Hen Cackle Rag..(A barnyard disturbance! ) (1912..C.L.Johnson

Another Johnson tune that's worth a listen. Anyone that likes traditional or fiddle music may take to this. The first part sounds a bit Scottish, there is a drone created by grace notes in the E minor chords and the bottom D that give it a bagpipe like feel. 

I can't decide if it's a rag trying to be a fiddle tune or the other way round! It's a good novelty piece and good fun to play. The score and midi are in the library...Steve.

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Permalink Reply by Jody Stecher on February 27, 2016 at 14:54

The first 2 parts when played in the reverse order on banjo and fiddle comprises a tune  called Sally Ann, one of several related tunes of that name. The first part is also the melody of the song "They Got To Quit Kicking My Dog Around ". SInce Johnson was aiming for a rural agrarian effect I'll guess that the fiddle/banjo tune is the older. The reverse is true of his Dill Pickles which is played by bluegrass musicians, some of  whom are unaware of its composer.

Permalink Reply by Steve Harrison on February 27, 2016 at 16:13

Hi Jody, Many thanks for the info, as usual you are the fount of all knowledge when it comes to American music. Those tunes are most likely to be hiding on the web somewhere so I'll look them up....Steve.

Jody Stecher said:

The first 2 parts when played in the reverse order on banjo and fiddle comprises a tune  called Sally Ann, one of several related tunes of that name. The first part is also the melody of the song "They Got To Quit Kicking My Dog Around ". SInce Johnson was aiming for a rural agrarian effect I'll guess that the fiddle/banjo tune is the older. The reverse is true of his Dill Pickles which is played by bluegrass musicians, some of  whom are unaware of its composer.

Permalink Reply by Jody Stecher on February 27, 2016 at 17:29
Permalink Reply by Steve Harrison on February 28, 2016 at 11:01

Hi Jody, Thanks, I think these early recordings are great with non of the clever electronics used in modern recordings. Listening to them you could almost imagine being there as they played. Johnson was a multi instrumentalist, including banjo,mandolin and a variety of brass instruments. In his younger days he played with many small bands and it's pretty likely he was familiar with those tunes....Steve.

 
Jody Stecher said:

Permalink Reply by Jody Stecher on February 28, 2016 at 16:13

Ah, but the problem with some modern recording is not the cleverness of the electronics (and digital applications) but the non-cleverness or the personal aesthetics  of the engineers and producers who are using tools in a way not intended to create a replication of humans creating music somewhere. Today's recording capacities far exceed those of the past in their ability to make you feel You Are There, but they must be used that way to get that effect. When listening to old  recordings  our own imagination plays a large part in helping us Be There.  

Steve Harrison said:

Hi Jody, Thanks, I think these early recordings are great with non of the clever electronics used in modern recordings. Listening to them you could almost imagine being there as they played. Johnson was a multi instrumentalist, including banjo,mandolin and a variety of brass instruments. In his younger days he played with many small bands and it's pretty likely he was familiar with those tunes....Steve.

 
Jody Stecher said:

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