Women's History Month has rolled around again, and it seems like "Old People's Week" at the FHO, with people describing their injuries and losing interest in playing.
So, to cover both bases here's a video clip of Hazel Dickens for which I provided the audio. This was a concert at Clintwood high school in Clintwood VA.
youtu.be/DIJsi1c4cBA?si=4TMZH0khI62cFOIr
A couple songs from this show were used in the Appalshop film about Hazel, "Working Girl Blues" and "West Virginia My Home" over the final credits. I recommend the film, which you can watch for free here:
folkstreams.net/films/hazel-dickens
I've never heard this song in 3/4 time before. Its usually more like the version we recorded in the Highwoods Stringband:
youtu.be/xmVRKe4YciA?si=KFg7kFMXg1Z1caU8
Keep on truckin'!
Definitely going to check this out tomorrow!
Thanks for that. Great documentary, as are other Appalshop.
I first heard Hazel sing Fly Away Pretty Bird... solo (like that recording)... everything needed was just in her voice... there is just something about her voice, delivery, expression... made song feel real and alive... my skin tingled, hair on nape stand up.
Similar vein, Ginny and Ben Hawker had similar effect; curious if know there are any documentaries on Ben Hawker?
Not that I know of, but I do have a recording I made of Ginny I plan to post soon.
These people took their singing seriously. I was out at Port Townsend in (I think) 2004, as were Ginny and Tracy Schwarz. The first night there was a get together, with playing and singing. At one point Ginny came over to me with tears literally in her eyes. A group was singing a song they'd learned from her Dad, and just didn't have it right. It meant that much to her.
Cool. Look forward to it.
Ginny and Tracy came up years ago with Kay Justice and Mac Traynham, such wonderfull music... not sure if they still play together?
I really like playing with Mac, but haven't seen him since a festival some 20 years ago. Hope doing well.
Edited by - alaskafiddler on 03/24/2026 17:04:03
Well, Tracy is sadly no longer with us of course. Ginny is five years older than I am, not sure what she's up to these days. Kay was in the audience at that concert in Clintwood. You can see her briefly in the background at about 19:20 or so. I used to see her around when we lived in Laurel Bloomery and I think she was working at the hospital in Abingdon, but that was awhile ago. I also recorded a cassette album of Ginny and Kay with Tracy for June Appal called "Signs and Wonders" - not sure if any of that is online these days.
Haven't seen Mac in quite awhile, but he's an active part of the thriving music and arts scene around Floyd, VA. The Floyd Country Store has had a "Mac's Tune of the Month" feature on their website: floydcountrystore.com/category...-the-week
He's busily building banjos and guitars - a friend of mine just bought one which I saw last fall - it was nice. Here's his website, and he's also on Facebook:
mactraynham.com/
He's also part of the Virginia Folklore program, and I think he recently mentored Ashlee Watkins, a fine young singer and guitarist - from Australia!
Edited by - DougD on 03/25/2026 08:13:07
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