Description

When Tom Carter and Blanton Owen came through the Blue Ridge Plateau region of Virginia in 1973-74 on their quest to further document the area’s rich traditional musical heritage they reactivated the memories and music skills of fiddler Sam Conner and banjo player Dent Wimmer, among others. Both had been active musicians in their youth, providing music for folks who loved to dance in the lively, rhythmic ‘flat footing’ style for which Floyd and Franklin Counties are well known.

Dent’s hard driving “thrashdown” banjo style is indeed a brisk one, born out of the rhythms and drones of older players before him, who were likely influenced by youthful energy in their time. His rock solid right hand rhythm is precise, like that of a fine-tuned engine, able to drive a dance all by itself if need be. In addition to his powerful banjo-fiddle duets with Sam, Dent’s repertoire included solo tunes and songs in various tunings and modes, likely with roots in the area’s black banjo and vocal tradition; exactly how it developed, we’ll never know for sure. As Dent once said, “It’s too far back for that.”

Sam’s creative fiddling – both solo and in duets with Dent – is unique and soulful. Sam bows his melodies at a pace that’s youthful and “brisk,” yet still sounding relaxed, even when up to speed for dancing. In contrast to Dent’s rustic banjo sound, Sam’s cleaner fiddle style includes the subtle use of slides, slurs, and shuffles, punctuated at will by long, single-note phrase endings. His solos are even more melodic, and he gets even more ‘artistic’ in his use of a long upbow note at the end of certain phrases. Together as a duet extraordinaire, or as fine soloists in the local mountain music tradition, Sam Conner and Dent Wimmer are truly “Old Originals.” — Mac Traynham, December 2023