The Weems String Band They appeared at a recording studio in Memphis, in December of 1927, cut just two titles, and were not heard from again on record. Their powerful and precise version of Greenback Dollar and Davy, Davy must rank as two of the greatest string band recordings ever made. Notes from County Records compilation. The Weems String Band recorded only one record for Columbia in (released) 1928, but this is considered by many to be the single finest white traditional recording of the period. Their unique style featured ultra staccato phrasing and highly creative melodic variations usually led by the two fiddles playing in second and third position. It was highly unusual for rural fiddlers to play above first position. Second and Third position were almost always the domain of classically trained violinist. The Weems band from deep in the back country of Perry County, Tennessee would logically seem to be among the least likely candidates for using such sophisticated techniques. The doubly ironic observation is that the band produced within the context of this sophisticated approach, the most primitive and archaic sound. This paradoxical contrast is at the heart of Weems unique appeal. Brothers Dick and James were the fiddlers and third brother, Jesse played the bowed cello. Brother-in-law Alvin Conder, played the banjo and sang. Two younger family members not present on records are shown in the (photo). The bands use of variations of the basic melody put them in a league by themselves. Few traditional groups had either the inclination or the imagination to use variations at all, and no group equaled the brilliant creativity of the Weems. Their property is in the area of Mousetail Landing State Park in Perry County, Tennessee where the Tennessee River comes back North through the state. The photograph is from the Weems family via author Charles Wolfe and illustrations from the great R. Crumb...
Posted on: Tue, 05 Aug 2014 23:30:02 +0000
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