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The Original and Great Carter Family

3/17/2017

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My grandmother had an LP called 'The Original and Great Carter Family', that I recall listening to quite often when I was a child, and this record is now in my collection.

The main reason why I have dwelt on the music of the Carter Family in some recent song of the week emails, and now am doing in this one, is because I believe that in order to have a good understanding and an informed appreciation of Bluegrass music one must have some familiarity with the music of the Carter Family. I believe that the same holds true to one extent or another as regards certain other forms of music that predate Bluegrass for having a good understanding and an informed appreciation of Bluegrass: e.g., the American Old-Time fiddle tune square dance tradition (celebrated in Bill Monroe's classic original 'Uncle Pen'), some of the types of church singing that the fathers of Bluegrass grew up with, and select examples of pre-World War II Blues and Jazz. 

In Bluegrass circles, the music of the Carter Family is often categorized as 'pre-Bluegrass'. Outside Bluegrass circles, people variously label their music as 'Hillbilly', 'Old-Time', 'Country', 'Folk', and even sometimes as 'Bluegrass'.

The 12 songs on the record - which can all be easily found on youtube - are:
  • Cryin' Holy (see song list)
  • 'Diamonds In The Rough' - a song that still remains one of my primary points of reference for the type of moderately fast 3/4 time (or 6/4 if you prefer) songs that the Stanley Brothers became especially known for.
  • 'God Gave Noah The Rainbow Sign' - played occasionally at the old-time jam at Pengilly's on Monday nights; recorded also by Ralph Stanley on his album 'A Distant Land To Roam: Songs Of The Carter Family': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbDFeiAKJrY&list=PLGf0vfriGIq-zv90SKjwUhoD9WIixOE5I
  • 'Forsaken Love' - another moderately fast 3/4 time song with the kind of tragic lyrics that nowadays seem to be less commonplace in Country music than in Bluegrass. Recorded at a slower tempo, with an incomplete set of lyrics (the suicide verse, for instance, is omitted), by Flatt & Scruggs on their album 'Songs Of The Famous Carter Family' https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3ypNOfDyrY
  • 'The Grave On The Green Hillside' - one of my favorite serious 'reflection on death'-type songs.
  • 'I'm Thinking Tonight Of My Blue Eyes' - Many classic Country songs (e.g., 'The Great Speckled Bird' and 'Wild Side Of Life') are based on the melody of this song. 'I'm Thinking Tonight Of My Blue Eyes' is my personal primary point of reference for Prog. W8 that, at Bluegrass jams I habitually call the 'Blue Ridge Cabin Home' progression. 
  • 'Little Moses' - a song that sums up some of the more memorable events related in the second book of Moses, Exodus. It is also on the same Ralph Stanley album mentioned earlier.
  • 'Sweet Fern'
  • 'Wabash Cannonball' - has been played many times at our beginner and intermediate jams in their various incarnations.
  • 'Kitty Waltz”
  • 'Wildwood Flower' - the 15th most frequently played song at the intermediate jam when it was still labeled as a beginner jam; and it remains one of the more popular songs to call at the intermediate jam. If any song deserves the title 'Hillbilly National Anthem', this might just be it. And, for many Bluegrass and Country guitar players, especially those of the older generations, this is the first song they learned to play a guitar break for.
  • 'Lula Walls' - One of my primary points of reference for the V6/X6 progression combination. Knowing the melody so well to this song has served me well in quickly identifying the melodies of many other songs that use the same progression. (The regulars at the intermediate jam should recognize the progression as being that used to play the Bill Monroe/Lester Flatt Bluegrass classic, 'Little Cabin Home On The Hill'.)
To hear for yourself what I mean, compare, for instance, 'Lula Walls' with the Lester Flatt original 'Little Girl Of Mine In Tennessee', and the trad. song 'Log Cabin In The Lane':
  • The Carter Family - Lula Walls: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38wyzTfdTe8
  • Flatt & Scruggs - My Little Girl In Tennessee: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXlPT5fwT2Q
  • Log Cabin In The Lane by Jim Eanes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QyVm8hI_rM
​

Shortly after I discovered Bluegrass, I came across a Bill Monroe live Bluegrass Gospel cassette tape in a friend's tape collection, and borrowed it. This was the first time I had heard Bill Monroe, and Cryin' Holy was one of the first songs on the tape. (Being new to Bluegrass at the time, I was happily surprised at how many of the songs on the tape I already knew from non-bluegrass recordings of the same songs.) I recall liking that it was played much faster than on the old Carter Family record, and with my three favorite instruments taking turns playing breaks on it: fiddle, banjo, and mandolin. I also remember finding it interesting that the lyrics were noticeably different than what I used to from the Carter Family record. 
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    Jason's Intermediate Jam Blog 2017 - 2018

    started as Beginner Jam in Jan 2015
    with
    ​Jason Homey

    Picture
    Songs regularly called at Bluegrass Jams and links from Jason's "Song of the Week" emails.  (from Renee)
    ​
    ​

