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Tune History The Stories Behind Your Favorite Tunes < Back To List Going To The Free State From Virginia Fiddler John Ashby and The Free State Ramblers This is a lively two part fiddle tune in cross A tuning (AEae) from northeast Virginia fiddler John Ashby (1915-1979). The tune is found on Ashby’s “Down On Ashby’s Farm" album (1974) as “Gone To The Free State.” However Ashby, on Field Recorders Collective 108 ”John Ashby & The Free State Ramblers” clearly introduces the tune as “Going To The Free State” as one he wrote, and it is listed on the album as such. The "Free State" of Fauquier County, Virginia (home of the Ashby family) refers to an area of roughly 12 square miles located north and west of Warrenton that was known for its residents' defiance of authority and lawlessness dating back to colonial times. Disputes over property rights led residents to ignore rent and tax payments as they claimed ownership of the land they lived on. They declared themselves independent of the U.S. and even named a King. John Ashby’s uncle Charlie was King of the Free State in the late 19th century. Over the generations, stories were passed down about violence, fighting, bootleg liquor production, and tax avoidance in the Free State area. ( ed. note: Reads kind of like the early history of East Tennessee , doesn’t it?) There are several tunes that have very similar melodies as "Going To The Free State," and (at least) a couple of more with the same title. First is a tune called “Clinton” which, according to The Traditional Tune Archive , is actually a misnomer stemming from a confusion in labeling of “Going To The Free State” by 'revival' fiddlers in the 1970's. As the tune spread, so did the erroneous title. The second example is one with the same melody that, according to Traditional Tune Archive, the Volo Bogtrotters play as Appleknocker." There is yet another tune with the same melody called “Halifax” , which comes from fellow Virginia fiddler N.H. Mills (1907-1981) of Boone’s Mill, VA. (Boone’s Mill is just south of Roanoke in Franklin County - Halifax is a city and county in south-central VA near the NC line.) There is no enlightenment from Mills regarding the origins of “Halifax.” Mills was protective of his privacy, and after he was recorded by Armin Barnett in 1972, he said to Barnett, "If anyone asks about me, tell them I'm dead." Next up is a tune called “Going To The Free State” attributed to southern Illinois fiddler Mel Durham (1914-2008). Durham’s tune appears on David Bragger’s “Big Fancy“ album (2016). Even though it's the same title, this is definitely not the same melody as Ashby’s tune - it is what most will recognize as “Avalon Quickstep”. " Avalon Quickstep " is well known, and attributed to the playing of the 1920’s Mississippi duo Narmour and Smith , so this appears to be another example of title confusion over the years. Durham knew of the inconsistency; after attending west coast festivals in 1992, he said that in Port Townsend (WA) there were some people who played "Going To The Free State" as "Avalon Quickstep". Lastly, John Ashby and the Free State Ramblers play a tune Ashby calls “Hornpipe In A” - but then Ashby additionally calls it “Free State Hornpipe.” The melody is not far from "Going To The Free State." Authorship is generally attributed to one of Ashby's musical influences, Winchester fiddler Ralph Lamp. ( ed.note: It sounds to me a lot like a notey, hornpipe version of Going To The Free State. Could this have been the inspiration for Ashby’s tune?) Whatever you choose to call it - it’s a good tune. And you can take advantage of this 5 for 1 deal: learn the melody once, then play it as five different tunes - Going To The Free State, Clinton, Halifax, Appleknocker, and maybe even Free State Hornpipe! Learn lots more about Virginia fiddler John Ashby on our Music page. John Ashby John Ashby Charles B. Ashby grave marker John Ashby's uncle, known as "King Of The Free State" John Ashby 1/7 Halifax The Onlies Clifftop 2018 Going To The Free State John Ashby and the Free State Ramblers Apple Knocker Free State Hornpipe John Ashby and the Free State Ramblers 00:00 / 03:14

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

Tune History The Stories Behind Your Favorite Tunes < Back To List Mississippi Sawyer The Downfall Of Paris Mississippi Sawyer is an extremely well-known old-time fiddle tune. One of the earliest printings appeared under the title "Love from the Heart" in 1839. The melody has been known to American fiddlers since the early 19th century, and older fiddlers frequently give the tune's title as "The Downfall of Paris." ​ The melody of "The Downfall of Paris" dates back to an old French composition. It eventually became a "traditional" British tune that dates back to the Napoleonic Wars (1796-1814), and became a popular marching song with British troops fighting in the Peninsular War (1807-14). A listen to the fife and drum corps playing this march leaves little doubt that this is Mississippi Sawyer's origin. Here is a super detailed history of "The Downfall of Paris" if you are studying for an upcoming Jeopardy! appearance, or you ran out of your regular sleeping pills. ​ Pretty sure that most people know that Mississippi is both a state and a river. But what exactly is a sawyer? A sawyer (in its basic definition) is a person who saws wood. However, a Mississippi sawyer is a river pilot's term for an uprooted tree in the water which sways back and forth with the current (like a sawing motion) , with the tree breaking the surface suddenly in front of a boat. River pilots had names for different types of snags, including sawyers, preachers, and planters, depending on how they moved in the current. On the Mississippi river, the problem was great enough that special government “snag boats” patrolled the river in order to remove these obstructions. (Of course, there is a related Old Time tune. Check out the video below of "Mississippi Snag Boat".) Mark Twain, a licensed riverboat pilot in addition to being a renowned writer, knew well the potential menace of sawyers in the river and used the term in creating the name of his title character, Tom Sawyer. ​ It is easy to envision musicians playing the popular melody to "The Downfall of Paris" for the numerous frontier and Mississippi River camps of the early 19th century, with the rhythm of the tune and the rocking/sawing of the bow reminding the men of a "Mississippi Sawyer" moving with the current. Plus renaming it would make it less "British". Remember that in the early 1800's the US was still very much at odds with the Brits, which led to the War of 1812 , which led to the Battle Of New Orleans, which led to another Old Time tune - The Eighth Of January, which eventually led to the great Jimmy Driftwood lyrics about using alligators as cannons . Snagboat Gen. Barnard at work, late 1800s Mississippi Sawyer 1928 notation E.F. Adam - Old Time Fiddlers Favorite Barn Dance Tunes (St. Louis,1928, No. 8, p. 5) Alligator cannon? Snagboat Gen. Barnard at work, late 1800s 1/4 Camp Chase Fife and Drums Downfall Of Paris Sawyers, Planters, and Preachers Spencer and Rains Mississippi Snag Boat Downfall of Paris/Mississippi Sawyer Charlie Acuff 00:00 / 03:26

Album Releases List Old Time Zone Radio Show 2022 Album Releases ​ Artist Album Allison DeGroot & Tatiana Hargreaves Hurricane Clarice Tall Poppy String Band Tall Poppy String Band Tune Hash Vol.1 Covered Vol. 2 Smothered Pharis & Jason Romero Tell ‘Em You Were Gold Keiran Kane & Rayna Gellert Lost John Dean Nora Brown Long Time To Be Gone Hart, Blech & Blech Fade To Black 1991-2005 Jeremy Kammerer Jeremy Kammerer & Friends Squirrel Butter Hazelnut Matthew Stallard Hobe Jake Blount The New Faith John Duncan Asheville Fiddler Joe Thrift One More Mark Tamsula & Richard Weathers Neighbors In The Cloudland John Haywood The Parlor Sessions John Showman & Chris Coole Afield All available on Spotify except: Hart, Blech & Blech Bandcamp John Duncan Bandcamp Tamsula & Weathers appalachianmusic.net 2023 Album Releases If one of your resolutions for 2024 was to listen to more Old Time music, this list will help you get started. These are albums released by Old Time artists in 2023 and a couple from late 2022 that did not make last year’s list. Taken from The Old Time Zone radio show with Dale Brubaker . If you are not listening to this show, you are missing some good music! All albums listed are available for streaming on Spotify or your favorite site: Hog Eyed Man Kicked Up A Devil Of A Row AJ Srubas and Rina Rossi Sweet Bunch Of Daisies Aaron Olwell and Chris McGrath Old Town Band Natalie and Brittany Haas Haas Brittany Haas Impromptu Sessions #1 Joseph Decosimo While You Were Slumbering Sophie Wellington Roving Jewel ​ Here are some additional 2022-2023 albums that I found: The Virginia Creepers Little Bird In The Bosque Sami Braman Riveter Hilary Hawke LilyGild Dolly and the Devil Bitter Creek (single) look for new album in 2024 September 2024 From The Editor ​ September is the ninth month of the year, which is a little misleading as “September” is taken from the Latin “septem” which means seven. Things become a little clearer when we find out that September was originally the seventh month of the oldest known Roman calendar. But due to continuous tinkering with calendars by various rulers who wanted their name attached, adding January and February to the mix, and the eventual intervention of the Pope, September was moved to ninth place. Or, perhaps all these changes were just a ploy from a worldwide cabal of greedy calendar salesmen. Festivals Clifftop and Galax are over, which generally marks the end of major Old Time Festivals for the season. Congratulations go out to Knoxville’s Blue Ridge Gathering, for taking first place in the Neo-Traditional Band category at Clifftop. This is the perfect follow up to the group’s second place win last year. As this year’s winner, they have been invited to perform a full set at Clifftop in 2025. Blue Ridge Gathering consists of Cody Bauer-fiddle, Jessica Watson-banjo/guitar, and Duck Ryan-banjo/guitar. In further testament to the talents of the band members, Jessica Watson won the Best New Tune award at Clifftop this year. Duck Ryan won the Best New Song award at Clifftop last