This arrangement of Wabash Blues is mostly based on Milton Brown’s recording, cut on January 27th, 1935 in Chicago. The tune has also been recorded by other notable artists such as Roy Acuff and the Delmore Brothers. The song is a straightforward pop tune by Fred Meinken, with a nice harmonic surprise in the form…
Oozlin’ Daddy Blues
I made this arrangement of Oozlin’ Daddy Blues for my tunebook, based mostly on recordings by Bill Cox and Bob Wills. The song is a simple smutty ditty, bearing more than a passing resemblance to Lonesome Jailhouse Blues and several other tunes. The Cox performance features a short yodeled section at the end of each…
Hesitation Blues
I made this arrangement of Hesitation Blues years ago for my tunebook. It attempts to combine attributes of performances by Charlie Poole, Milton Brown, Hank Penny, and Doc Watson. The earliest recordings of this song were in a twelve-bar form, but most contemporary players use the structure Doc Watson used, a sixteen-bar form with an…
Run Smoke Run
Fiddlin’ Doc Roberts recorded Run Smoke Run at an August 24th, 1928 session in Richmond, Indiana. The recording was released as Gennett # 6689. The tune is comprised of two short four-bar strains, played AABBB. There is substantial variation between some of the repeats, so they are written in full.
Bull at the Wagon
The Lewis Brothers recorded Bull at the Wagon at a July 11, 1929 session in El Paso. Sadly that was the only known session for the duo. It’s a pity because Bull at the Wagon is a charming and energetic recording. The tune itself is fairly simple, composed of three strains in A Major, played…
Eighth of January, The
This transcription of the Eighth of January is based on a performance by the Fox Chasers, a band about which little is known, and whose entire recorded output consists of four sides recorded in San Antonio over two days in 1930. Like the performance by Ted Gossett’s band recorded a few months later, this is a…
Bug in the Taters
Al Hopkins and His Buckle Busters recorded Bug in the Taters on May 14th, 1927 in New York City. It was paired with Boatin Up’ Sandy, and released as Brunswick #182. The tune is comprised of four short four-bar strains D Major, played AABBCCDD. Al Hopkins and His Buckle Busters were the same group as The Hill…
Boatin’ Up Sandy
Al Hopkins and His Buckle Busters recorded Boatin’ Up Sandy in New York City on May 14th, 1927. It was paired with Bug in the Taters, and released as Brunswick #182. The form is a standard AABB fiddle tune with two four-bar strains. The ‘A’ strain has some nice syncopations, including a tie across the bar line…
Bring Me a Bottle
The Leake County Revelers recorded Bring Me a Bottle in New Orleans on December 12th, 1928. It was paired with Molly Put the Kettle On, and released as Columbia 15380-D. The form is a standard AABB fiddle tune, with two eight-bar strains. There are lyrics that aren’t included in this transcription. If anyone wants to take a…
Ridin’ in an Old Model T
Ridin’ in an Old Model T is one of six sides recorded by the Dixie Ramblers at a March, 1937 session in Birmingham, Alabama. Russell’s Country Music Records actually lists four unrelated groups that recorded under the name The Dixie Ramblers. Unusually for 1930s string bands, this group appears to have been racially integrated. Ridin’…