William Marshall

William Marshall and Howard Hall.  When I went to find the banjo-player Calvin Cole I knocked at a house for directions.  Seeing a banjo case in the hallway I asked the man who had answered the door if he played.  This was Howard Hall.  It turned out that his house was opposite Calvin Cole’s home and, having taken me to meet Calvin, he later said that I should meet William Marshall.  Although aged well over seventy, William still worked on his farm and was feeding his chickens as we walked up to his house.  William and Howard represent the older fiddle and banjo duets that were once popular in the Galax/Hillsville area before the arrival of the full string bands.

Part of the booklet notes, written by Mike Yates, to the Musical Traditions Records CDs Far in the Mountains (MTCD321-4)