Polly in the Kitchen- Kuntz

Polly in the Kitchen- Howard Hall

Polly in the Kitchen

Old-time Bluegrass banjo song, unknown.

ARTIST: Played on the banjo by Howard Hall at William Marshall's home near Hillsville, Carroll County, VA.  4.8.79

CATEGORY: Fiddle and Instrumental Tunes

DATE: unknown- 1979 

RECORDING INFO: Far in the Mountain

OTHER NAMES: unknown

SOURCES: Mike Yeats 

 

NOTES: I know of no other version, although parts of the tune do sound a little like Cotton-Eyed Joe.

William Marshall and Howard Hall When I went to find the banjo-player Calvin Cole I knocked at a house for directions.  Seeing a banjo case in the hallway I asked the man who had answered the door if he played.  This was Howard Hall.  It turned out that his house was opposite Calvin Cole's home and, having taken me to meet Calvin, he later said that I should meet William Marshall.  Although aged well over seventy, William still worked on his farm and was feeding his chickens as we walked up to his house.  William and Howard represent the older fiddle and banjo duets that were once popular in the Galax/Hillsville area before the arrival of the full string bands (written by Mike Yates)

Polly in the Kitchen- Howard Hall
(Played on the banjo by Howard Hall at William Marshall's home near Hillsville, Carroll County, VA.  4.8.79)

Howard had the following verse for this tune:
 
Polly in the kitchen, Polly in the hall.
Polly in the kitchen, eating it all.