I’ve chosen Little Boy Working on the Road, which comes from the western rim of the Cumberland Plateau in north central Kentucky, for this installment of TOTW.
The tune was first recorded for Victor in New York on February 27, 1928, by Rowan County native J.W. Day (1861 – 1942) who played the fiddle left-handed and upside down. You can hear it here: J.W. Day Recording
John Harrod collected a field recording of the tune from traditional Owsley County fiddler Effie Pierson (1902 – 1981) in 1979. You can listen to it here: Effie Pierson
Harrod also recorded Razor Wolfinbarger (1912 - 1992) playing a banjo version from Estill County in 1981. The Wolfinbarger recording, released on the Rounder Kentucky Old Time Banjo CD, was my introduction to the tune. You can view a Wolfinbarger video clip here: Wolfinbarger Video
There is a dearth of information about the tune itself. Harrod and Wilson, in the liner notes for the Rounder CD, write that “ The plaintive melody reminds us of early days in the mountains when young boys, orphaned or otherwise impoverished, were forced into men’s work in the mines, in the logwoods, or out on the roads.”
And the excerpt from the Traditional Tune Archive has only this to say: “Old-Time, Breakdown. USA, East Kentucky. A Major/Mixolydian. AEae tuning (fiddle). AA'B. Words sung to the melody, according to Razor Wolfenbarger, were “Little boy, little boy, working on the road, Working for a dollar to pay his board.”
So to flesh out the write-up I decided to research the traditional performers.
J. W. Day led an interesting life. He was born blind but had his sight surgically restored as an adult, he was present at the final battle of the Tolliver- Martin Feud in 1887, he composed a popular ballad about the “troubles” preceding the shootout, and he played for the King and Queen of England during a 1931 visit to London. Here’s some information on Day and his association with folk music promoter Jean Thomas: Day Bio
Effie Pierson was born into a rural male dominated society and lived through a period of changing attitudes about the role of women in America. A product of her times and culture, she was married at 16, she was handy with a gun, and she never learned to drive a car. On the other hand she expanded community acceptance of active women through her practice of midwifery and her musical performances on radio and stage. By all accounts she was a competent, confident and hardworking woman who was well respected in her community.
Anna Roberts-Gevalt has assembled information and remembrances of Mrs. Pierson and several other women musicians on this web page: In Her First Heaven . Anna also authored a biographical article on Mrs. Pierson for the Old Time Herald here: Old-Time Herald .
Razor Wolfinbarger was a contractor from Estill County, Kentucky. In the 1970’s he teamed up with Billy Stamper and Earl Thomas, Jr. and played regularly on the Courthouse Square in Irvine, the County seat. Harrod says this was probably the last occurrence of an activity that was once common across the south. Clyde Davenport for instance talks about musicians playing on the square in Monticello, Kentucky in the 1930’s.
Mr. Wofinbarger is buried in the Sunset Memorial Gardens, on Dark Hollow Road, across from the Calvary Baptist Church, not far from the Kentucky River, near Irvine. Someone once told me he had small hands for a banjo player.
A few modern players have taken up the tune. Here are some fiddle versions: Clare Milliner and Walt Koken, Christian Wig, and Amy and Karen.
Here are some string band versions: Seattle String Band Class, harrod and the Rhythm Rats.
The Wofinbarger performances were the only solo banjo versions I could find.
Titon gives standard notation for both the Day and Pierson versions in his book Old-Time Kentucky Fiddle Tunes and Maya Whitmont’s tab for Little Boy Working on the Road can be found here: Mossyroof Tab
Viewers are encouraged to post observations, opinions, performances and tabs contributing to this thread.