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93-521: Charles Cleveland Poole (March 22, 1892 – May 21, 1931) was an American old-time musician and leader of the North Carolina Ramblers, a string band that recorded many popular hillbilly songs between 1925 and 1930. Poole has been regarded as a pioneer of country , bluegrass and folk music . Poole was born near the mill town of Franklinville, North Carolina . He was the son of John Philip Poole and Elizabeth Johnson. In 1918, he moved to

186-430: A " string band ." Less frequently used are the cello , piano , hammered dulcimer , Appalachian dulcimer , tenor banjo , tenor guitar , lap-steel guitar , mandola , mouth bow , as well as other instruments such as the jug , harmonica , autoharp , jaw harp , concertina , button or accordion , washboard , spoons , or bones . The fiddle is sometimes played by two people at the same time, with one player using

279-704: A "Country Music and Bluegrass at Newport" record, and Mississippi John Hurt was among performers on "Blues at Newport." Ashley, whose band featured Doc Watson, appeared on both the "Old Time" and "Country Music and Bluegrass" collections. Arhoolie Records in 1962 started a label called "Old Timey," reissuing dozens of LPs based on old 78s by old-time string bands and more -- not only volumes of "Old-Time Southern Dance Music: Ballads And Songs," but "Pioneers Of Cajun Accordion 1926-1936," "Amadé Ardoin* – The First Black Zydeco Recording Artist (His Original Recordings 1928-1938)," "Classic Country Duets," and collections of " Western Swing, Blues, Boogie And Honky Tonk." Old-time music

372-424: A Dice Found . Kaukonen and Falzarano both contributed original songs. Throughout the 1990s, Hot Tuna again alternated between acoustic and electric styles. The two Sweetwater albums were predominantly acoustic sets with guests such as Bob Weir , Maria Muldaur and former Jefferson Starship bassist-keyboardist Pete Sears ; the latter was to join the group for the remainder of the decade. On August 13th, 1994

465-483: A centuries-old folk tradition, and through the middle to late 20th century they performed in a style older than the stringbands often associated with old time music. Their style has been recently emulated by contemporary musician Tim Eriksen . The Southern states (particularly coastal states such as Virginia and North Carolina ) also have one of the oldest traditions of old-time music in the United States. States of

558-638: A contract, they recorded "Don't Let Your Deal Go Down Blues" on July 27 1925. This song was successful, selling over 106,000 copies at a time when there were estimated to be only 6,000 phonographs in the southern United States , according to Poole's biographer and great-nephew, Kinney Rorrer. The band was paid $ 75 for the session. For the next five years, Poole and the Ramblers were a popular band. The band's sound remained consistent, although several members came and left (including Posey Rorer and Norm Woodlief). The band recorded over 60 songs for Columbia Records during

651-404: A departure from their primarily bluesy, acoustic style when Hot Tuna dropped their acoustic sets completely and morphed into a heavy rock band. In October 1974, the group performed on The Midnight Special . The albums America's Choice (1975), Yellow Fever (1975), and Hoppkorv (1976) showcase a power trio with the addition of new drummer Bob Steeler . Jeff Tamarkin's liner notes on

744-435: A fiddle play the lead melody with a banjo playing rhythmic accompaniment is the most common form of Appalachian old-time music today. Individualistic three-finger styles were developed independently by such important figures as Uncle Dave Macon , Dock Boggs , and Snuffy Jenkins . Those early three-finger styles, especially the technique developed by Jenkins, led to the three-finger Scruggs style created by Earl Scruggs in

837-593: A form of old-time music. Several distinctive Native American and First Nations old-time traditions exist, including Métis fiddle and Athabaskan fiddle . Old-time music has also been adopted by individual Native American musicians including Walker Calhoun (1918–2012) of Big Cove, in the Qualla Boundary (home to the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians , Matthew Kinman of the Apache Tribe, and Wovoka Herrera of

930-570: A handful of concerts in the summer of 1971 and winter of 1972) after the Fillmore East shows, Hot Tuna became an independent group. In this era, Hot Tuna's members were Kaukonen, Casady, drummer Sammy Piazza, and Creach, moving fully to the electric band format. This lineup was first documented on the album First Pull Up, Then Pull Down (1971), which was recorded live at the Chateau Liberte, an obscure club located near Los Gatos, California , in

1023-613: A joint tour in November 1970 with shows at the Fillmore East . In September 1970, Kaukonen and Casady performed two acoustic-based shows as Hot Tuna without Jefferson Airplane at Pepperland (a large dance hall in San Rafael, California ) and received good reviews, further signifying that Hot Tuna could survive without the other band to support it. As Jefferson Airplane wound down and stopped regularly touring for over eighteen months (save for

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1116-514: A major influence on styles like country music and bluegrass . It is one of the few regional styles of old-time music that, since World War II, has been learned and widely practiced in all areas of the United States and Canada (as well as in Europe, Australia, and elsewhere). In some cases (as in the Midwest and Northeast), its popularity has eclipsed the indigenous old-time traditions of these regions. There

