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FRC 705 - Parley Parsons: Old Galax Fiddling (Andy Cahan & Paul Brown collections)

by Parley Parsons

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1.
Old Virginia Reel 01:27
2.
Old Dad 01:31
3.
Yellow Rose of Texas 02:11
4.
Talk - Fiddle Influences 00:50
5.
Piney Woods Girl 02:28
6.
Flop Eared Mule 01:20
7.
Talk - Emmett Lundy & Charlie Higgins 02:38
8.
Fire on the Mountain 01:07
9.
Fortune 01:36
10.
Granny Will Your Dog Bite 02:14
11.
Johnny Get Your Hair Cut 01:49
12.
June Apple 01:44
13.
Grey Eagle 01:48
14.
Let Me Fall 00:57
15.
Lady of the Lake 01:52
16.
Leather Britches 02:03
17.
Mississippi Sawyer 01:22
18.
Paddy on the Turnpike 01:22
19.
Talk - Parley's various jobs 04:34
20.
Sail Away Ladies 02:14
21.
Lonesome Road Blues 01:20
22.
Talk - Da Costa Woltz & Stoneman Family 01:52
23.
Pig in a Pen 01:28
24.
Shoo Fly 01:00
25.
Sally Goodin 01:50
26.
Western Country (solo) 01:03
27.
Western Country 01:37
28.
Waves on the Ocean 01:32
29.
Big Liza Jane 01:39
30.
Cackling Hen 01:15
31.
Talk - Parley and His Banjo 00:26
32.
Cousin Sally Brown 01:36
33.
Flatwoods 00:29
34.
The Girl I Left Behind 01:59
35.
Walking In The Parlor 01:15
36.
Richmond 01:43
37.
Sally Ann 02:40
38.
Little Brown Jug 01:32
39.
Forked Deer 01:52
40.
Leather Britches 01:11

about

From the Collections of Andy Cahan & Paul Brown

The region surrounding Galax Virginia has long been known for its remarkable musical traditions and the large number of musicians within it. In terms of field and commercial recordings from the 1920s on, the area received perhaps as much attention as any traditional musical Mecca could have. And yet there were local musicians who, while no less talented, somehow went unnoticed, or were simply doing other things with their lives while their neighbors were being recorded. Parley Parsons (b.1902-d.1984) was just such a musician, having only appeared before the 1980s on sporadic recordings of the fiddle and banjo contests at the Galax Fiddler’s Convention.

This CD contains highlights from some of the few recorded sessions in which Parley, already past eighty years old, was the featured musician. A member of the last generation of fiddlers firmly rooted in the local style, Parley’s playing was immediately recognizable as having been influenced by Emmett Lundy (b.1864-d.1953) and Charlie Higgins (b.1878-d.1967), two iconic older Galax fiddlers. Among Parley’s other musical influences were stellar musicians from the nearby North Carolina foothills such as Frank Jenkins, Ben Jarrell, and Fred Cockerham. Parley also played with and learned from musicians who were a bit younger, such as Rafe Brady and Otis Burris, both of the first generation of mountain fiddlers influenced by radio and phonograph. With the exception of the contest numbers at the end, the sessions on this CD took place at Parley’s home, and at the home of his friend Luther Davis (b.1887-d.1986), who can be heard trading opinions with Parley on tune titles and the accuracy of their versions. － Andy Cahan

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credits

released October 6, 2015

All tracks: Parley Parsons (fiddle). Tracks 2-3, 5-6, 8-13, 15-16, 18, 20, 23, 25, 28, 30, 32-35, and 40: Andy Cahan (banjo), Alice
Gerrard (guitar); tracks 1, 14, 17, 21, 24, 26-27, and 29: Paul Brown (banjo). Track 37: Parley Parsons with the Dixie Ramblers.

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