Old Crow Medicine Show - James River Blues
On the album Big Iron World this is played with a capo on the third fret
My rendition is in open tuning if you want to play along

C               F
James River blues
C                        F
I just heard the awful news
C                          F
I could steer around the rocks
C                              F 
But they're bustin' down the docks

C F C F

C              F
James River blues
C                     F
That train came on through
C                       F
And the works getting slow
C                       F 
Now where's a boat man to go?


Am                     F
I think I'll float on down
Am            F
To Richmond town
Am                     F
They don't need us anymore
                               Am
Haulin' freight from shore to shore
                           F
That big iron hauls much more
                Am
Than we ever could before

C F C F

C                          F
I've seen good men going wrong
C                           F
I've seen bad ones get it right
C                      F
As that river rolls along
C                       F 
I'll be stepping out tonight


Am            F
On the cool flow
Am                    F
Floatin' down, down below
Am                         F
The bridge to the waters edge
Am                   F
From the ridge to ledge
Am                     F
From the hills to the sea
Am              F   G
I'll become a memory

C              F
James River Blues
C              F
James River Blues
C              F
James River Blues…

Most banjo gurus agree that the earliest American banjos used gourd bodies. A pre-1800 painting of a banjo in the New World shows a gourd banjo with a flat, fretless fingerboard, a "slab" peghead with three tuners and one drone string

A similar banjo discovered in Haiti apparently shows many of the same features, enough so that banjo luthier Pete Ross was able to build a replica that most people feel is faithful to the "banjars" and "banzas" of that era

White musicians were enthralled by the sound of those "slave" instruments, enough so that they took the time to befriend black musicians and learn how to play the "banjars" of the day. Some were respectful of the traditions and cultures that led to the invention of the gourd banjo. Sadly, many were not

By the early 1920s, Tenor banjo was as popular in the U.S. as electric guitar was in the 1970s. Many thousands of "student" Tenor banjos were made at the lower end of the price spectrum, usually lacking tone rings and resonators (which, to be fair, made it possible for kids to learn banjo without driving the rest of the family out of the house). Even after early forms of Jazz had been supplanted by Swing and Modern Jazz, Tenor banjos continued to be made, although mostly at the low end of the scale

A style of playing was developed at this time that is still used by Dixieland and New Orleans Traditional Music players. The banjo was/is strummed with a flat pick, but the chords were/are structured so that the top note of the chord plays the melody

The Tenor Banjo redefined Jazz, and it's big brother, the 6-string banjo got in on the fun, too. After all, they had been around since the 1880s, and it wasn't that hard for folks who already played guitar or 6-string banjo to adjust to playing Jazz. One of the most notable Jazz 6-string players was Johnny St. Cyr, who used his 6-string to play bass lines with King Oliver's Creole Jazz Band. No, a 6-string banjo doesn't usually play bass, but it does go almost half an octave lower than a regular banjo, so it is closer at least

On this tune is my 1928 6-string Gibson GB (guitar banjo), my 1962 5-string Vega Folklore (both open back) - also mando, micro bass, C harp, and riverboat steam horn sounds sampled from the real deal legendary Nactchez steamboat

JTS

JAMES RIVER BLUES

James River Blues

An American folk performer with roots in the 90s Seattle and Tempe music scenes, JTSunrise weaves classic tunes and tales from the heart with modern images mixed with fingers and breath - - - Genuine Gen X Folkspunk Seattle Americana acoustic guitar, banjo, mandolin, uke, autoharp, harmonica an old school stringband songs recorded down home

If you're an acoustic player/singer-songwriter of any kind please get in touch. 

All Music Matters
Your Music is Real
Thank You All
God Bless You
See u in the Pit (ole$chool punk $aying)

     JT
7777777

Angel Number 7777777 indicates that new chances have arisen in your life due to your hard effort

Engage in things that feed your spirit. If you pay attention to your guardian angels, they will lead you along the appropriate path

jtsunrisemusic@gmail.com

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I don’t buy anything, process anything, or sell anything- i don’t process anything sold or bought or processed, or sell anything to be bought or processed or sold

JTSunrise, like a cryptic melody echoing through the mist, A silhouette against the dawn, veiled in an enigma’s twist. Their chords weave secrets, harmonies untold, In the dim-lit corners of the soul, they unfold

Is it the owl reflection of their eyes, the echo of forgotten lullabies? JT strums the strings of mystery, A troubadour in the shadows, lost in history

Their lyrics dance on the edge of dreams, Whispers of forgotten realms and moonlit streams. Enigmatic, they wander through star-kissed nights, A minstrel of the cosmos, chasing celestial light

Perhaps they’re a riddle wrapped in stardust, A cosmic wanderer, both mortal and just. JTSunrise, elusive as the morning mist, Their music lingers, leaving hearts gently kissed

**In the gentle strumming of strings and the raw authenticity of JTSunrise’s compositions, you’ll find echoes of love, nostalgia, and the human experience**

New tracks tagged #Riverboat Banjo