Roy Harper will be no stranger to anyone from middle or east Tennesse that frequents the old-time music festivals and contests. He is a well known songster, largely in the Jimmie Rodgers style. He has won many old-time singing contests over many years. He plays flat-top rhythm guitar and harmonica in a rack so he can play both instruments at the same time. He is also known to play the kazoo.
Blake Bynum was a great instrumentalist, playing finger-picked country style guitar and was also great in the old country-Hawaiian lap style. He usually played an old National square neck Tri-Cone guitar, but also played electric lap steel occasionally. His guitar styliongs were also very blues influenced. He sort of had a style of his own on each instrument, being influenced by country & blues finger picking and Hawaiian guitar styles. I love the Hawaiian instrumentals he does here. Straight forward Hawaiian songs with a little country blues influence makes for some fime picking in my book. I don`t know hardly anything about Blake Bynum, except that he had a group in at least the late 40`s and into part if not all of the 50`s called The Sand Mountain Boys. An internet search on Mr. Bynum turns up pretty much nothing. I`d like to hear any information on Blake anyone might have.
I have a couple more of their records I`ll post someday----hope you enjoy!
Track listing for Echoes Of The Past---
Blake`s Chimes
Way Out There
Home Sweet Home
You Guessed It
Old Spinning wheel
Train Whistle Blues
Birmingham Jail
Stormy Tropical Seas
Steel Guitar Rag
Do You Miss Me
Hurrying Home
Over The Waves
Click here to download Echoes Of The Past
Track list for Country Music Treat---
I`ll Be All Smiles Tonight
Why There`s A Tear In My Eye
Tennessee Steel Guitar
Spanish Fandango
The Waltz You Saved For Me
Columbus Stockade Blues
Hawaiian Blues
Maggie
The Flat Top Ramble
Careless Love
Where The Palm Trees Sway
Sweet Bunch Of Daisies
Rolling Down The Line
Jimmie Brown The Newsboy
Bury Me Beneath The Willow
Spanish Guitar Chimes
Click here to download Country Music Treat
I had a passing acquaintance with Blake Bynum when I was a teenager in the 60s.I knew he'd made some singles with Roy but I never knew about albums.I have one of their singles,Doll of Clay b/w You Guessed It.Blake had at least one son that played music..
ReplyDeleteHe is my great grandpa. Their are several of us in music as well.
DeleteBlake lived in Cleveland Tn when I knew him..he liked to fish in his later years.
ReplyDeleteMy Dad ,Lloyd Stevens, played with Blake in the late 40's out of Manchester, Tennessee. Dad always said, "Blake was the best he had ever heard. Jim Stevens
ReplyDeleteGood to hear this, sorry I`m so slow to reply.
DeleteBlake Bynum is my great granddad. What would you like to know about him?
ReplyDeleteBlake Bynum is my great grandpa. What would you like to know? Sorry I hadn't signed in when I left this comment the first time.
ReplyDeleteI`m just mostly curious how he learned to play steel/lap-style
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