Annotation:Lee Highway Blues

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LEE HIGHWAY BLUES. AKA and see "Going Down the Lee Highway," "Lee Highway Ramble," "New Lee Highway Blues," "Opry Fiddler's Blues," "Talkin' Fiddle Blues." Old-Time, Bluegrass; Breakdown. USA. D Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AAB. A string-band favorite and a fiddler's showcase tune that is often attributed to North Carolina/Tennessee fiddler G.B. Grayson, who recorded it in the late 1920's. However, according to Bob Fulcher [liner notes to Roane County Ramblers, Complete Recordings 1928-1929, 2004 P. 7] it is a a derivative version of "Down Home Blues", composed and recorded by James ("Uncle Jimmy" or "Fiddlin' Jim") McCarroll with the Roane County Ramblers. Championing Grayson's claim, Roy Parker states this tune was composed by the fiddler in the back of guitarist Henry Whitter's Model T Ford as it chugged down US 11 (Lee Highway) on the way to their Memphis recording session.

Source for notated version: Highwoods String Band (Ithaca, New York) [Brody], Robert Wise [Phillips].

Printed sources: Brody (Fiddler's Fakebook), 1983; p. 167. Phillips (Traditional American Fiddle Tunes), vol. 2, 1995; p. 76.

Recorded sources: Bay 203, Jody Stecher- "Snake Baked a Hoecake." Columbia KC 32717, Dave Bromberg- "Wanted Dead or Alive." County CO-CD-3511, "Rural String Bands of Tennessee" (appears as "Going Down the Lee Highway"). Rebel 1531, Curly Ray Cline- "Fishin' For Another Hit." Rounder 0023, Highwoods String Band- "Fire On the Mountain." Rounder 0070, The Kentucky Colonels- "1965-1967." Rounder C-11565, Scotty Stoneman - "Lee Highway Blues" (1990). Rounder CD 11565, Scotty Stoneman - "Rounder Fiddle." Victor 23565 (78 RPM), 1929, G.B. Grayson (N.C./Tenn.).

See also listing at:
Jane Keefer's Folk Music Index: An Index to Recorded Sources [1]

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