jack_beuthin - Posted - 01/19/2018:  04:38:42

TUNE SOURCE

Harvey “Pappy” Taylor (1894-1987) is the source of Humpback Mule.  Pappy hailed from Effingham, Illinois, and was a well known local fiddler. Pappy’s legacy and his repertoire, were rescued from oblivion by the field collecting work of Garry Harrison and crew.  Many of his tunes are enshrined in the Dear Old Illinois collection, and Pappy was also a source of many tunes played and recorded by the Indian Creek Delta Boys.   Pappy Taylor is a true icon of Midwestern Old Time music.  You can learn more about him at these three links:

jonboatjournal.com/pappy.htm

articles.chicagotribune.com/19...-reviewer

banjohangout.org/archive/263363

RECORDINGS

There are two nice clawhammer banjo renditions here on the Banjo Hangout—one by Chris Yohn, and the other by Mojo Monk (Sean Barth).

banjohangout.org/myhangout/med...archived=

banjohangout.org/myhangout/med...archived=

I was unable to locate a recording by Pappy Taylor, but it seems that there should be one in the Library of Congress collections.  Does anyone have it?

Foghorn String Band recorded Humpback Mule on their Outshine the Sun album.

youtube.com/watch?v=LZJfldOoPYI

Grace Forrest, Steve Arkin and Erica Weiss really kicked it at Clifftop 2013.

youtube.com/watch?v=9M2VDM4eu8c

Gaye Harrison fiddled a somewhat different version than the previous recordings. She plays an eight bar B part (versus a four bar B part), and some of the melody notes are a bit different. If I had to guess, she might be playing the more archaic/source version, but I can’t be sure without hearing a Pappy Taylor recording.

youtube.com/watch?v=8dzcKz2fInQ

Lastly, I’ve included my run at Humpback Mule.  My rendition goes along with the Gaye Harrison recording.

 Hope you enjoy, and that you add Humpback Mule to your repertoire if it isn’t already there.

Edited by - jack_beuthin on 01/21/2018 05:28:14

Humpback Mule

Humpback Mule

maneckep - Posted - 01/19/2018:  08:09:19

Thanks for posting. Never heard of this tune but it sounds a lot like Sugar Hill.

Brooklynbanjoboy - Posted - 01/19/2018:  08:17:37

That has a great ring to it, Jack. Nicely done.

One of those videos shows Steven Arkin's great right hand technique, using the middle and index fingers to significant effect.



Lew

Edited by - Brooklynbanjoboy on 01/19/2018 08:20:15

mworden - Posted - 01/19/2018:  08:25:53

Neat tune. I have a recording of Harvey Taylor playing it from the Dear Old Illinois collection. I think copyright wouldn't allow me to upload the whole recording but I am attaching a short clip, which should be OK under fair use for educational purposes.

Humpback Mule

 

RG - Posted - 01/19/2018:  21:31:45

GREAT tune Jack! Real nice playing!

JanetB - Posted - 01/19/2018:  22:10:01

Yes, Jack, you pick great tunes and play them greatly!  Humpback Mule is No. 106 in the fiddle tunes section of Dear Old Illinois, Traditional Music of Downstate Illinois. You can also listen to this version:  Indian Creek Delta Boys on FRC, recorded by Ray Alden.  I arranged it from the DOI recording of Harvey "Pappy" Taylor, who contributed much of the Delta Boys' repertoire.  In the recording on DOI the A part was played twice and the B part once, but in the notation of the Dear Old Illinois book both parts are repeated.

Humpback Mule (TOTW)

Humpback Mule (CH) tab

jack_beuthin - Posted - 01/20/2018:  07:37:51

quote:

---

Originally posted by Brooklynbanjoboy

That has a great ring to it, Jack. Nicely done.

One of those videos shows Steven Arkin's great right hand technique, using the middle and index fingers to significant effect.



Lew

---

Thanks Lew, and good call on Steve Arkin's clawing technique.  I recall reading something he wrote about that in a Banjo Newsletter piece some ten years ago or so.  I didn't catch that in the video, but will go back and watch.  I tried that for a bit, but migrated back to my index finger approach.

jack_beuthin - Posted - 01/20/2018:  07:44:56

Mike, thanks for adding the Pappy Taylor clip. I knew it was out there somewhere.

Janet, nice playing as usual. I am always amazed at your ability to hear a new tune and have a fine recording within a day or two. I usually work on these things for weeks and months.

It appears that there is there are slight variants on how Humpback Mule is played, beyond the Pappy Taylor source. Not so unusual, but always good to appreciate this and be ready to adapt if the tune comes up in a jam.

Mooooo - Posted - 01/20/2018:  11:43:43

Hi Jack, your tab doesn't give the tuning, I am assuming Double C with the capo on 2, is that correct?