1209-664: A native of the North Carolina mountains, collected much traditional music during his lifetime, also founding the old-time music festival in Asheville, North Carolina . Notable North Carolina traditional banjo players and makers include Frank Proffitt, Frank Proffitt Jr. and Stanley Hicks , who all learned to make and play fretless mountain banjos from a family tradition. These players, among others, learned their art primarily from family and show fewer traces of influence from commercial hillbilly recordings. The Proffitts and Hicks were heirs to

1302-411: A planned 1978 tour was canceled, with Kaukonen filling these dates by performing solo. A double live album , Double Dose , was released that year as a document of the previous year's tour. Casady and Kaukonen went their separate ways and pursued short-lived careers in the new wave bands SVT and Vital Parts , respectively. In 1979, Kaukonen released his second solo album and Grunt Records released

1395-644: A result of the terrain of the region, the societies and cultures were fairly isolated from outside intervention. In 1916, Cecil Sharp arrived in Appalachia and began recording the folk songs on the Mountains. Sharp, an authority on British ballads, was able to identify 1,600 versions of 500 songs from 281 singers, almost all having their origins in the English/Scottish Child Ballads . After his first study in Appalachia, he published English Folk Songs from

1488-427: A single fiddler, who often also acted as dance caller . By the early 19th century, the banjo had become an essential partner to the fiddle, particularly in the southern United States. The banjo, originally a fretless instrument made from a gourd, provided rhythmic accompaniment to song, dance and the fiddle, incorporating a high drone provided by the instrument's short "drone string." The banjo used in old-time music

1581-456: A strong beat, and instrumental solos, or breaks, are rarely taken. This contrasts with bluegrass music , which developed in the 1940s as concert music. Bluegrass music developed from old-time music and shares many of the same songs and instruments, but is more oriented toward solo performance than is old-time music. Many different types of dancing are done to old-time music, such as square dancing , contra dancing , and buck dancing . While in

1674-552: A three-CD box set of his music, entitled You Ain't Talkin' to Me: Charlie Poole and the Roots of Country Music in 2005. The album, produced by Henry "Hank" Sapoznik, was nominated for three Grammy Awards . It chronicles the music made for Columbia by Poole and the North Carolina Ramblers between 1925 and 1931, including such important songs as "Don't Let Your Deal Go Down", "Can I Sleep in Your Barn Tonight, Mister?", "Old and Only in

1767-402: A three-finger "fiddle style" that seems to have been influenced in part by late-19th century urban classical style. Young players might learn whatever style a parent or older sibling favored, or take inspiration from phonograph records, radio, traveling performers and migrant workers, local guitarists and banjo players, as well as other musicians they met when traveling to neighboring areas. Having

1860-457: A unique fingerpicking style, a blend of melody, arpeggio, and rhythm (distinct from clawhammer/ frailing and Scruggs ' variations). Poole had been invited to Hollywood to play background music for a film, but died before this could happen in May 1931. His cause of death was a heart attack due to alcohol poisoning. According to some reports, he had been disheartened by the slump in record sales due to

1953-660: A vibrant old-time music community. Extending the north–south corridor from Seattle to Portland and east to Weiser, ID and Boise, gatherings and festivals such as the Portland Old Time Gathering, Festival of American Fiddle Tunes in Port Townsend, WA, an annual campout in Centralia, WA and the National Oldtime Fiddlers' Contest have helped build a growing and multi-generational old time music community. Among

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2046-529: Is a descendant of Poole's fiddler Posey Rorer, and is the banjo player for the old-time music group The New North Carolina Ramblers. A double-CD album paying tribute to Poole was released by singer-songwriter Loudon Wainwright III in August 2009. The album, entitled High Wide & Handsome: The Charlie Poole Project , features 30 tracks, including new versions of songs originally recorded by Poole, as well as tunes composed by Wainwright and producer Dick Connette on

2139-651: Is a particularly high concentration of performers playing Appalachian folk music on the East and West Coasts (especially in New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and the Pacific Northwest). A number of American classical composers, in particular Henry Cowell and Aaron Copland , have composed works that merge the idioms of Appalachian folk music with the Old World–based classical tradition. Appalachian old-time music

2232-533: Is an American blues rock band formed in 1969 by former Jefferson Airplane members Jorma Kaukonen (guitarist/vocals) and Jack Casady (bassist). Although it has always been a fluid aggregation, with musicians coming and going over the years, the band's center has always been Kaukonen and Casady's ongoing collaboration. Hot Tuna began as a side project to Jefferson Airplane , intended to mark time while Grace Slick recovered from vocal cord nodule surgery that had left her unable to perform. They initially named

