tripping up stairs

Tripping Up Stairs

(1986)

Jan Drechsler: piano
Bob Mills: banjo, mandolins, fiddle
John Pranio: fiddle, 5-string banjo

Tripping Up Stairs was a misnomer from the start. Named for an Irish jig, we became very popular playing old-time music for contra dancing. Our recording has some Irish tunes, but the feel of the album is old-time music.

Inspired by Alan Jabbour, Tommy Thompson, and Sandy Bradley, we developed a historically valid -- and exciting -- piano-driven style of old time music that people seemed to like a lot for contra dancing. John's fiddling is very back-beat, percussion-oriented; my banjo style grew to match. Jan's piano playing is right on the money for where the beat is in old-time music, and her chords are just the right mix of stubborn and innovative.

1Jackie Daley's/Oyster River/Kevin Burke's3:48
2Frosty Morning/Johnny Don't Get Drunk3:48(wav)
3Madame Bonaparte's2:42
4John Lover's Gone/Buck Mountain3:07
5Out on the Ocean/The Rocking Chair3:20
6Hawks and Eagles/Tiller Girl/Three Thin Dimes3:27
7Possum on the Rail/Sally Ann Johnson/Puncheon Floor3:36(wav)
8The Stool of Repentence/The Cowboy's Jig3:26(wav)
9Dr. O'Neill's/Julia Delaney/The Old Grey Cat3:58(wav)
10The Smuggler's Reel3:49(wav)
11Liza, Liza, Liza3:42(wav)