Straw Bonnet - UIS Jam

Audio: 

A portion of playing the tune in our jam session. The lead fiddler is Steve Staley, the audible banjos are myself and Lyle Konigsburg, and there are many others having a good time with a new tune. My solo version and more information is here.

Straw Bonnet

Audio: 

Here's a nice little Illinois tune. I learned it from Lynn "Chirps" Smith's version on Vol 2 of his home recordings, where he plays it on mandolin. I think the only written source is Dear Old Illinois, where it is tune number 251. The tune comes from Harvey "Pappy" Taylor of Effingham, Illinois. The tune was recorded in 1977 by the Indian Creek Delta Boys on their Vol 2, and the liner notes say this about Harvey Taylor:“Pappy” Taylor was born in 1894 in Effingham County. His parents sang together at home, and his grandfather played many of the fine old fiddle tunes that Pappy now plays.

Briarpicker Brown

Audio: 

I learned this tune recently from a combination of Wayne Schell, Lyle Konigsberg, and people in the jam who can read the music in the Fiddlers Fakebook. I'm on both the WL-250 and the CEB-5 cello banjo.

Greasy Coat

Audio: 

Played on both the cello banjo and the WL-250. Both are tuned in A-modal, the cello is an octave lower. This is the 3-part version of the tune, played AABCC, where both the A & B parts are quite short.

John Henry

Audio: 

I had just received this cello banjo and played around with it for about 45 minutes before doing this quickie recording. I'm in G tuned an octive lower than a standard banjo.

Quaker Girl

Audio: 

I learned this tune from Tony Ellis' delightful CD called Quaker Girl, on which he plays some of the prettiest waltzes ever played on banjo. This isn't one of those waltzes, but I've been captivated by it for a couple of months. I'm in two tunings here, high base on the tackhead (open G tuned down to D; dADF#A) and double-d on the WL-250, and as usual I've drifted a bit from the true melody. This tune was composed by Tony Ellis, and my version here is posted with his permission. Thanks for the tune!

Jawbone

Audio: 

Cool tune. I haven't read much on it, but the Fiddlers Companion says it's in G rather than in A as I do it here. I worked out this version from hearing it done by Illinois fiddler Wayne Schell.

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