Jalopy Records has released a double-sided single of songs from the forthcoming collection Secret Museum of Mankind – Atlas of Instruments, Fiddles, Vol. 1, which will be released September 15, 2023 via LP and digital. Of the two songs released, “Brown Skin Girl” by Fiddlin’ Jabe Dillon (born in 1898, from Tylertown, Mississippi) dates to 1949. He is accompanied by his son on guitar.
Gunnulf Borgen’s springar dance tune “Igletveiten” comes from Oslo, Norway, circa 1939. Borgen, born in 1881 in the village of Heddal, played the hardingfele, an elaborate instrument with underlying sympathetic strings, fancy inlays, and penwork and a carved head. Both tracks are previously unreleased via digital music services. They preview the massive scope of the early fiddle music collection.
The compilation album presents music from Crete to Madagascar, Mexico, England, Sicily, Norway, India, the USA, Cape Verde, China and more, extending the Secret Museum of Mankind series.
Secret Museum of Mankind “explores global music from the first half of the twentieth century,” compiled by Pat Conte since 1996. This new compilation marks the tenth volume.
Secret Museum of Mankind – Atlas of Instruments: Fiddles vol. 1 track listing
A1 Pentozali • Trio Th. Picoula • CRETE (c. 1926)
A2 Le Reel Du Pendu • Joseph Allard QUEBEC (1927)
A3 Pianto Ignoto • Joseph Ziccone & F. Guandi SICILIAN (NYC 1928)
A4 Volana Fenomanana • (Fandihizana Malagasy) Orchestre de M. Michel Ratsimba MADAGASCAR (1930)
A5 The Maid of The Mill • Jinkey Wells Oxfordshire, ENGLAND (c.1943-1952)
A6 Raks Jamili • Anon Group • Syrian-Lebanese Brooklyn, NY (c.1946)
A8 Sam Liang Gow • San Chi La & Shim Yi Chu PEKING (c. 1929)
A9 Le Chibrely • Paul LaVault, Vielle Commagny, FRANCE (c. 1929)
B1 Okukomawe • Abadongo Abaganda Kampala, UGANDA (ca. 1948)
B2 Bunjecacko Kolo • Stevan Bačić-Trnda • Sombor, SERBIA (1930)
B3 Thanam II • Tiramakudalu Chowdiah • Mysore, INDIA (c. 1937)
B4 Brown Skin Girl • Fiddlin’ Jabe Dillon • Mississippi, USA (c. 1949)
B5 Igletveiten • Gunnulf Borgen, hardingfele • Oslo, NORWAY (1939)
B6 Danza De Matachines • Yaqui Group • New Mexico, USA (1933)
B7 Fattenin’ Frogs • Mobile Strugglers • Alabama, USA (1949)
B8 Sligo Maid’s Lament; Trip To The Cottage • Paddy Killoran • NYC, USA (1936)
B9 Valsa Continental • Abrew’s Portuguese String Trio • CABO VERDE (1931)
