Sound Recordings

Permanent link for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/2022/3155

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Ray Major's Harmonica: Polkas, Waltzes, and Fiddle Tunes from Southern Indiana
(Traditional Arts Indiana, 2025) Major, Ray; Kay, Jon; Schaefer, Spencer
As a teenager, Ray Major worked for Harold Baudendistel, a Franklin County farmer who loved to fiddle. After a day’s work, the German American elder would say, “Grab your guitar and we’ll play a few tunes.” These informal jam sessions sparked Ray’s lifelong passion for music—especially thepolkas, waltzes, schottisches, and fiddle tunes once popular across Southern Indiana. Ray picked up the harmonica in 1983 after a hand injury sidelined his guitar playing for several months. He soon began entering harmonica con- tests in Indiana and Kentucky, where he met Colonel Irving Royal, widely regarded as the region’s best player. Royal’s skill and encouragement inspired Ray to keep playing. After Royal’s passing, Ray won the harmonica contest at the prestigious Indiana State Picking and Fiddling Contest—the same event where they had first met. When Ray moved to Ferdinand, he became neighbors with Hilary and LaVerne Begle, who played traditional dance tunes once common in Dubois County. Ray began performing the old German melodies on harmonica while accompanying himself on guitar. Imitating LaVerne stumpf fiddle, which she played alongside Hilary, Ray added foot percussion to his performances. After retiring in 2022, Ray relocated to Bloomington but continues to return to Dubois County to perform at area events like Strassenfest and Ferdinand’s Christkindlmarkt. We recorded Ray Major’s straight-harp harmonica playing over two rainy days in November 2023. Between his workshop and shelves of canned vegetables, we set up a temporary studio in his basement. As Ray played, each tune recalled a story or led to another melody. Many of the songs we captured are familiar at regional music jams, but others are distinct to Ray’s repertoire. His carefully curated collection draws from songbooks, recordings, friendships, and the German American songs once common in the region. Throughout the recording sessions, we often found ourselves smiling as this one-man band blew life into each melody. Ray Major’s Harmonica aims to convey those joyful moments and highlight the player’s deep respect for Southern Indiana’s rich history of harmonica music and the tunes once played at community dances. RECORDING NOTES Recorded live at the home of Ray and Deborah Major with a matched pair of Neumann KM184 microphones in an XY pattern placed directly in front of Ray’s guitar. A Neumann TLM 102 large diaphragm microphone was also placed in front of Ray’s harmonica rack. The signal was amplified and panned to match the stereo response on a Sound Devices MixPre-3. No artificial reverb or other effects were used in the production of this recording. Elder Music Series Instruments Used: Hohner Golden Melody Harmonicas, Epiphone Master Built EF 500, Left-footed Farmer Foot Drum. “Hilary Begle played the guitar and put the harmonica in the rack and strummed the chords. He played waltzes, and polkas, and old-time music.” ~ Ray Major 1. Who stole the Keeshka? (Key: D) 0:57; Walter Dana & Walter Solek, 1949 2. Butcher Hannes Waltz / Wo ist Mein Schatz (Key: C,G) 3:31; Joe Altman & the Spaasmachers, 1961, Traditional, undated 3. Seven Step Schottische (Key: D,G) 0:56; Traditional, undated 4. Military Schottische / Happy Boy (Key: D) 4:00; Traditional, undated 5. Dratenik (Tinker Polka) (Key: G,C) 3:12; Bačova Česka Kapela, 1929 6. Tight Squeeze (Key: C) 1:56; John Goodin, circa 1980 7. Ragtime Annie (Key: D) 1:15; Traditional, undated 8. Ach Du Lieber Augustin (Key: C) 1:44; Traditional, 1815 9. Sally Ann (Key: G) 1:22; Traditional, undated 10. Beautiful Brown Eyes (Key: G) 1:10; Alton Delmore & Arthur Smith, 1937 11. In Lauterbach hob’ ich mein’ Strumpf Verlorn (Key: A) 0:52; Traditional, undated 12. Molly Bloom (Key: A) 1:16; Alan Munde, 1969 13. Saint Anne’s Reel; or Quadrille du loup garou - 4ème partie) (Key: D) 1:49; Willie Ringuette, 1927 14. Kiss Waltz (Key: G) 3:13; Traditional, 1880 15. Tarantella Napoletana (Key: G) 0:43; Traditional Italian Dance, undated 16. Off She Goes / Bonnie Blue Flag /; Pop Goes the Weasel (Key: D) 3:14; Traditional Nursery Rhymes and Military Marches, undated 17. Robin Red Breast (Key: Eb) 0:58; Nursery Rhyme Song, undated Production Team Jon Kay: Project Director, and Field Recording Engineer Spencer Schaefer: Project Manager, and Field Recording Engineer Kyle Fulford: Mastering Engineer Emily Bryant: Graphic Designer
The Village Idiophonist: Bill Bailey and Friends
