Participation Type

Panel

Session Title

From Unaccompanied Ballads to Old Time, Early Country, Bluegrass and Irish Traditional Music in Appalachia

Session Abstract or Summary

The panel will explore the history of mountain music from unaccompanied ballads to Old Time, Early Country, Bluegrass and Irish. This history helps us understand our identity. Western NC includes two of the first communities in Appalachia; settled about the time of the American Revolution, Beach Mountain was the first Appalachian community, and Madison County the second. Both became the strongholds of unaccompanied ballads.

With live music, another presentation explores Old Time, Bluegrass and their vocal and instrumental roots in Celtic music. African rhythms and singing styles on the fiddle and banjo were eventually joined by guitars and the blues, mandolins and harmonicas. Celtic guitar accompaniment has evolved greatly since the 1970s: players such as NC Zan McLeod and Asheville John Doyle have all made significant contributions to the tradition due to their albums that increased the popularity of Irish music.

Another proposal observes Bluegrass’ positioning itself as an ever-growing industry, educational pursuit, and viable career. Since 1986, the International Bluegrass Music Association has hosted an annual awards show recognizing the best of the industry. What do such legitimizing processes reveal about what is and isn’t considered bluegrass? Grounded in feminist and critical theory, I examine qualitative (online) responses and quantitative (statistical) data regarding award winners, career impacts, and efforts of equity and inclusion within the IBMA--with a keen eye towards he power of such processes on women performers.

Respondent will also sing an unaccompanied ballad and perform an early country Carter Family song

Presentation #1 Title

Ballad Keepers and the Arrival of the Fiddle

Presentation #1 Abstract or Summary

The panel will explore the history of mountain music from unaccompanied ballads to Old Time, Early Country, Bluegrass and Irish. This history helps us understand our identity. Before Italians like Amati standardized the Cremona fiddle that arrived in England about 1650, there was an earlier genre of unaccompanied ballads--our first sung poetry in English. The singers called them “Old Love Songs” even though they were often brutal and jealous: As in Matty Groves: With his sword, he cut off her head and kicked against the wall! These narrative songs were dramatic and filled with dialogue. I will compare contemporary sung NC versions to specific old Scots and English songs to understand how changing values and fears reveal the identity of often overlooked singers and ordinary people. Western NC includes two of the first communities in Appalachia; settled about the time of the American Revolution, Beach Mountain was the first, and Madison County became the second. Both remain the strongholds of unaccompanied ballads recognized by collectors Child, Cecil Sharp, Bronson, Roud, and the NEA life time Heritage award to Sheila Kay Adams of Madison Co as recently as 2013. After the Revolution when the fiddle arrived in the 1700s, these areas honored their favored tradition by adding the fiddle only in subtle ways that continued to emphasize unaccompanied ballad singing. Ninth generation descendent of the first two families on Beach Mountain, Rick Ward sings an early ballad "The Jobal Hunter" (Child #18 Sir Lionel). In one of the earliest ballad variants, Folger’s Sir Egrabell [or Sir Eglamore] fights not the NC wild boars but a dragon. In American ballads, the persistence of the supernatural as a “witch-wife” is almost as infrequent as a dragon.

At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #1

Cece Conway is Prof of English, Appalachian Studies & Folklore at Appalachian State U. She is author of Black Banjo Echoes in Appalachia, Co-Maker of the film Sprout Wings & Fly: A Portrait of Fiddler Thomas Jefferson Jarrell, and Director of Black & Global Roots Concerts, supported by NEA.

Presentation #2 Title

Old Time, Bluegrass and Their Roots in Celtic Music

Presentation #2 Abstract or Summary

With live music, this presentation explores Old Time, Bluegrass and their roots in Celtic music, in vocal and instrumental styles. African rhythms and singing styles on the fiddle and banjo were eventually joined by guitars and the blues, mandolins and harmonicas. In the 1930s, Bill Monroe’s “Bluegrass” became distinctive and combined the Scruggs style banjo with Monroe’s hard driving mandolin and high tenor vocal and close harmony singing with roots in early hymn singing. Whereas in Irish music, the guitar was firmly placed in an accompanying role to the melody instrument, be it a fiddle, flute, or pipes, colorful players like NC Zan McLeod’s playing marked a time of increased emphasis on guitar as a featured instrument much as Doc Watson had done with old time music.