year, and Cody Bauer continues his winning ways, most recently placing third in the Old Time Fiddle category at Galax this year. Keep these folks on your radar -they are destined for great things! There are a couple of photos below. Jams The local jams at Boyd’s Jig and Reel and the Laurel Theater are going strong. Those in attendance at the August 8th Laurel Theater jam got to play along with Old Time master Dan Levenson. Dan and some friends also joined the Boyd’s Jig and Reel group on August 13th. I’m sure everyone enjoyed those sessions as much as I did. There are some photos below. The Crafty Bastard at Baker Creek jam, which took the summer off, is restarting on Sunday, September 15th at 3PM . Mark your calendars for the regular monthly schedule, which will be the 1st and 3rd Sundays at 3 PM starting in October. Please join us at one or all of the Knoxville area jams. We are very fortunate to have these choices available, as in some areas, there are few organized playing opportunities, or you might have to drive for many miles to be part of the nearest Old Time jam. Plus you will meet a lot of nice people that love Old Time music! Events September is shaping up to be a lean month for Old Time related events - but that does not mean there are not any! The Laurel Theater is presenting Blind House on September 6th. Blind House is a Knoxville based bluegrass/old-time band that incorporates elements of indie rock, country and blues. And there are a couple of people in the band with whom you should be familiar: Duck Ryan and Cody Bauer. George Colyer, Ryan Dunaway, and Will Ross round out the lineup. Not necessarily strictly Old Time, but the Laurel Theater is also presenting popular singer-songwriter, multi - instrumentalist and dancer Martha Spencer and Wonderland on Friday September 20th. In addition, the Laurel just announced a most welcomed Friday-Saturday parking option at nearby Christ Chapel’s gravel auxiliary parking lot. Christ Chapel is located at the corner of Highland and 16th Street. Dale Is Moving We are saddened to report that one of our own is leaving us. Dale Stansberry, whose fiddling and banjo playing we have enjoyed for years, is pulling up stakes and moving to Albuquerque, New Mexico. The move is job-related, and Dale tells us that he chose to live in Albuquerque because of their vibrant Old Time music scene. Our loss is their gain. (I hope they are up to speed on obscure G tunes.) A gathering of players convened recently to give Dale a proper send-off, which, of course, meant playing a bunch of Old Time music. There are some photos below. New On The Website New this month on the website is a Tune History of “Going To The Free State” by Virginia fiddler John Ashby. It is a lively two part fiddle tune in cross A that shares a melody with a surprising number of other tunes. In the Music section, John Ashby himself is profiled, along with some interesting American history of “The Free State” (in present day northeastern Virginia). Did you know that there were kings of “The Free State?” One of them was John Ashby’s uncle! As a side note, those familiar with Northeast Tennessee’s 1784 breakaway “State of Franklin” will certainly detect a familiar theme. In fact, the “State of Franklin” was sometimes called “The Free State of Franklin.” No kings for Franklin though, but if there had been one, I imagine a log throne and coon skin crown would have been fitting. Until next month, Mark August 2024 From The Editor It’s hard to believe, but did you know that August is statistically cooler than July in Knoxville? July is the hottest month of the year, averaging 86.9 degrees in 2023. What will August bring? The average high was 86.4 in 2023. This leads us to the inevitable “It’s so hot…“ jokes: It’s so hot I saw a funeral procession pull through the Dairy Queen. This is a far-fetched concept, which makes for a good joke. But is it really that far-fetched? I direct your attention to the following news article about a funeral procession going through a Burger King drive-through . Festivals The Appalachian String Band Festival (does anyone call it that?) in Clifftop, West Virginia runs from July 31st through August 4th. The diehards have been there since pre-camping opened on July 26th. Speaking of diehards, if you are at Clifftop, why not just just throw your stuff in the car and head on over to the 88th Old Fiddlers’ Convention (does anyone call it that?) in Galax , Virginia, which starts on August 5th and runs through the 10th. That’s a total of 15 days of Old Time goodness. Congratulations to Knoxville’s Cody Bauer for winning 4th place Adult Bluegrass Fiddle at Flag Pond, as well as 1st place Adult Old Time Fiddle, and 2nd place Adult Bluegrass Fiddle at the Abingdon Fiddlers’ Convention. Recall that last year, Cody placed 2nd in Old Time Fiddle at Galax, and he fiddles for Blue Ridge Gathering, which placed 2nd in Neo-Traditional Band at Clifftop. The band also includes Knoxville’s Jessica Watson and Duck Ryan. Links are included to the contest results from all the Festivals on the Calendar page. It’s so hot, chickens are laying hard-boiled eggs. Jams The local jams at Boyd’s Jig and Reel and the Laurel Theater are going strong this summer. You never know how many people will show up this time of year, but we had 18 at the July Laurel Theater jam! The August 8th Laurel Theater jam will welcome Dan Levenson as our guest. Please join us. It’s so hot, I saw a fire hydrant looking for a dog. Events Dan Levenson and Bob Carlin will be playing for the Knoxville Contra Dance on August 5th, and Dan will be doing a free show at the RiverView Family Farm in Farragut on August 9th. The Laurel Folk School has been testing out some programs, including beginner and intermediate fiddle classes, a beginner banjo class, and a square dance calling class, all of which were held in July. More are planned, and details will be posted here and on the Laurel’s Facebook page. As always, check out the Calendar page for info on all events. If anyone knows of upcoming events that would be of interest to the Old Time community, please send me an email and I’ll get it on the website. It’s so hot, I've got my AC cranked up to bankruptcy! Music History Two tunes were added to the Music History page this month: “Old Piss” and “Chinquapin Hunting” . The history of “Old Piss” was a request from Robert in Asheville. The tune name? Probably comes from a person's nickname, but because it needed a socially acceptable title - and face it, we’ve never outgrown scatological humor- there is a more family friendly alternate title of “Old #1.” The research for Chinquapin Hunting turned into quite a bonus, as there are (at least) four Chinquapin tunes. What is a chinquapin anyway? Why would you hunt them? Hints: They live in trees and are delicious when roasted. Get In The Cool! Mark July 2024 From The Editor July brings a bounty of opportunities to experience Old Time music. First are our jams at Boyd's Jig and Reel and the Laurel Theater. (Crafty South will be back in September) In the Festival world, we have the Smithfield (TN) Fiddlers’ Jamboree July 5-6, The Swannanoa (NC) Gathering Old Time Week July 21-27, and pre-camping for Clifftop (WV) July 26-30 (the Festival officially starts on July 31). In other events, the Knoxville Contra Dance is every Monday, and The Museum of Appalachia presents their Independence Day Anvil Shoot Celebration with lots of music and anvil shoots throughout the day on July 4. Towards the end of the month, the Knox County Jug Stompers will play a no-cover 21+ show at Boyd’s Jig and Reel. The Laurel Theater Square Dance will resume on July 25. There are also multiple opportunities to see Old Time Masters Bob Carlin and Dan Levenson when they come to town in late July and again in early August. Start with a free show at Barley’s Knoxville on July 28, and an appearance on the WDVX Blue Plate Special radio show on July 31. They will be back in town on August 5 to play for the Knoxville Contra Dance, and Dan Levenson will play a free show at the RiverView Family Farm in Farragut on August 9. Dan will also be our special guest at the August 8 Laurel Theater Old Time Jam. Please visit the Calendar page to get more details and web links for all events. Some history of recording pioneer and fiddler Ambrose “Uncle Am” Stuart has been added to the website. Uncle Am was from Morristown, and a bona fide East Tennessee music celebrity. Read more about his contributions to early “Country”/”Hillbilly” music on his Music page . Tune histories have been added for Booth Shot Lincoln and Shove The Pig's Foot A Little Further In The Fire . Booth Shot Lincoln is from the collection of Bascom Lamar Lunsford from Mars Hill, NC. Did you know that there are lyrics? Shove The Pig’s Foot is associated with another Western North Carolina fiddler, Marcus Martin. Several versions of this tune’s history are explored - there may be some surprises from what you have been told over the years. We were sorry to hear that Fiddler Magazine is discontinuing their print edition and going a digital only format. They were founded in 1994. Increasing costs, lack of advertisers, and declining interest were cited as reasons for this decision. ​ Jubilee Community Arts, parent organization of the Laurel Theater, announced the election of five new Board members on June 20th at their annual meeting. New Board members are Allen Miller, Amanda Humphreys, Mark Murray, Mindy Cooper, and Herb Williams. The Board also honored retiring concert manager Toby Koosman (since 2002) and retiring Executive Director Brent Cantrell (since 1997). ​ Have A Great Summer! Mark From The Editor June 2024 Jam Schedules The Old Time jam at Crafty Bastard South is taking a break for the summer. Look for a restart in September. The Tuesday evening jams at Boyd’s Jig and Reel and the monthly jam at the Laurel Theater will continue on their regular schedule. Festivals and Events If you are still planning your June weekends, how about a Fiddlers Convention? The 52nd annual Bluegrass and Old Time Fiddlers Convention in Mt Airy, NC is June 7-8. The Henry Reed Memorial Fiddlers Convention in Glen Lyn, VA is June 14-15. The Abingdon (VA) Fiddlers Convention is June 21-23, and the Grayson County Old Time & Bluegrass Fiddlers' Convention in Elk Creek, VA is June 