Re: [Harp-L] Eefin fast playing




On Feb 8, 2009, at 5:44 AM, Mox GOWLAND wrote:


Intrigued by Mr Leone's referance to 'Eefin',

Also, this is a technique that is close to something called 'Eefin'. except with eefin, you DO breathe.


a quick google found the following ;

Billy Hutch, his Harmonica and Orchestra

Eefin-Nanny Down Home

Time Records , Year of Release: Unknown

Yard Sale Purchase, Price: 50 cents

"Eefin" was a 19th-century hillbilly musical style that enabled non- musicians to participate in hoedowns. It manifested itself as hand- slaps across the thigh, and vocal effects such as grunts, animal sounds, Bronx cheers, and, most identifiably, a wheezy in-and-out noise something like "eef - ahhh - eef - ahhh."

Modern America was exposed to this forgotten art form in the 1970s courtesy of Hee Haw, one of TV's most inexplicable successes. Jimmy Riddle and Jackie Phelps performed short eefin' interludes as bumpers between the show's corny blackout skits.

First of all, I was amused to see that the group on the album's cover is none other than 'Devil Anse Hatfield' and his clan from historic Hatfield McCoy fame.


Secondly, when I went to Nashville in 75 (?) as guest of Ernest Tubb to do 1 tune on the Ryman Christmas show, I happened to get in a conversation with a man I thought was one Jim Rydell (or Raydell). He was interested in how I did some tunes and never switched harps when I got to the bridges and changed keys. (He was predominately a chromo player). I described my tuning (5th draw sharped and with a wind saver) and the rest is history. Somehow it got around. Asked why the windsaver, I answered that I had started on chromo. He was a really nice old guy.

Btw, speaking of Hatfields & McCoys, Charlie's next album will be POP and not country. I gave him some suggestions on tunes that 'I' do. It will be interesting to see if he uses any of my suggestions.

Given the show's popularity into the '80s and early '90s, a strong case could be made for Riddle and Phelps as the inspiration for the "human beat-box" routine of The Fat Boy's Darren Robinson -- a neat switch on the typical appropriation of black styles by white artists.

Hoping to trigger an eefin' craze in the early '60s, session player Billy Hutch assembled "a group of the best Nashville musicians" to record this entertaining novelty album. Curiously, no one apart from Hutch is mentioned by name. Most of the tunes are mid-tempo jug-band pleasantries, anchored by Hutch's languid but dependable harmonica (which reminds me of Roger Miller's stylized vocals). A few numbers pick up steam and bring to mind Benny Hill's herky- jerky filmed antics.

Liner note writer Pete Spargo misses the boat when he claims: "The beauty about this album is that the 'eefin-nanny' calls are not overdone, since that would become monotonous." I have to disagree. The eef-less selections are just undistinguished background music. It appears that those involved in this project were attempting to legitimize eefin and produce some sort of historically significant document. Their restraint sucked a lot of the fun from what could have been a hysterical lease-breaker of a record. Hutch should have taken this opportunity to go whole hog and load every tune with wacky effects.

Still, it's rare to see any recordings in this style, so until some flea-market archaeologist discovers another example (perhaps the legendary, rumored Jackie Phelps album!), this will serve as the gold standard for eefin records, alongside the Chipmunks' ultra- rare "Eefin Alvin" 45.

Originally published in In Pittsburgh's "Bin There, Heard That" column http://www.wayno.com/words/eef.html

Although I lived my first 18 years roughly evenly divided between New York City and Italy/France, I am originally from Pittsburgh.


smo-joe (executive secretary to Keyser Sosa)

Has anyone experianced this recording?

No, but I would L O V E to.
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