PLAIN FOLK

by Billy Jones
COUNTRY MUSIC FINDS ITS ROOTS IN THE CLASSICS!

In the twenties, thirties and forties, big band music filled dance halls and ballrooms with people eager to display or learn new dance steps. These bands spawned marvelous musicians that are still remembered and recognized by their awesome styles. Great singers also emerged with styles passed on by wonderful folk and gospel singers. Frank Sinatra and "Old Man River" comes to mind. These songs were sung with a great deal of heartfelt passion that the listener would often relate to. You could refer to them as personal folk songs because the writer's lyrics often told stories of lost love and broken hearts beautifully enhanced by touching instrumental melodies.

I loved that music, but my steel guitar limited me to Hawaiian tunes that were also quite popular at that time. That is, until I heard the Roy Smeck orchestra and Alvino Rey's great band. Then I was hooked and realized the potential the Hawaiian guitar had in other fields. I played in a pop band for a while until I found an opening in a simple country band where I gained a lot of experience as a steel guitarist.

Country music in the forties was known as Country and Western music. Country music was simple and earthy. It was the folk music of the farmers and their families. Western music was the music of the cowboy, his horse, his dog and the wide open spaces they shared. It has a lonesome sound with a touch of blues. A favorite trio in Canada was called the "Rhythm Pals," best remembered from the Tommy Hunter show.

Another type of music with country roots is the Hillbilly music that originated in the hills of Tennessee. The lyrics of the hillbilly song are deep and spiritual and reflect the hard lifestyle of these people. The sound of a hillbilly band is distinguishable because they incorporate mandolins and banjos along with fiddles and dobro guitars. They play and sing their songs at a more generous pace not heard in country music.

Last, but not least, is my all-time favorite, Western Swing. Western Swing is a combination of country, western, and pop. These bands are usually larger, very much like the bigger pop bands, and arrange their music in a similar fashion. Some have an expanded range of music that even leans to the classical. Many of the musicians are classically trained and they sometimes incorporate instruments found only in symphony orchestras such as the harp, timpani, oboe, and trumpet. Canada's King Ganam band, at one time, had five fiddles in front. Three of these players were from the Toronto Symphony orchestra. King was also a classically-trained violinist and teacher. The world renowned Spade Cooley band employed several classical musicians and their music also ranged from the classics to jazz. This is where I apprenticed and expanded my horizon.

Music has taken many years to evolve and I've enjoyed looking back to see whence it cometh.