Track Notes for FRC749 – Strawberry McCloud

Robert Lee “Strawberry” McCloud – Bloomington Breakdown – FRC749

By Teri Klassen

  1. Shortnin’ Bread (1:53) Strawberry McCloud: fiddle; Randy Marmouzé: banjo; Jeff Claus and Steve Hinnefeld: guitar; Mark Feddersen: bass. Recorded by Gary Stanton, January 1978, at WFIU public radio studios on the Indiana University campus in Bloomington. Tracks from this golden session account for about a third of those on this CD; we are deeply grateful to WFIU’s Music Down Home host, folklorist Gary Stanton (aka the Radio Ranger), for setting it up. Strawberry attributes many of his tunes to either Doc Roberts, Gid Tanner, or Clayton McMichen, but his playful syncopated instrumental version of this old-time classic differs from theirs; he either changed it or had another source. Jeff’s falsetto “ah-has” reflect and add to the energy. Wikipedia says it has African American origins with lyrics first published by James Whitcomb Riley in 1900. Doc Roberts recorded a distinctive instrumental four-part version in cross A, titled, “My Baby Loves Shortenin’ Bread” (1925; early 1930s); the Skillet Lickers recorded it in G as “Shortening Bread,” a combination tune and song (1926). Key of G.
  2. Tennessee Wagoner (2:11) Strawberry McCloud: fiddle; Randy Marmouzé: banjo; Steve Hinnefeld: guitar. Recorded by Randy in 1975 at his house near Bloomington, Indiana, or at Strawberry’s house in Bloomington. Strawberry’s version features his signature syncopated phrases and is irregular (18-beat high part, 22-beat low part, both usually played twice), which he seems to recognize as distinctive, asking with apparent pride at the end of one recording, “You ever hear it played like that?” Doc Roberts recorded an even version in C with guitarist Dick Parman (1927) and later in a Berea College video (1971). The Skillet Lickers also recorded an even version in C as “Georgia Wagner” but with a different second part (1930). Key of C.
  3. Sally Goodin’ (2:16) Strawberry McCloud: fiddle; with members of the Radio Aces stringband (probably Gary Hawk: banjo; Tim Goodall: guitar). Recorded by Kerry Blech, June 1977, at the West Virginia State Folk Festival in Glenville. Strawberry gets in a groove with younger-generation musicians on this crooked, staccato-driven, three-part “Sally Goodin’” in the Conrad Motel parking lot (see also #34 “Run, Boy, Run” below). He mostly plays a first part that is 8 beats the first time, 10 the second; then two times through an even (8-beat) low second part; and occasionally throws in a high third part where he gives the high first note a dramatic extra beat. Many versions of “Sally Goodin’” are in cross A; Strawberry plays it in G, as do Doc Roberts (1930), A.A. Gray (with Seven-Foot Dilly and His Dill Pickles, of Georgia; 1930) and Lowe Stokes (no date). A.A. Gray and Missouri fiddler Vee Latty (titled “Black Sally Goodin,” in G; 1950s) also play high third parts. Key of G.
  4. New Money (2:48) Strawberry McCloud: fiddle; Randy Marmouzé: banjo; Jeff Claus and Steve Hinnefeld: guitar; Mark Feddersen: bass. Recorded by Gary Stanton, 1978, WFIU studios. Strawberry said his “New Money,” with its distinctive syncopated phrases and crooked timing, came from his brother Jack, who in turn had learned it about 1913 from Walter Jones, fiddler in a Black stringband that played in the contest at the Kentucky State Fair in Louisville (about 100 miles west of their home). The first part has 17 beats (16 with a pause at the end), the second part 18. Jack was then about 13, six years older than Strawberry. Recorded versions include: Doc Roberts with Asa Martin (1928; said to come from either Owen Walker [Black] or Elza Stone [White]); Bert Layne of the Skillet Lickers (unknown date); Arthur Smith and the Dixieliners (Tennessee, with sock-style guitar; probably 1930s [thanks to Andy Cahan for this reference]); George Lee Hawkins (Kentucky; FRC 732; recorded 1950s or ‘60s); and J.P. Fraley (Kentucky; 1995). In tune notes for the Hawkins version on Kentucky Fiddlers Home Recordings, Vol. 1 (2020), John Harrod writes, “New Money is a tune that was known all over the eastern bluegrass region. It was played by the [B]lack fiddler Owen Walker, whom Doc Roberts learned from, but George learned it from Elza Stone who called the tune Fresh Money.” Key of C.
  5. Forky Deer (1:59) Strawberry McCloud: fiddle; Randy Marmouzé: banjo; Jeff Claus: guitar. Recorded by Jeff, early 1977, at Strawberry’s house. Strawberry plays an even (16-beat) high part (once or twice) and crooked (18- or 19-beat) low part once, reminiscent of eastern Kentucky fiddler Darley Fulks (1895-1990), who played an 18- or 19-beat low part (twice through) alternating with a 10- or 12-beat high part (played twice, or possibly once with 23 beats) (1977). Strawberry’s eccentric version also seems influenced by Doc Roberts’ version of “Forky Deer,” recorded as “Deer Walk” (1930), although it is even. Other even D versions were recorded by Uncle Am Stuart (Tennessee; 1924); Taylor’s Kentucky Boys (associated with Doc Roberts and the African-American Booker Orchestra stringband; 1927); and Charlie Bowman (Tennessee; 1929). Eastern Kentucky fiddler John Salyer plays three parts and pauses a beat at the end of the second time through the low (first) part (home recording; ca. 1942). Ed Haley, of eastern Kentucky and West Virginia, plays it with at least five parts, all of them even (recorded 1946 or ’47). Key of D.
