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JOHN BROWN’S DREAM
Old-Time, Breakdown. USA; southwestern Virginia, western North Carolina.
ARTIST: From Kenny Hall
CATEGORY: Fiddle and Instrumental Tunes
DATE: 1800's "John Brown's Dream" was recorded in 1927 by Da Costa Woltz's Southern Broadcasters (with calls by Ben Jarrell). The first recording was in 1924 by Fiddlin' Powers and Family. Melody was first recorded as "Little Rabbit" by Crockett's Kentucky Mountaineers in 1931.
RECORDING INFO: Rounder 0032, Buddy Thomas (Northeast Ky.) "Kitty Puss: Old Time Fiddle Music From Kentucky." County 524, "Da Costa Woltz's Southern Broadcasters: 1927 Recordings" (the fiddler for this band is Ben Jarrell). County 713, Cockerham, Jenkins and Jarrell "Down to the Cider Mill." County CD2702, Tommy Jarrell & Fred Cockerham - “Tommy and Fred: Best Fiddle-Banjo Duets” (1992). County CO-CD-2711, Kirk Sutphin - "Old Roots and New Branches" (1994). Document DOCD-8023, Da Costa Woltz’s Southern Broadcasters (reissue). Folkways FA 2492, New Lost City Ramblers "String Band Instrumentals" (1964). Folkways FTS 31041, New Lost City Ramblers "Across the Great Divide." Kicking Mule 203, Art Rosenbaum "The Art of the Mountain Banjo." Marimac 9038, Dan Gellert & Brad Leftwich - "A Moment in Time." Roane Records RR-101, “Cedar Point String Band” (Franklin George et al. Appears as “Harv Brown’s Dream”). “Silvertone 5183B (78 RPPM), Da Costa Woltz's Southern Broadcasters (1927). Tennvale 003, Pete Parish "Clawhammer Banjo." Tradition Records TLP1007, Hobart Smith "Instrumental Music of the Southern Appalachians" (1956). Jim Taylor – “The Civil War Collection” (1996). Jim Taylor – “The Civil War Album” (1996. Learned from Sheila Adams who had it from Tommy Jarrell and Scot Ainsley). Austen, Seth; and Madeline MacNeil. Ye Banks and Braes, Roots and Branches RBR 002, LP (1981), trk# B.03d; Baugus, Riley (Alvin). Life of Riley, Yodel-Ay-Hee 038, CD (2001), trk# 3; Blevins, G.. Thede, Marion (ed.) / The Fiddle Book, Oak, Bk (1967), p 53 [1930s] (Give the Fiddler a Dram); Boiled Buzzards. Fine Dining, Marimac 9043, Cas (1991), trk# A.03; 5. Bradley, Hank. Tenino Old Time Music Festival. 1975 - 1976 - 1977, Voyager VRLP 321-S, LP (1978), trk# A.09; 8. Cockerham, Fred. Clawhammer Banjo, County CD 2716/701, CD/ (2002/1966), trk# 9 [1964/10] (Pretty Little Girl); Cockerham, Jarrell and Jenkins. Down to the Cider Mill, County 713, LP (1968), trk# 7; Creed, Kyle; and Fred Cockerham. 1st Annual Brandywine Mountain Music Convention, Heritage (Galax) 006, LP (1975), trk# 9; Crooked Road. Generations, Spencer, CD (2004), trk# 18a; 13. Dry Hill Draggers. 52nd Annual Old Fiddlers Convention Galax, Va 1987, Heritage (Galax) 704, LP (1988), trk# 1; Flat Mountain Girls. Honey Take Your Whiskers Off, Flat Mountain Flat S002, CD (2005), trk# 9; Gellert, Dan; and Brad Leftwich. Moment in Time, Marimac 9038, Cas (1993), trk# A.04; Haas, Brittany. Brittany Haas, Ook CD 001, CD (2004), trk# 13; Heartbeats. Living Black and White, Marimac 9048, Cas (1991), trk# 1; Herald Angels. You've Been a Friend to Me, Herald Angels HA1001, Cas (1994), trk# 3 (Brown's Dream); Holt, Bob. Got a Little Home to Go To, Rounder 0432, CD (1999), trk# 5; Jarrell, Tommy; and Kyle Creed. June Apple, Mountain 302, LP (1972), trk# 8; Jarrell, Tommy. Clawhammer Banjo. Vol 2 [More Clawhammer