The Glory-Beaming Banjo

H ere we have a my new coffee mug from Tyson Graham Pottery , a birthday gift from my sister last month. As you can see, the mug has a banjo on one side and a fiddle on the other. It holds 12 ounces and is more tall and slender than short and squat, but overall it's very solid. I love drinking my morning cuppa'joe from this handsome vessel.

M y final banjo/old-time music related purchase from my July 5 record hunting trip was the Cool Hand Luke soundtrack ( Dot Records DLP 25833 ), released in 1967. The album is the original score from the movie, along with Paul Newman playing "Plastic Jesus." At $8 plus tax, it was the most expensive used album I purchased that day, but I couldn't resist.

G oing along with last week's post, here's another couple records from my recording hunting tour on July 5. Here we have Mac Benford's "Backwoods Banjo" ( Rounder 0115 ), released in 1979, and Josh White "Sings Ballads - Blues" ( Elektra EKL 114 ), released in 1957. Found at my local shop, Square Records in Akron, Ohio, together they my back $8 plus tax. The Benford album had been there for a few weeks, and I finally decided to take it home. Like I said, it was a good trip.

T uesday was a perfect day for a short driving tour to scour record stores for some vinyl. At my third stop, The Vinyl Groove in Bedford, Ohio, I came upon these two albums. The top one is Ed Haley, "Parkersburg Landing" ( Rounder 1010 ), a selection of home recordings made in 1946 and released in 1976. The other is "Galax Va. Old Fiddlers' Convention" ( Folkways FA 2435 ), released in 1964. Together they set me back $11 plus tax. It was a good day.