Sunday, March 23, 2008

Woodcarvers; left-handed fiddler; metal men; banjo-playing women

More video excerpts from fieldwork in western North Carolina, east-central Tennessee and north Georgia, 1988-91, while I was working on grants from the NEA and the NC Arts Council:



Segment #5: Ray Mann, one of the original Brasstown Carvers, and one of the last of his generation of Carvers, at his home in Warne. NC.

Segment #6: Ross Brown, old-time north Georgia fiddler, at his home in Hiawassee, Georgia. The tune is "Sweet Marie."

Segment #7: Adam Ledford, of Jack Rabbit, NC. Folk artist, metal sculptor, and shade tree mechanic. Ledford's elaborate and fanciful scrap-metal men and animals were displayed at the Knoxville World's Fair.

Segment #8: Roberta Voyles, banjo, and John Debty, guitar, Marble, NC. Roberta and John, brother and sister, learned to play from their father and his friends, who had an old-time string band that played dances throughout Cherokee County and beyond (though Roberta, being a good girl, was not allowed to attend).

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

No Way! I just learned Sweet Marie from a fellow Nashvillian this week. Love the tune -- thanks for having the video. Some of this stuff is so hear to find!

Mary Alice Bernal
ma64@bellsouth.net
Nashville, TN