A new cassette tape installment from Curtis Hicks has been uploaded, Yesterday’s Music released in 1985 by Curtis & The Cornstalk. This tape was a small side project Curtis made before getting back to strumming with Curtis and The Old Time Strings Band again, he hung things up for some years as he was raising children and supporting a family. Curtis formed Curtis and The Old Time Strings Band with “Peanut” Faircloth, Jim “Butterbean” Shannon later joined the mix with his large repertoire of railroad songs and playing the bass. Earnie Barton soon after immersed himself in the Old Time String Band, lending his smooth vocals and guitar playing. The group’s album would go on to release on cassette four years after Yesterday’s Music in 1989. Gregg Stevens, credited with guitar on the record, was a local disc jockey and musician Curtis paired up with in the 80’s. Listen to our interview with Curtis for more info.
Curtis grew up in a culture steeped in the mountain music and country songs of the 1920’s and 1930’s. He learned what he could through watching his grandpa, who “wasn’t much for showing folks what he was doing”, said Curtis. The rest he taught himself, which led to a unique picking style on the banjo. Clawhammer is your typical picking style associated with old time music, Curtis plays differently- the downstroke of his forefinger, followed by the up-stroke of his third finger on the first string, and his thumb steadily plunks the 5th string. “Comes easy to me” says Curtis, “but it’s complicated for other folks.” View his collection & listen to the record below or on YouTube. View Curtis’ relevant YouTube videos & performances compiled by us online.