Draggin' The Bow CD with Charlie Walden & John Stewart

All 31 tracks from my Draggin' The Bow CD. 


 Recorded in 1985. Download this track and the entire album from:

https://charliewaldenmusic.bandcamp.com/


When I was coming up as a fiddler in Central Missouri the older gentlemen I learned from played a wide variety of music. In addition to the standard hoe-downs and waltes, I heard lots of great rags, swing numbers, schottisches and 6/8 tunes. John and I have attempted to put together a program on this recording that includes some of that "other" music. 

One of the exponents of these other types of tunes was a fine player from Jefferson City named Jimmy Gilmore. We enjoyed hanging out with Jimmy because you never knew what he was going to play (or say) next. He was one of the few old-time fiddlers I ever met who would admit to being able to read music and was equally comfortable playing Sweet Georgia Brown as he was The Grey Eagle. Jimmy had a vibrato on waltzes you could drive a Mack truck though and a great sense of humor to boot.. This recording is dedicated to Jimmy Gilmore. --- Charlie Walden 


Thanks to my long-time musical collaborator John Stewart for providing the up-town and hillbilly guitar work on this recording.

Learn to play Red Fox Waltz with Patt & Possum

This set of videos will teach you to play a basic and then a fancier version of Red Fox Waltz. This was one of the first tunes I learned from Taylor McBaine when I started playing. In keeping with that, I've also included a video of Taylor playing this classic waltz.

Prairie Hill Contra Dance with Patt & Possum - March 3, 2016

Highlights from the Prairie Hill Contra dance at Pewaukee, Wisconsin, on March 3, 2016. Music by Charlie Walden - fiddle & Patt Plunkett - piano with Roger Diggle calling.

KDHX Folk School Fiddle Workshop - April 2016 with Patt & Possum

Highlights of a fiddle workshop given by Charlie Walden at the KDHX St. Louis Folk School on April 9, 2016. The taught included Red Fox Waltz, Kentucky Waltz and Valse Gisele. Go get the sheet music for these tunes at http://www.charliewalden.com/Dots.htm.

April 2016 Childgrove Contra Dance

Highlights of the April 10, 2016, Childgrove Contra Dance with Charlie Walden on fiddle and Patt Plunkett on piano. Ted Steels calling the figures.

Bethel Missouri 1989 Main Stage Performances (audio only)

Performances of traditional Midwestern fiddling and other music recorded on the main stage at the 1989 Mid-America Old Time Fiddlers Convention. June 8-11, 1989. At Bethel, Shelby County, Missouri.

Vesta Johnson - Missouri Fiddler

Video clips of veteran Missouri fiddler Vesta Johnson.

Learn to play Fever in the South with Charlie Walden

Charlie Walden teaches this great old hoe-down from Vee Latty, which originated Callaway County in Central Missouri and is likely part of the old repertoire from Black fiddlers in Missouri.

1997 - Charlie Walden Raw Fiddle Cuts

Clips from a videotape I made for a friend in the late 90s. Just some old-time reels and hoe-downs.

University of Chicago Folk Festival 2015 with Patt & Possum

From the Sunday afternoon square dance at the 55th Annual University of Chicago Folk Festival. February 15, 2015. Music by Charlie Walden - fiddle & Patt Plunkett - piano (aka Patt & Possum) with calling by Bill Sudkamp. Here renditions of Buck Fever Rag, Lucky Trapper, Jimmy Walker Two-Step and Forked Deer. PnP are joined on Forked Deer by a whole gaggle on fine Midwestern fiddlers - Genevieve Koester, Cliff Harrison, Megan Greene and the inimitable Chirps Smith.

San Diego Contra Dance 2015 with Patt & Possum

At the San Diego Contra Dance on January 24, 2015. Charlie Walden - fiddle and Patt Plunkett - piano. The tunes are Sherbrook Reel and St. Anne's Reel. Martha Wild calling.

San Diego Fiddle Workshop 2015 with Patt & Possum

Excerpts from a fiddle workshop held in San Diego, CA on January 24, 2015. Charlie Walden - fiddle & Patt Plunkett - piano. Several tunes were chawed on including Bear Creek Hop, Polk County Breakdown and Walking in My Sleep. A demonstration of "fancy" bowing tricks was also provided.

St. Louis Folk School Fiddle Workshop (October 31, 2015)

From a workshop presented at the KDHX St. Louis Folk School on October 31, 2015. With Patt & Possum - Charlie Walden (fiddle) and Patt Plunkett (piano). The workshop focused on tunes that can be attributed to African American fiddle players of the early 20th Century from Callaway and surrounding Central Missouri counties.

Callaway County in Mid-Missouri, in addition to once being a hotbed of Civil War secessionists, is known for its many great old-time fiddlers.  Among these was legendary African-American Bill Katon of Tebbetts, the namesake of Katon’s Hornpipe. While I never knew Katon, as he passed away in 1934, I heard many stories about him and a lot of the old-timers could play his tunes or tunes referenced to other Black musicians in Callaway County. So we’ll explore this tradition with tunes I derived from Jake Hockemeyer, Taylor McBaine and Keith Orchard.

2014 St. Louis Folk & Roots Festival Square Dance

Square Dance in conjunction with the KDHX St. Louis Folk & Roots Festival held at the Stage at KDHX on September 26, 2014. With Charlie Walden - fiddle, Emily Buckhannon - piano and Dennis Buckhannon - guitar. Patt Plunkett calling.  Tunes in the list include Old Fort Smith, Jeff City, My Little Home in West Virginia and Country Waltz.

Patt & Possum St. Charles House Concert

From a house concert in St. Charles, MO, on January 26, 2014.  Patt  Plunkett - piano and Charlie Walden - fiddle.

2012 Missouri State Fair Fiddle Championship

Participants in the 2012 Missouri State Fair Fiddling Championship. The contest is held every year in August on the last day of the fair.

2014 Missouri State Fair Fiddle Championship

Participants in the 2014 Missouri State Fair Fiddling Championship. The contest is held every year in August on the last day of the fair.

Patt & Possum House Concert - Australia 2013

House concert in rural Victoria, Australia in October 2013.  Our favorite gig from the tour.  Great hosts and only friends in the audience.  A real treat.  Thanks Leonie, Richard, Linda and Ian for such a great time!

Maldon Folk Festival 2013

Patt & Possum in Malden, VIC, Australia back in 2013 at the Malden Folk Festival.

Pittsburgh Contra Dance 2014

Patt and Possum at the Pittsburgh Contra Dance on August 22, 2014.  What a great time we had.  Hotter than heck, but an energetic bunch of dancers and great calling by Cindy Harris!  Thanks Pittsburgh!