A year late, but... this is a really good rendition of Old Chattanooga. About a year ago, Blaine's family brought his viola to a local festival. A couple of younger fiddlers played it - it was still a monster to play! Even in his 70s, Blaine was a large, rawboned, and very strong man. For him to be able to play those slides and swoops on that viola tuned to a half step below a violin is remarkable. It's similar to what folks said about famed Motown bassist James Jamerson bass. No one could play it but him (and Jamerson's bass lines are not standard runs....they're from another planet!) On the recordings of Blaine Smith, Florrie Stewart, and Willie Brannan (whos last name I mis-spelled since 1977...), I played guitar on the song that "seemed" to go to a minor chord - where Willie would play a major. (Like "Jeff Davis where I would play an Am where Willie played an F) I probably should have sat out and let Willie play the guitar on those songs. But we weren't recording them solely as some trained folklorist would. We played and rehearsed together to make a good recording (and trying to make sure the authenticity and such was preserved.) Blaine would have told me very directly if he didn't like my guitar part. While me being able to play clawhammer banjo probably save me from being killed on the initial and accidental meeting with them, I never recorded with them playing banjo. Now Florrie and I would switch off playing banjo when we were playing for enjoyment - and for her to show me how to play a tune. Florrie had a cheap Japanese banjo, so for the recordings she played my 1890s Washburn banjo, which didn't bother her at all - it was a great banjo!
I recorded Blaine Smith & Florrie Steward playing this in 1977 on Flattop Mt, TN. Blaine played it on a viola! (which is why the original recording is a step lower.) Pretty neat that so many folks play this tune now. Probably around 1988, I may have been one of very few who still knew it.
Thanks for posting! The Haints's cd Shout Mona has a track of this same medley, which they do a whole step lower (in F?)--really cool. The banjo part to Old Chattanooga on that track includes some variations that Jason doesn't play in this video, and it's some of the tastiest banjo music anywhere, ever--just magic. If you haven't heard it, check it out!
Thanks for posting this one Tom! The tunes in this clip are "(Old) Chattanooga" and "Sheep and hogs walking through the pasture". From the Haints's first CD ("Shout Monah").
Interesting that most of us do it the way Pharis and Jason are doing it here -- two part A's and two part B's. But in your recording of Blaine, he mostly does 4 part A's and one part B... Just another example of everything morphing over time, I guess. But most of us seem to have learned this one from your recording (or from someone else who did), so it's an interestingly pervasive variation.
This vid deserves way more views... rock-solid old-time music by some excellent musicians. Jason's banjo pickin' accompaniment is impeccable.
A year late, but... this is a really good rendition of Old Chattanooga. About a year ago, Blaine's family brought his viola to a local festival. A couple of younger fiddlers played it - it was still a monster to play! Even in his 70s, Blaine was a large, rawboned, and very strong man. For him to be able to play those slides and swoops on that viola tuned to a half step below a violin is remarkable. It's similar to what folks said about famed Motown bassist James Jamerson bass. No one could play it but him (and Jamerson's bass lines are not standard runs....they're from another planet!) On the recordings of Blaine Smith, Florrie Stewart, and Willie Brannan (whos last name I mis-spelled since 1977...), I played guitar on the song that "seemed" to go to a minor chord - where Willie would play a major. (Like "Jeff Davis where I would play an Am where Willie played an F) I probably should have sat out and let Willie play the guitar on those songs. But we weren't recording them solely as some trained folklorist would. We played and rehearsed together to make a good recording (and trying to make sure the authenticity and such was preserved.) Blaine would have told me very directly if he didn't like my guitar part. While me being able to play clawhammer banjo probably save me from being killed on the initial and accidental meeting with them, I never recorded with them playing banjo. Now Florrie and I would switch off playing banjo when we were playing for enjoyment - and for her to show me how to play a tune. Florrie had a cheap Japanese banjo, so for the recordings she played my 1890s Washburn banjo, which didn't bother her at all - it was a great banjo!
I recorded Blaine Smith & Florrie Steward playing this in 1977 on Flattop Mt, TN. Blaine played it on a viola! (which is why the original recording is a step lower.) Pretty neat that so many folks play this tune now. Probably around 1988, I may have been one of very few who still knew it.
Thanks for posting! The Haints's cd Shout Mona has a track of this same medley, which they do a whole step lower (in F?)--really cool. The banjo part to Old Chattanooga on that track includes some variations that Jason doesn't play in this video, and it's some of the tastiest banjo music anywhere, ever--just magic. If you haven't heard it, check it out!
Thanks for posting this one Tom! The tunes in this clip are "(Old) Chattanooga" and "Sheep and hogs walking through the pasture". From the Haints's first CD ("Shout Monah").
Interesting that most of us do it the way Pharis and Jason are doing it here -- two part A's and two part B's. But in your recording of Blaine, he mostly does 4 part A's and one part B... Just another example of everything morphing over time, I guess. But most of us seem to have learned this one from your recording (or from someone else who did), so it's an interestingly pervasive variation.
You wouldn't by any chance have the banjo tabs?