ironworker - Posted - 03/12/2009:  16:42:41

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here's a tune i played hundreds of times in the 70's, and now as i revisit, i realize what a great tune it can be and how little i really know about it.
i can connect it with the Hammons family, but not much more than that.
Bosco?

michael ford

bosco - Posted - 03/12/2009:  22:00:33

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Old Sledge? I was told that it's a name of a card game popular in 19th century America, which I don't know how to play
Bosco

Konnichiwa, arigato, sayonara

SMDTMTL - Posted - 03/13/2009:  03:25:49

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I love this tune... play it regularly. Recordings I learned it from were Dan Gellert's and Bruce Molsky's...

Steve

bosco - Posted - 03/13/2009:  05:49:00

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Oh yes, tune! It's Playing Advice forum, not Fiddle-related Topic forum.
There are several versions of this tune and some of them are real different from others.
I've heard the versions of Burl Hammons, Melvin Wine, Ernie Carpenter, Ed Haley, Emory Bailey, Thomas Dillon and Ralph Roberts. Burl learned it form Edden Hammons but Edden didn't leave recording of the tune. Melvin, Ernie and Ed supposed to learn it from Jack McElwain who never left any recordings.
All of them are from W.V. and all but one(Ralph) tuned their fiddles in AEAD. I don't know any fiddlers who use this tuning outside of W.V. And there are only few other tunes in this tuning like Silver Lake, Patty-O Will Catch You, Sol's Little Favorite.
Bosco


Konnichiwa, arigato, sayonara

whitetopfiddle - Posted - 03/13/2009:  06:38:03

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Old Sledge was also played at the Whitetop Folk Festival in the 1930s and was known to be played often by left-handed fiddler Howard Wyatt of Konnarock,VA. I got this information from some papers documenting the contests. I think some other players in that area may have also played it. You can find Wyatt playing Salt River on the Digital Library of Appalachia. I also have a recording of Albert Hash attempting to remember and play a tune I think may be Old Sledge. I don't know how it ended up in that end of Grayson County,VA but I would guess some of those guys picked it up travelling or working in WV. Or possibly from Jess Johnston or other plays at the Folk Festivals.

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Edited by - whitetopfiddle on 03/13/2009 06:38:35

forestabri - Posted - 03/13/2009:  06:55:41

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Bosco, you mention a song, "Patty-O Will Catch You". Is this the same tune as "Padderole Will Catch You" and "Run N*gger Run"? A Padderole was a runaway slave bounty hunter, possibly from "patrol", interesting how the song names are passed down. Off-topic, but I had to ask.

Brian

robinja - Posted - 03/13/2009:  07:38:41

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Dan Gellert plays a medley of these two tunes (Old Sledge/Pateroller'll Get You) on his CD. It's excellent. Same combo by him is also available on the Bluff Country Gathering CD.

Judy

Feodosia - Posted - 03/13/2009:  08:09:13

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I often wondered if "Old Sledge " might be the Grand-daddy of the version of Bonaparte's Retreat that was used for the Hoedown in Copland's " Rodeo " ??

Or maybe that's just my ear hearing wierd things... LOL

ironworker - Posted - 03/13/2009:  09:32:20

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Thanks everyone for your responses. maybe dan would consider posting that medley here.
bosco, you're right on the money, and AEAD is a good way to go.
old sledge was a card game popular here, from england mostly called All Fours there.
kilby, i still need to get your cd-please be patient.
michael ford

bosco - Posted - 03/13/2009:  17:20:56

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quote:

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Originally posted by whitetopfiddle

Old Sledge was also played at the Whitetop Folk Festival in the 1930s and was known to be played often by left-handed fiddler Howard Wyatt of Konnarock,VA. I got this information from some papers documenting the contests. I think some other players in that area may have also played it. You can find Wyatt playing Salt River on the Digital Library of Appalachia. I also have a recording of Albert Hash attempting to remember and play a tune I think may be Old Sledge. I don't know how it ended up in that end of Grayson County,VA but I would guess some of those guys picked it up travelling or working in WV. Or possibly from Jess Johnston or other plays at the Folk Festivals.

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Thanks for the imfo. Any old fiddlers around your area play tunes in AEAD except Old Sledge?
Bosco

Konnichiwa, arigato, sayonara

bosco - Posted - 03/13/2009:  17:36:20

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quote:

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Originally posted by forestabri

Bosco, you mention a song, "Patty-O Will Catch You". Is this the same tune as "Padderole Will Catch You" and "Run N*gger Run"? A Padderole was a runaway slave bounty hunter, possibly from "patrol", interesting how the song names are passed down. Off-topic, but I had to ask.

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Yes, it's the same tune. Melvin Wine played it by the name. I don't know if he learned the name as is or he/his friends changed the name because of "political incorrectness" like another his tune Wine's Delight.
Bosco

Konnichiwa, arigato, sayonara

bosco - Posted - 03/13/2009:  17:42:50

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quote:

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Originally posted by Feodosia

I often wondered if "Old Sledge " might be the Grand-daddy of the version of Bonaparte's Retreat that was used for the Hoedown in Copland's " Rodeo " ??

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Copland's BR is straight from W.H.Stepp of KY. So, I don't think Copland's BR and Old Sledge have blood relationship
Bosco

Konnichiwa, arigato, sayonara