Here’s something different. I stumbled onto this today and really listened to it again. I have heard it several times in the past but today I listened with greater attention than ever and thought it would make a good choice for you all to hear as well and hopefully you’ll listen and realize you like it. I’d recommend all these tunes get listened to again and again and you’ll hopefully you’ll want to learn to play (or sing) them.
The Handmade Music School is offering a series of one-hour afternoon workshops as part of the Floyd County Old Time Music Get-Together on Friday, March 20 and Saturday, March 21, 2020, at the the Floyd EcoVillage in Floyd County, Virginia. Cost is $25 per workshop.
This version is most unique to the Blue Ridge area of Patrick County as far as I can tell. This beautiful tune is from the Shelor Family’s recordings. 'Callahan’ here is played here by Susan Shelor Deck (piano) and Jesse Shelor (on fiddle). I will send out the Uncle Norm Edmonds version of Callahan in a future post since it is NOT the same tune.
The tune of this week is called Sweet Little Julie. Here’s a really ‘cool’ banjo version played and sung by James Thompson. He was recorded by Peter Hoover in the early 60’s. My notes said he was from Ford County, an obvious typo meaning Floyd County. I don’t know anything else about him. I think James’ rendition show that he was a great player with a mixture of advanced right and left hand techniques. Mystery banjo man.
Our featured tune here is Old Cottoneyed Joe. This a cover of the ‘local’ Norman Edmonds version with improved guitar back-up. Its played on fiddle in cross-tuned G (GDGD). Banjo is in standard gDGBD. Two guitars. No bass. The player is Harold Hausenfluck whose one man band rendition from the 1990’s is pretty killer in my opinion. This a good example of the back-up making or breaking the appeal of a tune.
Handmade Music School instructor Jesse Smathers has recently been in the studio recording the new Lonesome River Band album. They're a world-class group and we can't wait to hear the new album! We're proud to have Jesse on staff at the Handmade Music School teaching mandolin and guitar.
This week’s tune is from Ivan Weddle of Floyd, Virginia. He was the Old-Time fiddler who played at Mabry Mill along the Blue Ridge Parkway in the 1970's and 1980's. Every Sunday afternoon in season, the flatfoot dancers came mostly from the local area to dance to the music of Ivan’s string band known as the Korn Kutters. I got to play banjo with the band several times.
Here’s a curious tune in G called Western Union from the repertoire of Boone's Mill / Callaway area old-timer Sherman Wimmer. No kin to Dent Wimmer that I know of, but maybe somehow. Sherman was part of the Old Originals project that yielded two LP’s of samples collected from a couple dozen players from the local area who were still able to remember and play tunes in the early 1970’s.
The holiday season is upon us and Christmas is just around the corner! Give the gift of music this year with a Handmade Music School Lesson Bundle! This package is the perfect way to help a loved one begin their musical journey. Available in-store or online.
All of us at the Handmade Music School are excited to welcome our new instructors, Morgan Fichter (piano, fiddle, early childhood music) and Jesse Smathers (mandolin, guitar). Morgan brings a wealth of experience working with children and adds her abilities as a piano instructor to the offerings at the Handmade Music School. Jesse...
On August 27th, 2019, Abigail Washburn and Béla Fleck performed to a sold out crowd at the Floyd Country Store. As part of their mission to support local non-profit organizations in towns along their touring routes, Abigail and Béla generously donated the proceeds from merchandise sales at their Floyd concert to the Handmade Music School.
Here’s a tune from our local area that was played in the OT jam led by Jason Phillips at Floyd Country Store on Sunday 2/18/18. It sometimes causes a stir with seasoned jammers since its name is Rachel and it is played in D. However, as many of you know, there’s another tune in D by that same name that is also known as Texas Quickstep. Totally different melody but a great tune in itself.
