Here's a lp that compiles all the 78rpm records by Dykes "Magic City" Trio, an old-time square dance band of the 1920's. The band was in fact a trio with in his center the appalachian fiddler John Dykes. The guitar player was Hubert Mahaffey and the autoharp player, Myrtle Vermillion (a cousin of Sara Carter). The trio came from the Virginia region and recorded two sessions in the 1920's, thanks to Dock Boggs, who introduced them to the record company. Their records apparently had some success in their time but the band did not record again.
All their music is dance oriented, due to the driving sound of John Dykes's fiddling, one of the best mountain fiddler recorded in the 1920's but they recorded also a few "murder" ballads (Frankie, Poor Helen Smith) and two religious numbers.
-Be sure to read the liner notes to learn more about them (sorry for the bad shape but you can manage to read)
6 comments:
A brilliant fiddle!
Ernie and Emilio Caceres please
great album! Many thanks. - Eli
Hello and thank you for these postings. I am new to your blog and have had no trouble with the sound files except for the Dykes. The system asks me for a password when I try and unzip the files. Do you have any suggestions? Thanks for your time and your fine blogs.
Please help me- I would love to have the Magic City Trio LP -it seems to require a password. Please help me with that? Thank you. I love your site!
Beeker
I was excited to find this.
John Riley Dykes (of Hawkins Co, TN) was the step-father of my grandmother (Ruby "Harmon" Tipton) on Dad's side of the family.
John Riley Dykes was a renowned fiddle player, and he won many fiddlin' contests in Jonesborough, TN prior to his death in 1938 (1868-1938). I do not know where his is buried. My grandfather, Howard Tipton (and Ruby's husband) is supposed to have played the guitar with him on a radio show in Norton VA - but I can find no information on this - what station, when, etc.
I am trying to find out as much as I can on him and the "Magic City Trio" just for family tree research purposes.
I have tried to download the music, but without success. It would be nice to put this together with the documents I am working on.
Perhaps someone will see this and can provide additional information.
I am happy to share what I have should anyone who cares to see it.
Thank you
Michael A Tipton
Charlotte NC
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