Untitled - Texas Folklife

Traditional Music of Texas, Volume 1: Fiddle Recordings from the Texas Folklife Archives
Album Notes by Dan Margolies
The fiddle has always anchored, if not defined, Texas music. Over the past thirty years, Texas Folklife has
presented a huge array of programs to capture the diversity and brilliance of this fiddling in the many
regions and ethnic communities of the state. This cd is the first retrospective of this great musical tradition
as preserved in the Texas Folklife archives. It is also the first retrospective of the work Texas Folklife has
undertaken to help foster a culture of sustainability for all styles of Texas fiddling.
Because Texas Folklife is dedicated to showcasing the full regional and ethnic diversity of music in the
state, the recordings included here present a tour of some of the most important styles in the state. This cd
includes swing and contest style fiddling that has come to dominate Anglo Texas fiddling, played here by
three of the masters of the style. This is followed by the exceedingly rare style of Jose Moreno’s MexicanAmerican fiddling from the Rio Grande Valley, and the unique style of Texas-Polish fiddling from Brian
Marshall. The cd ends with field recordings of downhome Texas fiddling from Bill Gilbert and his apprentice
in a Texas Folklife Resources program some twenty years ago.
The Texas Folklife archives in Austin hold a huge amount of material that we have only begun to catalog
and digitize as part of the 30th Anniversary celebration of the organization. Charlie Lockwood, Operations &
Development Director at Texas Folklife, has spearheaded the effort to organize this material with a
particular eye toward valuable musical performances. This cd is meant to be just the first sampling of some
of the treasures in the archives. The intent of this overall effort is to continue to release archival recordings
of Texas music from all the musical styles, traditions, and regions of the state.
The release of this fiddle cd is timed to correspond to the inaugural Festival of Texas Fiddling, which is
being held at the Twin Sisters Dance Hall in Blanco, Texas on December 6, 2014. This festival, produced
by Texas Folklife in partnership with Texas Dance Hall Preservation, Inc., is the first festival to feature all
the varieties of Texas fiddling, including old time, contest style, Creole, Texas-Polish, Celtic country, and
western swing. More information about this festival can be found here:
http://fiddlefestival.texasdancehall.org
1. Sally Johnson -- Ricky Turpin
“Sally Johnson” is a ubiquitous and beloved tune in Texas and across the country and is sometimes
thought of as an archetypal Texas style tune. Eck Robertson may have set the bar for how to play it (as
“Sallie Johnson”) in his 1922 medley recording. It was also recorded in Dallas by the Cartwright Brothers in
1927, by Robert Cook’s Old Time Fiddlers in October, 1928 as part of a “Medley of Old Time Fiddlers’
Favorites, and again exactly a year later in a classic twin fiddle version by Ervin Solomon and Joe Hughes,
with Joe Solomon on guitar. Oscar Harper’s Texas String band recorded it in San Antonio in1928.
Nowadays it is an extremely common breakdown played by virtually all Texas fiddlers.
“Sally Johnson” is sometimes known as “Katy Hill,” though the tunes are slightly different. According to
fiddling expert Mark Wilson, the two tunes were sometimes used interchangeably in the 1930s for showy
fiddle interludes on the Grand Ole Opry. In the process the two distinct melodies may have melded. “Sally
Johnson” is also associated with archaic southeastern old time tunes like “Piney Woods Gal” from Virginia
and North Carolina and with more recent tunes like “Ladies on the Steamboat” in Missouri.
On this cd we have included two different approaches to “Sally Johnson.” The first comes from virtuosic
fiddler Ricky Turpin, who remains one of the most active and sought-after Texas fiddlers playing today.
Here he plays “Sally Johnson” at the “just a little bit slower” speed which (as he says at the start)
characterizes breakdowns in Texas, as opposed to the approach common in the old time fiddling of the
southeast. Turpin recalls it was Michael Henderson playing guitar on this recording.
This live version was recorded in Austin in April 1994, during a Texas Folklife Resources fiddle workshop
featuring Johnny Gimble, Valerie Ryals, Turpin, and Alvin Crow at Rosie's Tamale House. A concert in
conjunction with the workshop also took place the night before at The Backyard, an iconic Austin music
venue. This workshop and concert, which are featured on this cd in several tracks, took place during the
Tenth Anniversary of TFR. This makes this cd project even more special for kicking off the 30th anniversary
retrospective of fiddle projects and recordings from the Texas Folklife archives.