2325-439: Is found. The traditional folk music of Newfoundland and Labrador , though similar in some ways to that of the rest of Atlantic Canada , has a distinct style of its own. As such, it is generally considered as its own genre. The current old-time music scene is alive and well, sparked since the mid-1990s by the combined exposure resulting from several prominent films, more accessible depositories of source material, institutions like

2418-791: Is itself made up of regional traditions. Some of the most prominent traditions include those of North Georgia ( The Skillet Lickers ) Mount Airy , North Carolina (specifically the Round Peak style of Tommy Jarrell ) and Grayson County / Galax , Virginia ( Wade Ward and Albert Hash), West Virginia (the Hammons Family), Eastern Kentucky (J. P. Fraley and Lee Sexton), Middle Tennessee ( Uncle Dave Macon , The McGee Brothers , Thomas Maupin, and Fiddlin' Arthur Smith ), and East Tennessee (Charlie Acuff, The Roan Mountain Hilltoppers, G.B. Grayson). The banjo player and fiddler Bascom Lamar Lunsford ,

2511-597: Is often played for dances, it is often characterized as dance music. There are also long-standing traditions of solo listening pieces and fiddle songs, such as those documented in West Virginia by Erynn Marshall in Music in the Air Somewhere: The Shifting Borders of West Virginia's Fiddle and Song Traditions ( WVU Press , 2006). In dance music as played by old-time string bands, emphasis is placed on providing

2604-411: Is played using a wide variety of stringed instruments. The instrumentation of an old-time group is often determined by what instruments are available, as well as by tradition. The most common instruments are acoustic string instruments . Historically, the fiddle was nearly always the leading melodic instrument, and in many instances (if no other instruments were available) dances were accompanied only by

2697-426: Is some overlap between regions. There are numerous regional styles of old-time music, each with its own repertoire and playing style. Nevertheless, some tunes (such as " Soldier's Joy ") are found in nearly every regional style, though played somewhat differently in each. Appalachian folk music is brought to the United States by immigrants and slaves. In turn it influenced country music and old-time music. As

2790-557: Is still occasionally taught in elementary schools (generally with recorded, rather than live music), old-time instruments and dances are not included in the educational system, and must be studied outside the school system. The Digital Library of Appalachia provides online access to archival and historical materials related to the culture of the southern and central Appalachian region, including audio recording samples. Contents are drawn from special collections of Appalachian College Association member libraries. Hot Tuna Hot Tuna

2883-461: Is typically a 5-string model with an open back (i.e., without the resonator found on most bluegrass banjos). Today, old-time banjo players most commonly utilize the clawhammer style, but there were numerous styles, most of which are still used to some extent today. The major styles are down-picking (generally referred to today as "clawhammer," though historically myriad names were used to describe it), two-finger index lead, two-finger thumb lead, and

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2976-567: The Deep South such as Alabama , Mississippi , Georgia , and Louisiana also have their own regional old-time music traditions and repertoires, as does the Ozark Mountains region of Arkansas and Missouri . While the music of the Louisiana Cajuns has much in common with other North American old-time traditions it is generally treated as a tradition unto itself and not referred to as

3069-500: The Depression . Poole's music saw a revival in the 1960s, most likely due to his inclusion on the 1952 Anthology of American Folk Music , and his renditions have been re-recorded by numerous artists, such as John Mellencamp with "White House Blues", The Chieftains , New Lost City Ramblers , Holy Modal Rounders and Hot Tuna with "Hesitation Blues", and Joan Baez with "Sweet Sunny South". The Grateful Dead 's popular song "Deal"

3162-1092: The Northern Lights Bluegrass and Old Tyme Music Camp and Festival in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada (established 2005), Old Fiddler's Convention in Galax, Virginia (established 1935), the West Virginia State Folk Festival in Glenville, West Virginia (established 1950), the National Oldtime Fiddlers' Contest in Weiser, Idaho (established 1953), the Mount Airy Fiddlers Convention in Mount Airy, North Carolina (established 1972), Uncle Dave Macon Days in Murfreesboro, Tennessee ,

3255-560: The Northern Paiute people . Calhoun played three-finger-style banjo and sang in the Cherokee language . The New England states, being among the first settled by Europeans, have one of the oldest traditions of old-time music. Although the Puritans (the first Europeans to settle in the region), frowned upon instrumental music, dance music flourished in both urban and rural areas beginning in

3348-539: The Santa Cruz Mountains that was favored by the band throughout the era. The group also appeared on three tracks from Papa John Creach 's debut solo album , as well as "Walking the Tou Tou" from his second album, Filthy! The studio albums Burgers (1972) and The Phosphorescent Rat (1974) followed, with Creach leaving before the latter was recorded. These two albums featured mostly Kaukonen compositions. On

3441-976: The Vandalia Gathering in Charleston, West Virginia (established 1977), the Appalachian String Band Music Festival in Clifftop, Fayette County, West Virginia (established 1990), Breakin' Up Winter in Lebanon, Tennessee , the Winfield Music Festival is held in Winfield, Kansas and the Smithville Fiddlers' Jamboree and Crafts Festival held in Smithville, Tennessee (established in 1972). Because old-time fiddle-based string band music

