Folktunes.org - instrumental

Policeman (at FanBelt's Jam)

Forrest Oliphant — Thu, 18 May 2006 14:24:27 -0400

MP3 url: [link]

Source webpage: [link]

Lyrics:

Police come, I didn’t want to go this morning (2x)
Police come, I didn’t want to go
Shot him in the head with my 44 this morning

Two little children lying in the bed, this morning (2x)
Two little children lying in the bed
One rolled over to the other and said, it’s morning

Bullfrog jumped from bank to bank, this morning (2x)
Bullfrog jumped from bank to bank
Skinned his whole back from shank to shank, this morning

I know something I ain’t gonna tell is morning (2x)
I know something I ain’t gonna tell
I want to go to heaven in a coconut shell this morning

Great big fellow laying on a log this morning (2x)
Great big fellow laying on a log
Finger on the trigger and his eye on a hog, this morning

Down went the trigger and bang went the gun this morning (2x)
Down went the trigger and bang went the gun
Wish I had a wagon to haul him home this morning

John Brown's Dream (at FanBelt's Jam)

Forrest Oliphant — Thu, 18 May 2006 14:24:23 -0400

MP3 url: [link]

Source webpage: [link]

Old Kentucky Whiskey (at FanBelt's Jam)

Forrest Oliphant — Thu, 18 May 2006 14:16:50 -0400

MP3 url: [link]

Source webpage: [link]

Lyrics:

Old Kentucky whiskey, old Kentucky whiskey...

Whitesburg (at FanBelt's Jam)

Forrest Oliphant — Wed, 12 Apr 2006 13:46:37 -0400

MP3 url: [link]

Source webpage: [link]

Notes:

I have encoded and uploaded a jam session from Halloween of last year. There are lots of great modal tunes, some hooting and hollering, and general fun. It will take some time to add each track to folktunes.org, so if you want to see the tracklist and listen now go to the archive.org Halloween at FanBelt's 2005 page. Recorded by Vernon Tilley and edited by Rob VanVeld.

I Saw A Man (at FanBelt's Jam)

Forrest Oliphant — Wed, 12 Apr 2006 13:38:15 -0400

MP3 url: [link]

Source webpage: [link]

Viola Lee Blues by Cannon's Jug Stompers

Forrest Oliphant — Thu, 2 Mar 2006 10:34:42 -0500

MP3 url: [link]

Source webpage: [link]

Lyrics:

The judge decreed it, clerk he wrote it,
The clerk he wrote it down indeed-eh,
The judge decreed it, the clerk he wrote it down,
If you miss jail sentence, you'll be Nashville bound.

Some got six months, some got one solid,
Some got one solid, year indeed lord,
Some got six months, some got one solid year,
But me and my buddy, oh got lifetime here.

Fix my supper, mama, let me go to,
Let me go to bed, indeed lord,
Fix my supper, let me go to bed,
I've been drinking white lightning, and it just gone to my head.

Notes:

Recorded on September 20, 1928 presumably in Memphis. The lineup is the same as on "Minglewood Blues," only Noah Lewis sings. The line "ain't got a jail sentence, you must be Nashville bound," refers to the common practice in the South at that time of sometimes not sentencing black men who were arrested for certain crimes. Rather, they would often be sent to places where they had to work very hard, which was often worse than a jail sentence.

Pig Ankle Strut by Cannon's Jug Stompers

Forrest Oliphant — Thu, 2 Mar 2006 10:27:06 -0500

MP3 url: [link]

Source webpage: [link]

Notes:

A great example of a jug-band harmonica tune to learn.

Recorded on September 5, 1928 in Memphis. Features Gus Cannon on the jug, Ashley Thompson on guitar, and Noah Lewis on the harmonica.

Whiskey Before Breakfast by Lonesome Tofu Expressway

Forrest Oliphant — Thu, 23 Feb 2006 22:21:28 -0500

MP3 url: [link]

Source webpage: [link]

Fourteen Days In Georgia by Blue Ridge Highballers

Forrest Oliphant — Tue, 7 Feb 2006 10:37:34 -0500

MP3 url: [link]

Source webpage: [link]

Notes:

Traditional "Mountain Dance Music" tune, recorded March 23, 1926 by the Blue Ridge Highballers ("led by Charley La Prade, fiddler").

Original 78rpm disk (Columbia 15081-D) digitized by old78collector

Flop-Eared Mule by Blue Ridge Highballers

Forrest Oliphant — Tue, 7 Feb 2006 10:30:49 -0500

MP3 url: [link]

Source webpage: [link]

Notes:

Traditional "Mountain Dance Music" tune, recorded March 23, 1926 by the Blue Ridge Highballers ("led by Charley La Prade, fiddler").

Original 78rpm disk (Columbia 15081-D) digitized by old78collector

Arkansas Traveler by Don Richardson

Forrest Oliphant — Sun, 5 Feb 2006 19:53:10 -0500

MP3 url: [link]

Source webpage: [link]

Notes:

Original 78rpm disk (Columbia A2140) digitized by old78collector
A very early recording of the traditional country fiddle tune "Arkansas Traveler", played by Don Richardson, dating from April of 1916. There is a barely audible piano accompaniment. This is from the original 78rpm disk, which is not in great shape, and there is considerable noise. But this recording does not seem to be widely available even as a reissue, so I thought it worthwhile to post it despite the condition.

Little Billy Wilson by Chinkapin Hunters

Forrest Oliphant — Tue, 31 Jan 2006 00:17:45 -0500

MP3 url: [link]

Source webpage: [link]

Sally Gooden -- Eck Robertson on fiddle

Forrest Oliphant — Tue, 31 Jan 2006 00:11:47 -0500

MP3 url: [link]

Source webpage: [link]

Notes:

Recorded on June 30, 1922 or July 1, 1922 in New York City. Although it is indeed possible, if not likely, that country or hillbilly performers had been recorded earlier, these sessions with Texas fiddler Eck Robertson are the earliest documented recording sessions of a country performer. The recordings were not released until about a year later. "Sally Gooden" is another ubiquitous old-time fiddle tune that is rivalled only by "Soldier's Joy" in popularity.

Arkansaw Traveler fiddle duet by Henry C. Gilliland and Eck Robertson

Forrest Oliphant — Tue, 31 Jan 2006 00:05:48 -0500

MP3 url: [link]

Source webpage: [link]

Notes:

Very early country fiddle duet, recorded June 1922. Arkansaw Traveler played by Henry C Gilliland and A C (Eck) Robertson.

From the original 78rpm disk (Victor 18956).

Ragtime Annie by Eck Robertson

Forrest Oliphant — Mon, 30 Jan 2006 23:28:05 -0500

MP3 url: [link]

Source webpage: [link]

Notes:

Great performance of a traditional tune by fiddler "Uncle" A.C. "Eck" Robertson in this 1922 recording. From 78rpm.

Old Joe Clark by Lonesome Tofu Expressway

Forrest Oliphant — Sun, 27 Nov 2005 12:50:25 -0500

MP3 url: [link]

Source webpage: [link]