28-29. Please visit the Calendar page for links and info on these events. The annual Museum of Appalachia Barn Dance is June 14, from 6-9 PM. This is the Museum’s signature fundraising event, and features wagon rides, a sumptuous Southern dinner, traditional bluegrass and old-time musical entertainment, Appalachian square dancing, and live and silent auctions. Tune History In this month’s addition to the Tune History section, you will find “Nail That Catfish To The Tree” . I thought most everyone knew that this was a “modern Old Time” tune, but several recent inquiries revealed to me that some additional enlightenment might be helpful. And because I know someone will ask, yes - nailing a catfish to a tree is a fish skinning technique. There is even a how-to video in the article. Music In this month’s Music section, The Canote Brothers are profiled. You may be familiar with their original fiddle tunes “Sadie At The Back Door” and “Obama’s March To The White House”. Just like “Catfish”, these are examples of “modern Old Time” tunes that have become standards. You will enjoy learning more about the brothers’ 50+ year career and, of special interest, the early 1980’s Knoxville connection with the Canotes. Charlie Acuff Charlie’s 1990 privately commissioned cassette recording of 14 tunes “Left Handed Fiddler” (with John Hartford) is now available for listening on the website. Diane O’Brien’s book in which each tune is transcribed is included. Matt Morelock recently visited with Juanita Johnson, who played with Charlie for years. She had several boxes of recordings that Matt is taking to the Tennessee Archive Of Moving Image And Sound (TAMIS) to be properly archived. I will keep you updated as to when these are accessible. Laurel Folk School As the Laurel Theater concert series enters its summer intermission, Jubilee Community Arts, the parent organization of the Laurel Theater, has just announced The Laurel Folk School. The Folk School will offer group instruction in traditional music and dance at affordable rates through a series of workshops and short courses. The curriculum is still under development, but free workshops are planned for June, including a beginning fiddle lesson with Ethan Fulwood on Saturday, June 15th at 2 PM. Look for updates on their Facebook page . Details will also be posted to the Calendar page as they are announced. Mark Don’t forget Father’s Day on Sunday, June 16th. From The Editor May 2024 Flag Pond As this letter is published, I am in Flag Pond, Tennessee at the 6th annual East Tennessee Fiddlers Convention . Flag Pond and the Rocky Fork area lie between the towns of Erwin and Mars Hill, close to the Tennessee state line with western North Carolina. The Fiddlers Convention is a continuation and celebration of the contributions of early East Tennessee musicians like JD Harris, Osey Helton, John Dykes, George and Lloyd Payne, Dud Vance, GB Grayson, Charlie Bowman, and others who made an outsized impact on what we now call Old Time music. As a multi-year attendee, I find this Convention to be very well run, and it always attracts some outstanding players! It’s an easy trip on the Interstate from Knoxville, or if you are in the mood for a scenic drive, taking the back way through the mountains can be a twisty diversion. Charlie Acuff Continuing our focus on the Knoxville area's Old Time history, this month’s additions to the website feature East Tennessee’s Left Handed Fiddler, Charlie Acuff. Charlie lived to the age of 93, passing away in 2013. There are some personally held recordings, and a few copies of a privately produced 1990 cassette tape (with John Hartford) floating around, but Charlie had only one commercially released album. Considering the attention that some other fiddlers of this same era have received from archivists, I find it disappointing that Charlie is not routinely included in the lists of so-called “influential” players. My motivation to include a profile of him now was partly due to a recent conversation with two visiting players from Minnesota, who told me that Charlie’s tunes were very much alive and being shared in their local music scene. Good news, indeed! Read lots more in the Music section . In the Tune History section , one of Charlie’s signature melodies “Bob Taylor’s March” is detailed. It has a great back story regarding the curious world of Tennessee politics. In researching, I found just a couple of other recordings of this tune, which seems surprising. Because, in addition to its interesting and quirky history, this “March” (which is really a waltz) is pretty easy to learn and fun to play. Please take a minute to listen to “Bob Taylor’s March", as well as some of Charlie’s other tunes, and consider putting some on your to-learn list, then share them wherever you go. What could be a better way to honor the Left Handed Fiddler’s legacy? Festivals & Live Events May appears to be a lean month for Festivals, but that means you have plenty of time to get ready for Mount Airy or if you insist on the official name - “The 52nd Annual Mount Airy Blue Grass & Old-Time Fiddlers Convention”, which which will come up quickly on June 7-8. We will keep you in the loop on other events as info becomes available. As always, I encourage everyone to get out and support live music of all kinds whenever you can. Speaking of live music, please let the folks from Legbeard and Aaron Searcy and Friends know how much their sets of Old Time music added to the Laurel Theater fundraising event at Trailhead Beer Market on 4/14. I put a couple of photos in the slider below. ​ Remember This? Here is a video segment from WBIR Channel 10 in Knoxville promoting the Old Time Jam that was held at the Blackhorse Brewery from 2018-2020. When this was shot on 1/16/20, none of us knew what lay in store just one month later. Positive note: there are lots of sound files from this gathering on the Resources page . Mark Here are a couple of important dates in May: May 12 Mother’s Day Did you know that the person responsible for Mother’s Day being recognized as an official holiday ultimately disowned the holiday altogether? Disgusted with the commercialization of the intended concept, she even actively lobbied the government to have it removed from the calendar. May 27 Memorial Day Born from Civil War Decoration Days in the Southern states, this holiday now honors all fallen soldiers. From The Editor April 2024 New This Month This month’s additions to the website feature Knoxville. Under the Music tab, we start with the Tennessee Chocolate Drops , featuring Howard “Louie Bluie” Armstrong, and their tune “Knox County Stomp”. This tune was recorded in Knoxville at the now famous Knoxville Sessions, which were held at the St. James hotel in 1929-30. The hotel itself was lost to urban renewal in the 1970’s, but the music that was recorded there lives on. There is also the Louie Bluie Festiv al that keeps Howard Armstrong’s music and art alive. The Festival is held annually at Cove Lake State Park in Caryville, TN, and is set for September 28th this year. Still under the Music tab, we move to the south central Kentucky (Monticello) Old Time duo of Burnett and Rutherford . These two had a partnership that lasted 35 years! If you like stories about rising from adversity, you will enjoy reading more about “Blind” Dick Burnett and his 14 year old fiddler Leonard Rutherford. They first recorded in 1926 and were still performing in 1950. What is the Knoxville connection? Their popular tune “Knoxville Rag” , whose history can be found under the Tune History tab. Interestingly, there is also the lingering question of whether or not Burnett actually authored the famous tune “(I Am A) Man of Constant Sorrow”, for which he is credited. Festival Season As this letter gets published, I am getting my camping gear ready for the 6th annual Upper East Tennessee Fiddlers Convention in Flag Pond, to be held April 26th-27th. For those who have never been, it is well run and close enough to be a day trip from Knoxville. It’s much smaller than Clifftop, Mt. Airy and the like, but the quality of players who attend is outstanding. Roy Andrade is in charge of the Flag Pond event, and I got a chance to speak with him when he performed with Kalia Yeagle at the Laurel’s Jubilee Festival. You may recognize his name, as Roy performed with the Reeltime Travelers and is now the Director of Old-Time, Bluegrass and Roots Music at East Tennessee State University. He promised that this year will be the best Convention yet, including workshops with banjoist Kirk Sutphin and fiddler Dan Gellert. More information is on the Calendar page . Local News I was able to attend some shows last month, including Allison DeGroot & Tatiana Hargreaves at Barley’s, and Saturday night’s 55th Jubilee Festival at the Laurel Theater. It was good to see lots of you at these events, and it shows the artists that we really do support Old Time music here in Knoxville. Speaking of the Jubilee Festival, I was pleasantly reminded once again that the quality of our local musicians is absolutely outstanding. DeGroot and Hargreaves also put on a great performance, showcasing just how much music can be made with a fiddle and a banjo. My understanding is that they will be coming back through Knoxville soon. When that happens, don’t miss them. It was recently announced that the Laurel Theater is restarting their square dance. The dances will be held on the 4th Thursdays of March, April, and May, with live Old Time music and skilled callers. I have been told by several people that, not too many years ago, it was common to see upwards of 300 people at the dance. That would be great to see again! I had a good conversation with Park Ranger Ethan Sane from Big Ridge State Park in Maynardville. Ethan is a fiddle player and started a jam this past winter at the Park, held at 6:30 PM every third Thursday. He told me that the jam will continue and will move outside as the weather warms up. Ranger Sane’s contact details are on the Calendar page . Thank you for your continued support of Old Time music! Mark From The Editor March 2024 “March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb”. I think pretty much everyone is familiar with that saying. It’s like a good Old Time tune - catchy and stands the test of time. Also, like a lot of Old Time tunes, its