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CD 367 Tenino Old Time Music Festival
Tenino is a pioneer community in Southwestern Washington State, founded in 1872. Since 1970 the Tenino Lions Club has presented one of the largest traditional music festivals in the Pacific Northwest, featuring various styles of home-grown music performed by folks living within a couple of hours' drive. In the 1970's three LPs were issued of performances from the festivals. This CD includes instrumental selections from those LP's and from the 1978 festival, featuring fiddle, accordion, harmonica, piano, guitar, mandolin, and tenor banjo.
1. DRY CREEK REEL Joe Pancerzewski, Barbara Lamb, Vivian Williams. Joe learned to fiddle in his native North Dakota and in Canada, and ended up in Enumclaw, Washington. He was a major influence on Northwest fiddling in the 1970’s and 1980’s. This is one of the many tunes that Barbara and Vivian, both from Seattle, learned from him.
2. DAFFODIL WALTZ Don Gish. Don Gish was a principal organizer of the
Washington, Idaho and Oregon Oldtime Fiddlers Associations.
3. HOLLAND POLKA Ed Morken. Ed lived in Centralia, Washington, and was
very active in the local fiddle scene. He liked to call his button accordion
a “stomach Steinway.”
4. SCANDINAVIAN ROUND WALTZ Al Sanderson. Al learned to play in Minnesota
in an American adaptation of Scandinavian fiddle styles before moving to Seattle.
In the 1960’s he won the National Oldtime Senior championship at Weiser
Idaho four years in a row.
5. LISTEN TO THE MOCKING BIRD Bill Yohey. Bill was from McMinnville,
Oregon. He was active in national and regional fiddle events, won the Oregon
State fiddle championship several times, and was also an excellent mandolin
player. He is accompanied by Barney Munger on banjo, Phil Williams on bass,
Dick Marvin on guitar, and Vivian Williams on fiddle.
6. SUGAR TREE STOMP Clarence Norberg. Clarence was born in Montana and
learned to fiddle from his father and uncle. He lived in Toledo, Washington
and was a county road supervisor in Lewis County, where he played many barn
dances and Grange hall dances over the years.
7. NEW RIVER TRAIN Ed Stoker. Ed was from Shelton, Washington, and his
harmonica playing was always a festival favorite.
8. GERMAN HOP WALTZ Ray Wright. Ray was from Spokane, and is backed
up here by his wife Helen on gutbucket bass and their daughter Sheila on guitar.
9. BANKS OF THE OHIO Dudley Hill and Mark O’Connor. Mark was 12
years old when this guitar duet was recorded. Dudley lived in Tacoma, and later
played for many years with the jazz band Pearl Django.
10. YAKIMA WALTZ Don Gish, Bill Yohey, Loyd Wanzer. Loyd Wanzer, from
Cambridge, Idaho, was a founder of the Idaho Oldtime Fiddlers Association and
won many state, regional, and national fiddle championships.
11. I CAN’T GIVE YOU ANYTHING BUT LOVE Bill Yohey. Bill demonstrates
his versatility on stringed instruments, this time on the tenor banjo.
12. NAOMI’S JIG Grant Lamb. Grant was from Portage La Prairie,
Manitoba, and his annual visit to Western Washington coincided with the 1978
festival. Accompanied by Vivian Williams, piano; Dick Marvin, guitar; Phil Williams,
mandolin; and Lou Harrington, bass.
13. SCANDINAVIAN WALTZ Monte Berg. Monte was from Kirkland, Washington.
His accordion is accompanied by Stan Guernsey on tenor banjo, Mabel Cleven on
piano and Lyle Cleven on guitar.
14. DRAGGIN’ THE BOW Chuck Griffin. Chuck was from Olympia. His
fiddling was a big crowd pleaser at every festival. Accompanied by Pauline Griffin
on piano.
