Old-Time TOTW

Old-Time TOTW #284 is Arkansas Traveler, a universally known tune. It was first published by W. C. Peters in 1847 under the name "The Arkansas Traveller and Rackinsac Waltz." It has been attributed to an itinerant musician/stage comedian, Mose Case (1820-1885). Case, an albino African American was, in his day, known as a virtuoso singer and guitar player. Authorship was also claimed by Marie de los Angelos Jose "Joe" Tosso (1802-1886 or 1887), a concert violinist, teacher, and composer who lived in Cincinnati, Ohio. Tasso, who had studied under Hector Berlioz, is reported to have been heard playing the melody as early as 1842. Others feel Case popularized the song and that it is based on the composition of the same name by Sandford C. Faulkner. It was Arkansas' state song from 1949 to 1963, and the state historic song since 1987.
The American musical myth known as "The Arkansaw Traveller" became popular among fiddlers in the mid-19th century. The "backwoods" story spoken while played caught the attention of sideshows and circuses. It was very popular among the public.
Arkansas Traveler was recorded in the field from Mississippi fiddlers Stephen B. Tucker, John Hatcher, and W.E. Claunch, and was recorded commercially by many. The song's earliest known recording was by Kentucky fiddler Don Richardson for Columbia Records in April 1916. The 1922 version by Eck Robertson was among the first fifty recordings named to the National Recording Registry of the Library of Congress. An even earlier rendition, a recitation of the story by Len Spencer with accompaniment by an unknown fiddler, was recorded by the Zonophone label prior to May 1902. Eck Robertson's recording for Victor records (backed by "Sallie Gooden") was the third best selling record of 1923. Arizona fiddler Kenner C. Kartchner said the tune was very popular at Southwest dances in the early 1900s. It appears in Vance Randolph's list of traditional Ozark Mountain tunes he recorded for the Library of Congress in the early 1940's. The Kessinger Brother's 1928 recording of Arkansas Traveler was released on 78rpm in Québec under the title “Reel des Voyagers."
The story and theme itself was enormously popular in 19th century America, and inexpensive prints were made, first published by J. H. Bufford's Sons (Boson) in 1859. The lithography was done by Leopold Grozelier (1830-1865) after a painting by Edward Washburn (1830-1861) with the note "Designed by one of the natives [of Arkansas] and Dedicated to Col. S. C. Faulkner" along with the music written in small print.
Currier and Ives made copies of the Grozelier lighograph in 1870 and sold them in sets of two, the first one being "The Arkansas Traveller; scene in the back woods of Arkansas" and the second being titled "The Turn of the Tune; traveler playing the 'Arkansaw [sic] Traveler'." The first lighograph hs a verse under the title:
Traveller, to Squatter: Can you give me some refreshments and a nights lodging?
Squatter: no Sir? Haven't got any room, nothin to eat (fiddles away)
Traveller: Where does this road go to?
Squatter: It don't go anywhere, it stays here (still fiddling)
Traveller: Why don't you play the rest of that tune?
Squatter: Don't know it.
Traveller: Here, give me the fiddle (plays)
The Turn of the Tune lithographs has the verses:
Squatter: Why stranger, I've been trying four years to git the turn of that tune. Come right in. Johnny, take the horse and feed him. Wife, git up the best corn cakes you can make. Sally, make up the best bed. He can play the turn of that tune. Come right in and play it all through, Stranger, you kin lodge with us a month free of charge.
The "turn" of the tune is what we now would call the "B part."
See the video for images of the lithographs, the early sheet music, and other historic images.
Joining me are friends Christina King (Cleveland, OH) on fiddle, Stephen Rapp on banjo (Kent, OH), and Michael Seiser on guitar (Cleveland, OH)
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In 2022, Paul was designated as a master old-time fiddler and received a Traditional Arts grant from the Ohio Arts Council to work with an apprentice of his choice.
Paul taught viola, choir, music history, and assisted with drama and art for ten consecutive summers at orchestra and fine arts camps for The Music Settlement when it was known as Cleveland Music School Settlement.