Moonshine Holler:Dixie darling duo

Paula Bradley and Bill Dillof, AKA Moonshine Holler

By Gail Reynolds, Rock At Night Columnist-Tampa and Anita Stewart, Photographer-Tampa

MOONSHINE HOLLER: DIXIE DARLING DUO

Reynolds Rap A recurring focus of this column is the astounding number of talented musicians worthy of  celebrity yet who enjoy acclaim only within a limited realm.  While some superstars fill amphitheaters, these gifted artists earn recognition and a living at specialized festivals, teaching workshops, and small venues, the smallest of which is the house concert.

Two giants of the old time genre, Paula Bradley and Bill Dillof, AKA Moonshine Holler, recently appeared at a unique San Antonio institution known as The Garage Mahal.  This  wood frame garage adjacent to  a century old purple house is not in Texas, but San Ann, Florida, about 25 miles north of Tampa.  The down home yet quirky setting was most conducive for showcasing this musical married couple’s depth of talent.

Because they were far from their home base of the Berkshires, they brought “only” a  five string banjo, ukulele banjo, fiddle, harmonica, Hawaiian  guitar, as well as a  couple of other guitars, most of  which they played interchangeably.

As well as toe-tapping entertainment, there was a perfect dose of music history, signaled by Bill Diloff donning his wire rimmed glasses to humorously assume a professorial persona to deliver insights into the genre . Old time is, after all, a part of our musical heritage, which should be appreciated.

There is often hairsplitting as to what “old time” signifies. To Moonshine Holler, that would be the American roots music of the 20s and 30s, preserved in 78 RPM recordings. As such, the songs are about 3 minutes long.

Their Garage concert opened with several AP Carter tunes, starting with “My Dixie Darling,” which is also the first cut of their CD, available through CD Baby. What a great deal, fourteen songs for ten bucks!  They spoke with due reverence for traditional music’s founding fathers — and mothers, especially Mother Maybelle.

Moonshine Holler puts on an great, well-rounded show, inviting the audience to join in various choruses, engaging in playful husband-wife banter and even treating  us to Paula’s  flat foot dancing, punctuated with body percussion.   To experience this duo for yourself, check their website for their performance schedule.

Members: Paula Bradley: guitar, banjo, ukulele, kazoo, vocals, feet, attitude Bill Dillof: fiddle, banjo, guitar, harmonica, Hawaiian guitar, vocals, patience; Genre: Old-Time Appalachian: ballads, blues & breakdowns; Home Town: Lee, Massachusetts

PHOTO GALLERY

 

 

Walk Right in Belmont

“Sugar Hill”  Bill fiddles and Paula Clogs

“My Dixie Darling” 

 

moonshineholler

Fourteen track Moonshine Holler CD of Old Time Melodies can be purchased from cdbaby
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/moonshineholler

 

 

Official Website:
https://www.reverbnation.com/moonshineholler

FACEBOOK

 

 

Gail Reynolds

Punk In the Park – Orlando, FL