Topic: South Street Trio

[Flatd7]

So, I was just made aware of the original of "Cold Morning Shout" by the one and only Del Rey. I've infinately curious about this group. I have to say they have slipped through the cracks in my education. I've done some searching and I can't find out who the Third member is along with Bobby Leecan and Robert Cooksey. Sounds like Coley Jones or Howard Armstrong? What a great track. I'm now in search of everything I can find by this outfit. A true Mando Classic!

[Johnm]

Hi Jon,
I reckon the third member is Alfred Martin.  If you get the complete Leecan and Cooksey CDs on Document (2 volumes), you will have all of their stuff.  In the Resources Area, there is a piece that has the keys for all of their recordings.
All best,
Johnm

[Flatd7]

John, you are a "quick draw". I just found your post in the "Blues Mandolin" thread. Although you didn't mention the "Cold Morning Shout" track. What a great ensemble? Leecan's guitar work reminds me of Ted Bogan. He's listed as playing Banjo on some tracks, but the Banjolin of Alfred Martin and Roberts bass runs are what got me. I just love that early stringband material.

Del is coming east and wants me to back her up for a tune or two so I've got homework to do. She included the original on a CD. Wow. Now I'll need to dig out all of their tracks.

Hope all is well. I'll see you in Yellowstone if I bounce back quick from my hip replacement surgery. Getting grey is fun, huh?

[Johnm]

Best of luck with your recuperation, Jon, and I'll hope to see you out at GYMC.
All best,
Johnm

[Flatd7]

Been listening to all the Leecan and Cooksey I can get my hands on. Leecan's guitar comping is quite similar to both Roy Havey's work with Charlie Poole and Ted Bogan's backing in the Tennessee Chocolate Drops. However, I'm most curious about Alfred Martin work. Did he play with other sting bands? I haven't been able to find much on him although he stands out as one of the best Banjolin players of the period. Any other info mando fans?

[frankie]

Leecan's guitar comping is quite similar to both Roy Havey's work with Charlie Poole and Ted Bogan's backing in the Tennessee Chocolate Drops.

Not to pick nits, but I don't hear any similarity at all between Roy Harvey's guitar style and Bobby Leecan's or Ted Bogan's.  On reels and songs in 2/4 or 4/4, Harvey generally arpeggiates chords with thumb and (possibly three) fingers, connecting them up with runs.  All three share runs in common (who doesn't?), but Leecan and Bogan are clearly flatpickers, and their overall strum-based approach doesn't have anything in common with the texture Harvey creates by apreggiating in the way he does.

[Johnm]

Hi all,
Did anyone playing with a pick in that era, apart from people coming out of the tenor banjo or mandolin traditions, have the ulta-cool fluency with a pick that Bobby Leecan had?  I haven't heard anyone that I would rank with him.  Listen to him playing back-up on "Ain't She Sweet", especially take 2.  It's more exciting and interesting than ninety percent of the lead playing of that or this era.  He really was astoundingly good. 
As for your question about Alfred Martin, Jon, I don't think there is any biographical information about Leecan and Cooksey, or anyone who played with them regularly, even to the extent of knowing where they were from.  I think that there has been some conjecture that they may have been from Philadelphia, perhaps because South Street is a well known street there, and also because one of their sessions was recorded in Camden, New Jersey, right across the river from Philly.  Really, though, I think next to nothing is known about any of them
All best,
Johnm

[Rivers]

Great thread!

I took the liberty of tightening-up the tags, we had a Robert Cooksey one going and the minor variation created another one. See http://weeniecampbell.com/yabbse/index.php?page=tagsindex for a complete list of happenin' tags. I also added a 'Leecan & Cooksey' one as well since that was already going as well.

[Flatd7]

John, I agree. I can't think of anyone who was as dynamic and inventive as Bobby Leecan in the mid twenties. The Louie Bluie / Tennessee Chocolate Drops tracks with Bogan are in the early to mid thirties? State Street Rag and Ted's Stomp are in the same vein, but Leecan's work is so unpredictable. He seems to change every measure.

I'll need to go back and listen to my Roy Harvey and Riley Puckett tracks. I've always thought of them as early pioneers of this style but much more basic. Hawkin's Rag has a great backing track by Riley. I guess the backing on Take A Drink On Me or Don't Let Your Deal Go Down has some connection to this style of backing whether it's flat or fingerpicked. But the Poole tracks are much more simple as is the song structure. Cold Morning Shout, which got me looking into Leecan's work more closely is a highly complex tune with many changes. A glorious piece to examine.