3534-523: The 17th century. Primary instruments today include the fiddle, piano, and guitar, with the wooden flute sometimes also used. As with Appalachian folk, a number of classical composers have turned to New England folk music for melodic and harmonic ideas, most famously Charles Ives , as well as Aaron Copland , William Schuman , and John Cage , among others. Rhythmically, this style is more diverse than most southern old time, featuring schottisches , hornpipes , and waltzes in addition to reels . Beginning in

3627-480: The 1920s and 1930s, literal use to describe nostalgic song and tune collections over the years, and concert organizers' and record companies' use of the phrase in the 1960s to identify traditional instrumental and vocal music by rural white and black musicians, distinct from the then-commercialized "folk revival" music that included urban "interpreters" and singer-songwriters (See "Revival" below). Contemporary fiddler's conventions, music camps and festivals often use

3720-455: The 1920s, including "Sweet Sunny South", "White House Blues", "He Rambled", and "Take a Drink on Me". Former railroad engineer Roy Harvey was one of the guitarists . Fiddlers in various recording sessions were Posey Rorer, Lonnie Austin and Odell Smith. Bill C. Malone , in his history of country music, Country Music, U.S.A. , says, "The Rambler sound was predictable: a bluesy fiddle lead, backed up by long, flowing, melodic guitar runs and

3813-650: The 1920s. (Among the concert performers were Clarence Ashley , Dock Boggs , Gus Cannon , Jesse Fuller , Roscoe Holcomb , Mississippi John Hurt , Furry Lewis , Bill Monroe , the Stanley Brothers , and Doc Watson .) A 2006 three-CD box set from Folkways reissued more of the original 14 concerts, under the title "Friends of Old Time Music: The Folk Arrival 1961-1965," accompanied by a 60-page book by Peter K. Siegel, with essays by John Cohen (musician) and Jody Stecher. Among its observations, "When Ralph Rinzler , Cohen and Young decided to call their new organization

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3906-506: The 1929 Gibson Company catalog to promote their banjo. He spent much of his adult life working in textile mills . Poole and his brother-in-law, fiddle player Posey Rorer , whom he had met in West Virginia in 1917 and whose sister he married, formed a trio with guitarist Norman Woodlief called the North Carolina Ramblers. They auditioned in New York for Columbia Records . After signing

3999-442: The 1940s, which helped advance the split between the old-time genre and the solo-centric style that became known as bluegrass. Jenkins developed a three-finger "roll" method that, while obviously part of the old-time tradition, inspired Scruggs to develop the smoother, faster and more complex rolls that are now standard fare in bluegrass music . In the 19th and early 20th centuries, musicians began to add other stringed instruments to

4092-472: The 1960s and 1970s through similar field recordings completed by John Cohen. These records featured Dillard Chandler, Berzilla Wallin (recorded by Sharp) and Dellie Norton. Relatives of those individuals continue to keep this unique vocal style alive to this day. A Scottish fiddler named Niel Gow (note the unorthodox spelling) is usually credited with developing (during the 1740s) the short bow sawstroke technique that defines Appalachian fiddling. This technique

4185-706: The Airplane's original club, The Matrix , before Jefferson Airplane resumed performing to support Volunteers . (Although Covington had been hired by Jefferson Airplane, he only performed at select engagements, with Spencer Dryden continuing to perform as the band's principal drummer until his 1970 dismissal). Once the Airplane had resumed touring, Tuna found itself opening for the Airplane. Their early repertoire derived mainly from Kaukonen's Airplane material and covers of American country and blues artists such as Reverend Gary Davis , Jelly Roll Morton , Bo Carter and Blind Blake . In September 1969, Kaukonen and Casady employed

4278-734: The British Isles reels and jigs both remain popular, the reel is by far the predominant metric structure preferred by old-time musicians in the United States (though a few hornpipes are also still performed). Canadian musicians, particularly in the Maritime provinces where the Scottish influence is strong, perform both reels and jigs (as well as other types of tunes such as marches and strathspeys ). Players traditionally learn old-time music by ear; even musicians who can read music. A broad selection of written music does exist, although many believe that

4371-582: The Field Recorders Collective, and the work of touring bands, including The Freight Hoppers , The Wilders, Uncle Earl , Old Crow Medicine Show , Glade City Rounders, Foghorn Stringband , and the Carolina Chocolate Drops . Contemporary old-time music often blends styles with closely related genres, such as bluegrass or other types of folk music . A new generation of old-time musicians performs as solo acts and band leaders all over

4464-593: The Fire Maiden," "Sunrise Dance with the Devil," and "Surphase Tension" on Yellow Fever . Live performances throughout the epoch were distinguished by free-flow improvisational jams and very long sets (up to six hours uninterrupted) with extended versions of their studio material. A November 1976 concert at the Palladium in New York City featured a 16-minute version of "Invitation." However, producer Harry Maslin did not appreciate

