Play Me Something Quick and Devilish: Old-Time Fiddlers in Missouri

Contents

Contents Preface xi Acknowledgments xv Abbreviations xvii Introduction Notes on Old-Time Fiddling and People’s History 1 Principal Regional Styles in Missouri Fiddling Today 9 Ozark Style 10 Little Dixie Style 12 North Missouri Style 18 Notes on Additional Styles 19 Rough or Smooth? 22 1. Fiddle Music in the Old French District 25 Two Cups of Bouillon 29 The Guillonnée New Year’s Eve Ritual in the Evolving Community 31 Lloyd Lalumondier 34 The Goff Family: Old-Stock Americans in the Old French District 39 Observations on Women in Old-Time Fiddling 44 2. Going West 53 Thomas Jefferson and Music of the Lewis and Clark Era 54 Lewis and Clark 55 Cruzatte and Gibson 58 Westward Migration: “A Violin Makes Lively Music” 63 Horse Races and Fiddle Tunes: The Tennessee Wagner Meets the Grey Eagle 68 Mark Twain Dances a Virginia Reel 70 Fine Times at the Little House on the Prairie 71 3. The Old-Stock Americans 79 Milo McCubbin’s Story 82 Scotch-Irish and Scottish Heritage in the Fiddle Music of the Galbraith Family 90 The Old Extra Beat 99 vii viii Art Galbraith Rebuffs the Fiddler’s Contest Revolution 100 The “Flowers of Edinburgh” and That Scotchy Sound 102 4. African American Old-Time Fiddlers in Missouri 107 Slave Times 108 The Minstrel 111 The Violin as Passport to Freedom: Lou Southworth (1830–1917) 113 J. W. Postlewaite (1837–1889) 114 Emancipation and Beyond 116 Bill Katon (1864–1934) 119 Keith Orchard, a Katon Pupil 123 Bill Driver (1881–1985) 127 Sideman Nonpareil: Bye Kelley (1892–1979) 131 5. The Legacy of German-Speaking Missourians 135 Shall We Waltz? 137 The Schottische 141 The Varsouvienne and Its Offspring 142 The Polka 143 Jenny Lind 146 The “Jenny Lind Polka” in the Old-Time Fiddler’s Repertoire 150 The Opry Fiddler from Loose Creek: LeRoy Haslag 151 6. Music and Memory in the Civil War Era 163 Music: The Soldier’s Steam Valve 164 The Battle of Boonville and John S. Marmaduke: Rebel Disaster, Fiddler’s Legend 168 “Marmaduke’s Hornpipe” Today 174 George Morris (1893–1983) 175 Jake Hockemeyer (1919–1997) 179 “Listen to the Mockingbird”: From Graveside Lament to Fiddler’s Fantasia 183 A Note on Hokum 188 7. The Irish and the Railroads in Post–Civil War Rural Missouri 191 Francis O’Neill in North Missouri 193 “Nolan the [Confederate] Soldier” 196 Contents ix Ike Forrester, “The Merry Blacksmith” 197 Irishness and Missouri Old-Time Fiddling 201 “Very Withdrawn and Singularly Focused”: Cyril Stinnett (1912–1986) 205 Keeping the Tiehacker Tunes: Nile Wilson (1912–2008) 210 8. Indian Old-Time Fiddlers 219 The Cherokee, 1838: Rocky Road to Missouri 220 From “Red Wing” to “Lost Indian” 222 Ed Tharp, Bill Graves, Jim Lindsey 225 Emanuel Wood (1891–1981): Musician, Farmer 234 Bunk Williams (1890–ca. 1978) 241 Uncle Bunk’s “Bonaparte’s Retreat” 245 Indian Time? 247 9. Musical Literacy in Victorian Times 251 Ear Musicians and Note Musicians 251 “Under the Double Eagle”: From Trade Coin to March to Fiddle Tune 255 John Philip Sousa 257 Your Hometown Sousa Band 263 “Missouri USA Is Good Enough for Me”: A German Professor in a Railroad Town 266 10. Traditional Fiddling and the Dawn of Jazz 277 Rag That Rhythm 277 Fiddle Rags 292 The Circle of Fifths 292 “Graveyard Waltz” to “Missouri Waltz”: A State’s Ragtime Anthem 294 Percy Wenrich, the “Joplin Kid” 298 Ragtime Fiddler Pearl Sivetts (1910–1984) 301 Conclusion 305 Interviews 309 List of Transcriptions 313 Notes 315 Selected Bibliography 349 Discography 363 Index to Text 371 Index to Voyager Records Companion CD 393 Contents A young student of Professor Johannes Goetze in Moberly, Missouri, 1890s. Goetze was among the German-speaking professional musicians who came to the United States in the nineteenth century. (Courtesy Randolph County Historical Society) ...