origin is not known. A check of various almanacs reveals lots more March weather related proverbs you can throw into your regular conversation, such as: When March has April weather, April will have March weather Thunder in March betokens a fruitful year If the frogs holler in early March, there will be 3 more freezes For every fog in March there will be a cold spell in May March grass never did good Besides the ever-changing weather, March is also a busy crowd gathering month! St. Patrick’s Day is the 17th, Palm Sunday is the 24th, Good Friday is the 29th, and Easter Sunday falls on March 31st this year. And, more importantly, National Procrastination Week is March 4-10. I meant to tell you about that earlier. Upcoming Events The Laurel Theater continues to offer some great shows of interest to the Old Time community. In March, this includes Blakeley Burger, Dirk Powell, and more. Of special note, the Laurel will present their 55th Annual Jubilee Festival March 15-16, which includes dozens of different artists. I encourage everyone to support the Laurel Theater - it is a unique Knoxville treasure. I put some photos from the Earl White Stringband and Blue Ridge Gathering shows in the photo slider below. Congratulations to our own Cody Bauer, Jessica Watson, and "Duck" Ryan from Blue Ridge Gathering for an outstanding performance. As a reminder, Blue Ridge Gathering was awarded 2nd place in the 2023 Clifftop Neo-Traditionalist Band category and 1st place in the original song category. We all wish them continued success! ​ Banjoist Allison DeGroot reminded me that she and fiddler Tatiana Hargreaves will be appearing at Barley's Knoxville on March 10th. Having seen both of these talented artists perform separately, I'm sure this will be a memorable show. Please check the Upcoming Events ​ on the Calendar Page for more info and the link to tickets for this show, events at the Laurel Theater, and lots more. Festival Survival Tips The 2024 Festival listings on The Calendar Page continue to be updated, and Breakin’ Up Winter in Lebanon, TN will be underway when you receive this month's newsletter. Last month, I promised some Festival survival tips, and I had in mind an excellent article written by banjoist Hilarie Burhans for Old Time Central back in 2019. Unfortunately, Old Time Central is not around any longer, but via the miracle of The Internet Archive: Wayback Machine (the creators are Mr. Peabody fans), I was able to get a direct link to the original article. Please be patient: The link has big photos and takes a minute to load. You will then have to close the Wayback Machine toolbar (the small X in the extreme upper right hand corner of the page) in order to be able to close the obsolete Old Time Central newsletter signup window. The full article will then be visible. Two clicks is a small price to pay for time travel! “Clifftop - A Beginners Guide” , as the title suggests, has a lot of specific tips for surviving the huge Clifftop Festival. Fortunately for us, Hilarie’s insights apply to any festival. Even if you don’t read anything else, skip to the end of the article for two topics: “When It’s Not All Peaches And Cream”, and “Jamming”. In these two sections, Hilarie talks about most common issues/complaints and how to deal with them. In a related topic, and similar to Hilarie’s festival jamming tips, I found an article on banjoist Dan Levinson’s website called “Jam Etiquette” . It was originally written more than 20 years ago, but it is still 100% on point today. If you are new to jamming, please read this, it will definitely be of help to you. Even if you are an experienced jam participant, it is worth a review. That being said, it has been my experience that you will run into very few, if any, “etiquette breaches” at jams in the Knoxville Old Time community. Thanks go out to everyone for always being so welcoming and courteous! Tune History An important (and fun) part of appreciating Old Time music is learning where the songs and tunes come from. When there is an East Tennessee connection, it’s even better! The updating of the Tune History Page continues with the addition of Roane County Ramblers’ “Green River March” , and lots more information on the Ramblers and the McCarroll family on the Music Page. As always, if you have tunes or artists that you would like to see more information about, have photos to share, or any other comments on the website content, I would love to hear from you. Please email me at knoxvilleoldtime@gmail.com ​ Mark From The Editor February 2024 February marks the one year anniversary of putting out the first newsletter to our Old Time community. Seems like a long time ago, doesn’t it? I frequently hear from people that they don’t know where to listen to newer Old Time music, so I put a list of 2022 and 2023 album releases from various Old Time artists in the Miscellaneous section of the Resources Page . I got most of these recommendations from Dale Brubaker’s Old Time Zone radio show, which I highly recommend listening to. Speaking of the Resources Page, don’t forget that there are hundreds of sound files there, including several years of jam recordings from The Blackhorse Pub and the Time Warp Tearoom. Taking a look at the Upcoming Events on the Calendar Page , we see that the Laurel Theater is presenting shows in February which will interest any Old Time fan or player. Shows include the Earl White Stringband, our own Clifftop band competition winner Blue Ridge Gathering, as well as Dom Flemons (formerly of the Carolina chocolate Drops). The New Beckham County Ramblers Stringband was canceled due to the inclement January weather, but they will be rescheduled for Spring. Not strictly Old Time, but great music nonetheless, local favorite RB Morris, as well as North Carolina’s Vivian Leva & Riley Calcagno (The Onlies) will also be appearing this month. It is very encouraging to see the Laurel Theater jumping back into such a strong show schedule. Please support their efforts! I was able to get a head start on the 2024 Festival listings. These are listed by month, with links to the event website. The ones I have listed are the most well known, and all have designated Old Time categories in their competitions. If you would like to see any other Festivals on this list, please let me know. Next month, we will explore survival tips and strategies to help make your Festival experience more enjoyable. The updating of the Tune History Page continues with the addition of Hangman’s Reel, Billy In The Low Ground (traditional) and Billy In The Low Ground (Calico tuning). Thanks to everyone who came out to see Chris Coole and John Showman at Suttree’s on January 24. This was a great show and an absolute master class in fiddle and banjo. Thanks again to Matt Morelock for letting us know about the show so we could get the info out to everyone. Matt is also in conversation with the owners of Suttree’s about hosting an Old Time jam and a Bluegrass jam. More info will be coming soon. As always, if you have tunes or artists that you would like to see more information about, or have any other comments on the website content, I would love to hear from you. Please email knoxvilleoldtime@gmail.com Mark From The Editor January 2024 Happy New Year! I spent some time in December adding artist and tune content from previous newsletters (before there was a website). This is still a work in progress, as there is no easy way just to copy and paste. This month, look for refreshed pages on the legendary fiddler from Magoffin County, Ky John Salyer, and tune histories of Anchored in Love Divine, Duck River, Mountaineer’s Love Song (Goodbye Liza Jane), and Dubuque. February will mark one year since putting out the first newsletter to our Old Time community. Time flies! Festival Season is right around the corner. Breakin’ Up Winter 2024 is set for Cedars of Lebanon State Park (near Lebanon, TN, just east of Nashville) on Feb. 29-March 2, 2024. I see from their webpage that two campgrounds will be closed for renovations, so be sure and make your reservations early. I have started the list of 2024 Festivals on the website calendar page and will continue to update them as the dates become available. ​ Since we are starting a new year, and most of us (at least informally) make resolutions, I have put together two lists - one with serious suggestions for players, and another, based on a national survey, just for fun. I hope you enjoy both. Have a great year! ​ Mark Murray Six realistic resolutions to help you become a better player during 2024! Listen to more Old Time music. Make a playlist on your streaming service, listen in your car and when doing chores - any time you would normally listen to music- make it Old Time! Set aside dedicated time to practice. It will not happen on its own - you have to make it happen. Learn one new tune per month. Pick tunes that you like - there are thousands to choose from and you will be inclined to practice them more if you like them. Strive to play in tune. Even the pros must constantly work on intonation. Attend at least one jam session per month. We are fortunate to have several to pick from. Playing music with others will help to make you a better player, and you will meet some pretty nice people. Attend a fiddle festival. Flag Pond (last Fri -Sat in April- dates tba) and Abingdon (June 21-22) are easy day trips from the Knoxville area. Lighthearted Resolution Reality Check 2024 ​ The Statista website did a survey of the top resolutions for 2024 . The accuracy of this survey was immediately in question because “cutting down on alcohol” did not make this list. The ones that did make the list deserve closer inspection and a light hearted dose of reality, as most are not likely to make it past the first few hours of January - and we all need to laugh a little more in 2024! 1. To save more money. Take some satisfaction that you are not alone in wondering why we all have less money now, even though there is a constant “official” message that the economy has never been better. Who needs all that “extra” money anyway? Refer to resolution # 6 for further insight, but warning - it’s not a good sign for this #1 resolution. 