[Dixielandjazz] simple music

[Larry Walton Entertainment - St. Louis]

I agree that C&W today is more like early rock than either Country or 
Western as I defined it.

I think Hill Billy, Old Timey or Appellation is closer to Bluegrass than 
modern C&W except that C&W uses many of the same instruments such as the 
fiddle, and mandolin.  Early on you saw instruments like the Auto Harp used 
but no longer.  Another distinction is that there were no drums in the "Old 
Timey" music with folk instruments like the washboard, washtub bass,  were 
sometimes being used and some odd ones like Jugs, sweet potatoes (ocarinas 
to the un initiated) and Stumpf Bass sometimes called the Pogo Cello.

There was a Country band on early St. Louis TV that used mandolin, Bass 
fiddle, Violin and Guitar.  Typically western bands were string bands with 
an occasional Accordion.  Today I think the Dixie Chicks are about as close 
as you can come in a modern group to an old time string band.

While I was at Missouri School for the blind we did some music with 
instruments that could be made easily or cost less than $50.  I chose that 
criteria because I wanted to stay authentic.  We did such tunes as Boil that 
Possum and some old time Gospel like I'll Fly Away.  The kids loved it 
because several came from the back woods of the Ozarks, knew these tunes and 
how to play the instruments or had at least heard them.

Before anyone laughs the Washtub bass in the hands of someone with perfect 
or very good pitch and who worked at it some can be a fairly legitimate 
instrument.  There was one of the kids that played bass guitar that could 
really play the thing.
Larry
St. Louis
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Don Robertson" <jdrobertson at att.net>
To: "Larry Walton Entertainment - St. Louis" <larrys.bands at charter.net>
Cc: "pat ladd" <pj.ladd at btinternet.com>; "jazz" 
<dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Monday, February 26, 2007 6:30 PM
Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] simple music


>I agree with Larry.  A few years ago, I was involved with what we called 
>"old timey" or "fiddle tunes".  It was closely associated with, but not the 
>same as bluegrass.  This was what was played on Grand Ol Opery.  It was 
>more like what was played in homes for amusement.  Bluegrass became more of 
>an exhibition style similar to okom with a succession of solos, where the 
>old timey was more ensemble or many people playing simple tunes in unison 
>or with harmonies on fiddles, mandolins, banjos and guitars.  This didn't 
>require as much musical ability, although individual fiddlers were very 
>proficient and there were many fiddle contests.  I've been in both kinds of 
>jam session on guitar and fiddle.  With the old timey format you get to 
>play a lot and quickly learn the tune.  With bluegrass you spend most of 
>the time waiting for your turn to play.  All of this is done in sharp keys.
>
> This was in the early days of the 30's and 40's where now "country and 
> western" is nothing but thinly disguised rock. It's even called "Southern 
> Rock".  Early "western" music was epitomized by Bob Wills, with steel 
> guitars and some mandolin and fiddle.  Some of it was very close to jazz. 
> and became known as "western swing".
>
> Don Robertson
> Napa, CA
>
> Larry Walton Entertainment - St. Louis wrote:
>> Actually at one time there were two distinct types.  There was Country 
>> music and there was Western music.  Western music were tunes like Back in 
>> the Saddle Again,  Pistol Packin Momma, Don't Fence Me In, etc.  I was 
>> young but my parents listened to Grand Old Opry that featured what was 
>> more accurately described as Hill Billy music.
>>
>> Sometime, or at least I think it was, in the late 50's there became what 
>> we call Country and Western when early rock as done by Elvis and other 
>> early performers started to morph into more modern styles of rock like 
>> Doo Wop, Beach Boys etc.
>>
>> This is all personal recollection so may not be entirely accurate but I 
>> think I'm pretty close ---- What do you think?
>> Larry
>> St. Louis
>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>> From: "pat ladd" <pj.ladd at btinternet.com>
>> To: "jazz" <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
>> Sent: Monday, February 26, 2007 12:09 PM
>> Subject: [Dixielandjazz] simple music
>>
>>
>>
>
>
>