffalo Nickel.” in the Midwest. It is also known as "Ruffled Drawers," not to be confused with “Ruffled Britches.” What are drawers? Editor's note: I thought you would never ask. ​ Several sources attempt to tie the tune, or at least the title, to the issuance of the 1913 “Buffalo” or “Indian Head” nickel , but there is not much agreement on that matter. As expected, some researchers date the tune to around 1913, although the melody is thought to be be older. Slippery Hill says “New Five Cents” is from the playing of Kentucky fiddler Isham Monday , but that is a different tune. The earliest recording of the tune appears to be by Paul Warmack and his Gully Jumpers , from White’s Creek, TN, who recorded it in 1928 as "New Five Cents” . The Kentucky group Walker's Corbin Ramblers recorded a version of the tune as "Ruffles and Bustles" in 1934. Texas fiddler Eck Robertson recorded "New Five Cent Piece", although he reportedly called the tune “Chadwick”. New Five Cents is also closely related to (virtually the same as) "Robinson County" that has its own interesting history and name variations. 1913 Buffalo Nickel Vocalion 02667-B Ruffles and Bustles Not the fiddle tune 1913 Buffalo Nickel 1/4 Eck Robertson New Five Cent Piece Walker's Corbin Ramblers Ruffles and Bustles Robinson County Tricia Spencer Ruffled Drawers The Bucking Mules 00:00 / 02:10

Tune History The Stories Behind Your Favorite Tunes < Back To List Shove The Pig’s Foot A Little Further In The Fire A Crafty Tactic To Conceal Porcine Pilferage? Shove/Push That Pig’s/Hog’s Foot A Little Closer To/Farther In/Further Into/The Fire/Bed/Under The/ Bed/Cover Is this fiddle tune based on an old tale about stealing a pig? Is it about a tool? Is it about cooking? How is a bed involved? As in many old tunes, the history is pretty murky, but here are some possibilities for this Old Time staple, usually played in the key of G: 1. A pig’s foot is another name for a fire poker or smithing tool. Sorry, but despite what we have all been told over the years, multiple blacksmithing sources and lack of a companion fiddle tune put this theory in last place. 2. A pig’s foot describes a particular kind of crowbar. There are lots of references to a pig’s foot in crowbar world because of what the tip looks like. In fact, a railroad spike extraction tool is commonly called a pig’s foot . Depending on the tip shape, many other crowbar animal descriptions abound - starting with Crowbar itself, there's also Cat’s Claw, Crow Foot, Gooseneck, etc. The Italian term for crowbar is “un piede di porco” (a pig's foot) and in Portuguese, it is a "pé-de-cabra" (a goat's foot). Sounds like we are on the right track, but what is missing? None of these implements have anything to do with a fire, a bed, or, more importantly, a fiddle tune. 3. Pig’s foot refers to an actual pig’s foot. Pig’s feet are commonly eaten and need to be cooked, so now we have a strong premise that combines the foot and the fire. There are even some old song lyrics via Joel Shimberg via Mike Seeger that say “ Shove that pig’s foot into the fire, do it now Miss Liza”. Now we have a lyrics, and a fire to put the pig's foot closer to, or further in, etc. 4. The title of the tune has a specific origin, but changed over time. Old Time Party presents this possibility: This song derives from an old slave folktale which later became a chant and finally a tune. The story goes like this. A slave had just stolen from his master’s larder a shoat (in other variants just its haunch) and had hidden the meat beneath his bed sheets (again in other variants it was hidden under the bed itself). The slave was in his cabin telling his wife of his prize when the master, along with a friend, appeared in the door of the slave’s cabin, requesting that the slave demonstrate his fine skill on the fiddle. Aware that the pig’s foot was exposed and its discovery, which appeared imminent, would cost him a whipping or worse, the slave quickly took down his fiddle and began to play and sing: Shove that pig’s foot further in the bed Further in the bed Further in the bed Shove that pig’s foot further in the bed Katie, Katie, Katie, can’t you hear me now The master and his friend watched the performance with glee while his wife Katie heard the message (hidden in plain sight) and covertly slid the pig’s leg beneath the bedsheets. At the end of the song the master exclaimed, “well, there’s a song I’ve never heard before!” and he and his friend gave the fiddler a short round of applause before making their exit. Not that Old Time Party was trying to be a scholarly research journal, but there is no documentation listed to support this story and the link for the cited source does not exist any longer. But all is not lost - The title “Push The Hog's Feet Under The Bed” is referenced in the