Favorite old-timey bluegrass number

[Bossy Monkey]

Poll question: Favorite old-timey bluegrass number

Ok, to heck with stuff I don't know anything about. This is the music I grew up on, ran away from like a zombie movie, then embraced again in my, uh, late youth. Generally, "old-timey" is supposed to mean "before 1950" in this context, but I put on Doc Watson's "Matty Groves" without knowing how old it is because I love Norman & Nancy Blake's version so much.

Don't worry-- I put on "Man of Constant Sorrow."

Feel free to define "old-timey" or "bluegrass" however you like, and be as liberal as you need to be with the Other function, so long as you specify your preference.

Edits: "Will the Circle Be Unbroken" replaced "White House Blues"; "Wabash Cannonball" replaced "Sittin' on Top of the World"

[Richardo]

1. "Angel Band" by Ralph Stanley

Also on OBWAT... :thumbsup:

[NightTrain]

2. I don't know if it qualifies as bluegrass, but...

...I've always loved Roy Acuff's "Wabash Cannonball."

[DieboldMustDie]

7. Roy Acuff's version wouldn't be Bluegrass...

but I'm sure Bluegrass versions have been done.   I think Flatt & Scruggs covered it in the '60s.

[Bossy Monkey]

13. I think that's a good suggestion (look up)

Norman & Nancy did a wonderful version of that one, too!

[VelmaD]

3. Fun "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" stories...

from my family that made me vote for it:

First, every time my momma hears this song she looks at me and says "I feel like robbin' a bank". :)

Second, my nephew loves this song. I mean LOVES it. The first time he ever heard it he must have been about 2 and he just went nuts. Dancing all over the place like he was having seizures. It was hilarious. He still goes nuts and starts bouncing around the house if you play it. :)

[jpgray]

4. Mattie Groves kicks ass (nt)

[Greyskye]

5. Matty Groves

Don't worry about if Matty Groves is "old" enough to be considered old-timey. It originally came from England, and some versions have about 30 verses. It is definitely at least 19th century, and possibly 18th century.

[cprise]

8. Fairport Convention version

...here on my portable mp3 player. :hi:

[Mr. McD]

6. Dueling Banjos

:)

[GreenPartyVoter]

9. May the Circle be Unbroken

[Bossy Monkey]

10. Good catch; I still have time to edit

Much as I love White House Blues, I don't think it's going to get any votes. I mean, it was the song that inspired the poll, and even I didn't vote for it! :)

[Bill Wade]

11. "How Mountain Girls Can Love"

Originally by the Stanley Brothers, covered by many.

[DancingBear]

19. Yes - check Tony Rice's version

at about Mach 3. :)

[greendog]

12. "Midnight / Moonlight"

or "Land of the Navajo" by Peter Rowan.

I love Bluegrass...I got to see John Reischman and the Jaybirds last weekend in Kalispell...they were excellent!

On edit: I know these are rather new "old timey" tunes but hey, as far as the newgrass stuff goes they are classic. :)

[tishaLA]

14. Keep on the Sunny Side

I don't know why. I just wanted the Carter family to get some props. I also love "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" and "Will the Circle Be Unbroken"

[Lars39]

15. I voted other. There were some very old ones that my mom would sing.

The only other people that seemed to know them would be some of the much older folks(those hitting late 70+) at the Cades Cove bluegrass weekend. She would sometimes know the words when they didn't and visa versa. There's so many old songs being "lost".

[Bossy Monkey]

17. You should look up Norman & Nancy

They spend a lot of time poring over old sheet music and listening to old 78s to find old, old songs that might otherwise pass away. OK, that's my 3d mention of Norman & Nancy Blake; I'll stop now.

[Lars39]

18. Thanks! I'll do that.

Might see something I recognize. :)

[5thGenDemocrat]

16. Other: Wreck of the Old 97

Of those specified on the list, I'd go with Wabash Cannonball.
John
More of a Motown kinda guy myself. But my late, presumably sainted mother (4thGenDem), a MENSA member, mother of five and an honest-to-goodness pinko-type liberal, swore Wabash Cannonball was, IHHO, one of the great American tunes ever.

[DancingBear]

20. "Georgia Mail", "My Walkin' Shoes," any Doc Boggs stuff

for starters.

[ET Awful]

21. Shady Grove

Bill Monroe did it well, but Jerry Garcia and David Grisman did it better :)

[Whitacre D_WI]

22. "Little Maggie" by the Stanley Brothers.

Or "Columbus Stockade" by any number of artists.

[Bundbuster]

23. Howard Hughes Blues

by John Hartford

[argyl]

24. "Cotton Eyed Joe","Fox on the Run" deserving of mention.

xx

[arewethereyet]

25. Cotton Eyed Joe