    Songs

    All
    Are You Missing Me
    Auld Lang Syne
    Banks Of The Ohio
    Beautiful Brown Eyes
    Beautiful Star Of Bethlehem
    Big Spike Hammer
    Bill Cheatham
    Blue Ridge Cabin Home
    Canaan's Land
    Cherokee Shuffle
    Cheyenne
    Christmas Carol Progressions
    Christmas Songs
    Clinch Mountain Backstep
    Cry Cry Darlin
    Cryin' Holy
    Devil's Dream
    Dooley
    Down In A Willow Garden
    Down The Road
    East Virginia Blues
    Fireball Mail
    Foggy Mountain Breakdown
    Gathering Flowers From The Hillside
    Gold Rush
    Gold Watch And Chain
    Hand Me Down My Walking Cane
    Head Over Heels
    Homestead On The Farm
    How Mountain Girls Can Love
    I Can't Feel At Home
    I Know You Rider
    In The Pines
    In The Sweet By And By
    I Saw The Light
    John Henry
    Keep On The Sunny Side
    Left Over Biscuits
    Little Cabin Home On The Hill
    Little Darling Pal Of Mine
    Little Maggie
    Little Willie
    Love Of The Mountains
    Love Please Come Home
    Nine Pound Hammer
    Old Home Place
    Old Joe Clark
    O Little Town Of Bethlehem
    On And On
    Over The Waterfall
    Poor Wayfaring Stranger
    Red Haired Boy
    Red Wing
    Reuben
    Roll In My Sweet Baby's Arms
    Roving Gambler
    Sally Goodin
    Salty Dog Blues
    Shuckin' The Corn
    Steel Rails
    Turkey In The Straw
    We'll Meet Again Sweetheart
    Whiskey Before Breakfast
    Why Don't You Tell Me So
    Wildwood Flower
    Wreck Of The Old '97
    X-Hits And B-List Songs Of 2016
    X Music Theory
    X New Song List 2018
    X- Song List 2018
    X-Songs Of The Week Of 2017
    X- The Mercury Sessions
    X-The Original And Great Carter Family

    All of Jason's Songs
    in alphabetical order


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  • Home
    • About
    • Join Us
    • Donate
    • IBA Newsletter
    • Our Logo
  • Articles & Podcasts
    • Podcasts >
      • ​Jeremy Garrett Interview
      • Keith Reed Interview
      • Jason Homey Interview
      • Becky Smith Interview
      • Marv Quinton Interview
      • Rue Frisbee Interview
      • Donna and Mike Bond Interview
      • Honi Deaton Interview
      • Dennis Stokes Interview
      • Gary Eller Interview
    • Articles >
      • Glen Garrett - The Golden Years
      • Sammie Bush - came to Weiser
      • Mark O’Connor - My History at Weiser
      • Barbara Lamb - Fiddler Extraordinaire
      • Charlie Simmons -The Idaho Bluegrass Association from 1975 to 1985
      • Idaho's 19th century Fiddlers
      • Weiser Fiddle Champions ​ 1950s & 1960s
      • ​Byron Berline
      • Dave Frisbee
      • Weiser Fiddle Champions from 1970s and 80s
      • Megan Lynch Chowning
      • Fiddle Champion ​in 1990s and 2000s
      • Tashina and Tristan Clarridge
    • Snap Shot - Videos from IBA members
  • Events
    • Calendar (BCBB)
    • Open Mic
    • SpringGrass 2023 >
      • Springfest 2022
    • Winterfest
    • IBA Concert Series
    • Virtualgrass
    • Other Bluegrass Events
  • Jam
    • Idaho Jams
    • Jason's Beginner Jam Blog 2021 - 2022
    • Jason's Intermediate Jam Blog 2021 - 2022
    • All of Jason's Songs
    • Old Blogs from Jason >
      • Jason's Beginner Jam Blog 2019 - 2021
      • Jason's Intermediate Jam Blog 2019 - 2021
      • Jason's Beginner Jam Blog 2017 - 2018
      • Jason's Intermediate Jam Blog 2017 - 2018
      • Songs in 2016
  • Camps & Contests
    • Idaho Bluegrass and Banjo Camp
    • Banjo Contest
    • National Oldtime Fiddlers’ Contest
  • Idaho Bands
  • Teachers
  • Classified
  • Links
    • General
    • Learning
    • Specific Instruments