banjo

“Ask Walt and Clare. They’ll know that tune!”

Richard Gordon

Walt Koken and Clare Milliner

Walt Koken and Clare Milliner have been playing music together for a long time, and both have a ton of tunes stored away in their memory, Clare’s collection of notebooks, and in a variety of recorded media. Both are accomplished fiddlers, Walt’s a great banjo player, and they have even been known to break out in song every now and then.

It was a great day for traditional fiddlers and those interested in American folk music when Clare and Walt decided to transcribe and edit their notes into The Milliner-Koken Collection of American Fiddle Tunes. The book contains transcriptions of over 1400 fiddle tunes, including written notation for “how that particular fiddler played that tune on that particular day,” sources, alternate versions, and lots more great information.

During our interview, Clare tells some great stories about the tunes you’ll hear her and Walt play. And don’t miss Walt talking about what got him started with this kind of music when he played in bands such as The Highwoods String Band and The Fat City String Band.
The Milliner-Koken Collection of American Fiddle Tunes

They also talked about Larry Warren’s Slippery Hill website (slippery-hill.com), where Larry has researched and posted source recordings for the Milliner-Koken collection and for many of the other important collections of American old-time fiddling.

Currently, Walt and Clare play in The Orpheus Supertones with Pete Peterson, Kellie Allen, and Hilary Dirlam. All the Supertones share their music graciously and willingly and host some of the best music sessions in the Delaware Valley. In addition, Walt, Clare, Pete, and Kellie appeared last year on WVUD for a July 4 jam during the Roots program. All the Supertones are official Good Guys ™–promoting traditional music wherever they go!

For more information about Walt and Clare’s music and to order some of their recordings or the Collection of American Fiddle Tunes, visit Mudthumper Music.

The Interview

Milliner-Koken Collection Interview (illustrated with three fiddle tunes!) (Recorded 11/03/13; original broadcast date: 01/21/14; host: Mandorichard). 29:59, 28.8 MB.

The Music

The following music appeared on this episode of The Music Room:

  • Artist / Song / Album (or note) / Label (or source) / Date / Notes
  • Clare Milliner and Walt Koken / The Hog Went Through the Fence Yoke and All / The Music Room / WVUD / 2013 / Source: Luther Strong
  • Clare Milliner and Walt Koken / Falls of Richmond / The Music Room / WVUD / 2013 / Source: Edden Hammons
  • Clare Milliner and Walt Koken / Hogs and Sheep Going to the Pasture / Just Tunes / Mudthumper Music / 2003 / Source: Burl Hammons

Recreating the tunes of Western PA

Richard Gordon

Mark Tamsula, fiddle, and Richard Withers, banjoMark Tamsula, fiddle, and Richard Withers, banjo and other instruments, have released two wonderful CDs of tunes and songs from Western Pennsylvania: Up in the Batten House (2011) and Up Jumped Joe in the Middle of It (2013). Most of the tunes and songs are from the two collections of Western Pennsylvania music compiled by Samuel Bayard between 1928 and the 1960s: Hill Country Tunes (1944) and Dance to the Fiddle, March to the Fife: Instrumental folk tunes of Pennsylvania (1982).

On a trip to Pittsburgh in September 2013, I had the chance to stop by Richard’s house to record an interview in which they talked about some of the great old tunes from the Bayard collections, the mixture of fife and fiddle traditions in the area, the process of bringing tunes to life from the printed page, and the process of “finding” the tune, trying for what the source fiddler might have enjoyed about the tune.

At their website, they write this about their music:
Up in the Batten House Cover

Between 1928 and 1963, Samuel Bayard and his collaborators traveled throughout southwestern Pennsylvania collecting and transcribing nearly 1000 traditional folk tunes. The intent was to “show something of what the older Pennsylvania tradition really consisted of” – “pre-radio, pre-tape, pre-TV” (Bayard, 1982, p. 2). Their sources were largely country dance fiddlers, but also fifers, who carried on a once widespread but now relatively obscure tradition of American marching music. Most of the tunes we play on [these recordings] are taken from the Bayard collection, and all are traditional tunes played in Pennsylvania until recent times.

For more information about Mark and Richard’s CDs:www.snappinbug.com.

The Interview

Interview with Mark Tamsula and Richard Withers (Recorded 9/15/13; original broadcast date: 11/5/13; host: Mandorichard). 30:06, 28.9 MB.

Up Jumped Joe in the Middle of It cover

The Music

The following music appeared on this episode of The Music Room:

  • Artist / Song / Album (or note) / Label (or source) / Date
  • Mark Tamsula and Richard Withers / Rosemont Quadrille / Up Jumped Joe in the Middle of It / Snappin’ Bug / 2013
  • Mark Tamsula and Richard Withers / Black-Eyed Susie / Up in the Batten House / Snappin’ Bug / 2011
  • Mark Tamsula and Richard Withers / The Snowy Hill, My Last Fall, O Dear Mother my Toes are Sore / Up Jumped Joe in the Middle of It / Snappin’ Bug / 2013
  • Mark Tamsula and Richard Withers / Snappin’ Bug, Pine Top / Up in the Batten House / Snappin’ Bug / 2011
  • Mark Tamsula and Richard Withers / Dick’s Handspike / Up in the Batten House / Snappin’ Bug / 2011

Stuart & Beazley: Tasty California bluegrass

Richard Gordon

Chris Stuart and Janet Beazley, courtesy Winter Village Bluegrass Festival
Chris Stuart and Janet Beazley are two folks who don’t make it to the East Coast of the USA all that often. It was a treat to hear them–and to catch up to them for a chat–at the 2013 Delaware Valley Bluegrass Festival on August 31.

Chris plays guitar and frails the old-time banjo; Janet plays a variety of whistles and flutes and excels on the bluegrass banjo. They both are excellent songwriters, collaborating with each other and with many others. In addition, they both do a lot of teaching–Janet is in high demand for teaching at banjo camps all across the US (Germany, too!), Chris is a willing mentor to many a song-writer, and the two of them do a terrific job teaching harmony singing. In addition, Chris just co-produced the 2013 IBMA awards show on September 26, 2013.

We had a lot of fun visiting, talking about Janet’s teaching, the songs they write, the music they make, and the country and bluegrass music world in general. But most of all, we think you’ll like their music.

The interview

Chris Stuart and Janet Beazley (Recorded 8/31/13; original broadcast date: 10/22/13. Host: Mandorichard). 28:11. 27.1 MB.

The music

The following music appeared on this episode of The Music Room:

  • Artist / Song / Album (or note) / Label (or source) / Date
  • Chris Stuart and Backcountry / Don’t Throw Mama’s Flowers Away / Mojave River / Backcountry / 2004
  • Chris Stuart and Backcountry / Rider on this Train / Mojave River / Backcountry / 2004
  • Chris Stuart and Backcountry / Twenty Naked Pentecostals in a Pontiac / Saints and Strangers / Backcountry / 2003
  • Janet Beazley / Run Away Sally Ann / 2013 Midwest Banjo Camp Faculty Concert / via YouTube / 2013
  • Danny Paisley and the Southern Grass / Road Into Town / Road Into Town / Patuxnet Music / 2012
  • Chris Stuart and Backcountry / Silver Quarter / Saints and Strangers / Backcountry / 2003