Oh, Listen Today ...

The roots of American Old-Timey fiddle music

Musical Traditions Records - MTCD517

1. Flop-Eared Mule - The Highlanders.  2. Humphrey's Jig - Ed Haley.  3. Jenny Baker - Jimmy Johnson's String Band.  4. Waynesburgh - Fiddlin' Doc Roberts.  5. Charleston No.3 - Narmour & Smith.  6. Too Young to Marry - The North Carolina Ramblers.  7. Devil's Dream - Jasper Bisbee.  8. Buck Creek Gal - Fiddlin' Doc Roberts.  9. Grey Eagle - Ed Haley.  10. Billy in the Low Ground - Cuje Bertram.  11. Fisher's Hornpipe - Emmett Lundy.  12. Booth - Marcus Martin.  13. Fire in the Mountain - The Red-Headed Fiddlers.  14. Sally Brown Jig - Allen Sisson.  15. Black-Eyed Susie - Nester & Edmonds.  16. Wilson's Jig - Ed Haley.  17. Salt River - Kessinger Brothers.  18. Natchez Under the Hill - Emmett Lundy  19. Grandad's Favorite - Ernie Carpenter.  20. Queen of the Earth and Child of the Skies - Edden Hammons.  21. Polka Four - Kessinger Brothers.  22. Wake Up Susan - Ed Haley.  23. Jenny on the Railroad - Carter Brothers & Son.  24. Seneca Square Dance - Fiddlin' Sam Long.  25. Indian Ate the Woodchuck - Ed Haley.  26. Lady Hamilton - Manco Sneed.  27. Scolding Wife - Marion Reece.  28. Old Flannigan - The Blue Ridge Mountaineers.  29. Cumberland Gap - Manco Sneed.  30. The Old Clay Pipe - The North Carolina Ramblers.
Jeff Davis writes from New Zealand, with an apology for not writing a review.

The difficulty for me in writing a review was that we are here in a small house on the other side of the world (no excuse there; what's the internet for, after all?), my entire library of books and recordings is back in Connecticut; we don't really have the internet here so getting to things like YouTube uses up vast amounts of data; I could get to the public library but I wasn't finding it a good place to work (listening on ear buds feels very confining.  I'm a delicate creature apparently).

I was also feeling that I was a bit out of my depth despite the fiddle being the instrument I play most these days ('cause it is so damned hard).  Without easy, or any, access to related or backup materials, I was feeling somewhat lost and insufficient to the task.  I kept putting off getting started.  I may get to it someday.

Because the CD is great.  I'm so impressed with the work you do and, I confess, a bit awed by the work that Mike Yates does.  I've listened numerous times, and read every word of the liner notes.  You'd think that I'd feel I had all the information to write that stunningly positive piece for Musical Traditions.  'Tis an amazing collection.  Somehow, though, it wasn't happening and for that - my last apology.

Jeff Davis - 26.3.20

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