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Journal of American Folklore 117.464 (2004) 191-192



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Fiddling Way Out Yonder: The Life and Music of Melvin Wine. By Drew Beisswenger. (Jackson: University Press of Mississippi, 2002. Pp. xvi + 230, appendix, bibliography, illustrations, index, notes.)

Although music remains a core area of study in folklore, there are few in-depth studies of instrumental folk music. Early fieldworkers noted that musicians performed on instruments such as the fife, banjo, or fiddle, but they were primarily interested in the folksong at the expense of understanding instrumental music. Most extensive studies of instrumental music were completed only within the last twenty-five years. Drew Beisswenger's excellent and comprehensive study of the fiddling of West Virginia master fiddler, Melvin Wine, is a welcome contribution to this surprisingly neglected area of folk music scholarship.

Beisswenger displays a fine understanding of important aspects of the scholarship on fiddling in his presentation of a musical life history of one of Appalachia's most influential living fiddlers. Opening chapters place Wine's musicianship within American history and the regional culture of Appalachia, and subsequent chapters contextualize the fiddler's life history within the overall patterns of history and culture that Beisswenger ascertains. The descriptions of house parties, platform dances, and fiddle contests are vivid and fascinating and provide a rich backdrop for understanding Wine's musicianship. Beisswenger's historical description and analysis blends well with the stories and descriptions presented from interviews with Wine. The book provides an excellent record of an important aspect of America's cultural history and contributes to a fuller understanding of the social history of regional fiddle traditions.

After placing Wine's individual fiddling within a cultural and historical context, Beisswenger [End Page 191] presents a thorough analysis of the style and techniques of Wine's artistry. The reading is technical and pulled from Beisswenger's dissertation research, but the presentation is interesting and clear. His analysis will appeal to scholars of music, but Beisswenger also argues points that are relevant to scholars who work outside of musical genres. His use of computer programs yields concrete examples of ways that precise documentation and careful analysis can challenge first impressions about artistic expression. His method demonstrates, for example, that a standard bowing technique that most musicians assumed was a major element of Wine's style was, in fact, of secondary importance. Beisswenger also finds intriguing details about the complexity of Wine's musicianship. Of particular interest is his discussion of a style that Wine terms "hippie bowing." Wine does not provide a clear etymology of the term, but Beisswenger describes this bowing technique and explains that it is a style that overemphasizes the bouncy shuffles used in dances. Wine's dislike of the technique may reveal tensions between two aesthetic systems: his own old-time style versus an exaggerated style popularized by revivalist fiddlers who made pilgrimages to West Virginia during the 1960s folk music revival.

Along with the rich analysis of Wine's overall style, the deep analysis of ten selected tunes is an important contribution to the historical record of a fiddling tradition that easily spans three centuries. The analysis will appeal primarily to fiddlers, but it will also be useful to music historians and researchers. Those who wish for more information on Wine's musical techniques will find the discography of Wine's recordings helpful, and they can also refer to the detailed analysis of many more tunes in Beisswenger's dissertation.

Wine emerges as an interesting and likeable musician. The interview selections and Wine's narratives are compelling reading, and Beisswenger provides insightful commentary. His research demonstrates that accurate and comprehensive descriptive studies are important contributions to scholarship and provide an essential base for developing folklore theory. Beisswenger's clear and rich descriptions set the stage for interpretive commentary from both the author and the artist. Wine articulates a clear sense of the aesthetic qualities of fiddling and provides interesting perspectives on music making. Beisswenger suggests that Wine's own perspectives on the tunes challenge folklorists' theoretical assumptions that folklore is best interpreted...

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