(Traditional Arts Indiana, 2023) Bailey, Bill; Kay, Jon; Schaefer, Spencer
The Village Idiophonist: Bill Bailey and Friends Recorded live at the Rocky Ripple Town Hall Rocky Ripple, Indiana, April 12, 2023 Percussion has been a major thread in Bill Bailey’s life. Though he played drums as a child, he stopped in college and remained “music-less” for several years until neighbors encouraged him to pursue old-time music. Not long after, he began striking spoons together and thumping out complex rhythms on a washboard. Bill began jamming with a range of old-time, blues, and jug band musicians from Central Indiana. A staple at the Indiana State Fair’s Pioneer Village for nearly thirty years, he actively coordinates the Village stages, inviting musicians, storytellers, and other entertainers from across Indiana to perform. He also accompanies many of these ensembles with his arsenal of idiophones. In addition, Bill also paints and outfits musical washboards for the Columbus Washboard Company. Today, Bill continues to build washboards, play percussion, and teach others about the joys of making music. Through playing idiophones, Bill works to inspire future generations to incorporate music into their everyday lives. Accompanying Players and Tracks Witch Hazel Valley People (Country Nostalgic) Bill Bailey, Coffee grinder, conga, cowbells, cymbals, national washboard, out-of-tune steel drum, school bell, ten whistle rack, train whistle, and zydeco rubboard; Robin Harrison, Guitar and voice; Allen Stratyner, harmonica; Steven Ray Robbins, mandolin The Wabash Cannonball (or Great Rock Island Line) Goofus Java, Java, Jive Kansas City Star 2:01 Last Drop Jug Band Bill Bailey, Bison jawbone, German Clappers, gourd, train whistle, washboard, and zydeco rubboard; Dave Devaull, Guitar and voice; Jude Odell, Banjo and voice; Greg Smith, Bass; Allen Stratyner, harmonica The Cats Got the Measles Walk Right In 3:30 Hey! Lawdy Mama – The France Blues 3:31 They’re Red Hot 3:49 Blues Ambassadors (Traditional Blues) Bill Bailey, cymbals, spoons, and tambourine; Jerome Mills, Bass; Steven Ray Robbins, Guitar, mandolin, and voice; Jay Thompson, harmonica She Caught the Katy (And Left me a Mule to Ride) 3:38 Standing by the Highway 3:18 Bill’s World of Idiophones Bill’s World of Idiophones National Washboard: bicycle bells, Columbus board scraper, cowbell, cymbals, jigger, and sauce bucket woodblock Mac Bellner (Celtic & Old Thyme) Bill Bailey, “Bowvine” rib bones; Mac Bellner, Guitar and voice Colcannon Blackberry Jam – Folk Band (Old Tyme) Whiskey Before Breakfast & Arkansas Traveler Don’t Fence Me In Bill’s World of Idiophones Bill Bailey, Clydesdale Horseshoe, German Clappers, spoons, tambourine, triangle, whistle rack, woodblock, and zydeco rubboard Idiophone Medley Jon Kay, Project Director, Co-producer, and Field Recording Engineer Kyle Fulford, Mastering Engineer, Field Recording Engineer, and Audio Editing Spencer Schaefer, Co-producer, Field Recording Engineer, Technical Support and Liner Notes Emily Bryant, Graphic Designer
Jim Smoak: At the Depot
(Traditional Arts Indiana, 2022) Smoak, Jim; Kay, Jon; Fulford, Kyle
Recorded live at The Depot Railroad Museum in Salem, Indiana, April 25, 2022. Jim Smoak grew up surrounded by music and learned to play from his mother at an early age. When he was twelve, he purchased his first banjo from Sears, Roebuck & Co. after winning a 4-H prize in South Carolina. Shortly after his high school graduation, Jim hit the road with his banjo. He spent much of his early career performing live shows both in person and on television, working with bluegrass greats Bill Monroe, Earl Scruggs, Little Jimmy Dickens, and Hylo Brown. Jim stopped touring in the 1970s when he met his wife, and the couple settled in her hometown of Pekin, IN. For more than fifty years, he has taught banjo and a variety of other instruments to children and adults and has twice served as a master artist in the Traditional Arts Indiana Apprenticeship Program. In 2008, Jim was recognized as one of the “Pioneers of Bluegrass” by the International Bluegrass Music Museum, and in 2022 he was named an Indiana Heritage Fellow. Now in his eighties, Jim Smoak continues to play music throughout Kentuckiana. Personnel: Jim Smoak, Banjo and voice Brian Allen, Guitar Old Dan Tucker The Charleston & Western Carolina Railroad Rattler’s Pup Louis (Grandpa) Jones, 1958 Carolina Boy The Waltz You Saved For Me Back Home Again in Indiana Reuben’s Train Nine Hundred Miles Who’s Going Down to Wilmingtown Wait Till the Sun Shines, Nellie This Heart of Mine Cumberland Gap Old John Don’t Care How Mama Don’t Allow I Won’t Let You Down Sea Anemone The Lakes of Pontchatrain Jon Kay, Project Director, Producer, and Field Recording Engineer Kyle Fulford, Field Recording Engineer, Audio Editing and Liner Notes Claire Gillett and Katya Chomitzky, Editing and Liner Notes Emily Bryant, Graphic Designer Mike Bridavsky, Mastering Engineer