  6. All I Got’s Done Gone (2:41) Strawberry McCloud: fiddle; John Willie Myers: guitar. John Willie (as Strawberry and his children referred to him; 1918-2010) was Strawberry’s oldest sister’s son, 11 years younger than him, and in the 1970s lived in Liberty, Indiana, near the Ohio border, about 110 miles northeast of Bloomington. His adept chord changes in this challenging (convoluted) country blues suggest he was well-grounded in old-time music. Strawberry seemed to relish this bond with his nephew, which may have inspired this especially soulful rendition of the tune. “We ain’t seen one another for 20 years,” he remarked at one point. This session, with just the two of them, is undocumented; Strawberry’s partner in his later years, Ren Oschin (1944-2022), may have made it in the mid-1970s at their home (see also #7 “Raggedy Ann” and #28 “Cumberland Gap” below). This piece is related to: Doc Roberts’ “All I’ve Got Is Done Gone” (1925; 1930), attributed to Owen Walker, a Black fiddler who was Doc’s neighbor and performed locally https://tunearch.org/wiki/Annotation:All_I%27ve_Got%27s_Done_Gone_(1) ; and also to Clayton McMichen’s “Done Gone” (1930). Key of C.
  7. Raggedy Ann (2:22) Strawberry McCloud: fiddle; John Willie Myers: guitar. Undocumented recording session, possibly by Ren Oschin, mid-1970s, her and Strawberry’s house. Like many versions of this tune, Strawberry’s is crooked. He plays the 16-beat low (first) part twice, and the high part with 16 beats the first time but 15 the second time through (or it might be interpreted as one 31-beat part). Posey Rorer recorded it with Charlie Poole and the North Carolina Ramblers (1926), playing the high part twice, 30 beats each time. Our oldest recording is by Eck Robertson (Texas; 1922), whose high part is even (32 beats, played twice) and who plays a third part. Key of D.
  8. Bloomington Breakdown (2:18) Strawberry McCloud: fiddle; Randy Marmouzé: banjo; Steve Hinnefeld: guitar. Recorded by Randy, 1975, his house or Strawberry’s. Strawberry is our only source for this hoedown, apparently an original tune. He usually called it “Bloomington Breakdown” but at least once announced it as “Boatin’ up Sand.” When playing it with guitarist Wayne Erbsen at the Augusta Heritage Workshop, he replied, “Yeah,” when Wayne asked, “Did you make that one up?” He plays the first (high) part once (16 beats), the second (low) part one and a half times (16 beats, then repeat the first 8). The parts have a call-and-response complementarity. The first shows off his tremolo; the second starts with a mesmerizing slide. Key of G.
  9. Wang Wang Blues (1:57) Strawberry McCloud: fiddle; Randy Marmouzé: banjo; Jeff Claus and Steve Hinnefeld: guitar; Mark Feddersen: bass. Recorded by Gary Stanton, 1978, WFIU studios. Strawberry’s opening features blue notes and a triplet, then a solid walking-bass guitar line anchors him through the sinuous dips and swings of this blues, possibly the only version recorded with clawhammer banjo. In the risqué spirit of 1920s dance halls, the term “wang-wang blues” refers to a woman missing sex with her man. First recorded in 1920 as “Wang-Wang Blues – Foxtrot” by Paul Whiteman (a White bandleader and composer) and His Ambassador Orchestra (copyright by band members Gussie Mueller, Theron “Buster” Johnson, and Henry Busse), then by Mamie Smith (a Black singer) and Her Jazz Hounds (1921), this blues became a jazz standard. It soon crossed over into old-time. Fiddle renditions include Sid Harkreader and Blythe Poteet, of Tennessee, in G (1928); the Stripling Brothers, of Alabama, in C (renamed “New Born Blues,” perhaps for the sake of propriety; 1929); Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys (1935); and Van Kidwell, originally of the Kentucky Bluegrass region (with the Hot Mud Family; 1974 [?] [See FRC412 track #32]). Key of C.
  10. Hen Cackle (1:21) Strawberry McCloud: fiddle; Donna Doughten: piano. Recorded by Gary Stanton, 1978, WFIU studios. “Hen Cackle” (with various titles) was popular in Strawberry’s youth as a novelty number that calls for instruments to imitate a chicken (as Strawberry does at one point here). The number of parts (Strawberry plays three) and number of beats per part varied. It was generally in the key of G. Gid Tanner and Riley Puckett mixed “Chicken Pie,” “Hen Cackle,” and extensive henhouse sounds in a vaudeville rendition (1924). Homer Davenport and the Young Brothers, of Tennessee, played five parts (four in G, one in C; 1925; titled “Old Hen Cackled and the Rooster Crowed,” with Jesse Young on fiddle). DeFord Bailey, a Black Tennessee harmonica player who was featured on the Grand Ole Opry, played three parts (1928); and the Skillet Lickers played two (1928). Clayton McMichen and Riley Puckett also played it (no date). Key of G.
