Folk Music
Recorded Live at the
Folklore Society of Greater Washington Getaway in 1976 or 1977
Susan and I attended this "getaway" when we were living in the
Washington D.C. area. We recorded a bunch of songs on a portable
tape recorder. I saved the tapes and a year or two ago
transferred the songs to a CD.
Then I thought they ought to be shared so I'm posting them here...
I started playing the banjo in 1975. I had been playing guitar
for about 11
years at this time but was not playing anywhere near the skill level of
these people. Truly great musicians within this group. I
managed to learn a little frailing-style banjo but never managed to get
my thumb over to do the "drop-thumb", i.e., "clawhammer" style.
My main interest was, and continues to be, the three-finger
Scruggs-style bluegrass banjo style. But I do love the sound of
clawhammer banjo. It is as intricate and as difficult as the
three-finger style in my opinion although there might be some
dyed-in-the-wool Scrugs-style banjo players who would disagree.
:-)
The Getaway, as I recall, was held out at a county park in Virgina in
the D.C. area. There were some buildings there that people
were
playing music in. One of them had a very noisy screen door that
slammed occasionally. Sorry about that. I could probably
process that out but I think I'll leave it as is to indicate the
atmosphere and of people coming and going.
I know the title to only a few of these songs. I am making some
guesses on some of them as to what the title might be. :-)
Payday Guitar and singing.
Hold To his Hand Gospel song
(mostly?) with guitar and harmonica
I'll turn your money green Blues in
the best tradition of the blues. Great guitar work.
Had a Long Coat On Another blues type
song.
Sweet Little Angel Wow! Sung by
an older woman that people said used to hang around with
Leadbelly. There are people in the world that look like they have
lived what they are singing. This woman looked that way.
Dishwater blonde - Super voice for blues singing.
Ellis B Same singer as above.
Saint James Infirmary Same singer as
above. Again great backup guitar work.
Hoochie Koochie Man By a big fellow
named Jonathan. Super resonant voice! Great
guitarbackup. Bluesy.
44th Street and Vine Jonathan
again. Again, super resonant voice and great guitar backup
work.
Track 11 Guitar song.
Track 12 Blues guitar - Words I
cannot make out.
Cumberland Song about a Civil War
sailing ship sea battle involving the Cumberland and an iron-clad
frigate.
Goin' across the Mountain Clawhammer
banjo and singing. Civil War song.
Hard Times Now Banjo and singing.
Track 16 Blues about the
draft. Well-done...
Track 17 Plectrum banjo
If You Knew Susie Plectrum
banjo
Bringing the Georgia Mail Guitar,
dobro and singing
The Cuckoo's Nest Clawhammer banjo and fiddle
The
Cuckoo's Nest (Drew identified it.) Clawhammer
banjo.
Screen door banging occasionally.
Track 22 Clawhammer banjo.
Track 23 Clawhammer banjo and fiddle
One of Scott Joplin's Ragtime Songs
Guitar
Dallas Rag Guitar
Scott Joplin Ragtime One of his best
know songs whose name escapes me at the moment. Guitar
Scott Joplin RagTime Another of
Scott's ragtime song on the guitar.
Chicken on a Raft Group sing led by
Jonathan.
AIM NATIONAL ANTHEM
I saved a Pete Seeger publication from 1975 that contains the Aim National Anthem.
It was on a soft 45 record inside the magazine!
Best version ever in my opinion!
Aim National Anthem