Banjo], County CD 2717/717, LP (2003/1969), trk# 7; Juggernaut String Band. Greasy Coat, Wildbeest WB 004, LP (198?), trk# 12; Leftwich, Brad. Tribute to Tommy Jarrell, Heritage (Galax) 063, LP (1986), trk# 12; Mates, Tony. Silberberg, Gene (ed.) / Complete Fiddle Tunes I Either Did or Did Not.., Silberberg, Fol (2005), p 94 ; Mill Run Dulcimer Band. Sunday at the Mill, Lark LRLP 3094, LP (1980), trk# A.03; New Lost City Ramblers. String Band Instrumentals, Folkways FA 2492, LP (1964), trk# A.07 New Lost City Ramblers. Brody, David (ed.) / Fiddler's Fakebook, Oak, Sof (1983), p148; Osborne, Uncle Charlie (Charlie N.). Relics and Treasures, June Appal JA 0049, LP (1985), trk# 1 (Brown's Dream); Osborne, Uncle Charlie (Charlie N.). 100 Years Farther On, June Appal JA 0064C, Cas (199?), trk# 7 (Brown's Dream); Pine River Boys with Maybelle. Wild Hog in the Woods, Heritage (Galax) 021 (XXI), LP (1978), trk# B.05; Robic, A; and the Exertions. Old Time Music Dance Party, Flying Fish FF-415, LP (1987), trk# 6c; Rosenbaum, Art (Arthur). Art of the Mountain Banjo, Kicking Mule KM 203, LP (1975), trk# 2.01; Smith, Hobart. Instrumental Music of the Southern Appalachians, Tradition TR 1007, LP (196?), trk# 9 [1956/07ca]; Smith, Hobart. Sounds of the South, Atlantic 7-82496-2, CD( (1993), trk# 1.26 [1959/07ca] (John Brown) ; Smith, Hobart. In Sacred Trust. 1963 Fleming Brown Tapes, Smithsonian SFWCD 40141, CD (2005), 6 [1963/10]; Smith, Ralph Lee. Dulcimer; More Old-Time and Traditional Music, Skyline DD-106, LP (1975), trk# 1; Smokey Valley Boys. Smokey Valley Boys, Rounder 0029, LP (1974), trk# 12; Sutphin, Kirk. Old Roots and New Branches, County CD 2711, CD (1994), trk# 2; Sutphin, Kirk. Masters of the Banjo, Arhoolie CD 421, CD (1994), trk# 4 [1993/11/12]; Woltz, DaCosta;'s Southern Broadcasters. DaCosta Woltz's Southern Broadcasters, County 524, LP (1972), trk# A.01 [1927/05ca]
RECORDING INFO- Little Rabbit: Clarke, Greg. Solo, Clarke GC 1001, CD (2005), trk# 2b; Greene, Richard. Duets, Rounder 0075, LP (1977), trk# 7; Hall, Kenny; and the Sweets Mill String Band. Kenny Hall and the Sweets Mill String Band, Vol. 2, Bay 103, LP (1973), trk# 1; High Strung. High Strung, Loose Noose ASM-489, LP (1981), trk# A.04c; Mabus, Joel. Clawhammer, Fossil 491C, Cas (1991), trk# 12; Michael, Walt; & McCreesh, Tom. Dance Like a Wave on the Sea, Front Hall FHR-017, LP (1978), trk# B.03; Old Scratch Band. Old Scratch Band, California Condor CCLP-2, LP (197?), trk# B.04; Paley, Tom. Hard Luck Papa. Old Time Picking Styles & Techniques, Kicking Mule KM 201, LP (1976), trk# 3; Pickin' Around the Cookstove. Pickin' Around the Cookstove, Rounder 0040, LP (1975), trk# 3; Smith, Hobart. Southern Journey. Vol. 6: Sheep, Sheep, Don'tcha Know the Road, Rounder 1706, CD (1997), trk# 3 [1960/04/28] (Devil's Dream); Welling, William B. (Will). Welling, William B. / Welling's Hartford Tunebook, Welling, Fol (1974), p 3a; Whiskey Creek String Band. On the Rocks, Farmers MF 105, LP (1978), trk# B.01
RELATED TO: “Pretty Little Gal,” "Pretty Little Miss," “Johnny Bring the Jug Around the Hill,” "Little Rabbit,” “Red Steer,” ” “Table Mountain Road,” “Stillhouse Branch," “Rabbit Where's Your Mammy?” “Stillhouse Branch”
OTHER NAMES: “Brownlow’s Dream,” "Brown's Dream," “Brownstream,” "Herve Brown's Dream," “Stillhouse Branch,” “Jeff Davis' Dream.”
