Tall Poppy String Band
The Tall Poppy String band was created by George Jackson (fiddle), Mark Harris (guitar), and Cameron DeWhitt (banjo). They have made what they say is a new approach to the feel of old-time traditional string band music. Jackson is a fiddle player originally from New Zealand but now is based in Nashville, Tennessee. He has played with the likes of Jake Blount, Front Country, Peter Rowan, and Missy Raines. Harris, originally from Australia, lives in Fort Collins, Colorado, and has developed his own style of melodic guitar. DeWhitt lives in Portland, Oregon, and is being called by recent reviews as “one of the finest clawhammer banjo players alive.”
All of the selections on this project come from traditional sources, with the exception of Ola Belle Reed’s “Springtime Of Life,” and “Gonna Make A Killing,” an original written by Harris. Other songs include “Cumberland Gap,” “The Train That Carried My Man From Town,” “Kentucky Winder,” “Old Cow Died,” “The Coo Coo,” and the ever-popular “Man Of Constant Sorrow.”
Consisting of lots of unison playing between fiddle and banjo, the group had produced some interesting takes on these tunes. Vocally the trio shares the leads and harmonies on with Jackson on “Man of Constant Sorrow,” Harris on “Gonna Make A Killing,” and DeWhitt on “Cumberland Gap,” “The Train That Carried My Man From Town,” and “Springtime of Life.” Harris’s guitar is featured on “Kiss Me Quick My Papa Is Coming.” Lots of old-time music fans will enjoy this new take on this style of music.
