Folklore #600(12”)    

George Pegram (vcl, bj)  Walter Parham (vcl-1, mouth harp)

South Turkey Creek, Leicester, North Carolina; August 1957 

 

Old Pattler (2:06) 

The Wreck of the Old 97 (1:58) 

Lost John (1:44) 

Georgia Buck (2:25) 

Cackling Hen (2:00) 

Sourwood Mountain (1:44) 

Wildwood Flower (1:17) 

Down in the Valley (2:26) 

Fly Around MY Pretty Little Miss (1) (1:12) 

Roll on Buddy (1:26) 

Old Joe Clark (2:20) 

The Dowfall of Paris (1:18) 

Will the Circle b\Be Unbroken (3:17) 

Listen to the Mocking Bird (1:40) 

Johnson’s Old Grey Mule (2:02) 

Chicken Reel (1:07) 

Turkey in the Straw (1:27) 

Foggy Mountain Top (1) (1:54) 

 

　　　Amid the ridges and hollers of the Southern Mountains, removed from the swift currents of the American “mainstream,” the people of Appalachia have perpetuated a rich tradition of songs, ballads, and dances, mainly of British origin, which have become and integral part of America’s folk heritage. 

　　　Although some of the more objectionable elements of commercial “hillbilly” and “country and Western” music have tended it has failed to obliterate these folk creations.

　　　Here are some notable gleanings from this hardy mountain tradition, as banjo and mouth harp come together for a session of Pickin’ and Blowin’.

 

　　　Much of the history of the development of the banjo remains unwritten.  In the comments of slave owners and the observations of early New World travelers we can note some cursory impressions of the early banjo.  It is known to have been a creation of African slaves brought to the American Colonies, who fashioned their rudimentary instruments from hollow gourds, with a tightly stretched skin secured over the opening to form a resonant sound-box.  A picture of the banjo, used at a worship meeting of Negro slaves in Maryland around 1774 was given by a British travelers in this way: 

　　　“They … generally meet together and amuse themselves with dancing to the banjo.  This instrument … is made of a gourd, something in the imitation of a guitar, with only four strings and played with the fingers …”

　　　Writing of the Negroes and their music, in his “Notes on Virginia,” 1781, Thomas Jefferson stated: 

　　　“The instrument proper to them is the Banjar which they brought hither from Africa …”

　　　The long-necked, fretless banjo, as embodied in the black-faced minstrel shows (circa 1830), made use of Irish, and Scottish tunes, Negro dances, popular songs of the day, and English ballad elements – all played with repetition and syncopation.  With the innovation of the 5th string, around 1840 (presumably by Joel Walker Sweeney), and the addition of frets to the fingerboard, the style of playing changed considerably – from primarily chording to more developed solo and melody playing – and in this form the banjo was later adopted for use in the Southern mountains. 

　　　When the pioneer wagon-train and the traveling minstrel shows introduced the banjo into the Southern highlands, it found a receptive environment – perhaps due in part to the pleasing sound of the fifth, or “drone” string, which was analogous to the old world bagpipe and the Irish fiddle. 

　　　Despite the admonitions of the church leaders, who considered banjo “the instrument of the devil,” it found many uses in mountain life.  As a courting instrument it could accompany a sentimental love song, a lonesome ballad, or a humerous ditty: at a Saturday night dance it was a companion to the fiddle. 

　　　Through trial and error and imitation (where possible), a definitive “folk-style” for the banjo was developed, as occurred earlier with the fiddle.  Rudimentary chords, melodies, and picking styles were worked out for both the fretted and fretless banjos.  Like the fiddle, the banjo could be adapted to play in certain unorthodox ways by returning the strings, either to produce open chords, or to pitch the instrument for a modal tune.  The so called “basic tuning” was a pattern taken perhaps from the minstrel players, which was changed to suit different melodies.  The melodies themselves undoubtedly were also altered in this process of adaptation.  The banjo was strummed in a number of diversified finger-picking styles, which ranged from a relatively simple two-finger movement to more complicated plucking using a combination of three fingers. 

　　　George Pegram uses a technique much like the well known “double-thumbing” style.  It is a three-finger movement employing single notes; the melody is picked with the thumb and the drone is alternated between the first and second strings, using the index and the middle fingers. 

　　　As companion to the banjo in this album, Walter “Red” Parham plays the harmonica, a traditional instrument whose music represents a blending of melodic elements from both Negro and white folk songs.  In combination with the banjo, it brings to life many of the sounds familiarly heard in the farmyards and on the back porches of the peoples of the Southern Mountains. 

 

Side 1 

1.  OLD RATTLER: Negro chain-gang songs tell of Old Rattler as a bloodhound, while this white mountain version is humorous composite about an 　old hunting dog.

2. THE WRECK OF THE OLD 98: A journalistic ballad chronicling the wreck of the “Fast Mail” train of the Southern Railway, on its run between 　Monroe and Spencer, Virginia, in 1903.  The words were written by the railway agent who was present at the wreck; the melody is from an older 　song, The Ship That Never Return. 

3. LOST JOHN: The Stories about “Lost John” are numerous. Some accounts have him as a chain-gang convict from Louisiana; others as a man lost in 　the woods who plays his harp to get help; and still others are about a bank robber.  Derived from both Negro and white sources, the song is well-　

　known to harmonica players, who attempt to imitate the baying of hounds on a chase. 