2. To exercise more. For most of us, any exercise at all would qualify as “more”, so maybe this resolution will work out. (get it?) You might be tempted to join a gym. About 12% of all gym members sign up in January . But, in one of life's great mysteries, if 50% of all gym members quit within the first 6 months and 67% of all gym members never actually use their membership, why is the machine you want to use always occupied? 3. To eat healthier. There is lots of research going on about how your inherited DNA controls your dietary choices and preferences . Until all this gets sorted out, be comfortable blaming your parents for any poor nutrition choices. 4. To spend more time with family/friends. This is truly a conundrum. Basic math reveals that spending time with one group reduces the time available to spend with the other. Read the next sentence, then choose your group wisely: Of known victim-offender relationships, 2694 murders were committed by family members, 560 were committed by a friend. Note that the relationship in over 9700 murders was not known - but smart money (almost 5:1) is on a family member. By the way, “to spend more time with family/friends" sounds less like a resolution and more like what is said when someone suddenly leaves their job. 5. To lose weight. Notice that all of these resolutions are very generic and overly broad. (sorry) Since the average adult's weight fluctuates 5-6 pounds a day, victory is easily declared on this one, but unfortunately, so is defeat. In a related topic, Southwest Airlines recently had mixed reviews regarding their controversial “Customer Of Size” extra seat policy . Additionally, if you fly Korean Air, expect to step on the scale before boarding. How would you like to be the gate agent in charge of that? 6. To reduce spending on living expenses. (e.g., food, energy) Seeing how the very definition of living expenses is "the money you need to spend in order to live", this resolution is pretty much on life support to start with. Maybe we could ask the water and electric companies, the landlord, the tax men, the oil companies, and the grocery stores to make a resolution to charge us less. Unfortunately, there is not much optimism in the success of this approach. Meanwhile, resolution #1 gets harder and harder. 7. To spend less time on social media. Finally, a worthwhile and actually attainable resolution, because all devices have an OFF switch. Think of all the time you spend on social media now. It may be much more efficient to just pay for a billboard on I-40 in downtown Knoxville that displays all of your personal information (although some people may miss your pictures of food) . For more added incentive to cut back on screen time, in this The Atlantic article, the writer says social media is making America’s murder surge worse. There was no mention of those who were angered by pictures of food. 8. To reduce stress on the job. Did the people surveyed (surveyees?) not realize that literally everyone they work with would have to have the same resolution? It is not too surprising that most will agree that the job itself causes comparatively little stress. Stress on the job is usually related to/caused by the people you work for/with. If we could just get rid* of them, everything would be fine. Just remember that they have the same idea about you. So... we all may just have to stick it out until retirement, when we will be able to spend more time with family/friends. (There’s that resolution #4 again!) 2025 forecast: Look for “cutting down on alcohol” to make the resolution list next year. *Warning -while the murdering of offending coworkers might be a satisfying way to reduce stress, your annual job performance review may suffer. Even if it is really the fault of social media. From The Editor December 2023 Thank You! I would like to thank everyone for the feedback about the new website! As always, please let me know what you would like to see or learn more about, and I will do my best to make it happen. Likewise, if you run across a great story or article about Old Time music or artists, or links to other resources that you think everyone would enjoy, send it my way so we can get it out to everyone. the site is always in need of photos from jam sessions or festivals that you would like to share. Please include the date, place/event, and people in the photo. Email: knoxvilleoldtime@gmail.com ​ Website Changes You will notice that access to the Music and Tune History pages has changed. Now, choosing either of those tabs will take you to an alphabetical list of contents. This will make it easier to find a particular tune or artist that you would like to learn more about. Easily navigate back to the contents list by using the “Back To List” buttons on each page. Tune History December’s Tune History is Bonaparte Crossing The Rhine. This is one of those Old Time tunes that is played so often that it now generates parody titles, such as “Bonaparte Crossing The Street” and “Bonaparte Mowing The Lawn”. Still, it’s good to know how it got here. And yes, you are expected to know this tune. Music Tricia Spencer and Howard Rains are the profiled artists this month. Thanks to Brenda Osborne who recently attended one of their workshops, for suggesting them. Check out their YouTube channel for lots of videos and episodes of “Tune Talk” that will make you laugh. My favorite (so far) is Episode 25 “Jam Sessions” . Funny and accurate! Howard sent us a video of Marcus Martin’s “Wounded Hoosier” that was recorded at the John C. Campbell Folk School where they were instructors last month. He also extended an invitation to join them in Mars Hill, NC where he and Tricia will be instructors during the Blue Ridge Old Time Music Week in June, 2024. C hristmas Time's A Comin’ Let’s get into the Holiday spirit! What better way than with some banjo tunes? From Josh Turknett: Clawhammer Banjo: The 12 Days of Banjo - "God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman" From me: https://youtu.be/eP1uUusWMww ​ And a stocking stuffer for everyone, "Jingle Bells" from East Tennessee’s own Anna Uptain’s “A Clawhammer Banjo Christmas” Album. Have A Great Holiday Mark Murray From the Editor ​November 2023 I love Old Time music. There is nothing better than the acoustic instrument sounds of wood and steel, and the feel that comes when a group of players settles into the groove. I enjoy the company of the people I play music with, and find the Old Time community to be friendly and inclusive. I know you love these things, too. Knoxville Old Time is not a club or an organization. This website is meant to be a gathering place for anyone and everyone who shares a love of Old Time music. Those already receiving the monthly newsletter are now directed here, where everything is conveniently in one place and accessible at any time. If you would like to be included, please use the signup form below. The short version of how we got here: Talking with jam leaders and players who were trying to reconnect when the world reopened in 2022 led to an email jam reminder list. That led to a newsletter, which has been going out in various forms since early 2023. After floating the idea of a website, and getting lots of “that would be great -somebody should do that” feedback, this is the result. Here you will find jam schedules and a calendar of events. There are sections dedicated to Old Time music history and the tunes, as well as the players of Old Time music, both old and new. There is a Resource page, where websites, videos, and recordings that may be of help to you have been compiled. Knoxville Old Time will always be a work in progress. It is meant to be fun, informative, and a reflection of what you want. Your input is important and welcomed. Email me directly at knoxvilleoldtime@gmail.com or use the website contact form on this page. Mark Murray

Resource s Please let us know about broken web links ​ Tunes & Tune Research Also see the Practice & Learning, Publications categories ​ Slippery Hill Thousands of tunes. Search for tunes by name, key, tuning, artist and collection. Downloadable mp3 recordings The Traditional Tune Archive The Semantic Index of North American, British and Irish traditional instrumental music with annotations, formerly known as The Fiddler's Companion. 55,000 tunes. Some tune histories, some notation, some recordings, Pegram Jam Years of recordings from the jam just west of Nashville. Free download of the Pegram Jam chord book, which is widely considered the bible of Old Time. Listening and other download features are free; requires user name and password, available via email request link. Old Time Fiddle Tunes Transcriptions and audio files of 892 (and counting!) fiddle tunes from recordings, festivals, jams and workshops - collected by John Lamancusa from Penn State University recordings, MIDI, video, written notation ​ The National Fiddler Hall of Fame lessons with sheet music 29 slow tempo recordings for learning and practice Hetzler's Fakebook Good quality polyphonic (MPE) MIDI download of melodies, no written notation Old Time, Celtic, English ​ North Atlantic Tune List The site focuses on dance and fiddle tunes from several regions around the North Atlantic: Scandinavia, the British Isles, Québec, Maritime Canada including Cape Breton, Métis (Saskatchewan & Manitoba), New England, Appalachia, and more, but with obvious Irish influences). ABC notation, MIDI, mp3 recordings, written notation. Searchable database Old-time Festival Tunes... Fiddle Versions from Mel Bay publications Very good selection of downloadable mp3 recordings Berea College Hutchins Library Sound Archives Transcriptions, audio. One of the best Appalachian archives available. UNC-Chapel Hill Music Library Library of Congress National Jukebox Traditional/Country Original recordings. Also see UC Santa Barbara DAHR (below). University of California at Santa Barbara Discography of American Historical Recordings (DAHR) Searchable database of over 45,000 78 RPM recordings Also check out the UCSB Cylinder Audio Archive database of over 22,000 cylinder recordings ​ The Lomax Digital Archive (fiddle) The Lomax Digital Archive (banjo) Audio and visual collections from Alan and John Lomax collected between 1946-1991. Lots more on this site to appreciate. Traditional Old-Time (Oldtimey) Music of America 300+ Tunes & Songs With Sheet Music Scores basic single note MIDI download of melody FiddleTunes.net Transcriptions categorized by