Carroll County Blues

Two parts. Key of A or G. Crooked and no wrong way to play it. Usually kinda slow. Some notes hang on for a long time. Some bands cut or repeat a measure here and there.

• The tune was written and performed by Narmour & Smith of Mississippi in 1929. You can read stories about N&S here and here. This was their biggest hit. MP3 at Slippery Hill. There is an old 78 LP [utoob or utoob] from Okeh records. Clip at [Amazon]. YouTube took down the Carroll County Blues by Narmour & Smith played in A but not tuned to A=440.

• Highwoods String Band plays key of A. They add measures by repeating the riff 4 times instead of 3 or 3 times instead of 2. The whole track and whole CD are YouTube.

• Smithsonian Folkways has it by Doc Watson and Clarence Ashley [clip or utoob], Doc Watson and Fred Price [clip or utoob], Hodges Brothers [clip], and Skillet Lickers [utoob].

• Matt Brown [utoob] solo fiddle. Key of G.

• Bluegrass by IIIrd Tyme Out [utoob], bluegrass.

• Big Mon [utoob], Alan Johnson [utoob], bluegrass band; Matt Flinner Trio [utoob] newgrass on the radio; Roger Fountain [utoob] bluegrass fiddle; Chubby Wise [utoob] fiddle & piano.

• Old Sledge very slow.

• John Blevins at Harrison Fiddle Convention [utoob].