4. GEORGIA BUCK: This bears melodic resemblance to such other pieces as Old Reuben, and Keep My Skillet Good and Greasy.  Its verses, lacking 　any real inter-relationship, may be easily interchanged. 

5. CAKLING HEN: A typical mountain breakdown – an instrumental tune repeated often with variations and special effects.  In this case, the sounds of 　the barnyard hen are imitated. 

6. SOURWOOD MOUNTAIN: As with many mountain tunes, this derives its name from a number of place names in the South.  It is considered by 　some to be the most famous of all mountain songs. Though often played as an instrumental number for square dancing, there are numerous verses, 　dealing with love and courting, associates with it. 

7. WILDWOOD FLOWER: A sentimental ballad of probable “parlor” song-book derivation, also known widely by the title The Pale Amaranthus, 　which was made famous by a Carter Family recording during the ‘30s. 

8. DOWN IN THE VALLEY: This lonesome mountain song is a standard inclusion in many popular collections of American folksongs. The impression 　is crated of listening from a mountain-top to the passing of a train in the valley below. 

9. FLY AROUND MY PRETTY LITTLE MISS: While best known today as a breakdown for dancing and singing, this originally came from “play-　

　party” tradition and bears a resemblance to the play-party songs, Pretty Little Pink and Shady Grove. 

 

Side 2 

1. ROLL ON BUDDY: Characterized by a melody of much greater strength than its text, this song gains its effect from sustained mood rather than from 　the narrative.  However, the unrelated verses do not seem to detract from the song.  Melodically, it is related to Mole In the Ground and Honey, 　Where You Been So Long. 

2. OLD JOW CLARK: The abundant verses to this song are found throughout Negro and white folk music – in play-parties, nursery songs, and as 　words to fiddle tunes.  It may hae been a regular play-party game at one time, though it is now usually an instrumental number. 

3. THE DOWNFALL OF PARIS: A fiddle tune of Irish origin which took its name from some historical event, most likely in the last century (Another 　example of this is Bonaparte’s Retreat, also well known as a dance tune in New England.) 

4. WILL THE CIRCLE BE UNBROKEN: Many hums and religious songs of the South have their roots in older traditional songs, the melodies having 　been taken over in the adaptation of music to church services.  These songs were eventually printed in hymn books.  This one, well known in 　Pentecostal church services, was popularized by hillbilly recording artists. 

5. LISTEN TO THE MOCKING BIRD: originally conceived as a mournful parlor song, this piece was written by Septimus Winner under the 　pseudonym of “Alice Hawthorne” in 1855.  (The tune is credited to a little Negro boy, whom he heard whistling it.)  Popular during the Civil War, it 　is used today as a square dance tune. 

6, JOHNSON’S OLD GREY MULE: this is said to be derived from an old “music-hall” ditty, but current singers know it as a banjo song.  The owner’s 　name, “Simon Slick”, used in this version, is mostly found in Negro texts of a related song, The Kicking Mule. 

7. CHICKEN REE: As a representative of the Irish tradition, this tune has been a frequent participant in fiddler’s contests and has been adopted by 　many folk instruments, including the banjo and harmonica.  A great many early instrumental pieces had as their subjects such “critters” a opossum, 　coon, mule, dog and chicken. 

8. TURKEY IN THE STRAW: One of the most successful of the early comic minstrel songs, and, known as Old Zip Coon, was first performed in 　1834.  The original words are seldom heard, but the melody has been kept alive as a fiddle tune. 

9. FOGGY MOUTAIN TOP: The essence of folk lyric is well illustrated by this popular mountain song made up of a number of distinct and unrelated 　verses.  It is found widely distributed throughout the Appalachians and the Ozarks, sometimes under the title Rocky Mountain Top.  Noted by 　ROBERT BLACK

 

About the Performers

　　　GEORGE PERGRAM of Union Grove, North Carolina, WALTER PARHAM of Leicester, North Carolina, have been playing and singing together for many years.  They appear together, and with other instrumentalists, performing for square dances all over Western North Carolina, and are the annual stars of Bascom Lamar Lunsford’s Mountain Folk Music and Dance Festival held each year in Ashville, north Carolina, during the first week of August. When not perfoming, Pegram and Parham work as farm laborers and odd job men. 

These recordings were made at Bascom Lamar Lunsford’ home in South Turkey Creek, Leicester, North Carolina.  Pegram and Parham may also be heard on Riverside in 

 

BANJO SONGS OF THE SOUTHERN MOUNTAINS (RL 12-610)

SOUSTHERN MOUNTAIN FOLK SONGS AND BALLADS (RLP 12-617)

 

NOTE: RLP12-650 produced and recorded by Kenneth S. Goldstein and notes written by Robert Black. 

Cover design by Paul Bacon and photo by Lawrence Photo. 

RLP12-650 reissued as Washington VM-743 “George Pegram and Walter Parham: Pickin’ and Blowin’ Cover designed by Ken Deardoff. 

                 

RIVERSIDE RECORDS are released by BILL GRAUER PRODUCTIONS

553 West 51st Street New York 19, N.Y.

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