  11. Tuesday Night Waltz (2:59) Strawberry McCloud: fiddle; Steve Hinnefeld: guitar. Recorded by Randy Marmouzé, 1975, his or Strawberry’s house.  This tune with one part in C and one in F that Strawberry called “Tuesday Night Waltz” is a version of “Wednesday Night Waltz.” It was first recorded by the Leake County Revelers, of Mississippi, in D with one part but with a few measures of an unrelated hoedown in the middle (1927; see the discussion of “tune-switching” under #32 “Martha Campbell” below). Thanks to Jordan Wankoff for recognizing its true identity. Strawberry also played a tune that he called “Wednesday Night Waltz” (not on this CD) of which we have found no other recording; perhaps at some point he mixed up the names. Leake County Revelers’ fiddler Wil Gilmer said he found the tune “out in Texas somewhere” https://tunearch.org/wiki/Annotation:Wednesday_Night_Waltz. The notion of Texas as a point of origin is supported by the fact that Texas fiddler Bill Northcutt also played it in D with one part, though he modulated to G as a variation (1968). Southeastern bands, diverging from the Leake County Revelers, tended to play it in C, sometimes with a second part in F.  The many subsequent recordings, in addition to Northcutt, include: Kessinger Brothers of West Virginia, in C with one part (played an octave low as a variation; 1928); North Carolina Hawaiians, in C with one part (slide guitar takes breaks first in waltz time 0:58-1:54, then in a faster hoedown rhythm 1:54-2:24; 1928); Stripling Brothers, of Alabama, two parts, in C and F (1929); Fiddling Doc Roberts Trio, Kentucky, two parts, in C and F (1931); Riley Puckett (vocals and guitar) with an anonymous fiddler (likely Clayton McMichen), one part, in G (1934). According to the Traditional Tune Archive, it was “in the repertoire” of Freeny’s Barn Dance Band, Mississippi, ca. 1930. Probably influenced by Doc Roberts, Strawberry plays two parts, in C and F, a rare case of him playing in F. Keys of C and F.
  12. Cripple Creek (1:48) Strawberry McCloud: fiddle; Randy Marmouzé: banjo; Jeff Claus and Steve Hinnefeld: guitar; Mark Feddersen: bass; Donna Doughten: piano. Recorded by Gary Stanton, 1978, WFIU studios. Strawberry’s rendition of this standard hoedown is even (16-beat high part played once [usually], 8-beat low part played twice) and in G. It features punchy syncopation and staccato, and an emphasis on the offbeat at the end of the high-part (and some low-part) phrases. Randy goes to town on banjo, closely following but occasionally complementing melody and rhythm. The tune’s provenance is unknown; the lyrics may date to ca. 1900. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cripple_Creek_(folk_song) . “Cripple Creek” is often in cross A, for instance, by Tommy Jarrell of North Carolina (on fiddle and vocals; 1983 video), who plays an 8-beat low part two or four times, and a 16-beat high part twice; and by Marion Reece of North Carolina (1936), who plays an 11-beat high part twice and an 8-beat low part seven or nine times. The Skillet Lickers also recorded it in A (1929). Like Strawberry, Charlie Poole and the North Carolina Ramblers (probably Posey Rorer on fiddle) played it in G, two 8-beat parts, both played twice (titled “Shootin’ Creek;”1928), as did Lowe Stokes (early 1980s). Key of G.
  13. Cindy (2:36) Strawberry McCloud: fiddle; Randy Marmouzé: banjo; Jeff Claus and Steve Hinnefeld: guitar; Mark Feddersen: bass. Recorded by Gary Stanton, 1978, WFIU studios. Boosted by driving guitar and clawhammer rhythm, Strawberry gives this often-sedate song some blue notes, high tremolos, and swing. It is one of just two A tunes in this CD collection (see also #23 “Sugar-Foot Rag”) and one of two on which he sings (see also #18 “Coon Dog”). He plays each of the two (16-beat) parts once and sings three widely known verses: 1) “Went to see my Cindy, She’s standing in the door, Shoes and stockings in her hand, Feet all over the floor. Get along home;” 2) “Wish I was an apple hanging on a tree. Every time my Cindy passed, she’d take a bite of me. Get along home;” 3) “Cindy in the springtime, Cindy in the fall, If I can’t get my Cindy, I don’t want none a-tall. Get along home.” We speculate that Strawberry sang regularly when performing in his youth, perhaps when he played bass with the Georgia Wildcats, as he has a strong confident voice and knows verses to many songs. The “Cindy” melody may be from an 1800s African American spiritual (“The Gospel Train”); a 1904 collection of African American folktales included the lyrics (Wikipedia). The Slippery Hill tunes website lists versions under several titles in keys of D, G, and A. Strawberry’s is in A (standard tuning), as were recordings of Clayton McMichen and Riley Puckett (1927) and John Chism with Pope’s Arkansas Mountaineers (1928). Key of A.
  14. Mississippi Sawyer (2:07) Strawberry McCloud: fiddle; Randy Marmouzé: banjo; Steve Hinnefeld: guitar; Donna Doughten: piano. Recorded by Randy, 1975, at Strawberry’s house. Strawberry’s version of this widely known, clawhammer-showpiece hoedown is jaunty and crooked. The high part is even though the phrasing might fool you (16 beats played twice); then he plays a crooked (18-beat) second part once; then he plays the first part twice again but an octave low, almost like a third part. Georgia fiddler Earl Johnson’s version also is crooked (1927; 1929). The Skillet Lickers play an even (16-beat) first part twice, and an even low part once (1929). The Kessinger Brothers drop a beat in the first part (1928-30). McMichen’s Georgia Wildcats recorded it about 1931, but we did not find it online; in a later McMichen recording, he adds a beat in both parts (medley; 1939). Key of D.
