Wine, Whiskey and Water
Fiddler a Dram/Whiskey Before Breakfast - Tony Rice
Two Irish fiddle tunes, extracted to the Appalachians by settlers to the region that have become old time and bluegrass standards. Here performed on guitar by Tony Rice, who's flurry of flatpicking mimics the rhtyhmic bowing of the fiddle.
Of course banjo pickers love these tunes too. Below is a link to a beautiful version of Whiskey Before Breakfast performed by Donald Zepp, only short but very sweet. Zepp owns a banjo store and regularly reviews banjos that he has in stock. His liquid banjo picking has made him something of a youtube phenomenon. And from there click around his other tracks, there's not a bad one in the bunch.
Whiskey Before Breakfast - Donald Zepp
Another of my favourite zepp tunes, also of Irish extraction entitled 'Wind that Shakes the Barley'. And we all know what they make with malted barley...
And here's a link to Zepp's homepage:
Raleigh & Spencer - Laurie Lewis
San Fransico Bay Area fiddle player Laurie Lewis sings and plays a through and through bluegrass version of the old time classic. A song about running out of luck and liquor, the band ably brings the tune into the bluegrass mode and do a fantastic job, easily one of the best versions of the tune to be found anywhere.
Old Corn Liquor - Dink Roberts
Black banjo player Dink Roberts is one of only a handful of artists recorded in this style. A driving beat and a drunk stagger make this track stick in your head. Embedded below is another rendition of the tune, this time by Joe and Odell Thompson.
Black banjo player Dink Roberts is one of only a handful of artists recorded in this style. A driving beat and a drunk stagger make this track stick in your head. Embedded below is another rendition of the tune, this time by Joe and Odell Thompson.
Moonshiner - Roscoe Holcomb
Moonshine is a great American tradition. Here Holcomb tells us of its perils in a haunting acapella.
Moonshine is a great American tradition. Here Holcomb tells us of its perils in a haunting acapella.
Mountain Dew - The Stanley Brothers
Down the Old Plank Road - Uncle Dave Macon
Soldier's Joy - The Skillet Lickers
Little Maggie - Doc & Merle Watson
A take from the seminal bluegrass LP Home Sweet Home, the track perfectly highlights Merle's metronomic, expressive three-finger banjo picking and Doc's plain and stately singing style. A real bluegrass stomper with a bluesy kick.
Following this link : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCBRbJVZZzk will take you to an interview between Mike Seeger and Ralph Stanley discussing Little Maggie. The video includes a breakdown of Ralph's picking style and a medley performance of Little Maggie and Pretty Polly. Definitely worth a watch for the performance alone; Ralph Stanley's haunting vocals really catch a nerve.
I've Been Drinking - Vera Ward Hall
Rising Sun Blues - Clarence Ashley & Doc Watson
Drunken Hearted Man - Robert Johnson
Hot Time's In Old Town Tonight - Mississippi John Hurt
Moonshinin' (Interview) - Ally Bain & Tommy Jarrell
Cider Mill - Tommy Jarrell, Fred Cockerham, Oscar Jenkins
Classic "Round-Peak" banjo & fiddle piece featuring the rhythmic short bowing of Mt. Airy fiddler Tommy Jarrell. Accompanied on this track by Fred Cockerham & Oscar Jenkins pulsing in the background with trademark slides and choppy double-thumbing.
Way Downtown - Jody Stecher & Kate Breslin
Way Downtown - Doc & Merle Watson
Dance All Night With a Bottle in Your Hand - Appalachian String Band
Fantastic modern old-time string band (a contradiction in terms?) of a great dance tune. Smooth fiddle and a great pulse to this track.
Fantastic modern old-time string band (a contradiction in terms?) of a great dance tune. Smooth fiddle and a great pulse to this track.
Old Rub Alcohol - Dock Boggs
Frankie and Johnny - Big Bill Broonzy
Drinking of the Wine - Bascom Lamar Lunsford
A beautiful spiritual adapted for solo voice and banjo by folklorist Bascom Lamar Lunsford. His introduction to the piece really shows how the times have changed.
Darling Cora - Mike Seeger
Mike Seeger's version of the mountain ballad. A tale of lost love and liquor.
Mike Seeger's version of the mountain ballad. A tale of lost love and liquor.
Intoxicated Rat - Doc Watson
No comments:
Post a Comment