Fiddler's Dream
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"Benton Flippen is a one-time phenomenon. Ambling quietly forth from a musical family, he has taken the traditions around him and molded them into something unique to suite himself. Along the way, he’s astonished and delighted others." -Paul Brown, Westfield, NC
Benton Flippen (b.1920) stems from an extremely influential generation of old-time musicians, who forged their own strongly-unique styles in the 30s and 40s. This group of men from Surry County, NC (Fred Cockeram, Tommy Jarrel, Earnest East and Kyle Creed) has inspired generations of old-time music enthusiasts.
The Fiddlers Conventions where these men performed in total obscurity during their youth, continue to occur today and Benton continues to perform. He has performed for square dances during these conventions and, in 2006, at the internationally celebrated Mt. Airy Fiddler's Convention, he stood as the sole survivor of this fraternity.
In Fiddler's Dream, Benton leads his band, the Smokey Valley Boys (which he formed in the 60s, disbanded in '85, and reformed at the turn of the century), strong with the help of his young apprentice Andy Edmonds.
Track Listing: 1/Soldier's Joy 2/Sail Away Ladies 3/Fiddler's Reel 4/Close By 5/Reuben's Train 6/Texas Breakdown 7/Fiddler's Dream 8/Ragtime Annie 9/Tomahawk 10/Fortune 11/Whistlin' Rufus 12/Chinese Breakdown 13/Haven't Seen Mary In Years 14/Old Joe Clark Reel 15/Polly Put the Kettle On 16/This And That 17/Cricket on the Hearth 18/Cacklin' Hen 19/Liberty 20/Stone's Rag 21/Susanna Gal 22/Sweet Marie 23/Peacock Rag 24/Breaking Up Christmas