ALBUMS
Waiting for the
Break of Day
The Old Souls String Band
Creelsboro and the Cumberland:
A Living History
Documentary Soundtrack by Elijah Bedel
The Old Souls
String Band
The Old Souls String Band
Live and Learn
Elijah Bedel
MUSIC VIDEOS
Hook and Line
This tune is an East Kentucky dance classic which may be one of the oldest banjo tunes in existence, stretching all the way back to the banjo’s African roots. There are many variants of this piece from all over Kentucky and Appalachia and several sources have influenced my interpretation, among them are Brother Hill, Roscoe Holcomb, Clifton Hicks, John Haywood, and Kevin Howard.
Grigsby’s Hornpipe
This fiddle tune is a unique old piece from the legendary fiddler Eck Robertson who was born in the Ozarks and moved to the Texas Panhandle, going to become one of the earliest and most well-known fiddlers to ever record. I first heard it from the playing of the contemporary fiddler Bruce Molsky. This video was recorded near my childhood home on the Edge of Appalachia Nature Preserve in Adams County, Ohio.
Jubilee
This old East Kentucky tune comes from ballad singer Jean Ritchie. It’s had many versions recorded over the years and my interpretation is inspired by the playing of Jean Ritchie, Clifton Hicks, and Little Nora Brown.
Twin Sisters
This is an old Appalachian modal fiddle and banjo tune from the playing of Sidna and Fulton Myers of Five Forks, Virginia.
Stackolee
My rendition of the iconic version of ‘Stackolee’ by the legendary Delta Blues guitarist Mississippi John Hurt.
Paddy’s Lamentation/Glory in the Meetinghouse
This medley of two traditional pieces was created in celebration of Saint Patrick’s Day and Irish heritage in the United States. The first is an old Irish song from the Civil War era when many Irish immigrants from famine-ravaged Ireland were conscripted into the Union Army. The second is an old East Kentucky fiddle tune which may have found its way into the region by way of Ulster Scots/Scots Irish settlers.