Set in the 1860s, Molly Tanner’s Violin is the epic story of US Marshal Colt Patterson. The hero of Dennis Okeefe’s award-winning novel, Dixon’s Edge, and a sequel to his novel, Two Hearts, in which he joins with Kathleen Oberholt, the heroine of Two Hearts, to fulfill a vision of a Navajo mystic in which the Navajo tribe is released from the hellhole of the prison camp, Bosque Redondo, and allowed to return to their beloved land of Canyon De Chelley in Arizona. As they fulfill the vision, they cross paths with the horrific but compelling poisoner, Elroy Peoples, and equally evil US Army Colonel Pickering, which climaxes in a cataclysmic confrontation in the high desert of New Mexico. This novel is filled with page-to-page action, romance, and compassion. Though fiction, it is based on events that really occurred, and it is definitely a worthwhile read for those who enjoy historical fiction.
In 2015 University Press of Mississippi published Mississippi Fiddle Tunes and Songs from the 1930s by Harry Bolick and Stephen T. Austin to critical acclaim and commercial success. Roughly half of Mississippi’s rich, old-time fiddle tradition was documented in that volume and Harry Bolick has spent the intervening years working on this book, its sequel. Beginning with Tony Russell’s original mid-1970s fieldwork as a reference, and later working with Russell, Bolick located and transcribed all of the Mississippi 78 rpm string band recordings. Some of the recording artists like the Leake County Revelers, Hoyt Ming and His Pep Steppers, and Narmour & Smith had been well known in the state. Others, like the Collier Trio, were obscure. This collecting work was followed by many field trips to Mississippi searching for and locating the children and grandchildren of the musicians. Previously unheard recordings and stories, unseen photographs and discoveries of nearly unknown local fiddlers, such as Jabe Dillon, John Gatwood, Claude Kennedy, and Homer Grice, followed. The results are now available in this second, companion volume, Fiddle Tunes from Mississippi: Commercial and Informal Recordings, 1920–2018. Two hundred and seventy musical examples supplement the biographies and photographs of the thirty-five artists documented here. Music comes from commercial recordings and small pressings of 78 rpm, 45 rpm, and LP records; collectors’ field recordings; and the musicians’ own home tape and disc recordings. Taken together, these two volumes represent a delightfully comprehensive survey of Mississippi’s fiddle tunes.
Since the 1960's here has been an extraordinary revival of old-time string band music in California, and indeed throughout the American West. Despite being born blind, Kenny Hall has been a mainstay of many fiddle festivals and of the Western fiddle and string band revival in general. Kenny's musical style is passionate and energetic. This book is a helpful guide to his vast repertoire learned through years of careful listening. It is also a wonderful addition to the fiddler's bookshelf and a fitting tribute to a man who, for many an aspiring fiddler, has been a friend, guide, exemplar, and patron. Many of the tunes includes nonsense lyrics that Kenny used to help him remember the melody, and each tune is accompanied by Kenny's comments. the book is divided into five chapters: fiddle- based tunes (Fiddle Faddle), mandolin-based tunes (Rags, Tags, and Wags), Waltzes, tunes from an origin other than the United States or the British Isles (Kenny's Rambles); and vocal-based pieces including lyrics (Songs, Ballads, Ditties). Some of the transcriptions are written primarily for fiddle or mandolin, but most tunes can be performed on either instrument. This deluxe guide to Kenny Hall's vast repertoire offers fans of old-time music a great way to get to know Kenny and his music.
While in the Mississippi State Archives tracking down Abbott Ferriss's beautiful photographic portraits of musicians from 1939, author Harry Bolick discovered, to his amazement, a treasure trove of earlier fiddle tunes in manuscript form. Since then he has worked to understand how this collection came to exist and be set aside. With Stephen T. Austin, Bolick has transcribed the subsequent 1939 audio recordings. Mississippi Fiddle Tunes and Songs from the 1930s presents the history of the collecting work, with over three hundred of the tunes and songs and a beautiful selection of period photographs. In the summer of 1936, over one hundred fiddle tunes, many of them unique, along with thousands of songs, were collected and notated throughout a large part of Mississippi. Roughly 130 novice field workers captured beautiful tunes and tantalizing fragments. As a body of work, it is an unparalleled and fascinating snapshot of vernacular music as heard in Mississippi in the early part of the recorded era. However, this music was unpublished and forgotten. In 1939, building on the contacts made three years earlier, Herbert Halpert led one of the last and best executed of the WPA folklore projects which recorded audio performances in Mississippi. Some, but not all, of those distinctive fiddle tune recordings have been published. Additionally, through cassette tape copies passed hand to hand, some of these distinctive tunes have regained currency and popularity among contemporary fiddlers. In Mississippi Fiddle Tunes and Songs from the 1930s, this great music is at last widely available. Selected tunes in this book are available from Document Records. Get Harry Bolick's CD with 22 tunes from the book, more information, a video, and free downloads of the sound files at www.mississippifiddle.com.