4557-492: The Friends of Old Time Music, they were referring to language that had been used by the commercial recording industry almost four decades earlier." In a separate essay, Cohen observes, "Ralph and I looked for name for our proposed organization, one that would avoid the pitfalls of the word 'folk,' for we needed to establish our own distinct identity as something apart from the folk revival," with its "commercialization of folk music by

4650-549: The Hot Tuna compilation Final Vinyl . Rhythm guitarist Michael Falzarano and drummer Shigemi Komiyama joined Kaukonen and Casady for a Hot Tuna reunion tour in 1983. The group played a mix of new material alongside the classic Hot Tuna songs. This, combined with the group's hard rock and heavy metal approach, were not well received, with reports of fans walking out of shows. Hot Tuna again reformed in 1986, with producer Joey Balin joining on rhythm guitar until 1987. Kantner joined

4743-603: The New Lost City Ramblers, other performers (e.g., Canadian fiddler Jean Carignan ), and events ("The 37th Old Time Fiddler's Convention at Union Grove North Carolina"), including a 1960s New York City organization called the "Friends of Old-Time Music" (F.O.T.M. for short), with headquarters at Izzy Young 's Folklore Center in Greenwich Village. The group's goal was to "reach deep into the grassroots and bring traditional folk music, performed by traditional artists, to

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4836-588: The New York City area," according to Richard Rinzler's booklet accompanying a collection of concert recordings. Under its "Old-Time Music" umbrella, rather than the phrase "folk music" then being used heavily by commercial record companies and young singer-songwriters, the group presented a wide range of older black and white traditional and "roots" musicians, including Southern singers, fiddlers, banjo players, guitarists and string bands in styles ranging from unaccompanied and banjo-accompanied ballad-singing to bluegrass and blues artists, some of whom had recorded as early as

4929-429: The North Carolina Ramblers recorded an incredible number of songs that are personal favorites of mine. Poole is, in fact, one of the great musicians of the century. No doubt about it." The album's cover art was created by Robert Crumb , the celebrated illustrator and an old-time music aficionado. Kinney Rorer penned a biography of Charlie Poole, entitled Ramblin' Blues: The Life and Songs of Charlie Poole in 1982. Rorer

5022-578: The RCA "Platinum Gold Hot Tuna Collection" characterize this trilogy as being emblematic of the band's "rampage years." Kaukonen is quoted as saying the change of focus was due to the fact that "it was just fun to be loud." During this period, Kaukonen's electric guitar playing was multi-layered, prominently showcasing such effects as the Roland Jet phaser. His "rampage" style is typified by the solos on "Funky #7" and "Serpent of Dreams" on America's Choice and "Song for

5115-595: The Southern Appalachians . Some examples of songs preserved in the Appalachian Mountains and recorded by Sharp include, "The Hangman Song", "Barbara Allen", etc. The primary sources for many of Sharp's recordings came from a string of related families around Shelton Laurel, N.C. Of note is the fact that these families maintained a specific, unique vocal tradition and traditional English lyrical pronunciations across several generations, until gaining fame in

5208-835: The Upper Midwest, especially Minnesota , old-time music most typically refers to a mixture of Scandinavian styles, especially Norwegian and Swedish . Texas developed a distinctive twin-fiddling tradition that was later popularized by Bob Wills as Western swing music. Fiddle music has also been popular since the 19th century in other Western states such as Oklahoma and Colorado . The National Oldtime Fiddlers' Contest has been held each year in Weiser , Idaho since 1953. Oklahoma, with its high concentration of Native American inhabitants, has produced some Native American old-time string bands, most notably Big Chief Henry's Indian String Band (consisting of Henry Hall, fiddle; Clarence Hall, guitar; and Harold Hall, banjo and voice), which

5301-704: The Way" (the title of which was used by Jerry Garcia to name his 1970s bluegrass band with David Grisman , Old and in the Way), and "White House Blues", adapted by John Mellencamp, who in 2004 updated the politically charged lyrics and changed the title to "To Washington". In addition to 43 of Poole's original recordings, the package features performances by other early roots music players and singers, including Fred Van Eps , Arthur Collins , Billy Murray , Floyd Country Ramblers, Uncle Dave Macon and The Red Fox Chasers . The original liner notes, by Peter Stampfel , state, "Charlie Poole and

5394-641: The album was recorded, Jorma's brother Peter Kaukonen soon replaced Kantner on rhythm guitar and Jefferson Airplane co-lead vocalist Marty Balin joined on vocals for the electric songs. In 1970, the younger Kaukonen was replaced by Paul Ziegler. That summer, RCA paid for the band to go to Jamaica to record their next album, but the album was never finished, in part due to a financial dispute between Balin (who left both bands shortly thereafter) and Kaukonen and Casady. Violinist Papa John Creach joined Hot Tuna and Jefferson Airplane in October 1970. Both bands finished