At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #2

Fiddlin’ Al McCanless is one of the most versatile fiddlers in NC. He co-founded the New Deal String Band, a pioneer “newgrass” group and still plays with former bandmate Leroy Savage. Al spent years fiddling for the Bluegrass Experience, which won the World Champion Bluegrass prize at Union Grove. He partnered on “The Red Clay Ramblers and Fiddlin’ Al McCanless” Smithsonian Folkways CD. He loves Irish music and has an Irish band, Celtic Jam

Presentation #3 Title

Old Time, Bluegrass and Their Roots in Celtic Music

Presentation #3 Abstract or Summary

Celtic guitar accompaniment evolved greatly from the 1970’s on: players such as NC Zan McLeod and Asheville John Doyle made significant contributions to the tradition with their albums that increased the popularity of Irish music. The music and accompaniment styles evolved from dance, to pub listening music, to beautiful albums. Alternate tunings, such as DADGAD and drop D, are the most obvious distinguishing factor in Irish guitar accompaniment and result from the diverse time signatures in Celtic music. Asheville John Doyle furthered this transition emphatically with a dynamic rhythmic style that emulated in some selections the rhythms of the Irish bodhran drum and headed the tradition toward its golden age.

At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #3

Will McCanless plays banjo, guitar, fiddle and cittern. Will started backing his dad Fiddling Al up on guitar at age 6 at fiddlers conventions, played rock n roll through high school. Then after a trip to Augusta Heritage Irish Week, studying guitar and cittern with Zan McLeod, he became hooked on Irish music. Will and his dad do a mix of old-time music and traditional Irish music. Both are potters, and Will is the owner of McCanless Pottery gallery in Seagrove, NC.

Presentation #4 Title

Bluegrass on the Red Carpet: Examining Recognition and Awards in the Bluegrass Music Genre.

Presentation #4 Abstract or Summary

Bluegrass music positions itself as an ever growing industry, educational pursuit, and viable career. Since 1986, the International Bluegrass Music Association has hosted and celebrated an annual awards show recognizing the best of the industry. What do these awards systems provide for common practitioners? What does a close examination of the awards system reveal about internal approval systems, preferences, and biases of the fanbase and larger industry? Additionally, what do such legitimizing processes reveal about what is and isn’t considered bluegrass music? With these questions in mind, this paper builds upon complex processes of producing “typically traditional” music (such as bluegrass) within a neoliberal gig economy. Grounded in feminist and critical theory, I examine qualitative (online) responses and quantitative (statistical) data regarding award winners, career impacts, and efforts of equity and inclusion within the IBMA and the bluegrass fan base since the introduction of the award system. This mixed method analysis provides a new layer of understanding to the highly discussed, but rarely quantified awards process and impact. In line with my previous research, I provide a keen eye towards the power of such recognition processes on women performers. In conclusion, I seek to better clarify not only te impact of recognition and awards on an individual (performer) level, but to motion to the impact of awards on the growth of a typically traditional Appalachian genre.

At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #4

Jordan Laney, is a Presidential Pathways Postdoctoral Teaching Fellow at Virginia Tech, researching gender, music, alternative economies, and qualitative research methodology. She is an invited member of the Edward A. Buchet Society, Berea College Appalachian Sound Archive Fellow (2015-2016), and at-large member of the Appalachian Studies Association Steering Committee.

Presentation #5 Title

Respondent

Presentation #5 Abstract or Summary

Respondent will also sing an unaccompanied ballad and a Carter Family song.

At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #5

Ashleigh Devine is a fine singer, who has apprenticed with NEA Heritage Fellow Sheila Kay Adams. She is also a good musician, who has studied how the Carter Family acquired songs with the help of African American musician Leslie Fiddle and in other ways.

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Ballad Keepers and the Arrival of the Fiddle

The panel will explore the history of mountain music from unaccompanied ballads to Old Time, Early Country, Bluegrass and Irish. This history helps us understand our identity. Before Italians like Amati standardized the Cremona fiddle that arrived in England about 1650, there was an earlier genre of unaccompanied ballads--our first sung poetry in English. The singers called them “Old Love Songs” even though they were often brutal and jealous: As in Matty Groves: With his sword, he cut off her head and kicked against the wall! These narrative songs were dramatic and filled with dialogue. I will compare contemporary sung NC versions to specific old Scots and English songs to understand how changing values and fears reveal the identity of often overlooked singers and ordinary people. Western NC includes two of the first communities in Appalachia; settled about the time of the American Revolution, Beach Mountain was the first, and Madison County became the second. Both remain the strongholds of unaccompanied ballads recognized by collectors Child, Cecil Sharp, Bronson, Roud, and the NEA life time Heritage award to Sheila Kay Adams of Madison Co as recently as 2013. After the Revolution when the fiddle arrived in the 1700s, these areas honored their favored tradition by adding the fiddle only in subtle ways that continued to emphasize unaccompanied ballad singing. Ninth generation descendent of the first two families on Beach Mountain, Rick Ward sings an early ballad "The Jobal Hunter" (Child #18 Sir Lionel). In one of the earliest ballad variants, Folger’s Sir Egrabell [or Sir Eglamore] fights not the NC wild boars but a dragon. In American ballads, the persistence of the supernatural as a “witch-wife” is almost as infrequent as a dragon.