SOURCES: Sources for lyrics Ceolas; New Lost City Ramblers [Brody]; Kevin Wimmer [Phillips]. Brody (Fiddler’s Fakebook), 1983; pg. 148. Phillips (Traditional American Fiddle Tunes), vol. 1, 1994; pg. 126. Songer (Portland Collection), 1997; pg. 111. Carlin, Bob. Brody, David (ed.) / Banjo Picker's Fakebook, Oak, Fol (1985), p 85a; Cockerham, Fred. Rosenbaum, Art / Old-Time Mountain Banjo, Oak, sof (1968), p62 (Pretty Little Miss); Curley, Clyde. Songer, Susan; & Clyde Curley (eds.) / Portland Collection. Contra..., Portland Collection, Fol (1997), p111; Rosenbaum, Art (Arthur). Rosenbaum, Art / Art of the Mountain Banjo, Centerstream, Fol (1981), p48; Krassen, Miles. Krassen, Miles / Appalachian Fiddle, Oak, sof (1973), p66 (Brown's Dream); Krassen, Miles. Krassen, Miles / Clawhammer Banjo, Oak, sof (1974), p58 (Brown's Dream); MacNeil, Madeline. Dulcimer Player News, Dulcimer Player News, Ser, 6/3, p21(1980)
SOURCES- Little Rabbit: Brody, David (ed.) / Guitar Pickers Fakebook, Oak, Sof (1984), p 95; Brody, David. Brody, David (ed.) / Fiddler's Fakebook, Oak, Sof (1983), p171; Burke, John. Burke, John / Book of Old Time Fiddle Tunes for Banjo, Amsco, sof (1968), p40; Kaufman, Alan. Kaufman, Alan / Beginning Old-time Fiddle, Oak, sof (1977), p62; Sapoznik, Hank (Henry). Brody, David (ed.) / Banjo Picker's Fakebook, Oak, Fol (1985), p 96; Silberberg, Gene. Silberberg, Gene (ed.) / Complete Fiddle Tunes I Either Did or Did Not.., Silberberg, Fol (2005), p115;
NOTES: “One of a family of tunes that includes "Brown's Dream,” “Brownstream,” “Herve Brown’s Dream,” “Jimmy Johnson Pass That Jug Around the Hill,” “John Brown's Dream,” “Little Rabbit” “Pretty Little Gal ,” “Table Mountain Road” and others. The tune family is a common a popular one in the Blue Ridge Mountains, where it probably originated but has since been disseminated. North-east Kentucky fiddler Buddy Thomas recorded the tune under the “Stillhouse Branch” title but also knew the piece alternately as “Brown Stream,” a mondegreen for “Brown’s Dream.” He believed the “Brown Stream” title to refer to the stream of whiskey that emerges from a moonshine still, according to Mike Yates (2002).” From Ceolas.
Hobart Smith, of Saltville, Va., also played the tune on the banjo. Tommy Jarrell, of Mt. Airy, North Carolina, suggested that "John Brown's Dream," which he learned from his father, fiddler Ben Jarrell, was derived from "Pretty Little Miss."
Apparently, Walton, West Virginia, fiddler Franklin George is the source for the “Herve (or Harv) Brown’s Dream” title, which he obtained from Jim Farthing, late of S.W. Virginia and West Virginia. There is speculation, though no proof, that the title of the tune was originally “Herve Brown’s Dream,” but the name Herve was supplanted by John because of the notoriety of the famous abolitonist who was hanged at Charles Town, Virginia in 1859 for treason committed in the raid of the U.S. Arsenal at Harper’s Ferry earlier that year. Most commentors agree that the tune has considerable age, and may predate the Harpers Faerry incident in the mid-19th century. Dwight Diller has said that the West Virginia tune “Jimmy Johnson” was the musical precursor to “John Brown’s Dream,” and opined that “Jimmy Johnson” was the far superior melody. Kentucky fiddler Buddy Thomas knew the tune as “Stillhouse Branch.” Kerry Blech has even heard the title “Brown Stream,” a mondegreen of course (for “Brown’s Dream”). Hobart Smith called his version of the tune “Devil’s Dream” on his Rounder recording (Rounder CD 0032).
Here are the lyrics to John Brown’s Dream from Kenny Hall:
JOHN BROWN’S DREAM- Kenny Hall
Sung to the B part:
VERSE 1: John Brown's dream, John Brown's dream
John Brown's dream, the devil is dead.
VERSE 2: The Devil's dream, the devil's dream,
The Devil's dream, John Brown is dead.
Sung to the C part: Wake up Lulu, Wake up Lulu,
Wake up Lulu, you slept too late.
I'm gonna marry, I'm gonna marry,
I'm gonna marry that purty little girl.
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