fiddledan - Posted - 10/24/2010:  07:35:02

AKA Y. Z. Hamilton's Breakdown. This tune was originally recorded in about 1926 by Y. Z. Hamilton and his recording of it is available on the compilation album "Possum Up A Gum Stump" which is a collection of Alabama tunes. I keep rediscovering this tune and last summer finally decided to learn to play it. Not as straight forward as many old time tunes have become, but quite a little diddy! I strongly urge you to find YZ's recording of this tune. He really gets a lot out of it and way more than I could show in one or two passes of the tune.

There is a session tape of the Canote brothers playing and teaching this tune from a repertoire class which is where I first heard the tune. I was quite captivated with it even then and touched upon it over the years. However, hearing YZ play it (discovering it on my itunes list once I could search tunes by title) it seems the Canotes pretty much stripped the second part of its lilting melody. Not uncommon among the current old time crowd.

Since I now spend so much time playing with the Old Time Fiddlers' crowd - indeed I am the current president of our chapter here in Yuma, Arizona - I felt it could fit right in. My guitar player out here - Dennis (drypitstop) took right to it and we even used it as a teaching tune last week at our monthly Fiddle Jam Workshop.

Those astute listeners among you may recognize the opening phrases of Whistling Rufus at the beginning of the tune. That's another good one, but we'll leave it for another week.

I'll work on a dot version of this tune and post it as soon as it is ready.

Here is the link to my version of the tune. It is 3 times through so you get a chance to catch it. Actually, it is one time through looped through the miracle of Audacity. I recorded it to my iMac with my Audio Technica 2020 usb mic.

fiddlehangout.com/myhangout/mu...asp?id=58

Play nice,
Dan
Come start fiddle "From Scratch" or build your basic skills this summer at "Scratchcamp" - It's not just for banjos anymore!
Clawdan.com

PS, Sorry Paul. We'll do that other one in a couple of weeks. I promise!

Edited by - fiddledan on 10/24/2010 07:40:54

robinja - Posted - 10/24/2010:  08:09:59

Great tune, and nice playing! "Possum Up a Gum Stump" is a must-have CD for old time fiddlers, IMHO.

I don't play this tune yet, but my friend Jim Cauthen also plays a nice version with his band "Red Mountain" - you can hear a snippet here:

cdbaby.com/cd/redmountain1

This tune is also closely related to the Georgia Yellowhammer's "G Rag", in which Andrew Baxter, an African American fiddler, played with them, making it one of the earliest integrated recording sessions. Since I'm a Georgia girl (at least for the last 15 years), I will most likely tackle this one first. You can hear "G Rag" here:

juneberry78s.com/otmsampler/35...20Rag.mp3

Thanks for posting - great tune!

Judy

hendrid - Posted - 10/24/2010:  08:41:16

Hmmm, interesting Robin ibiblio.com fiddlers companion

G RAG. AKA and see "Bust Down Stomp," "Concord Rag," "Y.Z. Special," "Hamilton's Special Breakdown." Old#8209;Time, Breakdown. USA; Alabama, North Georgia. "A Georgia standard." Recorded by Georgia fiddlers Earl Johnson in 1928, and by Afro#8209;Cherokee fiddler Andrew Baxter with the Ga. Yellow Hammers in 1927; north Georgia fiddler Gid Tanner also knew the tune, and his son Gordon used it as the theme song for his band the Junior Skillet Lickers. J.E. Mainer covered it under the title "Concord Rag." Charles Wolfe (1979) says the tune possibly originated with an Alabama fiddler named Wyzee Hamilton, who recorded a version called "Hamilton's Special Breakdown." Heritage 048, Gordon Tanner #8209; "Georgia Fiddle Bands" (Brandywine 1982). Rounder 1032, The Georgia Yellow Hammers #8209; "The Moonshine Hollow Band" (1979).

Bust Down Stomp youtube.com/watch?v=ZN1zYIl9WTM

JB45026 Dilly & his Dill Pickles BUST DOWN STOMP juneberry78s.com/sounds/Listen...untry.php

Edited by - hendrid on 10/24/2010 09:04:24

fiddledan - Posted - 10/24/2010:  08:43:01

Cool info! Does sound more raggy than breakdownish but hey, that's another can!

DougD - Posted - 10/24/2010:  09:17:09

J. E. Mainer plays "Concord Rag" at Galax on this great record: folkways.si.edu/albumdetails.a...temid=513

Reminds me a little of "Walkin' in my Sleep" too.

wormbower - Posted - 10/24/2010:  09:17:18

Great tune, Dan! No apology necessary for the choice. It goes without saying that your playing is terrific, but I'm really impressed with the recording quality! Can you give us more tech specs (sample rate, bit rate, digital tweaks)?

Paul

fiddledan - Posted - 10/24/2010:  09:38:21

quote:

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Originally posted by wormbower

Great tune, Dan! No apology necessary for the choice. It goes without saying that your playing is terrific, but I'm really impressed with the recording quality! Can you give us more tech specs (sample rate, bit rate, digital tweaks)?

Paul

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wormbower - Posted - 10/24/2010:  10:04:10

A see the mp3 file is encoded at 194 kbps (VBR). That probably makes an audible improvement over 128. Yes, great mic!

Paul

DougD - Posted - 10/24/2010:  10:25:15

I have the non-USB version of this mic (which came as a freebie with a Firewire interface) and I think Chuck Naill uses one too. For the money its a very good microphone, designed by Audio Technica and well built in China.
As far as recording, sometimes people are tempted to use processing and effects just because they're there. Often "less is more." Nice job, Dan.