  15. Darktown Strutters’ Ball (1:58) Strawberry McCloud: fiddle; Randy Marmouzé: banjo; Jeff Claus and Steve Hinnefeld: guitar; Mark Feddersen: bass; Donna Doughten: piano. Recorded by Gary Stanton, 1978, WFIU studios. Shelton Brooks, a Black composer, published this spectacularly syncopated ragtime/Dixieland tune in 1917 (Strawberry was about 9). The Six Brown Brothers recorded it that year (“Darktown Strutters’ Ball – Fox Trot”), as did the Original Dixieland Jazz Band. Within 10 years it had crossed over into old-time; the Skillet Lickers recorded it (1927), Riley Puckett in (1930). When Fats Domino (Black rhythm-‘n’-blues/rock-‘n’-roll singer and pianist) recorded it in 1958 (released 1987), he substituted “downtown” for “Darktown” in the lyrics. Strawberry plays one 38-beat part at a stately yet jaunty pace. Key of G.
  16. Flop-Eared Mule (1:29) Strawberry McCloud: fiddle; Donna Doughten: piano. Recorded by Randy, 1975, Strawberry’s house. Backed by piano, Strawberry’s lively rendition of this popular hoedown is playful, perky, and even (though he varies on playing the parts once or twice). The tune resembles several with European and British Isles roots, including schottisches and polkas (Wikipedia). Recordings of the 1920s and ‘30s, usually with one part in G and one in D, include: Blue Ridge Highballers (1926), James Cowan Powers (1927), Doc Roberts (1928), Byrd Moore (as Robinette and Moore; 1928), Skillet Lickers (1930), Skillet Lickers (1934; Gid plays mandolin lead, and there’s an alternate second part). Keys of G and D.
  17. Frankie and Johnny (1:53) Strawberry McCloud: fiddle; Randy Marmouzé: banjo; Steve Hinnefeld: guitar. Recorded by Randy, 1975, his or Strawberry’s house. In this rendition, Strawberry plays this widely recorded ballad as an instrumental blues with punchy (staccato) low notes and wailing, warbling high notes (many of them, both low and high, blue). On another recording, he sings several verses (and says it is his daughter Judy Taylor’s favorite song). Hughie Cannon copyrighted the music in 1904 (there may have been earlier versions); brothers Frank and Bert Leighton published lyrics and a variation on the melody as, “Bill, You Done Me Wrong,” in 1908, then as “Frankie and Johnny” in 1912. Old-time versions from Strawberry’s youth include Charlie Poole and the North Carolina Ramblers’ “Leaving Home,” in C (1926); Tennessee-based Dykes Magic City Trio, in F (1927); Riley Puckett and Clayton McMichen, in D (1929); and McMichen’s Georgia Wildcats, in C with twin fiddles, mandolin, and sock-style guitar (1938) https://archive.org/details/78_frankie-and-johnny_clayton-mcmichens-georgia-wildcats_gbia0432764b. Key of C.
  18. Coon Dog (1:34) Strawberry McCloud: fiddle and vocals; Randy Marmouzé: banjo; Jeff Claus and Steve Hinnefeld: guitar; Mark Feddersen: bass. Recorded by Gary Stanton, 1978, WFIU studios. Strawberry plays “Coon Dog” as a hoedown but sings a verse (and Jeff adds a few howls): “I sold my fiddle, and I sold my gun, For the best damn coon dog ever run.” On one recording, he introduces it with, “I’ll give you a good easy one.” It is not the cross-A Virginia tune descended from Wallace Spangler, rather, an eastern Kentucky tune in G. Recordings include Buddy Thomas (1973), from northeastern Kentucky fiddler Alfred Bailey (1918-96) https://soundarchives.berea.edu/items/show/3967; and Cecil Crank (1973), of Carter County, some 80 miles east of Strawberry’s 1920s Clark County home https://soundarchives.berea.edu/items/show/537. See Traditional Tune Archive https://tunearch.org/wiki/Old_Coon_Dog_(1). Key of G.
  19. Silver Bell (2:32) Strawberry McCloud: fiddle; Randy Marmouzé: banjo; Jeff Claus and Steve Hinnefeld: guitar; Mark Feddersen, bass. Recorded by Gary Stanton, 1978, WFIU studios. Introducing it on one recording, Strawberry says, “My grandpa played it all the time, but I didn’t learn it from him. I learnt it from my brother [Jack].” He plays it as a lively instrumental rather than a sentimental song, illustrating how old-time fiddlers absorbed popular music. This tune was published as sheet music in 1911 (Strawberry was 3 or 4), with melody by Percy Wenrich, lyrics by Edward Madden (“Silver Bell” referred to an “Indian maid”) http://parlorsongs.com/issues/2000-4/2000-4.php . Among the many recordings (variously referring to “bell” or “bells”) are: “Silver Bells” by McMichen’s Home Town Band, in C (1925); “Silver Bell” by Jess Young’s Tennessee Band, in G (1929); and “Silver Bells” by Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys, in D (1938) https://digitalcommons.conncoll.edu/sheetmusic/1679/. Strawberry’s melody takes a few different turns than the above-mentioned, and his version may be the only one with clawhammer banjo. Thanks to Andy Cahan for identifying the tune. Key of C.
  20. Paddy on the Turnpike (2:06) Strawberry McCloud: fiddle; Randy Marmouzé: banjo; Steve Hinnefeld: guitar. Recorded by Randy, 1975, at his or Strawberry’s house. Strawberry is our only source for this hoedown, with soaring high notes in the 18-beat first part (played once), and syncopated low phrases in the 16-beat low part (played twice). He introduced it sometimes as Gid Tanner’s “Paddy on the Turnpike” and others as Tanner’s “[offensive word for Black Person] in the Woodpile” (both common tune names of the 1920s and ‘30s). But it’s not any of the tunes that Tanner (or any other fiddler we could find) recorded under those titles. A couple of old-time tune experts we consulted suggested it is a version of “Old Hen Cackle,” but others did not see that connection. Strawberry played another (three-part) tune he called “Hen Cackle” (see #10 above). Key of G.
