By the late 60s, the Virginia-Carolina dance had about played out, but about this time, I had gotten to the point where I could play some on the banjo.
In 1967, the first time I ever played out anywhere except the dances was at the Collinsville Recreation Center's Fiddlers Convention. Camden Joyce played banjo with Cecil Hall and a band that Cecil he had put together on Friday night, but he couldn’t play on Saturday night. Cecil asked if I could play with them. Cam was a great banjo player and I’ll never forget him playing that Friday night.
They did “Just Because” and he really sounded good. On Saturday night, we only played one tune. I can’t remember the fiddler but he played “Bear Creek Hop.” We didn’t place in the top 5 groups.
Then, by 1968, Doug and Larry Cobbler and I had met Henry and Louis Mabe. We met on a Wednesday night in May and went to Boones Mill, Virginia, to a Fiddlers Convention that weekend and came in second that Saturday night.
In 1967, the first time I ever played out anywhere except the dances was at the Collinsville Recreation Center's Fiddlers Convention. Camden Joyce played banjo with Cecil Hall and a band that Cecil he had put together on Friday night, but he couldn’t play on Saturday night. Cecil asked if I could play with them. Cam was a great banjo player and I’ll never forget him playing that Friday night.
They did “Just Because” and he really sounded good. On Saturday night, we only played one tune. I can’t remember the fiddler but he played “Bear Creek Hop.” We didn’t place in the top 5 groups.
Then, by 1968, Doug and Larry Cobbler and I had met Henry and Louis Mabe. We met on a Wednesday night in May and went to Boones Mill, Virginia, to a Fiddlers Convention that weekend and came in second that Saturday night.
Cecil Hall and Henry Mabe at Collinsville in the fiddle competiton, November 1968.Henry was a good fiddler and Louis, a good mandolin player. When we competed at Collinsville, we didn’t place as a band, but Henry won second on the fiddle.
Henry getting his ribbon and check, November 1968,
Marshall Hall in the folk singing competition.
Doug,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoy your verbal snippets of time. They are talking about a time when the music was really coming into its own and unlike today, many were having to find their own way. It is a great time in Bluegrass history.
Glad you are posting again.
ken h.
Boone's Mill -- there was a great old-time fiddler there, named N.H. 'Nick' Mills. He played a tune that would work well on 3-finger banjo, I think; 'Cuffee'. I think he was kind of cranky and antisocial in his older years. I never met him, but a friend of mine did and taped him. As my friend was leaving, Mills told him to tell anyone who asked about him that he was dead!
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