5487-527: The artist's life and times; it was awarded the Grammy Award for Best Traditional Folk Album at the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards . Old-time music Reflecting the cultures that settled North America, the roots of old-time music are in the traditional musics of the British Isles , Europe, and Africa. African influences are notably found in vocal and instrumental performance styles and dance, as well as

5580-693: The band in 1987 and 1988, adding some old Jefferson Airplane songs to the setlist. Grace Slick appeared with them for one show at The Fillmore in March 1988. The band continued into 1989 and Kaukonen and Casady joined the 1989 Jefferson Airplane reunion album and tour, performing acoustic Hot Tuna sets in the middle of each show. At the end of the Airplane tour, Hot Tuna resumed their electric performances, adding Falzarano and drummer Joey Stefko. Shortly thereafter, New Yorker Harvey Sorgen replaced Stefko on drums and Galen Underwood joined on keyboards for their first album of all new material in almost 14 years, 1990's Pair

5673-547: The band, he was replaced by Tracy Schwarz . New Lost City Ramblers sparked new interest in "old-time" or "old-timey" music, and wrote about it in record notes, magazine articles, and the New Lost City Ramblers Songbook, later reissued as the Old-Time String Band Songbook . Folkways Records , founded in 1948, began to use the phrase "old time music" prominently in conjunction with Mike Seeger,

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5766-608: The bow and fingers, while another player stands to the side and taps out a rhythm on the fiddle strings using small sticks called fiddlesticks (also spelled "fiddle sticks"). This technique (also sometimes called "beating the straws") is utilized in performance most notably by the duo of Al and Emily Cantrell. Each regional old-time tradition accompanies different dance styles. Some of these include clogging and flatfoot dancing (Appalachia), contra dancing ( New England ), square dancing (Southern states) and step dancing ( Nova Scotia , particularly Cape Breton Island ), though there

5859-510: The contributions of multi-instrumentalists Kenny Hall , Hank Bradley, and others. The Berkeley old-time scene of the late 1960s is documented in 1971 notes by Rita Weill to the Folkways LP "Berkeley Farms." The Berkeley Old Time Fiddler's Convention, she said, was "Conceived in the back of a Volkswagen bus, on the way to a party in Marin County, in 1968, by a group of people who wanted to retain

5952-430: The country, including: Brad Leftwich , Dan Levenson , Bruce Molsky , Rafe Stefanini , Bruce Greene, Rhys Jones, Rayna Gellert , Riley Baugus , Leroy Troy , Alice Gerrard , Dirk Powell, Walt Koken , Clifton Hicks, and Martha Scanlan . The Appalachian dulcimer has long been a part of string bands in the Galax, Virginia , area and is seeing new popularity re-emerging as a key instrument for old-time music, thanks to

6045-453: The departure of Diaz, Skoota Warner officially joined the band as drummer. In November 2010, Hot Tuna performed as a semi-acoustic trio: Casady, Kaukonen and Mitterhoff at a Midnight Ramble at Levon Helm 's Barn studio in Woodstock, New York . In the same month, Kaukonen announced on his blog that Hot Tuna had begun recording its first studio album in 20 years. The album, Steady as She Goes ,

6138-650: The duo would perform with "The Band & Friends" (along with Bruce Hornsby) on the South Stage at Woodstock '94. The 1997 release Live in Japan was in many ways reminiscent of the very first Hot Tuna album, having a minimalistic sound and being recorded live at a tiny venue (Stove's in Yokohama). Falzarano and Sears stayed with the band until the early 2000s. In 2004, Casady and Kaukonen were joined by mandolinist Barry Mitterhoff and drummer Erik Diaz. In August 2009, following

6231-702: The early 19th century, when the Midwestern states were first settled by immigrants from the eastern United States and Europe, the Midwest developed its own regional styles of old-time music. Among these, the Missouri style is of particular interest for its energetic bowing style, while Michigan is one of the few areas in North America with a continuous hammered dulcimer tradition through the twentieth century. The region of central and southern Illinois has its own distinct style and repertoire of old-time music as well. In

6324-582: The fiddle-banjo duo—including guitar , mandolin , and double bass (or washtub bass ). These provided chordal, bass line, and pitched rhythmic accompaniment, and occasionally took over the melody, usually during a "break" section that lasted the duration of a verse, refrain, or verse and refrain. This, along with a Dobro ( resonator guitar ), is also considered 'standard' bluegrass instrumentation, but old-time music tends to focus on sparser instrumentation and arrangements compared to bluegrass. Such an assemblage, of whatever instrumentation, became known simply as

