Monday, December 30, 2019

Another vintage mountain ukulele player

Iver Edwards on ukulele with G Stoneman, banjo, and E Dunford, fiddle.
Just discovered both "The Syncopated Times" and -- in passing -- Iver Edwards, ukulele and harmonica player from Galax, Va., in the 1920s, pictured holding what looks like a soprano Martin ukulele in a band photo accompanying this article about vintage recordings:

https://syncopatedtimes.com/fred-hager-and-the-birth-of-country-music/?fbclid=IwAR0MxtZjyRCAoleqof-W7AUnmx_bUmYGn3ZKy9xsUDSXLZvksBY9Lrv6BFI

Discogs says of Edwards, "(1906 - 1960) American old-time musician (harmonica - ukulele). Recorded with Ernest Stoneman on the Victor label c.1927-28."

Now I'm going through Ernest Stoneman records on YouTube listening for telltale ukulele plinking in the background. Easy to loose it in the similar-octave strumming of the autoharp and mandolin, such as that heard on Stoneman's famous Titanic recording...


https://youtu.be/skSUX7pNmSU 


Hop Light Ladies may have been one where Iver put down the uke and played the harmonica...
https://youtu.be/boE8U3wAUC4


New River Train might have a ukulele in there, mostly smothered by the banjo...

https://youtu.be/nQzRrLuWOE0

I'll keep listening.