fiddling style Tater Joes Old Time Musical Mercantile Transcriptions, some recordings ​ Digital Library of Appalachia Audio, texts, movies Lots of Bascom Lamar Lunsford Festival video ​ The Milliner - Koken Collection of American Fiddle Tunes 1404 tune transcriptions, arranged alphabetically ​ The Milliner - Koken Collection recordings From the Slippery Hill website ​ Appalachian Fiddle Music Featuring 43 Fiddlers and 188 of Their Tunes by Drew Beisswenger and Roy Andrade, with Scott Prouty Audio files for this book (Slippery Hill) 159 Original Georgia Fiddle Tunes A Tribute To Georgia's 159 Counties Audio files for this book (Slippery Hill) Spotify page for this book ​ Keep It Old Time Fiddle Music in Missouri from the 1960s Folk Music Revival to the Present Audio files for this book (Slippery Hill) ​ The Old-Time Fiddler's Repertory: 245 Traditional Tunes Audio files for this book (Slippery Hill) ​ Old-Time Kentucky Fiddle Tunes Audio files for this book (Slippery Hill) ​ TAMIS Tennessee Archive of Moving Image & Sound Vintage East Tennessee film, video & audio. Searchable database ​ Folk Music Index - An Index to Recorded and Print Resources ​ Field Recorder's Collective dedicated to the preservation and distribution of noncommercial recordings of traditional American music ​ Dan Levenson's Website Of special interest is the About The Tunes! page which has supplementary history on the tunes that Dan plays. ​ Hill Country Tunes Sarah Armstrong Tunebook .pdf file of Samuel Bayard's 1944 collection ​ Radio and Podcast Listening The Old Time Zone radio broadcast from Ellensburg (WA) Community Radio Dale Brubaker plays an hour of Old Time every Wednesday at 7PM Listen to archives anytime at Mixcloud.com ​ East Tennessee's Own WDVX FM in Knoxville Sunday afternoon programming features classic recordings and Old Time music. Stream past shows on the WDVX archives page . 12-4 pm. Clinch River Breakdown with Nita 5-6 pm Sunday Jubilee: Tennessee Country Classics with Joe Bussard 6-7 pm Sunday Jubilee: Mountain Jubilee with Paul Campbell 7-8 pm Sunday Jubilee: Live at Laurel with Brent Cantrell 8-8:30 pmSunday Jubilee: Wild Hog in the Woods with Brent Cantrell 8:30-9 pm Sunday Jubilee: Cumberland Trail with Bobby Fulcher 9-10 pm Sunday Jubilee: Vinyl Frontier with Jim Childs ​ WNCW FM in Asheville Mountain Mornings show with Corrie Askew Sunday-Friday 6-7 AM ​ Get Up In The Cool Old Time Music with Cameron DeWhitt and Friends WMMT Mountain Community Radio Whitesburg, KY Deep In Tradition with Rich Kirby Practice & Learning Also see the Tunes & Tune Research, Publications Categories ​ Fiddles Violin Scales and Arpeggios, Grades 1-5 Written notation and fingering diagrams ​ Old Time Fiddling Tips by Bruce Molsky ​ Major Scales for Violin/Fiddle - C Major ​ 7 First Position Scales for fiddle set to music Fiddle Hangout videos, classifieds, forums ​ Fiddle Hangout Top 100 Old-Time Songs recordings by Fiddle Hangout members ​ 7 Different Old Time Fiddle Tunings video by George Jackson ​ Banjos The Brainjo Academy ​ Brainjo Breakthrough Banjo Course ​ Brainjo Fiddle For All with Adam Hurt ​ Banjo Hangout videos, classifieds, forums ​ 5 String Banjo Tunings More (100+) than you ever imagined! ​ Dan Levenson's Website Lots of books and CDs from the banjo master. ​ Guitars Jere Canote Guitar Tablature 386 pages of guitar chords for fiddle tunes taught in the Canote's Old Time String Band class since 1997 ​ Bass runs for guitar (Old Time & Bluegrass) Stash Wyslouch from Molsky's Mountain Drifters FolkGuitar.us Backup guitar for old time fiddle FolkGuitar.us Chords for folk songs ​ Mandolins Old Time Mandolin Music.com ​ Mandozine.com ​ MandolinCafe.com “Old Time" Music On Mandolin ​ Bass 9 easy ways to learn bass Finding root notes, basic scales ​ Learn How To Play The Upright Bass: Lesson 1 Miscellaneous Google free online metronome ​ Old Time Jam Machine Backing tracks, chords and tab Publications Also see the Tunes & Tune Research, Practice & Learning Categories ​ The Old Time Herald Magazine "dedicated to preserving, promoting, and educating the public about traditional music". ​ Fiddler Magazine (online only as of the Spring 2024 issue) "an informative, educational, and entertaining resource for fiddlers, accompanists, and appreciative listeners". ​ The Phillips Collection of Traditional American Fiddle Tunes Volume 1 ​ The Fiddler's Fakebook : The Ultimate Sourcebook For The Traditional Fiddler ​ Fiddler's Fakebook Unchained A collection of you tube videos based on the tunes in Fiddlers Fakebook The Pegram Jam Fiddle Tune Chord Chart Book free .pdf download ​ ​ Old-Time Kentucky Fiddle Tunes by Jeff Todd Titon ​ ​ Knox Area String Instru ment Services Repairs, setups, and especially custom made instruments are highly personal choices. Ask around - get references. Knoxville Fine Violins Rental, sales, repair, instrument making Find A Teacher index on website ​ Wilhite Strings Rental, sales, repair, restoration ​ The String Workshop (Oak Ridge) Full-service luthier Authorized Martin, Gibson, Fender service center ​ Kelvin Scott Violins Instrument maker Parris Guitars Setup and repair for all fretted instruments ​ Guitar Center (Knoxville) Setup, repairs, rebuilds ​ Knight Musical Instrument Repair Guitar repair, setup ​ Johnny Rushing (New Market) 865-765-1290 Custom guitar maker (No longer doing repairs) ​ Ronnie Bales banjos (Gatlinburg) 865-407-6556 Custom banjo maker (seasonal resident) ​ Draper Stringed Instruments Custom mandolins, guitars, bouzoukis Repairs, maintenance, restoration ​ Dudenbostel Stringed Instruments (Maryville) Custom m andolin, guitar maker ​ Sound Files Sound files are provided for educational use only, and may not be reproduced in any form. ​ Garden Drive Jam Recorded 4/21/22 at historic Savage Gardens in Fountain City. 14 tracks ​ Hummingbird Jam Recorded on various dates in 2022 at the Hummingbird Cafe 72 tracks ​ Blackhorse Jam 3 years of tunes from the large Sunday jam at the Blackhorse Brewery. The acoustics could have been better, but there are hundreds of tunes, organized by date and key. 2018 Archives 2019 Archives 2020 Archives Video promo for jam shot 1/16/20 ​ Time Warp Jam Hundreds of tunes from the weekly jam at the Time Warp Tearoom from 2013-2021 thanks to Stu Elston. ​ Garry Harrison and the Mule Team Red Prairie Dawn album (2000) ​ More Garry Harrison Tunes from the Slippery Hill website ​ Left Handed Fiddler Charlie Acuff with John Hartford 1990 privately released cassette - 14 tunes ​ Fiddle Tunes Of Charlie Acuff 1996 book of 14 transcriptions of Charlie's tunes from the 1990 privately released cassette recording "Left Handed Fiddler" (with John Hartford). Made available with permission of author Diane O'Brien. 14 John Salyer Tunes Played by fiddler Ben Kiser (YouTube videos) ​ Miscellaneous ​ Knoxville Contra Dance Monday nights 7:30-11 at The Laurel Theater, Live music and skilled callers. Tickets at the door. Knoxville Contra Dance Facebook Page ​ Laurel Theater Square Dance 4th Thursdays at 7PM. Live Old Time music and skilled callers. Tickets at the door. Laurel Theater Facebook Page List of 2022 Old Time album releases taken from The Old Time Zone radio show. List of 2023 Old Time album releases taken from The Old Time Zone radio show. ​ How The Hippies Ruin't Hillbilly Music A Historical Memoir 1960-2000 (paperback) by St. "Wish" Wishnevsky ​ Traditional Irish Arts of Knoxville It is our mission to present, promote, and preserve our rich Irish/Celtic music culture in East Tennessee. ​

Tune History The Stories Behind Your Favorite Tunes < Back To List Calico Billy In The Low Ground Modern Version(s) Of A Classic From The West Coast We left the history of the "traditional" Billy In The Lowground noting that the tune continues to evolve. A related crooked version in the key of G, called “Old Time Billy In The Lowground” was reportedly being played in Franklin, KY in the 19th century. HERE is a more detailed discussion of that variant. Enjoy a video of the Canote Brothers playing the tune. Interestingly, the Canotes also figure into the next conversatation. Modern versions appearing to originate on the west coast are now circulating; one of the first was recorded by Josh Rabie in 2010. It is played in Calico* tuning (AEac#). Here is the Josh Rabie version on Bandcamp . The tune also appears on The Onlies self-titled release in 2020. From their Bandcamp page: “A classic last-tune-of-the-square dance in the Pacific Northwest. Greg Canote seems to be responsible for bringing this version to the area, though we learned it from Josh Rabie’s recording with Pharis and Jason Romero. Josh said he learned it from Sally Jablonsky.” There are other references to people learning this tune from Sally Jablonsky, but there was no luck finding a recording of her playing it. Sally reportedly said she learned it from Greg Canote, and Greg said he learned it from her version. A prime example of the murkiness of tune origins! Sally does have an album called Dear Sister , recorded with her sister Ruthie, under the band name Dry and Dusty. Below are videos from Tricia Spencer with a Calico (GDgb) version, and a fun discussion on the evolution of Billy. The mp3 sound file is slower and more swingy, in Calico (AEac#) by the Newomatics from Oakland, California. *Here are some links to explore alternate/cross tunings: Jenny Glover's Fiddletails Wikipedia Fiddling Around The World The Onlies Josh Rabie The Canote Brothers The Onlies 1/4 The Onlies Calico Billy In The Low Ground (AEAc#) Calico Billy In The Low Ground (in G) Tricia Spencer Calico Billy In The Low Ground Tune Talk Episode 18/Spencer and Rains Billy In The Low Ground The Newomatics 00:00 / 02:50