  21. Turkey in the Straw (2:30) Strawberry McCloud: fiddle; Randy Marmouzé: banjo; Steve Hinnefeld: guitar. Recorded by Randy, 1975, at his or Strawberry’s house. In Strawberry’s hands, “Turkey in the Straw” is a hoedown rather than a song, propelled by clawhammer banjo and guitar and featuring an extra beat at the end of each part, often syncopated phrasing, and slippery melodic variations. It was first published around 1834 as “Zip Coon” and performed in minstrel shows; several people claimed authorship (Wikipedia). The Skillet Lickers recorded it with vocals in G (1926) and the Doc Roberts Trio as an instrumental in C, with a light-touch uptown swing style incorporating many variations as well as D and A guitar chords in the high part (1932). Key of C.
  22. Waynesboro (1:25) Strawberry McCloud: fiddle; Randy Marmouzé: banjo; Jeff Claus: guitar. Recorded by Jeff, 1977, at Strawberry’s house. This is among the many tunes that Strawberry plays from Doc Roberts’ repertoire, interpreting them in his punchier, less intricately melodic style. He plays it as a hoedown, with even parts. Doc recorded it with John Booker, a Black guitarist, as “Waynesburgh” (key of G; 1927) https://nkaa.uky.edu/nkaa/items/show/918. Edden Hammons, of West Virginia, was recorded playing it in 1947, also in G. There are Waynesboros in Georgia, Mississippi, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Virginia, and an unincorporated Waynesburg in central Kentucky. Key of G.
  23. Sugar-Foot Rag (1:43) Strawberry McCloud: fiddle. Recorded by Gerry Milnes, October 1976, during the Augusta Heritage Workshop, Elkins, West Virginia https://augustaartsandculture.org/document/strawberry-mccloud-tunes-1-of-2-10-21-1976/ The session that includes this recording is our only one in which Strawberry plays alone, perhaps supporting the Augusta workshop’s mission of helping young fiddlers learn from old masters. As a solo fiddler, he has to work harder to supply the dynamic rhythm and melodic complexity that comes of having backup instruments, especially (in old-time music) a banjo. It also hints at how some old-style techniques that Strawberry lacked (such as wildcat tunings: AEAE, ADAE, etc.) could help a lone fiddler provide his or her own backup, by facilitating droning and cross-string bow-rocking. “Sugar-Foot Rag” is an example of Strawberry updating his oeuvre, adopting pieces he could adapt to his style as they entered popular culture. It was recorded first by its composer, Hank Garland, as a flatpicking guitar showpiece (August 1949), then by Red Foley with lyrics by George Vaughn Horton (November 1949), and since then by many guitarists and fiddlers. Old-time renditions include George Helton, in A standard (Missouri; 1956); and Tommy Jarrell, in cross A (North Carolina; recorded in 1984, released on the Rainbow Sign cassette in 1986 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WlDy8fm-lCY ). Bluegrass fiddle recordings include Chubby Wise (1970). Online sources provide several meanings of “sugar foot” (or “sugarfoot”), one being a good dancer (“sugar” is the name of a traditional jazz dance step https://us.humankinetics.com/blogs/excerpt/traditional-jazz-steps ). Fletcher Henderson and His Orchestra recorded an unrelated tune, “Sugar Foot Stomp,” in 1925. Key of A.
  24. Billy in the Low Ground (2:23) Strawberry McCloud: fiddle; Andy Cahan: banjo; Tim Goodall: guitar. Recorded by Andy, February 1978, in the “Hell Broke Loose in Georgia” workshop at the Kent State Folk Festival, Kent, Ohio. Strawberry introduces it as one of Gid Tanner’s tunes, “This is one of his that he liked awful well. The changes are a little different than most people played, in C.” Many versions of it were recorded in the 1920s and ‘30s, but we have not found a source for Strawberry’s, which has a 20-beat first part with a 9-beat tag, then an 18-beat second part with 9-beat tag (both parts played twice). In an era when he and many other fiddlers learned by ear and lacked regular access to their source (for instance, someone encountered at a fiddle contest), and when many homes lacked electricity (thus, no radio or phonograph), their reliance on memory likely led to the development of personal versions of tunes (especially crooked tunes that were harder to remember), and to development of different names for a given tune. It may also be that fiddlers in this era were expected to freely adapt tunes to their own style and took pride in doing so (see notes for #32 “Martha Campbell”). Early recordings of “Billy in the Lowground,” all in C, include: John Carson (crooked with a B part like “Four-Cent Cotton;” 1923); Doc Roberts with Edgar Boaz (even; 1926); Doc Roberts with John Booker, a Black guitarist (even, with a B part like “Texas Gals;” 1927); Burnett and Rutherford (even; 1928); and Lowe Stokes with Riley Puckett (both parts crooked, 18 beats; 1930). The Skillet Lickers also recorded it (1926), according to http://www.bluegrassmessengers.com/gid-tanner-and-the-skillet-lickers–1926-.aspx , but we haven’t found it online. In the Kentucky Mountain region, east of Strawberry’s home territory, John Salyer’s version (home recording, ca. 1942) has hard-to-separate beginnings and endings on the low part; but by my best efforts at counting beats, it is even (two 16-beat parts, both played twice). Key of C.