6417-593: The finger-style banjo picking of Poole. Predictable as it may be, it was nonetheless outstanding. No string band in early country music equaled the Ramblers' controlled, clean, well-patterned sound." Poole composed few of his recordings, mostly covering old folk songs. Nevertheless, his dynamic renditions were popular with a broad audience in the Southeast United States. He is considered a primary source for old-time music revivalists and aficionados. Songs like "Bill Morgan and His Gal", "Milwaukee Blues", and "Leavin' Home", have been resurrected by banjo players. Poole developed

6510-539: The former album, David Crosby sang supporting vocals on "Highway Song", while keyboardist Nick Buck (who frequently guested with the group in the studio for the next five years before serving as a touring member in 1977) contributed to two tracks. As the band prepared for its 1974 tour in support of The Phosphorescent Rat , Kaukonen laid off Piazza after deciding to have the band return to its semi-acoustic repertoire. Kaukonen and Casady then proceeded to record Kaukonen's first solo album, Quah . However, July 1974 marked

6603-421: The good music and interplay they'd witnessed at Southern fiddle-banjo contests, without the competition and corruption extant there. They wished to avoid the effects of regionalism that decreed there was a right way to play a tune and a wrong way, as wel. After all, they felt, who could pinpoint one tradition for Berkeley? So it happened with but one rule, 'No fair 'lectric instruments.'" The Pacific Northwest has

6696-401: The group Hot Shit but then decided on the more innocuous Hot Tuna. That name came from someone Jorma Kaukonen referred to as a "witty wag" who called out "hot tuna" after hearing the line "What's that smell like fish, oh baby", from the song "Keep On Truckin'   ". Kaukonen, Jack Casady , Paul Kantner and new drummer Joey Covington played several shows around San Francisco, including

6789-467: The group enjoyed a notable cult following for much of the 1970s, Hot Tuna failed to rival or eclipse Jefferson Airplane and Jefferson Starship from a commercial standpoint. All but two Hot Tuna albums from the era reached the Billboard Top 100, America's Choice was their only post-1972 album to chart for more than ten weeks, peaking at No. 75. Due to emergent tensions between Kaukonen and Casady,

6882-416: The group's style and held them to a more traditional rock format (including several cover songs) for Hoppkorv . In 1977, Kaukonen began to perform solo sets before the band would perform. The trio stopped touring at the end of 1977 and performed its final concert at the Palladium on November 26, with keyboardist Nick Buck and saxophonist "Buffalo" Bob Roberts. Although live performances from all iterations of

6975-553: The influence of musicians such as Don Pedi, David Schnaufer , Lois Hornbostel, Wayne Seymour his disciples, Milltown and Stephen Seifert . American hammered dulcimer players like Ken Kolodner, Mark Alan Wade and Rick Thum continue this tradition. Family bands, such as The Martin Family Band, from Maryland, are continuing the traditions of old time music played on fiddle, banjo, lap dulcimer, hammered dulcimer, mandolin, piano, guitar, bass and percussion. The Carolina Chocolate Drops and

7068-514: The mid 20th century it was associated primarily with rural areas, particularly the Appalachian region . Important revivalists including Mike Seeger and Pete Seeger brought banjo and string-band music to New York City as early as the 1940s. The New Lost City Ramblers in particular took the revival across the country and often featured older musicians in their shows. The band was originally Mike Seeger , John Cohen , and Tom Paley . When Tom left

7161-552: The moniker for a week of acoustic-based concerts at the New Orleans House in Berkeley, California ; recordings culled from this engagement were released as the band's eponymous debut album in 1970. This album has become affectionately known by the group's fans as the "breaking glass album", because of the sound of breaking beer glasses during the recording of "Uncle Sam Blues". Some tracks included Will Scarlett on harmonica . After

7254-568: The music industry" and "urban performers who were interpreting and inventing folk music". Vanguard Records used "Old Time Music at Newport" as the title for one of its several LPs from the Newport Folk Festival of 1963, including several Southern players who had performed at FOTM concerts and Folkways records, and others: Clarence "Tom" Ashley , Doc Boggs, Maybelle Carter , Jenes Cottrell, Dorsey Dixon, Clint Howard, Fred Price, and Doc Watson. The New Lost City Ramblers were included on

7347-419: The music of African American recording artists , began using "old-time music" as a term to describe the music of white artists including Fiddlin' John Carson , who began recording in 1923. The term thus originated as a euphemism , but proved a suitable replacement for other terms that were considered disparaging by many inhabitants of these regions. It remains the term preferred by performers and listeners of

7440-456: The music. It is sometimes referred to as "old-timey" or "mountain music" by long-time practitioners. The early 19th century Minstrel Show configuration of banjo, fiddle, rhythm bones and tambourine, at first performing tunes learned from black players, soon added tunes adapted from white players previous European-roots repertoire, and songs composed specifically for those ensembles, such as those of Stephen Foster , some of which are still in

7533-444: The often cited use of the banjo ; in some regions, Native American, Spanish, French and German sources are also prominent. While many dance tunes and ballads can be traced to European sources, many others are of North American origin. Old-time music, especially if defined to include ballads and other vocal music, represents perhaps the oldest form of North American traditional music other than Native American music , and thus

