Friday, April 13, 2012

Frailing Fun 4/13/12

Hi folks, & welcome to Banjo Friday! Did you miss us last week? If you did, some good news—I’m really leaning toward making both Banjo Friday & Monday Morning Blues weekly series again, tho some of the posts may be more “jukebox” oriented—more music, less talk!

This is one of those posts, in fact. I've only encountered old-time banjo frailer Julie Duggan  on YouTube, where she posts on the Knockdownbanjo channel; some wonderful music there (as you are about to hear), & also some nice mp3s on her website (link at her name.)

Beyond that, I know very little about Ms Duggan—she does have a teacher page at the Banjo Hangout, & my ears tell me that she’s a fine & spirited musician. Lots of really good musicians out there, folks: not all of them have record deals or touring schedules, but they’re all keeping us entertained & happy!

“Suzanna Gal” also goes by the title “Fly Around My Pretty Little Miss,” & is a standard old-time fiddle tune.  It was recorded both by Gid Tanner & the Skillet Lickers & Frank Blevins and his Tarheel Rattlers in the 1920s string band versions. The tune was also recorded by Round Peak, North Carolina banjo wiz (& top notch fiddler) Tommy Jarrell. []

“Ladies on the Steamboat,” the second selection is a less familiar tune; it was recorded by the duo of Dick Burnett & Leonard Rutherford (better known simply as Burnett & Rutherford) who wielded the fiddle & banjo respectively & were stalwarts of early country music from the ‘teens all the way to 1950. They are now less well-known than contemporaries like the Carter Family, the Skillet Lickers & Uncle Dave Macon.

Hope you enjoy these fine renditions of two great old-time tunes!





6 comments:

  1. Cool! This reminds me that all those old banjo tunes can be played on the mountain dulcimer, too, since they share a modal tuning system.

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    1. Good call, Roy! Absolutely right. Both instruments are very modal in their orientation. Thanks.

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  2. Banjo Friday! YAY!!! So enjoyed this :)

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