  25. Sweet Bunch of Daisies (1:57) Strawberry McCloud: fiddle; Andy Cahan: banjo; Tim Goodall: guitar. Recorded by Andy, February 1978, at the Kent State Folk Festival. Strawberry does this waltz-time song as a sentimental instrumental full of sliding chords; it’s a change of pace from his hoedowns, blues, and rags. Introducing it on one recording, Strawberry says, “I’ll play one of Clayton McMichen’s tunes…,” and he says it was one he had played on the radio (presumably as bass player with the Georgia Wildcats [1930-34]) when they did spots for Howell Furniture Co. and Arm and Hammer baking soda on Louisville station WHAS (see his “Folk Festival Autobiography” elsewhere on this website). Composed by Esther Anita Owen, “Sweet Bunch of Daisies” was published as a sheet music song in waltz time (1894). Recordings include McMichen’s Melody Men, in C (1926); Jess Young’s Tennessee Band, in G (1929); and Clayton McMichen (1930, according to this website https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clayton_McMichen#1930%E2%80%931936:_Georgia_Wildcats_auf_Tourneen but we have not found it online). Key of C.
  26. Buck Creek Gal (2:18) Strawberry McCloud: fiddle; Randy Marmouzé: banjo; Steve Hinnefeld: guitar. Recorded by Randy, 1975, at his or Strawberry’s house. The Slippery Hill website (an old-time tunes goldmine) lists many renditions of this tune under the name “Wild Horse” by Kentucky fiddlers of the 1920s-‘30s, and also one by Posey Rorer of Charlie Poole’s North Carolina Ramblers (1926). It’s in G, usually with three or four parts, one of which goes to an E minor chord. Strawberry uses Doc Roberts’ name for it and, like him, plays three parts (but does not match Doc’s wealth of melodic and rhythmic variations https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEoiq-QsxLA). Doc recorded it under the alias “Fiddlin’ Frank Nelson” (1927). A Skillet Lickers record calls it “[offensive term for a Black Person] in the Woodpile” (1930). “Wild Horse” renditions include William Stepp (Kentucky, 1937), Ed Haley (West Virginia/eastern Kentucky, probably 1946 or ‘47), and John Salyer (Kentucky, 1941 or ‘42). Bob Walters, of Missouri, recorded it as “Stony Point” (1950). Key of G.
  27. I Don’t Love Nobody (1:47) Strawberry McCloud: fiddle; Wayne Erbsen: guitar. Recorded by Wayne, October 1976, at Augusta Heritage Workshop, Elkins, West Virginia https://dc.lib.unc.edu/cdm/search/collection/sfc/searchterm/sfcaudiocassette_637!20525/field/contri!escri/mode/exact!exact/conn/and!and/order/relatid/ad/asc/cosuppress/0. This rag with music and words by Black-face minstrel entertainer Lew Sully came out as sheet music in 1896 and has been recorded multiple times in many genres. Rich in blue notes and slides, Strawberry’s rendition (like Doc Roberts’ recorded in 1932) is a laid-back instrumental. Other old-time versions are: Gid Tanner (1924); Skillet Lickers (1926); Earl Johnson’s Dixie Entertainers (Georgia, 1927); Clayton McMichen (1930, according to this website https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clayton_McMichen#1930%E2%80%931936:_Georgia_Wildcats_auf_Tourneen ). Keys of C and A minor.
  28. Cumberland Gap (1:35) Strawberry McCloud: fiddle; John Willie Myers: guitar. Undocumented recording session, possibly by Ren Oschin (now deceased), mid-1970s, at her and Strawberry’s house. The tune and song likely date to the late 1800s (Wikipedia); they have no known composer. Uncle Am Stuart first recorded it (Tennessee; 1924). Old-time musicians recorded multiple versions after that, mostly in G but also D (notably, Tommy Jarrell, titled “Tumblin’ Gap”) and other keys. Among them are Gid Tanner and Riley Puckett (1924); the Skillet Lickers (1928); Rutherford, Burnett, and Moore (1928); and the Doc Roberts Trio (1933). Like Doc’s, Strawberry’s version alternates playing the second part high and low. After giving up music as a career, in 1934, Strawberry became a heavy equipment operator and helped build the Cumberland Gap tunnel. Key of G.
  29. Casey Jones (1:31) Strawberry McCloud: fiddle; Randy Marmouzé: banjo; Jeff Claus and Steve Hinnefeld: guitar; Mark Feddersen: bass. Recorded by Gary Stanton, 1978, WFIU studios. Strawberry plays “Casey Jones” as a raggy, clawhammer banjo-friendly instrumental, with an extra beat (totaling 17) in the B part. The A part gets slipperier and slipperier as he increasingly runs melody notes together. Recalling an Augusta Heritage Workshop where he taught that tune (October 1976), he comments at the end, “I played that up at Elkins [West Virginia] every day for four days.” Walter McNew (1912-98), of Rockcastle County, Kentucky, just south of Doc Roberts and Strawberry, plays a similar version (Slippery Hill website). Its true composer probably is uncredited, but it was published as a sheet music song in 1909 “with vaudeville performers T. Lawrence Seibert credited with the lyrics and Eddie Newton with the music … By World War I, dozens of versions had been published and millions of copies were sold” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ballad_of_Casey_Jones. Among old-time music recordings are these (all song versions in C by Georgia musicians): John Carson (1923 or ‘24); Riley Puckett (1924); the Skillet Lickers (1927). Key of C.