7626-456: The old-time string band repertoire. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the guitar and mandolin became increasingly available, as well as factory made banjos, and tunes originating in Tin Pan Alley , gospel , ragtime , blues and other musics were adapted into the old-time style. People played similar music in all regions of the United States in the 18th and 19th centuries, but by

7719-661: The prominent styles of old-time music in Canada are the Scottish-derived tradition of Nova Scotia (particularly Cape Breton Island ), the French Canadian music of Quebec and Acadia , the old-time music of Ontario , and the prairie fiddling traditions of the central-western provinces . It is here (primarily in Manitoba and Saskatchewan ) that the fiddle tradition of the Métis people

7812-872: The solo careers of former members Rhiannon Giddens and Dom Flemons have directly addressed the nearly lost tradition of black stringband music. Other practitioners of the music included Charlie Acuff of Alcoa, Tennessee , Chester McMillian of Mount Airy, North Carolina , Lee Sexton of Line Fork, Kentucky, Thomas Maupin of Murfreesboro, Tennessee , George Gibson of Knott Co., Kentucky, Michael Defosche in Jackson County, Tennessee , Rob Morrison of Chapel Hill, North Carolina , Jimmy Costa of Talcott, West Virginia , Curtis Hicks of Chattanooga, Tennessee , Clyde Davenport of Monticello, Kentucky , Delmer Holland of Waverly, Tennessee , and Harold Luce of Chelsea, Vermont . Prominent old-time music festivals (some of which also include bluegrass, dance, and other related arts) include

7905-533: The spread of broad-band Internet, more and more old-time recordings are available via small publishers. Internet streaming audio ("Web radio"), and small Web sites make the music more accessible. Although it is one of the oldest and most prominent forms of traditional music in the United States and Canada, old-time music (with a few notable exceptions) is generally not taught in North American primary schools, secondary schools, or universities. Although square dancing

7998-414: The style of old-time music cannot be practically notated by written music. This is in part because there are many regional and local variations to old-time tunes, and because some of the most noted players often improvised and wouldn't play a tune exactly the same way every time. Players usually learn old-time music by attending local jam sessions and by attending festivals scattered around the country. With

8091-512: The term "old-time" is an appropriate one. In popular usage at 21st century fiddlers' conventions and summer music camps, it frequently describes styles of pre- bluegrass fiddle and banjo music as played in the Southern United States, so that "bluegrass banjo" and "bluegrass fiddle" can be judged separately. However, definitions of the phrase vary historically and geographically, including racially segregated titles used in record catalogs of

8184-475: The terms "old-time" and "old-time string band" interchangeably, heavily weighted toward instrumental performance and often placing vocal music in a separate folk song category. When some of its early country music recordings became hits, the Okeh company, which had previously coined the terms "hillbilly music" to describe Appalachian and Southern fiddle-based and religious music and " race record " to describe

8277-472: The town of Spray, North Carolina , now part of Eden . As a child, he learned to play the banjo . He played baseball , and his three-fingered technique was the result of an accident. Whilst betting that he could catch a baseball without a glove, the ball broke his thumb as he closed his hand too soon, resulting in a permanent arch in his right hand. Poole bought his first banjo, an Orpheum No. 3 Special, with profits from making moonshine . He later appeared in

8370-470: Was altered during the next century, with European waltzes and polkas being most influential. African Americans, who were not only slaves but also free blacks working in timber, coal mining , and other industries, influenced Appalachian music as the banjo was adopted from African Americans by white musicians (such as Joel Walker Sweeney ) in the years leading up to the Civil War . Appalachian folk became

8463-701: Was influenced by "Don't Let Your Deal Go Down". His recordings have also appeared on numerous compilations of old-time music . Since 1995, Poole's legacy has been carried on every year in Eden, North Carolina, during the month of June when the Piedmont Folk Legacies, Inc, a non-profit organization, hosts the Charlie Poole Music Festival. Bob Dylan in his Nobel Lecture acknowledged Poole and several lyrics of his song "You Ain't Talkin To Me". Columbia issued

8556-518: Was recorded by H. C. Speir for the Victor company in 1929. A California old-time music scene arose from college-city folk music scenes of the 1960s and '70s, from Fresno to Berkeley, including the Sweets Mill music camps and the crossover between square dance , folk dance and instrumental music scenes, documented in oral history interviews collected by musician, teacher and author Evo Bluestein, including

8649-476: Was released by Red House Records on April 5, 2011. For the first half of 2011, guitarist Jim Lauderdale and harmonica player Charlie Musselwhite toured with them; later in the year they were joined by Musselwhite, guitarists David Bromberg , Larry Campbell , Steve Kimock , and G. E. Smith , and vocalist Teresa Williams. Both Campbell and Williams, who guested on the Steady as She Goes album, have remained with

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