For this article I've arranged and tabbed out two banjo standards. John Hardy and Soldier's Joy. These two tunes can probably be heard at any gathering of banjo players such as picking parties or parking lot jam sessions.
The first recorded performance I can remember hearing of John Hardy was the late Rudy Lyle's version on Bill Monroe's Decca recording "Bluegrass Ramble" (DL-4266) and then re-released on MCA (-88). This entire album is considered a classic and represents Bill Monroe at his peak. My arrangement of John Hardy was influenced by Rudy Lyle's playing and Marc Horowitz, a New York banjo luminary. What would NYC do without Marc's genius?
The arrangement of Soldier's Joy is based on Earl Scrugg's version which he called "The Old Folks" and is recorded on Columbia's "Live at Vanderbilt" (CS-8934).
Let's Get right to the tunes.
Hope you enjoy them.
Banjo NewsLetter May 1999
Jack Baker
