Welcome to Spring Fed Records
SFR-DU–33002
TRAIN ON THE ISLAND
TRADITIONAL BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAIN FIDDLING
Featuring
NORMAN EDMONDS … Fiddle
RUFUS BURNETT … Banjo
1 WALKING IN THE PARLOR 2:48
2 TRAIN ON THE ISLAND 2:04
3 BARLOW KNIFE 1:53
4 SWEET LITTLE JULIE 2:08
5 BREAKING UP CHRISTMAS 5:52
6 OLD COTTON EYED JOE 3:17
7 SHIP IN THE CLOUDS 2:03
8 HAWKS AND EAGLES 2:30
9 LUCY NEIL 2:03
10 CHINQUAPIN HUNTING 2:23
11 BLACK EYED SUSIE 2:17
12 CRICKET ON THE HEARTH 1:56
13 ANGELINE THE BAKER 2:24
14 PRETTY LITTLE GIRL 2:17
NORMAN S. EDMONDS
“Mountain Fiddler”
With the release of the now famed Folkways Anthology of American Folk
Music many scholars and collectors became aware of a valuable cross-section
of great folkmusic masterpieces recorded during the 1920s and 1930s by
commercial record companies. However, as happens with any art form, some
pieces among this collection (six LPs’ worth) of great pieces stood out
above others. Among these standouts was a tune played and sung with fiddle
and banjo. This tune, “Train On The Island,” has been considered a classic
in every sense of the word by collectors. The singer played great mountain-style
banjo and sang with much fervour. His name was J.P. Nestor, and this is
the only name to be found on the original 78, and consequently, on the
LP reissue. Little has been learned about him other than that he died
a few years ago, and his middle name was Preston. He apparently went by
the nickname of “Pres.” After recording four numbers on August 1, 1927,
in Bristol, Tennessee, for the Victor company, Nestor and the accompanying
fiddle-player were offered paid transportation to New York City to make
more records. Unfortunately, Nestor flatly refused to leave the Blue Ridge
Mountains of the Hillsville, Virginia, area, and was never recorded again,
Thankfully, two of the songs recorded at the 1927 session were released.
These were “Train On The Island” and “Black Eyed Susie,” released on Victor
21070. There has been some speculation that the remaining two songs recored
at this session, “Georgia” and “John, My Lover,” were damaged – the masters
– in shipment from Bristol to Camden, New Jersey.
Fortunately, the fiddle-player who recored with Nestor in 1927 presents
a different picture from the one just painted for Nestor himself. The
fiddle-player was Norman S. Edmonds. Since the original recording Norman
(or “Uncle Norm” as he is called by his many admirers and friends) has
appeared at numerous old fiddlers’ conventions in the Virginia-North Carolina
area. Several of the tunes performed by Norman and his band The Old Timers
have been featured on LPs made at these events. Norman Edmonds was born
February 9, 1889, in Wythe County, Virginia (the Hillsville-Galax area).
His fiddling is done in the true mountain style, holding the fiddle on
his chest rather than under the chin. His repertory includes a vast number
of tunes, most of which are traditional classics. However, a number of
them are little known, and a few have been heard only seldom outside the
Galax-Hillsville area. A great deal of this rich tradition has been preserved
over the years by Mr. Edmond’s son Rush. According to Rush Edmonds, Norman’s
fiddle-playing was learned from his father, who, in turn, learned from
his father. Norman, therefore, represents 100 years or more of traditional
mountain fiddling. It is interesting to note that his grandson, Jimmie
Edmonds, although only 15 years old is already a very talented fiddle-player,
thus carrying on the fiddling tradition of the Edmonds family.
Jimmie took up the fiddle when he was about five years old, which is about
the same age his grandfather began to learn to play. Following the death
of Uncle Charlie Higgins, Jimmie took over the position of fiddler with
Wade Ward’s well known Buck Mountain Band. Recently, after Wade’s untimely
death, Jimmie has formed this own group and is actively carrying on the
tradition of Blue Ridge Mountain Music that has been a part of his family
for such a long time.
Although Norman Edmonds is now in his 80s he is still an active fiddler.
He was a special guest at the 1970 Galax Old Fiddlers Convention, and
one of the best fiddle-players to appear even though he played solo. The
song he played, “Monkey On A String,” was strong, well played, and a fine
example of the knowledge gained in over 75 years of fiddle-playing.
Stephen F. Davis
Robert E. Nobley
NORMAN EDMONDS DISCOGRAPHY
The following discography is presented in an attempt to help document
the recording career of one of our most traditional performers, Norman
Edmonds. Hopefully, it will prove of interest and benefit to researchers
and scholars.
*78 RPM RELEASES
J.P. NESTOR: vcl. add. by own bjo, Norman S. Edmonds (fiddle). Bristol,
Tennessee, Monday, August 1, 1927.
39744-3 Train On The Island (J.P. Nestor) Vi 21070; Fw FP253, FA2953
39745-1 Georgia Vi unissued
39746-1 John, My Lover Vi unissued
39747-1 Black-Eyed Susie Vi 21070; RCA LPV-552
NOTE: - The notes to LPV-552 list 39747-2. To the best of our knowledge
only one take was made of this song. The 78 release has been verified
as being take 1.
*LP RELEASES
Prestige/Folklore 14030, Old Time Fiddling at Union Grove: The 38th Old
Time Fiddler’s Convention at Union Grove, North Carolina:
Norman Edmonds and The Old Timers, “A Walk In The Park”
Prestige/International 25003, ‘Southern Journey 3: Ballads and – Breakdowns
From The Southern Mountains’:
Norman Edmonds (fiddle), Rufus Quissenberry (banjo),
Paul Edmonds (guitar), “Breaking Up Christmas”
Folk Promotions 825 (also Kanawha 302), 1963 Old Fiddlers Convention –
Galax, Virginia:
*The Old Timers, “Walkin’ In The Parlor”
Norman Edmonds, “Monkey On A String”
*The Old Timers, “Fortune”
Folkways FA2434, ‘The 37th Old-Time Fiddlers Convention at Union Grove,
North Carolina:
*The Old Timers, “Instrumental”
“Sally Ann”
Folkways FA2435, ‘Galax, Virginia Old Fiddlers Convention’:
*The Old Timers, “Walking In The Parlor”
Norman Edmonds, “Kingdom’s Come”
*Norman Edmonds is featured on fiddle with The Old Timers. Although band
members are not identified on the LPs, it usually consisted of Rufus Quissenberry
(banjo), Norman Edmonds (fiddle) and members of the Edmonds family providing
rhythm accompaniment.
(NOTE: The above article on Norman Edmonds and the discography have appeared
previously in THE DEVIL’S BOX and OLD TIME MUSIC and are reprinted here
with permission.)
Produced by
STEVE DAVIS and BILL HARRISON
Special Thanks To: Rush Edmonds who had the presence of mind to preserve
the fiddling of his father. Robert E. Nobley for his insightful commentary
in the liner notes and interview of Norman Edmonds. The Davis Unlimited
customers who supported this album when it was originally released, and
demanded that we make it available once again. Bill and Ellyn Trigg who
put up with our projects and continually lend that “professional touch”
to our attempts at preserving the old-time