IN THE FIELD BEHIND THE STAGE - RECORDINGS FROM GALAX OLD FIDDLERS CONVENTIONS - 1967 & 2010 OLD BLUE CD-708
Various Artists
At first glance, the cover photo may look like an RV convention. But die-hard Old-Time and Bluegrass fans know that every year in early August, the nooks and crannies of this crowded field are a hotbed of the best traditional music you'll ever hope to hear. Though many inspirational performances occur on the stage of the Old Fiddler's Convention in Galax, Virginia, some of the finest musical gems can be heard behind the stage, in this maze of RVs, cars and tarps. This CD captures some of those magical performances played in 1967 and 2010. As you listen, you'll notice that the quality, talent and musicianship have remained consistently high throughout this 33-year span.
The Greater Galax area has long been a hot-bed of great rural music. In the 1920s musicians like Ernest Stoneman; his brother, George; the (original!) Hillbillies; Wade, Fields and Crockett Ward; Ben Jarrell; Frank and Oscar Jenkins; to name just a few, traveled afar to Richmond, Indiana, Asheville, New York, Bristol to record. Even the Carter Family falls within that 60 mile radius circle. Many of these musicians played at the early Galax Old Fiddlers Conventions and are certainly one of the reasons that those contests got off to standing room only starts.
It was just as easy in the 1960s to go to the Galax and hear equally great musicians; even sometimes the musicians who got started in1920s. Clark Kessinger, who recorded over 70 fiddle tunes for Brunswick between 1928 and 1930, is on everyone’s top five list of old time fiddlers. In the ‘60s whenever I asked a Texas fiddler where they got their tunes, they would mention Clark. He started fiddling again in the 1960s; his band took home the blue ribbon at the 1965 Galax convention. And he got the fiddle blue ribbon in 1970 when he was 74 years old! Buddy Pendleton was second and Otis Burris, Joey's grandfather, third.
The three 1967 fiddlers, Leake Caudle, Oscar Jenkins and John Ashby, are sadly gone. The sixteen 2010 fiddlers, Eddie Bond, Bill Birchfield, Joey Burris, Andy Edmonds, Jerry Correll, Billy Hurt Jr., Corrina Logston, T.J. Lundy, Buddy Pendleton, Adrian Shepherd-Powell, Kilby Spencer, Kirk Sutphin and Betty Vornbrock, happily continue to make powerful, compelling music.
The bands heard here are equally important. Their drive, tightness and imagination are necessary ingredients of every winning performance. The 34 tracks on OB 708 work out to over 73 minutes of music. 34 tracks; 16 different fiddlers – ages 20s to 70-plus; 39 different musicians! If Clark were alive today, he would say something like: “Great job! I’d enjoy playing with – or against – any of you.”
CLICK HERE FOR SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION ABOUT THIS CD
BUY OB 708 "RECORDINGS FROM GALAX" CD
AND GET A BONUS CD FOR ONLY $1.50!
If you buy OB 708 IN THE FIELD BEHIND THE STAGE RECORDINGS FROM GALAX OLD FIDDLERS CONVENTIONS 1967& 2010 directly from Old Blue Records, you can also buy a bonus, non-commercially produced CD of the 1964 Galax Old Fiddlers Convention for only an additional $1.50. Among the musicians recorded, both on stage and (mostly) off-stage were Larry Richardson and Happy Smith, Ted Lundy, Troy Brammer, Glen Neaves and the Grayson County Boys, and China Poplin. Includes 37 Tracks. It is not available for purchase separately and is not available anywhere else! CLICK HERE for PDF of Track Listing for the Bonus CD.
TRACK LISTING
Click on the tunes with red dots before their titles to hear MP3 samples. Click the back button (or close the new tab), on your web browser
once you've finished listening. File sizes are listed in parentheses.
