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One of my favorite tunes that I can almost play right. Learned from Billy Mathews' collection.

I learned this from the "home recordings" by Chirps Smith, who got it from Dwight Lamb. This title shows up in a list of tunes played by John Armstrong when he was visited by Edger Lee Masters and Theodore Drieser in Oakford, Illinois, 1914. My version is pretty skeletal compared to what the fiddle is doing.

I first heard this on the New Lost City Ramblers LP of songs of the depression, but was reminded of it a couple of years back when Michael Frisch sang it at a Oral History convention. Those oral historians know how to have a good convention. In looking around for the lyrics, I see that it was recorded by Eddie Cantor in the 1930s. Although I do it as a simple instrumental here, it is fun to sing.

I learned this one from the Billy Mathews collection.

I learned this tune from my fiddler friend, Steve Staley. Now I tend to ask to play it most times we meet.

I found out about this tune (different melody from the usual Fire on the Mountain) from a tune of the week by Don Borchelt. It ultimately comes from the playing of Kentucky fiddler Isham Monday.

Monymusk (or Money Musk) is named for a Scottish village. My A part is not quite right.

This has a video excerpt from the play New Salem Harmony This is the opening sequence from the play/performance piece that I was part of this fall. We're on stage at New Salem historic site, near Petersburg, IL. The play is called New Salem Harmony and consists of music (both traditional and new) combined with readings from the mid-19th century frontier Illinois, focusing on the village of New Salem.

I learned this from Dear Old Illinois, and posted it as a TOTW. There is a good bit more information at the Banjo Hangout.

From my continuing efforts at learning the fiddle. This is just one of my favorite tunes, on banjo and now also on fiddle. I need to smooth out my rhythm a bit.