Joe Meadows - West Virginia Fiddler

(Old Homestead OHS-90076) 1977

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This fiddle album was recorded at Old Homestead's studios on Brighton, MI on 8 Sept 1976. As with a lot of these old LPs, the writer's credits are a bit inventive, with old traditional tunes like Liza Jane, Hell Among The Yearlings, Pretty Little Girl, Rachel, & Cuckoo's Nest being credited to the artist. This practice is often done by smaller record labels in order in order to avoid mechanical royalties, which would otherwise be lost on P.D. (Public Domain) titles.

Although, perhaps not Joe's best LP in terms of the mix, the standard is still pretty high, with Joe's versatility and prowess show-cased throughout. On most tracks the fiddle dominates over the other instruments, although Red Wing features a mandolin and banjo breaks by Wendy Miller & Mike Lilly.

Joe's wonderful version of Black Mountain Rag kicks off the album, following Tommy Magness' combination 'Rag' with the 'A' part of Leslie Keith's Black Mountain Blues and the 'B' part of his Clinch Mountain Blues.

G.B. Grayson's Lee Highway Blues is also given a spirited workout.

Cuckoo's Nest - a lovely old hornpipe tune, is another of the album's highlights; and Pretty Little Girl is a gorgeous tune. I can't speak of it's provenance, however, as to my ear it has more of a bouncy catchy melody than other similarly named tunes on the 'net.

I'd guess Hell Among The Yearlings came to Joe Meadows via Arthur Smith or Clark Kessinger. Black Hawk Waltz also looks like it came via Clark Kessinger, who recorded it on his 1967 'Sweet Bunch Of Daisies' LP in 1967 (Kanawha 306) and as half of the Kessinger Brothers in 1929 Over The Waves Waltz / Black Hawk Waltz (Brunswick 344).

Cajun Fiddle is a version of a tune written by Don Rich & Buck Owens. (Don was the fiddle player for Buck Owens and The Buckaroos).

(My Little) Home In West Virginia is credited on the LP to Joe Meadows, but was written by Ellis Hall and first recorded by Ellis & Bill, The Green Mountain Boys in 1952. Curly Ray Cline also cut a version on his 1972 My Little Home In West Virginia LP (where he also claimed credit).

Sidewalk Waltz was written in 1933 by J.Fred Coots & Joe Young and recorded by a few artists in the '30s and '40s. Chubby Wise cut a version in 1961 on his 'Tennessee Fiddler Chubby Wise and the Rainbow Ranch Boys' LP (Starday SLP-154), and Canadian fiddler Graham Townsend also recorded a version circa 1967.

Versions of Black Hawk Waltz and Lee Highway Blues can also be found on Ralph "Joe" Meadows Rejoins Bluegrass With The Goins Brothers; likewise Black Mountain Rag is also featured on Ralph Meadows And His Bluegrass Fiddle; and Good-by Liza Jane on Super Fiddle. Joe also later re-cut Red Wing on his 1993 CD Fiddle Instrumentals With Country Ham.

Overall, this is a fine fiddle album - recommended!

• Ralph 'Joe' Meadows: fiddle
• Mike Lilly: banjo (b)
• Nolan Faulkner: mandolin(a)
• Joe McKinney: 2nd guitar
• Wendy Miller: mandolin
• Bill Shouse: guitar
• Sonny Nelson: bass

NB: (a) on Black Mountain Rag. (b) overdubed guitar on Sidewalk Waltz, Pretty Little Girl, Liza Jane, Lee Highways Blues, Cajun Fiddle, Home In West Virginia and Cathy With The Raven Black Hair.

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