| # |
SONG/TUNE TITLE |
TIME |
INSTRUMENTATION |
| 1 |
Sail Away Ladies |
2:26 |
•T. J. Lundy – f; Kevin Fore, - cb; Trish Fore – g |
| 2 |
• Leather Britches |
1:39 |
Billy Hurt, Jr. - f; Jeremy Stephens – g |
| 3 |
Cricket On The Hearth |
2:52 |
Blue Ridge Mountain Ramblers: Adrian Shepherd-Powell - f; Trish Fore –cb; Steve Kilby – g; Sam Linkous – sb |
| 4 |
Durham's Reel |
1:11 |
John Ashby – f; Oscar Jenkins – fb, Aaron O’Bier (?) – g |
| 5 |
Breaking Up Christmas |
2:02 |
New Ballards Branch Bogtrotters - Eddie Bond – f, v; Josh Ellis – cb, Dennis Hall – g, Leon Frost – m; Dallas Hall – m; Jesse Morris - sb |
| 6 |
Richmond |
2:55 |
Kilby Spencer – f; Don Hill – g |
| 7 |
Jimmy Sutton |
2:04 |
Southern Pride: Joey Burris – f; Kevin Fore – cb; James Burris – g; Morgan Cockerham - sb |
| 8 |
Rachel |
2:13 |
Corrina Logston –f; Kevin Fore – cb; Trish Fore – g; Erin Creed – sb |
| 9 |
Piney Woods Gal |
2:47 |
Betty Vornbrock – f; Billy Cornette – g |
| 10 |
Leake Caudle's Tune |
1:41 |
Leake Caudle – f; Oscar Jenkins – fb |
| 11 |
Cotton Eyed Joe |
1:58 |
Buckstankle Boys: Andy Edmonds –f; Seth Boyd - fb Wes Clifton – g |
| 12 |
• Ryestraw |
2:28 |
T. J. Lundy – f; Kevin Fore, - cb; Trish Fore – g |
| 13 |
Parker Brown |
2:03 |
Grayson County Daredevils: Jerry Correll – f, Tom Mylet – cb, Kyle Dean Smith – g, Donna Correll – sb |
| 14 |
Girl Of My Dreams |
1:16 |
Oscar Jenkins – f; Leake Caudle – g |
| 15 |
Bill Bailey |
1:39 |
Buddy Pendleton |
| 16 |
Rat Cheese Under The Hill |
1:41 |
Billy Hurt, Jr. - f; Jeremy Stephens – g |
| 17 |
Birdie |
1:59 |
Leake Caudle – f; Oscar Jenkins – fb |
| 18 |
Grey Eagle |
3:15 |
Blue Ridge Mountain Ramblers: Adrian Shepherd-Powell - f; Trish Fore –cb; Steve Kilby – g; Sam Linkous – sb |
| 19 |
Sally Ann |
3:28 |
Roan Mountain Hilltoppers – Bill Birchfield – f, Martha Spencer – g, Jackson Cunningham – g, Matt Kinman – cb, Janice Birchfield – wb |
| 20 |
Belle of Lexington |
2:41 |
New Ballards Branch Bogtrotters – Kirk Sutphin, f; Josh Ellis – cb; Dennis Hall – g; Leon Frost – m; Dallas Hall – m; Jesse Morris – sb |
| 21 |
Benton's Dream |
2:24 |
Buckstankle Boys: Andy Edmonds –f; Seth Boyd - fb Wes Clifton – g |
| 22 |
Reuben |
2:12 |
New Ballards Branch Bogtrotters: Eddie Bond – f, v; Josh Ellis – cb, Dennis Hall – g, Leon Frost – m; Dallas Hall – m; Jesse Morris - sb |
| 23 |
Sourwood Mountain |
2:23 |
Roan Mountain Hilltoppers – Bill Birchfield – f, Martha Spencer – cb, Jackson Cunningham – g, Matt Kinman – g, Janice Birchfield – wb |
| 24 |
Take Me Back To Tulsa |
1:00 |
Oscar Jenkins – f; Leake Caudle – g |
| 25 |
Boarding House Blues |
2:19 |
Billy Hurt, Jr. - f; Jeremy Stephens – g |
| 26 |
Blackberry Blossom |
2:09 |
Kirk Sutphin – f; Kyle “Snake” Smith –g |
| 27 |
Brick Yard Joe |
1:59 |
Grayson County Daredevils: Jerry Correll – f, Tom Mylet – cb, Kyle Dean Smith – g, Donna Correll – sb |
| 28 |
• Western Country |
0:49 |
Oscar Jenkins – f; Leake Caudle – g |
| 29 |
Pat Him On The Back |
2:14 |
Betty Vornbrock – f; Billy Cornette – g |
| 30 |
Lost Indian |
2:04 |
Southern Pride: Joey Burris – f; Kevin Fore – cb; James Burris – g; Morgan Cockerham – bs |
| 31 |
Sally In The Garden |
1:42 |
John Ashby – f; Oscar Jenkins – fb |
| 32 |
Wake Up Susan |
2:29 |
John Ashby – f, Aaron O’Bier(?) – g, Hugh O’Bier (?) – b |
| 33 |
• Western Country |
2:57 |
New Ballards Branch Bogtrotters: Eddie Bond – f, v; Josh Ellis – cb, Dennis Hall – g, Leon Frost – m; Dallas Hall – m; Jesse Morris - sb |
| 34 |
Sandy River Belle |
1:33 |
Billy Hurt, Jr. - f; Jeremy Stephens – g |
| |
Red =1967 Recordings
Blue =2010 Recordings |
|
f - fiddle; cb - clawhammer banjo; fb - finger-style banjo; g - guitar; sb - standup bass; wb - wash-tub bass; v - vocal, m – mandolin
Note on Track 10: In spite of extensive research, Leake Caudle never mentioned the name of this tune on tape in 1967 and no one in 2010 knew the name. Please send Old Blue Records an email if you know the name. |
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