Field Recorders' Collective - Kentucky trailer

This is a trailer preview for three DVDs sold by the non-profit Field Recorders' Collective. More info here: http://www.fieldrecorder.com

FRC1003 Clyde & Ralph Troxell (Video from the collection of Ray Alden) $20 per disc
I came to know the fiddle and banjo duo of Ralph and Clyde Troxell through my visits to Clyde Davenport when he lived in Monticello, Kentucky. The two brothers lived several miles out in the countryside in their hometown of Rocky Branch, Kentucky. Little known before the 1980s, the brothers gained some notice when they appeared around the USA with the Cumberland Music Tour, a project organized by the Southern Arts Federation. My favorite memory of the Troxell brothers was when I took them to the dinosaur room in the Museum of Natural History in NYC during one of their tours. After a time examining the skeletons, Clyde turned to me and asked; "Now, were these animals alive at the time of Christ or a little bit afterwards?" − Ray Alden

FRC1004 Clyde Davenport (Video from the collection of Ray Alden) $20 per disc
Clyde Davenport (1921- ) was raised on a mountain farm near the Tennessee line around Mt. Pisgah, the son of William Davenport and Lucy Boston Davenport. Both Clydes grandfather, Francis Davenport, and his father, Will, played fiddle. Clyde played clawhammer-style banjo at home for his own amusement, and learned most of his fiddle tunes from old men born before the Civil War. As a youngster, on many weekends he would walk many miles into town to hear Dick Burnett and Leonard Rutherford play fiddle and banjo on the Monticello courthouse steps. Although neither his father nor anyone else showed him how to play, he was a careful observer and always endeavored to get a clear tone and a smooth fiddle sound. Ray Alden

FRC1005 Virgil Anderson & Clyde Troxell (Video from the collection of Ray Alden) $20 per disc
On many trips to Monticello, Kentucky Clyde Davenport and Clyde Troxell would take me to visit Virgil Anderson (1902-1997), whose house could only be reached by a swinging bridge over a rivers fork. Virgil had played banjo respectably enough to entertain logging camp men at age 10 while serving as water boy. Virgil also learned a great deal from African-American musicians Cuge and Cooney Bertram around Pall Mall, Tennessee. This influenced Virgils banjo style towards a bluesy chord technique. In 1923 Virgil married Clyde Troxells sister Mabel and they soon moved to their fancifully named Wildcat Rock City farm. In 1931 Virgil formed the Kentucky Wildcats with Clyde Troxell and fiddler John Sharp going to different railroad camps to perform evening musical shows. Given this close relationship, we include here four banjo pieces by Clyde Troxell Ray Alden

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Old time music
• fiddle
• banjo
• Troxell brothers
• Clyde Davenport
• Virgil Anderson
• Kentucky

[guns20111]

Cool to see uncle virgil and the gang on youtube! And Hi Deborah!

---------Sherry B.

[jcoffey28]

@Deborah8694 

[Deborah8694]

my dad, uncle ralph and uncle virgil anderson wow does this bring back memories, they have all since gone. brings a sad sweet tear to my eyes.

[Lostmychops]

Wonderful stuff. I'll be buying all of these discs as soon as I have some cash...

[frankie12string]

priceless.

[hfpitman2]

virgil a dear friend of mine and id love to see more videos of him ,his children are like brothers and sisters to me.