Mac Traynham has had several nice old time albums with his wife Jenny. Here he is joined by fiddler Shay Garriock in a very nice program of 22 well chosen old time tunes, most of which feature simply fiddle and old time banjo (Jenny Traynham adds guitar backing on three tunes). An energetic and enjoyable album for anyone who likes the classic combination of old time fiddle and banjo. BIG EYED RABBIT, SHIP IN THE CLOUDS, LITTLE MAGGIE, GEORGIE, JOKE & HENRY, POSSUM TROT, etc.

Staff Review:

"Turkey In The Mountain is an absolute gem of an album. Featuring Mac Traynham on clawhammer and tasteful two-finger banjo and vocals and Shay Garriock on fiddle, this collection of traditional tunes and songs primarily from Southwest Virginia gets to the heart of what old time music is all about for me.

Kicking off with the energetic Jordan is a Hard Road, Mac and Shay take the listener on a journey down a veritable crooked road of musical inspiration as they interpret a fascinatingly nuanced and varied body of repertoire, sitting for a spell with the musical essence of various mentors and sources. The music feels authentic, not just because it hews closely to idiosyncratic sources but because Mac and Shay have absorbed these styles so deeply that their playing at once takes you back about 90 years in rural Southwest Virginia while still sounding definitively like themselves. Rather than being performed with a goal of impressing through virtuosity or perfection, it seems to me that this music actually achieves perfection by existing for its own sake - just as it would have for many of the old timers who passed down these traditions.

The tunes are colorful and exciting, the songs beautifully simple and tasteful (and occasionally humorous), and the variety throughout provides an engaging flow of style and form. I wholeheartedly agree with noted musician and journalist Paul Brown who writes in the liner notes for this album, “These guys carry the soul of old-time music.” So put this album on your stereo, settle into your favorite rocking chair, and join Mac and Shay for a set of wonderful traditional music - the way it was always meant to be played." - Andrew

TRACK LISTING

1. Jordan Is a Hard Road

2. Shootin Creek

3. Troubles

4. Georgia Row

5. Joke and Henry

6. Wagon Tire Tightener

7. Bonaparte’s Retreat

8. Chicken in a Bread Tray

9. Georgie

10. Uncloudy Day

11. Die in a Field of Battle

12. Possum Trot

13. Turkey in the Mountain

14. Big Eyed Rabbit

15. Mockingbird

16. Farewell to Thee

17. Tennessee Wagoner

18. The Wreck of Old 97

19. Ship in the Clouds

20. Flying Indian

21. Little Maggie

22. Walking in the Parlor