For enthusiasts of early banjo
Minstrel Songs
The top songs (as gauged by their frequency in songster collections 1843-1860 according to Mahar in "Behind The Burnt Cork Mask" ) were:
1.Mary Blane
2.Lucy Long
3.Old Dan Tucker
4.Lucy Neal
5.Picayune Butler
I don't know why I've left out Lucy Neal for so long, but I am working it up...easy and a good song. It's good to look at lots of versions of songs. The Briggs' version presents a slightly different melodic line (even as it is buried in the banjo characteristic riffs) compared to other vocal sheets.
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Tim Twiss on
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Yes, there are slight melodic variants from version to version. One thing I did not realize when I first got into this, was the fact that almost all the Briggs' tunes were instrumental versions of popular vocal songs. They actually serve as accompaniments if you sing them.
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