Ralph and Carter

July 22, 2011 10:36 PM

I know you can dance, but can you flatfoot? The Stanley Brothers of Virginia: Rank Strangers :: Jacob's Vision :: In The Pines :: How Mountain Gals Can Love
posted by puny human (12 comments total)

Them boys get to high lonesome, sweet and simple.
posted by paulsc at 11:23 PM on July 22, 2011 [2 favorites]

Love that Bluegrass. Mournful and joyous, lonesome and playful at the same time, such a poignant, human combination that.
posted by nickyskye at 12:04 AM on July 23, 2011 [1 favorite]

The Stanley Brothers' pure harmony singing sends me every time.
posted by i_am_joe's_spleen at 12:48 AM on July 23, 2011

I hear so much Irish music in this, it's crazy.
posted by nevercalm at 1:52 AM on July 23, 2011

Their version of "Rank Stranger" is one of my all-time favorite songs.

Carter, sadly, drank himself into an early grave; but Ralph, well into his eighties, is still at it.
posted by steambadger at 5:25 AM on July 23, 2011

Ralph Stanley can shred.
posted by AndrewKemendo at 6:11 AM on July 23, 2011

Ralph Stanley can shred.

No doubt. Witness this.
posted by lost_cause at 7:03 AM on July 23, 2011

Yes, much of American music is heavily influenced by Irish immigration. To whit: fiddle playing.
posted by bilabial at 7:57 AM on July 23, 2011

for more on flatfooting, see the documentary
Talking Feet: Solo Southern Dance: Buck, Flatfoot and Tap "Talking Feet is a film about a forgotten side of American dance culture: solo mountain dancing. Mike Seeger and Ruth Pershing take us to the southeastern mountains of the U. S., the source of this genre, and to a range of individuals (old, young, black, white, female and male) who grew up with the idea of talking with their feet. The film captures the deep sense of tradition and the value of freedom of expression these dancers share. Talking Feet is an exploration of a dance form rich in American do-it-yourself pride."

also --

Clog Dancing On The Porch With Bascom Lunsford

Best Bluegrass Clog Dancing Video Ever Made
posted by puny human at 12:25 PM on July 23, 2011 [2 favorites]

Omg, I looove those clog dancing videos! Gold!
posted by nickyskye at 2:45 PM on July 23, 2011

BTW, at the very end of the introduction to High Lonesome that I linked above, you can see Bill Monroe himself break into a little buck and wing. With a big grin on his face.
posted by paulsc at 2:06 AM on July 24, 2011

Paul, some digging on folkstreams led me to this excellent little documentary -- Remembering The High Lonesome -- about a similarly named film made in the '50s by John Cohen.


Here is a short clip from the original film.
posted by puny human at 9:56 AM on July 24, 2011