Pearl Sivetts Missouri Fiddle Tunes Page

Pearl's Tunes (partial list)

The recordings were all made on portable cassette machines; the audio quality varies. Some tapes were more than 30 years old at the time they were digitized. The value lies in the tunes and performances themselves.

The links below are RealAudio files. You'll need RealPlayer (click to get the software) to listen. Look carefully to find the free player -- last time I looked it was in the upper right-hand corner of the page.

First, listen to Pearl talk about being a self-taught fiddler.

Key of A (A good outdoor key, according to Pearl):

Natchez Under the Hill (kd) This is the title that Pearl used for this tune, part of which might be taken for "Bill Cheatham."
Little Beggarman (kd)
Lardner's Reel
Billy Martin
Bill Cheatham
Grey Eagle
Salt Creek

Key of D

Durang's Hornpipe (md)
Bucks In the Brush
Liberty Hornpipe
Soldier's Joy
Vic Branson Tune (a version of Marmaduke's Hornpipe)

Key of G

Tom Helton Tune (kd)
Over The Waves (kd)
Pearl's comments about waltzes (spoken)
Living the Life Of A Bachelor Man (Irish Washerwoman) (kd)
Kitty Lost Her Pocketbook (Flop-Eared Mule) (tm)
Who's Been A-Gittin' There
Swing Her If You Love Her And Cheat Her If You Dare
John Henry
Putnam County Blues
Whistling Rufus ("The Sly Old Possum")
Run [boy] Run

Key of C

Billy In the Low Ground (kd) Pearl also played this one in B-flat.
Georgia Camp Meeting (tm)
Shaker Rag (ks)
Nick Scobee Tune (md)
Tennessee Wagoner (kd)
Unnamed Rag (kd)
Dill Pickle Rag (actually more like Stone's Rag)
Mendota Rag

Key of F

Alvin Yardley Tune
Fisher's Hornpipe
Black Hills Waltz
Hop-Scotch Music

Guitar players:

(kd)=Karana Drayton
(md)=Mike Drayton
(tm)=Tom Marion
(ks) Karen Smith

These recordings were made in March, 1972 (Grinnell, Iowa), October, 1975 and October, 1982 (Unionville, Missouri).

Please click here to send comments and suggestions about this page -- I'd love to hear from you!

-- Mike Drayton

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