Clarence Tross plays “Hound Chase”, also known as “Fox Chase”, “Old Rattler Run the Fox”, “The Fox and the Hounds”, or simply “The Hounds”, among various other names for Pete Hoover, Mike Seeger, and Marj Seeger on March 12th, 1960 in Durgon, West Virginia on the front porch of Tross’ neighbors house. “Fox Chase” can be traced back to traditional Irish and Scottish piping tunes about Fox Hunting, one of which is known as “The Fox Chase”.
Lewis “Big Sweet” Hairston (1929-?) performs his rendition of the African American folk ballad “John Henry”.
The story of John Henry is also told in the form of a legend, and generally follows the premise that John Henry was a steel driver (During the days of railway development and construction through out the United States), and that, at some point during his career, he is challenged by a steam-powered drilling machine which threatened to replace the work of steel drivers like Henry and his coworkers.
We are proud to release a new video from our Live Outside series recently recorded and filmed in the ancient West African Village of Kirina, Mali. This performance features Mahamadou Diabate and Sayba Diabate on the traditional instruments, calabash and kora, as well as PFC Band member, Roberto Luti, on steel guitar.
Tracy Chapman was born in Cleveland, Ohio. Her parents divorced when she was four years old. She was raised by her mother, who bought her a ukulele at age three. She began playing guitar and writing songs at age eight. She says that she may have been first inspired to play the guitar by the television show Hee Haw. In her native Cleveland she experienced frequent bullying and racially motivated assaults as a child.
Chandler showed an early interest in music and began playing piano at age 8. Studying classical music in his early teens, he learned to play the oboe so he could join the high school band, and during his senior year joined the Akron Symphony Orchestra. He eventually earned his B.A. in Music Education from the University of Akron, moved to New York City, and received an M.A. from Columbia University.
On the surface, bluegrass music is a style of country music heavily influenced by Appalachian folk music. As with almost all Appalachian folk music, the typical ensemble is a four- to seven-piece band made up of non-electrified string instruments. Many bluegrass songs are taken directly from the Appalachian folk repertoire and those that are original compositions show many of the melodic and rhythmic trademarks of the tradition. Bluegrass musicians, perhaps more so than in any other style of country music, are in constant contact with the communities of Appalachia and most of the musicians are from the region and frequently play there. These musicians and their audience are almost exclusively white, and it is undeniable that bluegrass music owes a great deal to the musical traditions of white Appalachians.
Ozark Highlands Radio is a weekly radio program that features live music and interviews recorded at Ozark Folk Center State Park’s beautiful 1,000-seat auditorium in Mountain View, Arkansas. In addition to the music, our “Feature Host” segments take listeners through the Ozark hills with historians, authors, and personalities who explore the people, stories, and history of the Ozark region.
This week we hear some powerful string band music from white Appalachian performers including the legendary Camp Creek Boys, Tommy Jarrell, and the Buckstankle Boys. But that leaves us with the question of where African-Americans, who brought the idea of the banjo to America and learned tunes on the European fiddle, fit into the old time and bluegrass music story.
Black artists have played an enormous part in moving forward the history of American folk music, from the slave spirituals to early field recordings, songs of the civil rights and feminist movements, story songs, gospel songs, protest songs, and beyond. These artists have influenced and inspired generations of folk music artists and songwriters.
Jimmy Collier stands out in a crowd with his trademark cowboy hat. But it's the sound of the tall, sturdy troubadour's music that has magnetized listeners across the land. Today with the technological ease of CD recording and internet communication, Collier can bring his music to fans without leaving his ranch in rural Mariposa. That wasn't always the case.