2. Tom and Jerry -- Ricky Turpin
Another common and great Texas breakdown. This is a standard tune in the Texas contest style fiddler’s
repertoire, played nicely here by Ricky Turpin, backed up by Michael Henderson. This tune does not come
from the cartoon of the same name and it is different from the Kentucky tune called “Jerry and Tom.”
According to Andre Kuntz’s Fiddlers Companion, “Tom and Jerry” is historically related to a drink of
whiskey, hot water, sugar, nutmeg, and whipped egg whites which is drunk for New Years.
This version of “Tom and Jerry” comes from the Texas Folklife Resources fiddle workshop in Austin in April,
1994. The recording is especially nice, showcasing Turpin’s nimble fingering and bow work with a single
guitar accompaniment, providing a nice example of Texas style chord progression.
3. Beaumont Rag -- Johnny Gimble and Ricky Turpin
This is another favorite and common tune in Texas, played here by Johnny Gimble, with Ricky Turpin now
taking a turn on guitar.
Gimble’s fiddling was originally inspired by great early groups like the Light Crust Doughboys. “They
broadcast for thirty or forty years,” Gimble says “and I was listening for fifteen of them.” Gimble recalled
learning the “Beaumont Rag” directly from Lefty Williams from Lindale, Texas. Williams’ band the East
Texas Serenaders pioneered a significant and influential jazzy string band sound that transformed fiddling
in Texas and heavily influenced Western Swing. The East Texas Serenaders recorded from 1927 through
1937. Gimble recalls that “Lefty was kind enough to show me how to play the ‘Beaumont Rag’ and how to
do that double shuffle... We argued about that, how to do that, me and my brothers [when we were] trying
to learn to play the fiddle. We argued: ‘Naw, it’s not this way, no, it’s this way.’ And then forty years later,
we talked about it and Bill said ‘Oh, I figured that out and showed Joe how to do it!’ But here’s ‘Beaumont
Rag.’ Not like Lefty, I wish I could play it like he did.”
4. Hill Country Sunset –Johnny Gimble and Ricky Turpin
This is an original tune by Johnny Gimble, who wrote it inspired by the beautiful views he saw after moving
out to Dripping Springs. As he says introducing this tune, “I didn’t write it, I just made it up. Actually, I just
found it on the fiddle.”
This was recorded at the end of a Texas Folklife Resources fiddle workshop that focused on bowing
techniques and double stops. The workshop culminated in master’s performances by Gimble, Ryals,
Turpin, and Crow.
5. Silverlake Blues –Johnny Gimble, Valerie Ryals, and Ricky Turpin
Another great tune from Johnny Gimble, with double fiddling by Valerie Ryals and guitar playing by Ricky
Turpin. The banter at the start shows some of Gimble’s always lively and welcoming personality, which
made the many Texas Folklife Resources fiddle programs featuring him extremely popular over the years.
At the two minute mark the fiddlers cut loose into improvisation, providing a nice example of the brilliance
and speed of Gimble’s approach and the interplay of the twin fiddles, with the guitar valiantly following the
twisting path.
6. Cotton Patch Rag – Valerie Ryals
This is a truly Texas tune that most sources agree originates from the state near the turn of the twentieth
century and is little known elsewhere until the modern era. It is a specialty tune especially used to highlight
skillful bowing . Since complex bowing is one of the hallmarks of Texas fiddlers, it is not surprising that this
is a favorite tune.
Valerie Ryals was a staple master fiddler for Texas Folklife Resources workshops, concerts, and other
events throughout the 1990s not just because of her virtuosic skill but because of her ability to articulate
what she was doing technically in her tunes. It makes sense that she is a fiddle teacher with legions of
students. Texas Folklife is fortunate to have any archival recordings of Ryals playing solo and playing with
Johnny Gimble and others in a variety of settings. Out of this wealth of recordings we chose this fine tune
7. Entrale en Ayunas-- Jose Moreno
Jose Moreno is a singular musician from San Benito in the Rio Grande Valley, where he alone has
sustained the tradition of Texas-Mexican fiddling that was once much more widespread along the border.
Accomplished equally on the button accordion, mandolin, and fiddle, Moreno has recorded popular tunes
as well as his own compositions both solo and in various groups such as Los Patrulleros del Norte.
Moreno has mostly played for a highly regional audience, but he has also released an essential recording
with Arhoolie records and has appeared at events all over the country at places like the Festival of
American Fiddle Tunes in Washington and the Blackpot Festival in Lafayette, Louisiana, among others.
Here Moreno plays a popular huapango which has been widely recorded conjunto, norteño, and mariachi.
This was recorded live after the Texas Folklife Resources Fiddle Fete which was a touring event held in
Austin and Houston in October and November, 1995.