Appalachian fiddle music, based on the musical traditions of the people who settled in the mountainous regions of the southeastern United States, is widely-known and played throughout North America and parts of Europe because of its complex rhythms, its catchy melodies, and its often-ancient-sounding stylistic qualities. The authors explore the lives and music of 43 of the classic Appalachian fiddlers who were active during the first half of the 20th century. Some of them were recorded commercially in the 1920s, such as Gid Tanner, Fiddlin’ John Carson, and Charlie Bowman. Some were recorded by folklorists from the Library of Congress, such as William Stepp, Emmett Lundy, and Marion Reece. Others were recorded informally by family members and visitors, such as John Salyer, Emma Lee Dickerson, and Manco Sneed. All of them played throughout most of their lives and influenced the growth and stylistic elements of fiddle music in their regions. Each fiddler has been given a chapter with a biography, several tune transcriptions, and tune histories. To show the richness of the music, the authors make a special effort to show the musical elements in detail, but also acknowledge that nothing can take the place of listening. Many of the classic recordings used in this book can be found on the web, allowing you to hear and read the music together.
North American Fiddle Music: A Research and Information Guide is the first large-scale annotated bibliography and research guide on the fiddle traditions of the United States and Canada. These countries, both of which have large immigrant populations as well as Native populations, have maintained fiddle traditions that, while sometimes faithful to old-world or Native styles, often feature blended elements from various traditions. Therefore, researchers of the fiddle traditions in these two countries can not only explore elements of fiddling practices drawn from various regions of the world, but also look at how different fiddle traditions can interact and change. In addition to including short essays and listings of resources about the full range of fiddle traditions in those two countries, it also discusses selected resources about fiddle traditions in other countries that have influenced the traditions in the United States and Canada.
Adam Granger self-published the first edition of Granger’s Fiddle Tunes for Guitar in 1979. A second edition was published in 1994. Now Mel Bay Publications presents the third edition of the book. This 236-page book is the most extensive and best-documented collection of fiddle tunes for the flatpicking guitar player in existence, and includes reels, hoedowns, hornpipes, rags, breakdowns, jigs and slip-jigs, presented in Southern, Northern, Irish, Canadian, Texas and Old-time styles. There are 508 fiddle tunes referenced under 2500 titles and alternate titles. The titles are fully indexed, making the book doubly valuable as a reference book and a source book. In this new edition, all tunes are typeset, instead of being handwritten as they were in the previous editions, making the tabs easier to read. The tunes in Granger’s Fiddle Tunes for Guitar are presented in Easytab, a streamlined tablature notation system designed by Adam specifically for fiddle tunes. The book comes with a link which gives access to mp3 recordings by Adam of all 508 tunes, each played once at a moderate tempo, with rhythm on one channel and lead on the other. Also included in Granger’s Fiddle Tunes for Guitar are instructions for reading Easytab, descriptions of tune types presented in the book, and primers on traditional flatpicking and rhythm guitar. Additionally, there are sections on timing, ornamentation, technique, and fingering, as well as information on tune sources and a history of the collection. Mel Bay also offers, The Granger Collection, by Bill Nicholson, the same 508 tunes in standard music notation.
Volumes 3 and 4 of the The Encyclopedia of More Great Popular Song Recordings provides the stories behind approximately 1,700 more of the greatest song recordings in the history of the music industry, from 1890 to today. In this masterful survey, all genres of popular music are covered, from pop, rock, soul, and country to jazz, blues, classic vocals, hip-hop, folk, gospel, and ethnic/world music. Collectors will find detailed discographical data—recording dates, record numbers, Billboard chart data, and personnel—while music lovers will appreciate the detailed commentaries and deep research on the songs, their recording, and the artists. Readers who revel in pop cultural history will savor each chapter as it plunges deeply into key events—in music, society, and the world—from each era of the past 125 years. Following in the wake of the first two volumes of his original Encyclopedia of Great Popular Song Recordings, this follow-up work covers not only more beloved classic performances in pop music history, but many lesser -known but exceptional recordings that—in the modern digital world of “long tail” listening, re-mastered recordings, and “lost but found” possibilities—Sullivan mines from modern recording history. The Encyclopedia of Great Popular Song Recordings, Volumes 3 and 4 lets the readers discover, and, through their playlist services, from such as iTunes toand Spotify, build a truly deepcomprehensive catalog of classic performances that deserve to be a part of every passionate music lover’s life. Sullivan organizes songs in chronological order, starting in 1890 and continuing all the way throughto the present to include modern gems from June 2016. In each chapter, Sullivanhe immerses readers, era by era, in the popular music recordings of the time, noting key events that occurred at the time to painting a comprehensive picture in music history of each periodfor each song. Moreover, Sullivan includes for context bulleted lists noting key events that occurred during the song’s recording
Erik is ten-years-old when he wakes in the middle of a tragedy that will forever change his life. His guiding force, his father, is dead, and his shattered heart is inconsolable. While struggling with his grief over his loss, he discovers the people in his home town want him institutionalized, creating unbridled fears in his young heart. His anger rages against the men responsible for his father's death, adding a third dimension to his dilemma. Deciding to safeguard his freedom, he leaves his home and, with brave determination, ventures toward the musical conservatory in Venice, Italy-the goal fashioned by his father's loving guidance. But along the way, he meets with unexpected trials that waylay his dreams. Some people he encounters are cruel beyond his imagination, and he, on many occasions, barely escapes with his life. While most people are heartless, there are a few kind souls who have compassion for poor Erik. With their kindness, and Erik's undaunted courage, he surmounts all odds and continues toward his goal of unadulterated music. Join Erik on this second leg of his journey toward becoming known as the Phantom of the Opera.
