Topic: Adventures in F position

[Dr. G]

Nice, frankie. More wonderful, old secrets revealed!

[Johnm]

Hi all,
I have one to add to this category that I just heard for the first time today on the Revenant release, "American Primitive, Vol. 2":  Moses Mason, aka "Red Hot Old Mose", doing "Shrimp Man", from 1928 on a banjo-guitar.
All best,
Johnm

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Bill Jackson, on his "Long Steel Rail" CD on Testament (on the Juke) does a really nice raggy 8-bar Blues, "Going Back South", out of F on a twelve-string guitar.  His sound really has a nice zing to it because he has a high octave B string on the guitar, a technique previously noted by Frankie in the playing of Blind Willie McTell and the Pruett twins.
All best,
Johnm 

[Johnm]

Hi all,
I was scouting around tonight and found a couple more tunes played in F position, standard tuning:  Mance Lipscomb's "Rag In F" (kind of a slam-dunk, that) and from Kentuckian Bill Williams, "That's The Human Thing To Do" and "Darktown Strutters' Ball".
All best,
Johnm

[Johnm]

Hi all,
I just remembered a couple of more:  "The Gin Done Done It" and "Do It Right" by Pigmeat Pete and Catjuice Charlie.
All best,
Johnm

[dj]

The Weenie Campbell forum is a humbling place - mention of Pigmeat Pete and Catjuice Charlie exposed some of my extensive ignorance.  Off to the reference works where I found that Pigmeat Pete and Catjuice Charlie was a pseudonym for Kid Wesley Wilson and Harry McDaniels (and "probably others") on Columbia.  The two songs mentioned above were recorded in New York City on September 5, 1929.  Kid Wesley Wilson and Harry McDaniels do a vocal duet accompanied by Harry McDaniels on guitar. 

[uncle bud]

And here I thought Catjuice Charlie was a household name...

[Slack]

And here I thought Catjuice Charlie was a household name...

 

2 years ago I was in the Port Townsend CB "store" and Del Rey was buying a pile of CDs one of which was a Document compilation with one tune by Catjuice Charlie - which was her reason for buying the CD, she'd never heard of Catjuice Charlie.  Of course, I had to go buy the same CD for the same reason. 

[Bunker Hill]

And here I thought Catjuice Charlie was a household name...

Hee, Hee, but certainly has been here in the past

http://weeniecampbell.com/yabbse/index.php?amp;Itemid=114&topic=712.msg16189;topicseen#msg16189

anybody up for tagging the references?

[Rivers]

I tagged that one anyway. Think I just beat Uncle Bud to it, he was in there at the same time.

[waxwing]

Someone else check this out. It sounds to my novice ears that one or both guitars is playing out of F in Tarter and Gay's Unknown Blues, which is track 25 on CD A of A Richer Tradition. At your encouragement, John M, I've been listening to Leadbelly's blues in F. Tonight I was listening to the A Richer Tradition set and this song sorta jumped out at me. Seems like those bass runs work great in F, especially the IV chord licks, which it sounds like both guitarists took advantage of, alto I suppose the one taking the high leads could be capo 5 playing out of C. Playing along (loosely following) I was even starting to get the thumb wrap Bb chord.-G-

All for now.
John C.

[banjochris]

It sure sounds like it could be in F, John. I'm pretty sure the higher guitar is in C, as you say, and he's doing most of the bass runs on the IV chord, a lot like Lemon's bass runs in "Black Horse." If Gay (I think he's the one playing the lower guitar) is in F on "Unknown Blues," he's in F on "Brownie Blues" as well, where Tarter plays in E position. Those guys should have made a lot more than one record.

Another interesting guitarist who plays in F who just came to my mind, although he's not quite blues, is Norman Woodlieff, who was the original recorded guitarist with Charlie Poole and the North Carolina Ramblers. He plays in F on "Old Johnny Bucker Wouldn't Do" and "Cat's Got the Measles..." with Walter Smith. The New Lost City Ramblers covered "Cats" and kept the original guitar style, which might be the most accessible recording of his style, athough the original tracks are out on Document, Walter Smith Vol. 1.
Chris

[Johnm]

Hi John C.,
Yes, I agree, it sounds like the low guitar is being played out of F in standard tuning.  All of those ascending chromatic runs coming open from the 3rd of the I chord lay out beautifully in F, and are darned awkward in E position.  Way to hear!
all best,
Johnm

[Johnm]

Hi all,
As per the discussion on the Notable Omissions thread, here are four tunes played out of F position in standard tuning that have not previously been noted here, all by Gene Campbell:
   * "Don't Leave Me Blue Blues"
   * "Doggone Mean Blues"
   * "Married Life Blues"
   * "Fair Weather Woman Blues"
All best,
Johnm
   

[Johnm]

Hi all,
I just recalled that Smith Casey, joined by Roger Gill on vocals, played "When I Get Home" out of F position in standard tuning.
All best,
Johnm