8. Jesusita en Chihuahua-- Jose Moreno
Another great Jose Moreno live recording from the 1995 Texas Fiddle Fete. This polka is a very common
and popular composition dating back to the Mexican Revolution. It was made into a film in 1942, starring
Pedro Infante. This showy tune has always been very popular across Texas, where musical styles have
enriched each other. In a nice example of the often unheralded connections between Mexican music and
Western Swing, this polka, under the name “Jesse Polka” or “Jessie Polka” was recorded by Cliff Bruner
and the Texas Wanderers and also by Adoph Holfner (who himself was a crossover artists recording
western swing in English and polkas in Czech). Today “Jesusita en Chihuahua” is most commonly heard in
Texas played by mariachi bands.
9. Como Me Las Pinten Brinco-- Jose Moreno
Another huapango from Jose Moreno, this one much less commonly recorded. There are similar
huapangos recorded by norteño groups recorded under the name “Como Me las Pongan Brinco”. Moreno
recalls that he learned the tune from his friend Lupe Prado, an accordionist, whom Moreno credits with
writing it.
The idiom in the song title refers to the singer’s ability to handle anything thrown at him (or her, though
usually this song has been recorded by men). For example, one line claims "... y en qualquier mecate
tiendo" (“ I can hang clothes on any rope I find”) and another boasts "... y al son que me toquen bailo" (“I
can dance to any rhythm that's played for me”).
10. Mira Luisa -- Jose Moreno
This is an interesting example of Moreno’s unique approach to borderlands music, recorded live at the
1995 Texas Fiddle Fete. While this song is commonly played and sung by accordion-driven conjuntos,
Moreno reimagines it at an instrumental fiddle tune done in his unique style. “Mira Luisa” (Look, Luisa) is a
song of love teetering on the edge of heartbreak that has been recorded by virtually every major conjunto
and norteño band including father of conjunto accordion Narciso Martinez, Lydia Mendoza, and the classic
duo Los Alegres de Teran. It is even song by narocorridistas like Saul Viera.
11. Chapel Hill Special—Brian Marshall (with Rudy Lopez)
This is an infectious standard tune in Texas-Polish music, played by the most important fiddler in the
tradition playing today. Brian Marshall has almost singlehandedly preserved this music and continues to
play throughout the state and at festivals around the country. Marshall has a long association with Texas
Folklife in a variety of past and current programs including, most recently, offering a master fiddler’s
workshop at the inaugural Festival of Texas Fiddling held in Blanco in December, 2014.
The tune’s name, often misspelled as above, comes from Chappell Hill, a small town in Washington
County, which is one of the earliest settled regions of the state that also boasts a historic Texas Polish
population. This lively version comes from a late night jam session after the Texas Folklife Resources
community residency program, recorded on a handheld cassette tape machine. The tape recorder seems
to have been turned on and off to capture the music from the whole night, and, as a result, the track is
framed by abrupt breaks. We figured the historic interest of the track made it worthwhile to include despite
the truncated nature. Most of the music in this program was conjunto (and which included Valerio Longoria,
Jose Moreno, Juan Garcia, and Beto Salinas), though Brian Marshall also played. Much of the jam
features him playing fiddle tunes with Jose Moreno, but the recorded bits were simply too short to include
on this cd. On this tune Marshall is accompanied by Rudy Lopez, a bajo sexto player from San Antonio.
This is a great example of Texas-Polish music played with abandon by a master of the style.
12. Kuba's Wedding Waltz (listed as Na Weselu Polka) – Brian Marshall
Here is a great example of Brian Marshall playing with his full band the Tex-Slavic Playboys, on a driving
waltz called “Kuba’s Wedding Waltz”. This was recorded live at the Texas Folklife Resources Texas Fiddle
Fete in 1995. The other fiddlers at this particular event were Johnny Gimble and Clarence “Gatemouth”
Brown.
The title on the original label reflected the archival notes for the recording, which, as it turns out, were
incorrect. But since “Na Weselu Polka” means “at the wedding” we feel happy that at least we were at the
same event!
A lot of Texas-Polish music was geared toward music for weddings and other celebrations, as was typical
for community-based dance music styles in rural and small town Texas. One Texas-Polish fiddler
interviewed and recorded extensively by Texas Folklife was William Hyman of Huntsville. He recalled
playing a single song for bridal dances that lasted for extremely long times. “I played it so long sometimes that
my finger’s get paralyzed. Keep playing it as long as she was dancing. Long as she was dancing, I was playing it.”
Brian Marshall recorded Hyman and plays some of his songs, and we hope to release some of the Texas Folklife
field recordings at a future date.
