Friar Tut - Tut Taylor

Rounder Records Presents:

a classic recording

"Friar Tut"
Tut Taylor and
Norman Blake

Who is on it!
Featuring Tut (Dobro, mandolin), Norman Blake (guitar,
mandolin, vocal on "Daisy Dean"), Sam Bush (mandolin),
and David Taylor (guitar on "Me and My Dobro" and
"Southern Filibuster").

Produced by Tut Taylor for Rocky Road Productions.
Mike Melford, executive producer.

Rounder CD 0011
www.rounder.com

What's Fryin'!
Recorded December 29, 1971, at Glaser Sound Studios in
Nashville, "Friar Tut" is one of the recordings of which Tut
is most proud. He feels it represents some of his best
picking on record. You'll enjoy hearing one of the first of
a number of recordings that Norman and Tut have shared
through the years.

[Song List] [Sample Sound Clips] [Liner Notes] [How to Order It]

Song List
1. Sweet Picking Time in Toomsboro, Ga. 2. Ghost Picker 3. Acoustic Toothpick 4. Linda 5. Midnight at Beanblossom 6. Daisy Dean 7. Sugar in the Gourd 8. F-5 Waltz 9. Arlo Buck	10. Stevens Steel 11. Picking on Josh 12. Oasis 13. This Ain't Grass 14. The Old Shoemaker 15. Me and My Dobro 16. Southern Filibuster 17. Friar Tut

All songs written by Tut Taylor except "The Old Shoemaker" by Norman Blake and "Daisy Dean",
a traditional arrangement by Norman Blake. All selections published by Tutwiler Music, BMI

"Friar Tut" Sound Clips

These sound clips are in RealAudio format. The RealAudio medley files contain about 60 seconds from several songs on the album with a total length of about 2 to 2 -1/2 minutes. You will need a RealAudio 5.0 or later player to listen to these files.

Although these are high resolution RealAudio clips, they are not CD quality. The quality of the sound clips was compromised in order to make them small enough to download. Also, the original recording is in stereo, normally with Tut on one side and Norman on the other. These sound clips are in mono, to reduce their size by half, and as a result they lose some of the clarity of the original recording.

"Friar Tut" sound clips in
RealAudio format:

		"Sweet Picking Time in Toomsboro, Ga." (1:54, 464 KB)
		Medley: "Ghost Picker, Daisy Dean, Sugar in the Gourd" (2:31, 618 KB)
		Medley: "F-5 Waltz, Oasis, This Ain't Grass" (2:07, 520 KB)
		Medley: "Stevens Steel, The Old Shoemaker, Me and My Dobro" (2:35, 634 KB)
		Medley: "Acoustic Toothpick, Linda, Picking on Josh" (2:18, 567 KB)

"Friar Tut" Liner Notes

"Tut has been playing the mandolin since the age of 12, and chose Norman Blake and Sam Bush for their completely different styles. Tut's mandolin is an original Lloyd Loar Gibson model A-5, being the only one of its kind, built on special order in 1923. Norman's is a 1928 Gibson F-5 fern model, and Sam's is a copy of Tut's A-5 built by Randy Wood. Incidentally, the guitar used by Norman is a very nice old 1950 D-28 with a special wide slotted-head neck also built by Randy Wood of Nashville.

"It was decided to use just the guitar and Dobro on the album on account of just good picking being presented. No attempt was made to cover up imperfections or mistakes. They, too, are important. Tut used David, his 16-year-old son, on ["Me and My Dobro" and "Southern Filibuster"].

"A word about Norman Blake, who plays the guitar, mandolin, Dobro, fiddle, banjo, autoharp, dulcimer, and most anything else that has strings. It's Tut's opinion (based on good ole time picking and listening over the years) that Norman Blake is one of the finest guitar pickers alive today and is destined to go down in history as having no equal. It was a pleasure having him. We all hope you enjoy the picking herein as much as we all did."

Arlo Buck, 1972

More Liner Notes

"During a 1988 interview I asked Tut of which [recording] he was most proud. Without hesitation he said: 'Friar Tut'. Everything was right. I was probably doing some of my best picking then.' I agree. this recording shows Tut at his best. This one is a good sampler of his stylings along with some good picking by friends Norman Blake and Sam Bush. For example: Tut's unique flatpicking. He learned that way as he didn't know any better - Tut's bluesy style, some of the best you'll hear - Tut's songwriting, 15 of these 17 tunes. I checked five of Tut's albums and found he had written 35 of the 60 tunes! - Tut's mandolin is the only known 1923 Lloyd Loar A body.

"Tut has never admitted to any musical preferences. When asked who and what he likes best, the answer is simply 'I just like good music.' I think his favorite sounds are blues. And, I also think that all you acoustic music lovers will thoroughly enjoy and appreciate this treat from one of the master Dobro innovators. Even those tunes that are not so bluesy."

Bobby Wolf
Davidson, NC
February 16, 1998

How to Order!