Tune History The Stories Behind Your Favorite Tunes < Back To List Green River March Roane County Ramblers An important (and fun) part of appreciating Old Time music is learning where the songs and tunes come from. When there is an East Tennessee connection, it’s even better! Roane County Ramblers, led by Jimmy McCarroll (1892-1985) , formed in the late 1920’s and recorded for Columbia Records in 1928-29. Jimmy lived on a farm near Oak Ridge and claimed Cherokee ancestry. Their 1928-29 recordings for Columbia were made in Johnson City and Atlanta because the Ramblers declined to travel to New York. One of their more popular tunes was Green River March. Jimmy said he got it from his grandmother, and family lore has it that the tune originated on the Cherokee Trail of Tears. The Green River is located in the southwestern corner of Middle Tennessee along the Alabama line. The Bell Route of the Cherokee Trail Of Tears forced relocation to Oklahoma (1837-38) would have crossed the Green River near Waynesboro, TN. For lots more on Roane County Ramblers, please visit their profile on the MUSIC page. The original 78 rpm recording sounds like it is the key of F. There is a transcription in D by John Hartford from the playing of East Tennessee fiddler Charlie Acuff , who told Hartford he learned it from the recording. Charlie McCarroll (1935-2020, the youngest son of Jimmy) also played it in the key of D. Tom and Tammie McCarroll also play it in D. (see videos below) The mp3 file below from Costa Campbell Lloyd and Cline is in the key of C. Speaking of pitch and tuning, you may know that we tune our instruments to A=440hz. Do you know why? Did you know that there was no internationally recognized pitch “standard” until 1955 - and even that was not formalized until 1975? A cynical person might say that it is possible that banjo players have long known about, and continue to exploit this confusion. Roane County Ramblers Columbia 15438-D record label Cherokee Trail of Tears map Roane County Ramblers 1/5 Green River March 1929 Roane County Ramblers Tom McCarroll & Tammie McCarroll - Burroughs play Green River March and talk about its history. Recorded at the Laurel Theater's 44th annual Jubilee Festival in 2013 Green River March Charlie McCarroll and Tony Thomas 2013 Green River March Costa Campbell Lloyd & Cline 00:00 / 03:12

Tune History The Stories Behind Your Favorite Tunes < Back To List Old Piss Sprightly March, Unfortunate Title Robert from Asheville wrote and asked about the tune history of “Old Piss”, also known by some as as “Few Days” and others as “Old #1”. He said he learned the tune at a jam in Knoxville some years back. Editor’s note: I was not familiar with this tune and do not recall ever hearing it played at a Knoxville jam. I checked with several …let’s call them senior… Knoxville players who told me they knew of the tune, but that it was seldom played. Robert said he was told that the tune was named for a Civil War general. Then this year at Mt. Airy, he was told that “Old Piss” was the name of the sire of Robert E. Lee's horse, Traveller. Lee’s horse was indeed named Traveller . However, Traveller’s lineage is well documented, and he was sired by a well known Thoroughbred racehorse named Grey Eagle. Racehorse name theories for this tune pop up occasionally online, but if “Old Piss” was a nickname/stable name for Grey Eagle, it is not documented. While lack of documentation does not prove that the nickname did not exist, there is so much information on Grey Eagle and Traveller that it would be surprising for that spicy detail to not be included somewhere. Sorry, Mt. Airy. Let’s crack open the internet and see what else we can find out about this fife-turned-fiddle-tune in the key of D. “Old Piss” was a reel or march played by southwest Pennsylvania fifers and was collected by well known musicologist Samuel Bayard . It is published in his book “Dance to the Fiddle, March to the Fife: Instrumental Folk Tunes in Pennsylvania.” ed. note: Bayard should be familiar to lots of Old Time musicians for his documentation (and book) “Hill Country Tunes, instrumental folk music of southwestern Pennsylvania” which includes Sarah Armstrong . The fact that Bayard was a noted authority on fife music, and wrote that "Old Piss" was one of the best-known tunes among southwest Pennsylvania fifers, lends tremendous credibility to “Old Piss” being a Civil War era (or possibly older) march. Note that Bayard’s oldest listed source for the tune was born in 1881, which is past the Civil War years of 1861-65, but that’s probably because Bayard (1908-1997) did not begin collecting tunes until 1928, so there were not many Civil War fifers still around then. That being said, documenting the tune itself is the easy part. How about the title? In his book, Samuel Bayard states "Despite its undesirability, our title for No. 158 [Old Piss] was almost the only one the players ever used. Sometimes the tune was simply called an old march; rarely, it had the name Few Days, indicating some 'floater' tendencies in the title of our No. 154. But whatever its usual name, the tune was one of the best-known among the southwest Pennsylvania fifers." Fiddler Paul Kirk writes regarding the origin of the title, “One was told to me from some friends in Bradford, PA, and that story goes that the title is an homage to a general whose surname was something like Pisselli, and that he was known as "Old Piss" for short.” In a Banjo Hangout discussion forum from 2021, participant “matchbookholder” writes, “I did a little research and found that Christian R. Pisle of Franklin County (South Central PA - Chambersburg) was a Captain in the 21st Pennsylvania Cavalry, Company I, in late 1863.” So the tune title referring to an officer’s nickname remains a very good possibility. While the tune itself is very well documented, there’s not a whole lot more information on the title. Recall that Brayard wrote about the title’s ”undesirability.” It is entirely reasonable to assume that because the tune’s title was not considered to be “proper,” other writers and musicologists were reluctant to do further research - especially if they were trying to get published or were worried about offending others. While "Old Piss" is probably fairly tame on the offensive title scale today, the tune is now often diplomatically referred to as "Old #1", which also allows us to satisfy our need for juvenile scatological humor. Samuel P. Bayard Dance To The Fiddle March To The Fife Samuel P. Bayard Book Civil War Fife & Drum Samuel P. Bayard 1/7 Old Piss Chuck Levy and Jay Gimellii Old Piss / Charming Molly (Live) Carolina Fifes & Drums https://fifedrum.org/ncfieldmusic/ Old Piss Paul Kirk Jr. & Rebecca Jane Bee- fiddle, Stephen Rapp- banjo, Sean Fen- guitar Old Piss Walt Koken & Clare Milliner 00:00 / 01:37

Knoxville Old Time If you love Old Time music - welcome to our family! Knoxville Old Time is a gathering place for everyone who shares a love of Old Time music We are proud of Knoxville and East Tennessee's musical history, which is very much a part of the fabric of Old Time music. But no matter where you are, that musical tradition is being honored and kept alive by passionate people just like you. October From The Editor October has arrived, but it still feels like summer in Knoxville! Fall color change is approaching, though it depends on where you are. Color changes are forecast to occur from late September to mid-October in the higher elevations, but here in the valley, colors will not peak until about October 24 to mid-November. Check the progress in the mountains for yourself on these Gatlinburg area live webcams. Leaf peepers across the USA can gather on this website. Jams The jams at Boyd’s Jig and Reel and the Laurel Theater are going strong. At the last Laurel jam, we had several new players, which is always good to see. We even convinced a visiting piano player to join in for a sprightly Contra-style rendition of Ragtime Annie. Come and play some Old Time music at Boyd’s any Tuesday at 6:30PM and at the Laurel Theater on Thursday, October 10th at 7PM. The jam at Crafty Bastard South restarted on September 15th after a summer break, but did not attract many people. This is possibly due to it being the first jam after taking the summer off, and/or a conflicting jam at Ijams Nature Center sponsored by the East Tennessee Bluegrass Association. (The bluegrass jam is now also occurring on the 3rd Sundays of the month.) We will continue with a first and third Sunday at 3PM schedule for Crafty South for now, but we can make adjustments as needed. Please join us on October 6th and October 20th at 3 PM at Crafty Bastard South (at Baker Creek). (Feel free to send me an email with feedback or suggestions concerning the Crafty South jam.) As always, complete details about area Old Time jams can be found on the Calendar page. Events There is a lot of Old Time music happening in October! The Calendar page will provide all the details and website links you need for reasons to get out of the house. Here are some highlights: Oct. 6 Alasdair Fraser and Natalie Haas play at Barley’s and will conduct a string workshop. Oct. 7 Natalie and Brittany Haas will play all 176 tunes from John Hartford’s Mammoth Collection of Fiddle Tunes book at the American Legion Hall in Madison, TN. Can’t make it? The event will be live streamed on YouTube. Oct. 18 Mama’s Broke, along with Tatiana Hargreaves and Allison DeGroot, will play at the Laurel Theater. Oct. 23 The Tillers with The Montvales will appear at Barley’s Knoxville. Oct. 24 Fall Heritage Days start at The Museum Of Appalachia. (Please be aware that Oct. 5th and Nov. 1st tickets are already sold out.) Oct. 26 Kentucky Wild Horse will perform at the Laurel Theater. New On The Website This month, a page was added for fiddler Clyde Davenport from south central Kentucky. He is probably one of the best known Old Time fiddlers, and his willingness to share his knowledge with others was important in the passing on of tunes from the Kentucky/Cumberland Plateau area. Clyde was also very opinionated about the good music he learned from his relatives and neighbors, and believed in keeping the tunes as pure as possible. Tune history takes a minor detour this month. Two minor key tunes have been added, and I hope you will enjoy learning more about them. The first one is a “modern” Old Time tune, “Going Back To Israel,” written by multi-instrumentalist June Drucker. June tells us how the tune was written, and shares with us that it really has nothing to do with Israel, but a lot to do with a birthday. “Boyne Water” was also added to the Tune History page at the suggestion of Jeff and Julie from South Carolina, who we met at Mt. Airy a couple of years ago. They like the minor sound and quick pace of the tune and enjoy playing it at Festivals. The tune is very old (late 1600’s), and has an intricate history surrounding a battle between two English kings. And it also has a direct relationship to another Old Time favorite, “Billy In The Low Ground” . Until Next Month, Mark Newsletter Signup Get notified when new content is added each month on this site, and when Festivals and other area Old Time music related events are announced. Email addresses are never shared. We do not sell anything. You can unsubscribe at any time. OPTIONAL - City & State Instrument Played (if any) I want to subscribe to your mailing list. Submit Thanks for joining our Old Time family! Newsletter Signup/Contact