13. Salt River -- Bill Gilbert, with Mike Henderson and Merry Finley
Bill Gilbert was a left handed fiddler of great renown who has been called the “Father of the Texas Old
Time Fiddlers Association.” He was also the co-founder of the Western Swing Society. Gilbert came from
came from Millsap, Texas and learned fiddle tunes and technique from, among others, Texas fiddle legend
Norman Solomon. Gilbert also recorded with B.F. Chestnut. Though a leftie on the fiddle, Gilbert played
guitar and bass with his right hand. He ranched and ran a studio in Millsap called Gravel Pit studio. Later in
life he became a teacher. Bill Gilbert did in 2012 at 71 years of age. He is remembered not just for his
fiddling, but also for his generous help to a whole generation of fiddlers working on the unique Texas style
bowing.
Gilbert summed up his illustrious and active life with characteristic humility as “I am a fiddler.”
This old Texas tune is a variant of a tune sometimes called “Salt Creek,” played by both old time and
bluegrass fiddlers. It has Irish roots in what is called the Gilderoy family of tunes. Variations are played
under a wide variety of names throughout the United States and Canada. In Texas fiddling, it is “Salt River.”
This field recording of Bill Gilbert has him playing with this apprentice Mike Henderson and Merry Finley at
the conclusion of the TFR apprenticeship program on July 22, 1990.
14. “Sally Johnson”-- Bill Gilbert, with Mike Henderson and Merry Finley
We chose to close the cd with this field recording which compares nicely as a front porch variant of the
polished Turpin’s recording that begins this cd. After starting, the two stop, and Gilbert says “now, let’s do
‘Sally Johnson,’ before kicking back into the tune.
The apprenticeship program allowed Henderson to learn directly from Gilbert. In this recording, the two ran
through a wide array of tunes such as “Bitter Creek,” and “Billy in the Low Ground” that we hope will appear
on a future release.
Project notes by Charlie Lockwood
This project has been thirty years in the making, but is the result of two months of highly focused hard work
by a number of dedicated individuals. Texas Folklife has long desired to share its rich archival material with
folk arts enthusiasts, scholars, researchers and the general public alike, and this album aims to be the first
of many efforts designed to accomplish that goal. As the initial effort to curate and distribute Texas
Folklife’s collection of archival audio recordings, we learned many lessons along the way.
Utilizing a database currently being developed by resident archivist Jacqueline Georges, producer Dan
Margolies selected material of interest from the archival collection of Texas fiddle audio cassette
recordings, which includes field recordings of oral histories and interviews, as well as live audio recordings
of workshops and concerts produced or presented by Texas Folklife dating from 1984. Georges then
selected then pulled the select audio cassettes and created archival separation sheets for each item, which
included information about a particular recording found on the physical cassettes. Producer Charlie
Lockwood enlisted the assistance of archivist Jullianne Ballou and audio engineer Evan Kaspar to digitize
the select tapes using equipment in the University of Texas at Austin Information School’s archival
preservation lab. All cassettes were digitized at archival 24bit/96khz audio quality at saved to Texas
Folklife’s digital media archive for preservation purposes, then saved as separate files at 16bit/44.1khz CD
audio quality.
Margolies and Lockwood listened to each digitized audio cassette recording and made extensive notes and
discussed the merit of each recording. Margolies took the lead in selecting good quality audio recordings
and identifying particular tunes by a diverse array of artists representing variety of Texas fiddle traditions for
the album. Throughout the process Lockwood was able to contact performers to get permission to use
each audio recording, including family members of deceased artists featured on the recordings. Once final
selections were made, audio engineer Evan Kaspar remastered the recordings using noise reduction and
other techniques to reduce the hiss of original audio cassette recordings and enhance overall audio quality.
A number of Texas regional music experts including Piper Lemoine, Frank Baldomero, Bradley Williams,
Mark Rubin, Rigo Garza, and Brian Marshall (featured on album) assisted in identifying song names.
Executive producer Cristina Ballí provided guidance and valuable feedback throughout the process, while
Gabriel Endres designed album artwork and layout to reflect the look and feel of this ambitious and
important archival initiative. Texas Folklife board members Armando Sanchez and Amy Mitchell, both
veterans of the music industry, also provided critical advice and assistance throughout the project.
We would like to thank Pat Jasper and the staff of Texas Folklife Resources for recording and documenting
these unique Texas fiddle traditions, and the performers and communities who give them life and meaning.
With this project we hope to honor the legacy of the organization and showcase the high quality artistic and
community programs it has undertaken over the last 30 years.