  30. Carroll County Blues (2:14) Strawberry McCloud: fiddle; Randy Marmouzé: banjo; Steve Hinnefeld: guitar. Recorded by Randy, 1975, at his house or Strawberry’s. Strawberry likely got this meandering country blues from Doc Roberts. Doc recorded it in 1931, two years after Carroll County, Mississippi-based Narmour and Smith first recorded it, listing fiddler William T. Narmour as composer (1929). Narmour likely drew from other area musicians, Black and White (Wikipedia Traditional Tune Archive; see also Gary Stanton’s 1980 article, “All Counties Have Blues: County Blues as an Emergent Genre of Fiddle Tunes in Eastern Mississippi” https://digital.ncdcr.gov/digital/collection/p16062coll43/id/3996.) All three of these renditions are in G, but Strawberry’s has more of a stringband sound, given his banjo backup. His and Doc’s versions are slower than Narmour and Smith’s and have a shorter second part. All three differ in timing, not surprising for a distinctively crooked tune. My best guess is that Narmour’s first part has 21 or 22 beats, played twice; while his second part has 21 or 22 beats played once. In Doc’s first part, I count 21 the first time through, 18 the second; and an 8-beat second part played once. Strawberry plays a 16-or-17 beat first part twice, then an 8-or-10-beat second part once. Key of G.
  31. Soldier’s Joy (1:00) Strawberry McCloud: fiddle; Randy Marmouzé: banjo; Steve Hinnefeld: guitar. Recorded by Randy, 1975, his or Strawberry’s house. The tune and some verses date to 1700s Scotland https://tunearch.org/wiki/Annotation:Soldier%27s_Joy_(1). Recordings include John Carson (1925 or ‘26); and the Skillet Lickers (1929). Relative to these, Strawberry’s version is jauntier, more syncopated, more banjo-driven, and more hoedown than song. On this recording of the tune (though not some others), he goes low on the seventh and eighth beats of the first part. Key of D.
  32. Martha Campbell (1:45) Strawberry McCloud: fiddle; Wayne Erbsen: guitar. Recorded by Wayne, October 1976, at Augusta Heritage Workshop. Introducing this tune at the 1977 Kent State Folk Festival in Kent, Ohio, Strawberry said: “It’s called ‘Martha Campbell.’ It’s the first money I ever won playin’ in a contest [he was about 15]. I met Doc Roberts in ’23. And my dad told me about him and had heard him play a lot of times. So, I met him in 1923 at the courthouse, Winchester, Kentucky. And he told me, he said, ‘Well if you can learn this piece you ought to get the money.’ So I got—I got third prize. He taken first, and I got third, and Edgar Boaz got second” (excerpt from Andy Cahan’s recording). Edgar Boaz played guitar on some Doc Roberts recordings; by this account, he also fiddled (In his book Rural Rhythm, Tony Russell notes a fiddler Gus Boaz in Calhoun, Georgia, in the 1920s [p. 57]). Other recorded versions include: Doc Roberts (1925; likely learned from Owen Walker, a Black fiddler born in 1857 who was Doc’s neighbor and entertained locally https://tunearch.org/wiki/Annotation:Martha_Campbell_(1) https://tunearch.org/wiki/Annotation:Old_Buzzard_(1)); and Darley Fulks (about 1977). Darley (1895-1990), lived in Wolfe County, Kentucky, a couple of counties east of Doc (Madison County) and Strawberry (Clark County). Kentucky old-time tunes scholar John Harrod, who recorded and interviewed Darley over 18 years, quotes him as saying, “There was two colored fellers in Mt. Sterling [county seat of Montgomery County, just east of Clark]. I took a pair of mules down there and give ’em away, swapped them for an old horse. It was a young crazy thing, didn’t have no sense. Now John, that was in 1915 or 16. Well, they played “Martha Campbell,” and I’d never heard it before. That’s a bluegrass tune, no doubt about that. It’s not a mountain tune.” John notes that by “bluegrass,” Darley meant the interior Bluegrass area of the state, as opposed to the more eastern Kentucky Mountain region – and not the bluegrass style of music. He writes that Darley “absorbed the [B]lack fiddle style and repertoire of Kentucky’s inner bluegrass region” https://fieldrecorder.bandcamp.com/album/frc-716-darley-fulks-kentucky-wild-horse-john-harrod-collection. Doc’s “Martha Campbell” is even. Strawberry, like Darley, plays it crooked (17 beats per part). Toward the end of the recording, he switches to another tune (that we don’t recognize) for about nine seconds, then returns to “Martha Campbell.” His two “Martha Campbell” recordings with Wayne Erbsen (at the 1976 Augusta Heritage Workshop) are our only example of him tune-switching (my term). But several 1920s-30s fiddlers did it on recordings, perhaps as an entertainment-oriented novelty. See, for instance: the Leake County Revelers, “Wednesday Night Waltz” (1927; 1:28-1:41); “Forked Deer” by Charlie Bowman (1929; 1:13-1:54), and Uncle Am Stuart (1924; 0:45-1:10); and McMichen’s Georgia Wildcats’ “Wild Cat Rag” (1931; 1:29-1:44). Key of D.
    During “The Big Footed [Man] in the Sandy Lot,” the Stripling Brothers switch to “The Sweet Bye and Bye” (1928; 0:42-1:09; thanks to Joyce Cauthen for the reference https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JeTUvu3zbQM ). And Charlie Herald and His Roundup Rangers, of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, do it in their recording of “Turkey in the Straw” (probably 1933, switching to “Chicken Reel”; thanks to Ben Thompson for the reference).
