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| Durham, NC's Jake Xerxes Fussell and Toronto's Lonesome Ace Stringband each owe a bit to Roscoe Holcomb's take of "Hills of Mexico" |
Sez Jake Xerxes Fussell...
“Hills of Mexico” is one of many narrative ballads where the singer-narrator is approached by a stranger in transit with a business proposition that turns out to be not so great for singer-narrator. Many of the European ballads of this kind deal with highwaymen and their exploits, mostly in the 17th and 18th centuries. In this particular (19th century) instance the proposition entails going to Mexico to work the cattle drive. Many regional variants from this family, alternately known as “The Trail of the Buffalo,” have been sung in a variety of musical contexts and communities. My version borrows heavily from Roscoe Holcomb’s narrative, which is mysterious in that it omits the Mexico part itself almost entirely.
Thanks to Kevin McNamee-Tweed for the artwork: “Steamboat,” 2018, Glazed ceramic, 9.25” x 7”.
— Jake Xerxes Fussell
www.paradiseofbachelors.com/jake-xerxes-fussell
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