book Negro Folk Rhymes Wise and Otherwise (collected in the early 1900’s -published in 1922) by Tennessee author Thomas Washington Talley. Unfortunately there are no other details, but it does lend a degree of support to the slave story origin. Over time, the “under the bed/covers” morphed to “closer to/further in the fire”. We do not know why but, as you know, words are changed in folk music all the time. Western North Carolina fiddler Marcus Martin is often cited as the source for the "...Closer To The Fire” title and the melody commonly played today. He said he learned it from his father, Rowan, who learned the tune while employed as a logger and rail worker. Rowan would have had to gotten it prior to the early 1880’s in order to pass it on to Marcus, who was born in 1881. A Marcus Martin version, credited to "Traditional" appeared on the “Cold Mountain” (2003) movie soundtrack, but was renamed “Ruby with the Eyes that Sparkle.” ed. - Maybe Ruby was someone's very special pig. John Hartford does a version called “Shove That Hog’s Foot Further In The Bed '' which he got from West Virginia fiddler Ed Haley (1885- 1951). On the “In Search Of Ed Haley” site, Lynn Davis , friend and Haley biographer says, “Well, I know about the hog’s foot thing. He said they went someplace to play and they didn’t have anything to eat and those boys went out and stole a hog and said they brought it in and butchered it and heard somebody coming. It was the law. They run in and put that hog in the bed and covered it up like it was somebody sleeping. And Ed was sitting there fiddling and somebody whispered to him, said, ‘Ed, that hog’s foot’s stickin’ out from under the cover there.’ So he started fiddling and singing, ‘Shove that hog’s foot further under the cover…’ He made it up as he went.” As you see, the Haley story line is remarkably similar to the slave folk tale, and his lyrics are the same ones reported by Old Time Party. Draw your own conclusions. The Haley melody is not the same as Marcus Martin's, is fairly notey, and in A modal tuning. There are no known recordings of Haley playing the tune, but we will assume that Hartford, who studied Haley extensively, plays it like the original. We will likely never know the exact origin of this tune, and that's OK. It's much more important to play it with friends and have a good time! Pig's Feet Close To The Fire Pig, With Feet, Under The Bed Pickled Pig's Feet supposedly very tasty Pig's Feet Close To The Fire 1/8 Shove The Pig's Foot a Little Further In The Fire" Marcus Martin "Shove That Pig's Foot a Little Farther Into the Fire" Fiddle Tune Forensics with Hayes Griffin “Shove That Hog’s Foot Further In The Bed '' John Hartford Ruby With The Eyes That Sparkle Stuart Duncan & Dirk Powell 00:00 / 03:24

Tune History The Stories Behind Your Favorite Tunes < Back To List Booth Shot Lincoln From The Collection Of Bascom Lamar Lunsford “Booth Shot Lincoln”, also known as “Booth Killed Lincoln", or just “Booth”, is a well known and frequently played Old Time fiddle tune. The title refers to an important historical event - the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln by actor John Wilkes Booth on April 14, 1865. It is in the key of A and can be played at most any tempo; the speed seems to be a regional preference. Western North Carolina fiddlers Marcus Martin , Osey Helton , and Bascom Lunsford are commonly associated with this tune. The melody for “Booth” most likely comes via the British Isles. One theory considers “Old Rosin The Beau” , a good candidate. This popular drinking song was first published in Philadelphia in 1838, but the melody itself goes back to the 1700’s or before. Another more likely possibility is the Scottish tune “The 100 Pipers” , which was published in 1852 (but there is little reference as to the actual age of the melody). See the videos below - listen to the two tunes and decide for yourself. Did you know “Booth" has lyrics that tell the story of Lincoln's murder? It has been widely accepted that the song’s lyrics were written shortly after the event, much in the tradition of a broadside ballad . Song collector Bascom Lamar Lunsford (1882-1973) from Mars Hill, NC documented the song for the Library of Congress Folk Song collection in 1949 with 14 verses. Lunsford stated, “The title of this ballad is ‘Booth’, or ‘Booth Killed Lincoln.’ It’s an old fiddle tune, and there are a few variants of the song. I heard my father hum it and sing a few of the stanzas when I was just a boy about six or ten years old.” (see center video below) Lunsford documented several of the tune’s variants, but interestingly, a version with lyrics was not recorded until 1935. According to author Stephen Winick, writing for the Library of Congress Blogs , “Bascom Lamar Lunsford’s three recordings of “Booth” leave us with the following probable timeline: sometime around 1890, Lunsford first heard the fiddle tune “Booth” in the form of humming and singing of some verses by his father. Sometime before 1925, he learned to play the fiddle tune, but he did not yet know the ballad in 1925. By 1935 he had learned the ballad. By 1949, he had either changed it intentionally or he remembered it imperfectly.” “Unfortunately, while we now know more about when Lunsford picked up this remarkable ballad text, we don’t know anything about where or from whom he learned it. It would still be possible, of course, for the song to have been created in 1865, transmitted entirely orally, and collected only by Lunsford, and for him then to have recorded it several times without ever divulging where he got it. That would be consistent with there being no recorded version until 1935, and no printed version until the 1952 liner notes.” “This leaves us with a few possibilities: the “Booth” ballad was never written down, but came down to Bascom Lunsford from its author purely orally; it came to Lunsford in writing in a unique manuscript; or it was written by Lunsford himself”. Like a lot of Old Time music, who wrote what, or when, will likely never be clear. What is clear is that "Booth" is a good fiddle tune! A fast version by Uncle Earl can be heard in the mp3 player below. Bascom Lamar Lunsford 1882-1973 From Mars Hill, NC Bascom Lamar Lunsford Minstrel Of The Appalachians album cover (1956) Lincoln Shot Bascom Lamar Lunsford 1882-1973 From Mars Hill, NC 1/6 Old Rosin The Beau The 97th Regimental String Band Booth Killed Lincoln Ballad and Fiddle Tune (1949) (fiddle tune starts at 2:50) Bascom Lamar Lunsford The 100 Pipers Kevin Lees (fiddle) & Sebastian Bloch (guitar) Booth Shot Lincoln Uncle Earl 00:00 / 02:10

Music Exploring Old Time Recordings and Artists < Back To List Tennessee Chocolate Drops Knox County Stomp Tennessee Chocolate Drops consisted of brothers Howard & Roland Armstrong, and Carl Martin. They recorded two tunes, "Knox County Stomp" and "Vine Street Rag" (also listed as Vine Street Drag), named for the street in Knoxville where the band often played, during the now famous Knoxville Sessions (1929-1930), produced by Vocalion Records, at the St. James Hotel . The Bear Family CD set from this event is appropriately titled “Knox County Stomp”. Vocalion was one of several record companies trying to capitalize on the new and developing market for the popular category of "country" music. Their approach was to record music on location in strategically chosen Southern cities, rather than to recruit artists to go to their studios in New York City. Knoxville, Bristol , and Johnson City were among the towns chosen for sessions, which captured what are now seen as legendary performances. Let writer/historian Jack Neely take you back to the 1929-30 music scene in Knoxville in this excellent 2016 article . Vocalion, at the time, primarily made “race records,” featuring Black artists and marketed to the Black community. It is interesting to note that Vocalion released the Chocolate Drops recordings twice- once under the band name "Tennessee Trio" for their old time series, and again as "Tennessee Chocolate Drops" for their race records . Vocalion was acquired by Brunswick (not a coincidence: they made phonographs) in 1930, and by 1936-37 became the go-to label for smaller blues, swing, and country bands. Howard Armstrong, who grew up in Campbell County - LaFollette, TN , continued to perform with Carl Martin and Ted Bogan as "Martin, Bogan, & Armstrong", mostly in the Chicago area, performing at the World's Fair in 1933 and continuing until the start of WW II. The trio reunited in the early 1970s, and enjoying the folk music revival, released two records. Armstrong and Bogan also appeared at the World's Fair in Knoxville in 1992 . Howard Armstrong, an accomplished visual artist who mastered 7 foreign languages and 22 musical instruments, released his debut solo album, Louie Bluie , in 1995. There are also two documentary films about his life, Louie Bluie , and Sweet Old Song . He died at the age of 94 in 2003. The Louie Bluie Music & Arts Festival is a continuing tribute to Howard Armstrong, and their website has a great bio page . The Tennessee Historical Society also produced a video entitled "Howard “Louie Bluie” Armstrong and the Black String Band Tradition" as part of their History of Tennessee music project. Armstrong Family String Band circa 1920's Howard Armstrong at WJBK Detroit circa 1950's Document Records DOCD-5229 Carl Martin / Willie ’61’ Blackwell – Complete Recorded Works (1930-1941) Armstrong Family String Band circa 1920's 1/8 Knox County Stomp 1930 Vine Street Drag/Rag with photos of 1930's Knoxville Knox County Stomp Dom Flemons 00:00 / 02:06