Helen Kiesel's Accordion: Music from Southwestern Indiana
(Traditional Arts Indiana, 2022) Kiesel, Helen; Kay, Jon; Fulford, Kyle
Recorded live at the home of Helen & Bob Kiesel in Haubstadt, Indiana, February 14, 2022. Growing up, accordion player Helen Kiesel went to the dancehall and tavern across the road from her parents’ home in Hornville, in rural Vanderburgh County. The old waltzes, schottisches, polkas, and fiddle tunes sparked her musical interest. She took accordion lessons from Sister Johnette Finis, a Benedictine nun from nearby Ferdinand. She later studied at the Campbell Accordion Studio in Evansville. From a young age, the accordion was Helen’s passion: “I don't know what I would do if I couldn't play…I just love it. I love playing for the people” (Kiesel 2022). Helen regularly plays at area senior centers and nursing homes at least sixteen times per month, not counting the weekly church services she accompanies at Saints. Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Haubstadt. She still enjoys playing at nursing homes, where residents sing along and even leave their wheelchairs to dance to familiar tunes. “I never get bored…I like what I’m doing, and I like the people I play for” (Kiesel 2020). Track List: Medley - There’ll Be a Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight; Hail Hail the Gang's all Here Red Wing Over the Waves Don’t Sit Under the Apple Tree With Anyone Else But Me Beer Barrel Polka Medley – Lauterbach You Are My Sunshine Mockingbird Hill Red River Valley Wooden Heart Bicycle Built for Two Medley - Polly Wolly Doodle; Oh, Them Golden Slippers; Oh, Susanna; Turkey in the Straw Goodnight, Irene Take Me Out to the Ball Game Under the Double Eagle The Old Rugged Cross In The Garden What a Friend We Have in Jesus ______ Jon Kay, Project Director, Producer, and Field Recording Engineer Kyle Fulford, Field Recording Engineer, Audio Editing, Technical Support and Liner Notes Mike Bridavsky, Mastering Engineer Emily Bryant, Graphic Designer
Sweet Hour of Prayer: Hymns and Spirituals on Piano -- Featuring Reverend Dennis H. Freeman
(Traditional Arts Indiana, 2022) Freeman, Reverend Dennis H.; Kay, Jon; Campbell-Maher, Lydia
During the pandemic, Reverend Dennis H. Freeman offered weekly musical devotions for members of the Witherspoon Presbyterian Church in Indianapolis. He titled these weekly performances “Sweet Hour of Prayer,” drawing the name from the popular 19th-century hymn. Each week, the Church streamed his songs of encouragement online. This online offering continued and extended a long tradition in the Black Church of using hymns and spirituals to comfort and encourage the congregation during difficult times. This collection was recorded on August 28, 2020, at one of these special services at the Witherspoon Presbyterian Church. Reverend. Dennis H. Freeman, Piano Keesha Dixon, Vocals on track 7 Jillian Jones, Vocals on track 8 Track List: Sweet Hour of Prayer Spirit of the Living God God Will Take Care of You I Trust in God His Eye is on the Sparrow What a Friend We have in Jesus I Know the Lord Will Make a Way Great is Thy Faithfulness Old Rugged Cross I Come to the Garden Alone Nothing But the Blood of Jesus Lord, I Want to be a Christian The Lord’s Prayer Lift Every Voice and Sing Take My Hand, Precious Lord Let the Words of My Mouth Jon Kay, Project Director, Producer, and Field Recording Engineer Lydia Campbel-Maher, Technical Support, and Liner Notes Keesha Dixon, Community Scholar and Project Liaison John Conant, Mix and Mastering Engineer Emily Bryant, Graphic Designer
A Meeting of the Lime Kiln Club
(1902) American Quartet; American Quartet
McGuire's Fourth-of-July Celebration
(1907) Porter, Steve; Porter, Steve
Lincoln's Speech at Gettysburg
(1906-10-26) Lincoln, Abraham; Spencer, Leonard G.
Congressman Filkin's Homecoming
(1911-02-10) Harlan, Byron G.; Harlan, Byron G.
Address by the Late President McKinley at the Pan American Exposition
(1904) McKinley, William; Spencer, Harry
Uncle Jim's Racetrack Story
(1904-04-21) Spencer, Leonard G.; Spencer, Leonard G.
The Farmer and the Hogs
(1909-06-15) Whitney, Edwin; Whitney, Edwin
Jim Lawson's Hoss Trade
(1903-04-27) Stewart, Cal; Stewart, Cal
Cohen at the Telephone
(1916-03-17) Bernard, Barney; Bernard, Barney
Old Country Fiddler at the Telephone
(1916-06-21) Taggart, Charles Ross; Taggart, Charles Ross
Casey at the Telephone
(1895) Hunting, Russell; Hunting, Russell

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