  33. Virginia Rag (2:07) Strawberry McCloud: fiddle; Randy Marmouzé: banjo; Jeff Claus and Steve Hinnefeld: guitar; Mark Feddersen: bass. Recorded by Gary Stanton, 1978, WFIU studios. Strawberry brought this tune back to Indiana from the 1977 West Virginia Folk Festival. True to form, he wails on the high part (and emphasizes the off-beat at the ends of phrases) and syncopates on the low part, cruising along on his rhythm section. Notice the triplet at the end of the first phrase of the high part starting about 1:15 (see also notes for #35 “Shimmy -She-Wobble”). Introducing “Virginia Rag” at the 1978 Kent State Folk Festival (Andy Cahan recording), he said, “This is one I learnt–, heared a feller playin’ in Glenville, West Virginia. I liked it pretty well, so I tried to learn it. I don’t know if I got it just right, in C, ‘Virginia Rag’.” Gerry Milnes, a West Virginia fiddle tunes expert, says, “The first part sounds like ‘Fun’s All Over,’ but the second varies away from the tune. It’s also called ‘Fiddler’s Drunk and the Fun’s All Over.’” John Harrod and Whitt Mead, who are knowledgeable about Kentucky tunes, agreed. Whitt suggests that Strawberry’s B part sounds like [the low part of] “Little Brown Jug.” I also hear similarities to the low part of “Texas Gal.” Strawberry’s high part is especially close to eastern Kentucky fiddler J.P. Fraley’s (1923-2011) version of “The Fun’s All Over.” Perhaps J.P. was at Glenville when Strawberry was there, or perhaps Strawberry heard the Radio Aces play it there; band member Joe LaRose says they had learned it from Fraley’s album, Wild Rose of the Mountain https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KakGXHUYJls. Key of C.
  34. Run, Boy, Run (2:18) Strawberry McCloud: fiddle; with members of the Radio Aces (probably Kerry Blech: fiddle; Gary Hawk: banjo; Joe LaRose: guitar). Recorded by Kerry, June 1977, at the West Virginia State Folk Festival. This recording session (also the source of “Sally Goodin,’” #3 above) offers a rare occasion of Strawberry double fiddling. Some of his young Bloomington friends had the feeling he preferred being the only fiddler in a session, but in this case he meshed across the generations. Done as a tune and a song, with various words substituting for the offensive “n-word” in the titles of some recordings, this piece was in music collections of the 1800s and had many recorded versions in the early-mid 1900s. Strawberry’s rendition is distinctive, resembling Doc Roberts’ instrumental version in G (“Run, Smoke, Run;” 1929) more than song versions recorded by John Carson in DDAD (1924) and the Skillet Lickers in D (1927). Doc’s version, however, is cleaner and stronger on melodic variations than Strawberry’s, which has fewer notes, blue notes, compelling slides, and more driving rhythm. https://tunearch.org/wiki/Annotation:Run_Johnny_Run_(1) Key of G.
  35. Shimmy-She-Wobble (2:09) Strawberry McCloud: fiddle; Randy Marmouzé: banjo; Jeff Claus and Steve Hinnefeld: guitar; Mark Feddersen: bass. Recorded by Gary Stanton, 1978, at WFIU studios. Strawberry is the only source we have found for the sinuous lively blues he called “Shimmy-She-Wobble,” although Whitt Mead, an Ohio fiddler with broad knowledge of vintage recordings and regional styles, notes a resemblance to the Stripling Brothers’ “Coal Valley,” also in C (Alabama; ca. 1935). Strawberry’s “Shimmy-She-Wobble” has three parts and a bridge: a 4-beat high part played twice, 3-beat bridge, 4-beat low part played twice, then 8-beat (high) third part played once. It features blue notes, tremolo, slides, and a triplet on the fourth beat of the second time through the first and second parts (see also notes for #33 “Virginia Rag”). Strawberry may have learned this country blues from an as-yet-unknown source or made it up, taking the name from risqué slang and dance styles promoted in sheet music; dance halls; and jazz, ragtime, jugband, and blues recordings of his youth. “Shim-Me-Sha-Wabble” (by Spencer Williams, an African American composer who also wrote “Basin Street Blues” and “Georgia Grind”) appeared in 1916, and the “shimmy” caught on as “a jazz dance characterized by a shaking of the body from the shoulders down” (Merriam-Webster Online). It was “often considered to be obscene and was frequently banned from dance halls during the 1920s” (Wikipedia). “Ev’rybody Shimmies Now” came out in 1918 (lyrics by Eugene West, music by Joe Gold and Edmund J. Poppay), and “I Wish I Could Shimmy Like My Sister Kate” in 1919 (by Clarence Williams and Armand Piron), when Strawberry was about 12 (Wikipedia) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pj4tfMkPuPM . (Mississippi-based “Otha” Turner’s fife-and-drum-band “Shimmy-She-Wobble” recording of 1995 appears unrelated to Strawberry’s and to Spencer Williams’ tunes). “Wobble” is in the title of at least three country rag-style tunes of the Prohibition Era, possibly referring to toxic side effects of bootleg liquor and the alcoholic patent medicine Jamaica ginger (“jake”): “Georgia Wobble Blues” (1930, Carroll County Revelers), “Stone Mountain Wobble” (1927, Scottdale String Band, Georgia), and “Jake Leg Wobble” (1930, Ray Brothers, Mississippi). Key of C.
  36. Black-Eyed Susie (1:59) Strawberry McCloud: fiddle; Randy Marmouzé: banjo; Steve Hinnefeld: guitar. Recorded by Randy, 1975, at his or Strawberry’s house. This three-way collaboration is a match made in heaven. It shows what Randy’s wife, Martha Marmouzé, meant when she said of Strawberry, “He was so much fun to dance to. The music was sassy. We would sway our hips and drag our feet.” Wikipedia’s Traditional Tune Archive reports that this widespread old-time hoedown has origins in the 1500s in England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, including for use as a Morris dance tune. Strawberry’s version has his distinctive soaring high notes and syncopated percussive low part; it may be influenced by recordings of Gid Tanner and Riley Puckett (1924), Doc Roberts (1927), and the Skillet Lickers (with Clayton McMichen; 1928). Key of D.

Total Time 73:35