15. WALTZ OF THE ROSES The Harmonicops. This trio of harmonica-playing
Centralia policemen played on stage in full uniform. Members were Chief Ken
Paine, lead harmonica; Identification Officer John Ritchie, bass harmonica,
and Sergeant Tony Breckle, chord harmonica.
16. MEETING IN THE AIR The Sims Family. The Sims family gospel group
came to Philomath, Oregon from Arkansas.
17. BLUE SKIRT WALTZ The Foresters. This family band from Chehalis consisted
of Loren Estep, banjo; Alan Estep, lead guitar; Louie Collier, bass guitar;
Diane Collier, piano; Don Roberts, accordion; and Arlene Roberts, acoustic guitar.
18. SWEET SUE Neil Johnston and Paul Anastasio. Neil Johnston, a high
school teacher from Tenino, was principal organizer for the festival for many
years. He learned his old time dance and swing fiddling in his native Nebraska.
Paul was living in Bellingham when this was recorded. With Brion Lundgren on
guitar and Stan Guernsey on banjo.
19. SPRINGTIME IN THE ROCKIES Ed Stoker and Jim Calvert. Jim was from
Puyallup, and was an old-line square dance fiddler and an active show organizer
and MC. Accompanied by Darrel McMichael on bass and Phil Williams on guitar.
20. JOHN BROWN’S DREAM Hank Bradley. Hank is from Seattle, and
is a former Washington State fiddle champion.
21. ANYTIME Thelma McKibben. Thelma lived in Kirkland, Washington. Her
lively piano playing is backed up by her husband Mac on bass.
22. SALLY ANN Benny Thomasson. Benny Thomasson, one of the originators
of “Texas style” fiddling, was originally from Texas, and lived in
Toutle, Washington for many years.
23. ANNIVERSARY SONG Bill Yohey.
24. HERRINGTON’S REEL Joe Pancerzewski. Accompanied by Vivian Williams,
piano; Phil Williams, mandolin; Dick Marvin, guitar; Barney Munger, banjo, and
Lou Harrington, bass.
25. HARMONICA BLUES The Bell Family. Winlock resident Bill Bell played
fiddle with his sons Vernon and Ryan on harmonica and guitar.
26. MINNESOTA WALTZ Al Sanderson.
27. 12TH STREET RAG Monte Berg.
28. LEATHER BRITCHES Clarence Norberg. Clarence is accompanied by Frank
Bolden and Alan Estep on guitars, Gary Stidham on banjo, and Larry Edwards on
bass.
29. SCANDINAVIAN WALTZ Ed Morken. Backed up by Stan Guernsey and Gary
Stidham, banjos; Lyle Cleven and Mike McClellan, guitars; Mabel Cleven, piano;
and Thelma McKibben, bass.
30. SUGAR IN THE GOURD Tall Timber. This Seattle bluegrass band featured
Vivian Williams on fiddle, Phil Williams on mandolin, Dick Marvin on guitar,
Barney Munger on banjo, and Lou Harrington on bass.
31. TANGO OF ROSES The Harmonicops.
32. KANSAS CITY KITTY Paul Anastasio and James Mason. James was living
in nearby Battleground. With Rich Levine on guitar and Markie Shubb on bass.
33. CAROLINA IN THE MORNING Hinckle Students. Myron Hinckle, a popular
tenor banjoist from Aberdeen, Washington, brought some of his banjo students
to perform at the festival.
34. CATTLE CALL WALTZ Don Gish, Bill Yohey, Loyd Wanzer.
35. YOU GOTTA SEE YOUR MAMA EVERY NIGHT Thelma McKibben. Backed up by
Mac McKibben on bass and Stan Guensey on guitar.
36. EVERGREEN STOMP Chuck Griffin. Accompanied by Pauline Griffin on
piano, Barney Munger on banjo, and Dick Marvin on guitar.
Recorded by Yantis Recording Service (Olympia WA) and by Phil Williams, assisted
by John Watt, Robin Buik and Tom Marvin. Re-mastered by Phil Williams. Cover
art by Virginia Hand.