Tune History The Stories Behind Your Favorite Tunes < Back To List Going Back To Israel A Birthday Gift From June Drucker (and nothing to do with Israel) If you are seeking the unique sound of minor tunes to add to your setlist, June Drucker’s “Going Back To Israel” is an excellent choice. June is a multi-instrumentalist, best known for her bass playing with a number of Old Time and Contra bands over the years. This original tune was included on her 2003 “Tumble and Leap” album. “Going Back To Israel,” is slightly crooked and in the key of A minor (played in standard tuning). It has become a Festival favorite and has been covered by several other bands. We reached out to June for some insight on the tune’s origin. She said, “...it was written in about 10 minutes sitting on the counter in Godfrey Daniel’s Cafe in Bethlehem, PA on the way up to the Hudson River Festival. It was almost written as a joke for my friend Tara Nevins who had written some tunes and we were both going to be at the festival, so I gave that tune to her as a birthday present. There was really no thought put into it, just a noodle and ended up a tune.” June credits Tara Nevins’ playing as contributing to its popularity, because, “...she is a much better fiddler than me…” As for the title, June stated that she didn’t name it. A friend of hers suggested “Going Back To Israel” after joking that the tune sounded like something some of their other fiddler friends would play - and as June explained, “...that was that. It really has nothing to do with Israel. So that’s about it. Not too exciting a story, but hope this helps.” Included below is the original from June’s album, and a version performed by June with Bruce Molsky, Rose Sinclair, and The Horse Flies’ Judy Hyman and Jeff Claus at the 2001 Falcon Ridge Folk Festival in Goshen CT. A high octane rendition by The Mando Mafia from their 2004 “Get Away” album, and (on the mp3 player) , a unique jammy rock/electric fiddle interpretation from Seattle’s Celtic/Surf/Roots band “The Irish Experience,” provide additional takes on the original. June Drucker The Renegades 2008 recording on Field Recorders' Collective label. "The Renegades are veterans of notable old time bands (Richie Stearns of the Horse Flies, June Drucker of the Heartbeats, Carol Elizabeth Jones of the Wildcats, and James Leva of Plank Road and the Hellbenders)" The Mando Mafia Get Away album (2004) June Drucker 1/5 Going Back To Israel (fast forward to 39:15) (then go back and listen to the whole set!) Bruce Molsky, June Drucker, Judy Hyman, Rose Sinclair, Jeff Claus 7/29/01 Falcon Ridge Folk Festival Going Back To Israel June Drucker Tumble and Leap (2003) Going Back To Israel The Mando Mafia Get Away (2004) Going Back To Israel The Irish Experience 00:00 / 03:43

Music Exploring Old Time Recordings and Artists < Back To List Charlie Acuff Left Handed Fiddler Charles Boyd “Charlie” Acuff (1919-2013) was born in Maynardville, Union County, TN just north of Knoxville. His unassuming ways, legendary story-telling ability, his fiddling skills, and a seemingly unlimited supply of old tunes made him a well known and very popular East Tennessee fiddler. (Ed. note:) There must be something in the water, as Union county is also the birthplace of several other prominent country music musicians including Charlie’s second cousin Roy Acuff , Chet Atkins , Carl Smith , Lois Johnson , and Kenny Chesney . As a boy, Charlie suffered from allergies which were worsened by living in the country. As a result, he moved in with his grandparents, who lived in the Fountain City community. (Now a part of the City of Knoxville due to a controversial 1962 annexation) Charlie's grandfather, Charlie Boyd Acuff, for whom Charlie was named, was himself a fiddle player and is the person who taught Charlie how to play. Charlie was left-handed, and learned to play a right-handed fiddle left-handed. This reversing of the fiddle’s usual string order gave Charlie a distinct playing style and sound, along with him eventually being known as the “Left Handed Fiddler”. In the learning process, hundreds of his grandfather’s tunes were passed along, with some tunes pre-dating the Civil War. In his teens, Charlie played anywhere he could, including local events and square dances. In 1938, Charlie and his brother became backing musicians for another Maynardville (Union County) hillbilly musician, Esco Hankins . Because Hankins had a car, this enabled them to travel and play almost daily on radio station WROL in Knoxville, often under the sponsorship of legendary supermarket owner and music promoter Cas Walker . Charlie and his brother were also known as “The Hub Spinners” during this time. Due to his fiddling skills and notoriety from the radio, Charlie became even more in demand for square dances and socials. His popularity was such that he had to eventually slow down his musical ambitions because playing was taking so much time that it affected his school work. Unfortunately, the start of WWII further hindered playing opportunities. Charlie was turned down for the draft due to back problems, but because everyone was expected to assist in the war effort, he moved to Blount County and took a job at the huge Alcoa aluminum plant, which was supplying war materials. He worked at Alcoa during the day, but fiddled at night, playing a fiddle made by his father, Evart. Charlie played this fiddle his entire life, just one of the 36 fiddles his father made. Over the course of the next 40 years of working at the factory and playing at night, Charlie honed his musical and performance skills. Charlie Acuff played at the 1982 World’s Fair in Knoxville , appeared in several episodes of the TV series “Christy,” and played twice a week at the Museum of Appalachia for several years. Starting in 1989, he played with a band called “The Lantana Drifters” from Cumberland County (Crossville) TN. The Drifters won first place five times at the Smithville (TN) Fiddlers Jamboree. A teen fiddler named Joseph DeCosimo was a student of Charlie’s during that time, and sometimes played gigs with the Drifters. John Hartford also reportedly learned a large number of his Old Time fiddle tunes from Charlie. He and Hartford made a recording together in 1990 called “Left Handed Fiddler”, a privately issued cassette tape run of only 50 copies, which was sold in the Museum of Appalachia gift shop. (You can now listen to that recording HERE . ) Currently, there is only one commercially available recording of Charlie’s tunes, called “Charlie Acuff-Better Times A Comin’” (2000). For more information on one of Charlie's signature tunes, "Bob Taylor's March," visit our TUNE HISTORY page. In 2005, Charlie was honored with the Tennessee Governor's Folklife Heritage Award . (He played “Bob Taylor’s March” at the ceremony.) When asked about this award, Charlie said, “At first, I just sat on the couch, shocked. Then I got to thinking about all the friends that I have that said all those nice things about me to make this possible. I really think they should have this award, not me. They did the work, and all I did was just fiddle.” When Charlie passed away in 2013, his son Boyd said, "If you judge him by money or financial success, he was a failure - but if you look at how good of a fiddle player he was, the friends he had and all of the places he played, then he was a very successful man." Charlie Acuff 1997 From Tennessee Folklore Society's "East Tennessee Fiddler Charlie Acuff" 1997 DVD Charlie Acuff 2003 From 2009 Mother Jones Article Charlie Acuff 1919-2013 Obituary in photo link Charlie Acuff 1997 From Tennessee Folklore Society's "East Tennessee Fiddler Charlie Acuff" 1997 DVD 1/13 Charlie Acuff with The Lantana Drifters "Old Molly Hare" filmed early 1990's Tennessee Folklore Society's "East Tennessee Fiddler Charlie Acuff" (1997 DVD) Tunes in order: Old Yeller Dog, Down In Union County, Going To Chattanooga, Two o'clock, Goodbye Liza Jane, Leather Britches, Josie Girl, Jim & Me, Bob Taylor's March, Ruffled Drawers, Turkey Buzzard Songs Of Appalachia: Fiddler Charlie Acuff (2012) Walking In The Parlor Charlie Acuff 00:00 / 02:10

Tune History The Stories Behind Your Favorite Tunes < Back To List Anchored In Love Divine James Rowe and James Vaughan "Anchored in Love Divine" is a beautiful song and it is fun to sing and play! Although authorship of this song is often mistakenly attributed to the Carter family because of their recordings, it was written by James Rowe (lyrics) & James Vaughan (music) and first published in Vaughan’s “Crowning Praises” (1911) songbook. Vaughan is from Lawrenceburg, TN . The Carter Family recorded the song on Victor 40036 on May 9, 1928. The chorus has two parts, which makes it popular with duets and groups, and it is a favorite of autoharp players thanks to the Carters. James Rowe 1865-1933 James Rowe was born in England and came to America in 1890 where he first worked for the New York Central & Hudson R.R. Co., then as superintendent of the Mohawk and Hudson River Humane Society. He began writing songs and hymns about 1896 and was a prolific (!) writer of gospel verse with more than 9,000 published hymns , poems, recitations, and other works. James D. Vaughan is considered by many to be the "father of southern gospel music". Over his lifetime, he wrote more than five hundred songs, printed and sold over six million gospel songbooks, founded the first radio station in Tennessee, and pioneered professional southern gospel music. There is a James D. Vaughan Gospel Quartet Festival , as well as a James D. Vaughan Southern Gospel Museum in Lawrenceburg, TN. James D. Vaughan James Rowe Vaughan Tennessee historical marker James D. Vaughan 1/7 Anchored In Love Love Lifted Me Give Me The Roses While I Live (1933) The Carter Family 00:00 / 03:03