Nile Wilson was one of my favorite old-time fiddlers from Missouri. He hailed from Bucklin, in Linn County, in the North Central part of the state.
I recently presented a little workshop teaching a couple of Nile’s more obscure tunes. This one in D called "Rocky Road to Kansas" has all the hallmarks of Nile's playing, which include pushing the beat, plenty of drive, cutting notes short and playing "across the bar". It also is one of the few "crooked" tunes he played. The lesson was recorded on May 16, 2025 at the Bluff Country Gathering in Lanesboro, MN. You can listen to the complete audio lesson below.
Hear the original recording of Nile I made in 1983 on the Missouri State Old Time Fiddlers Association Bandcamp site.
Join My Patreon
Enjoy the complete Rocky Road to Kansas video along with dots and mando TAB by becoming a paid subscriber at patreon.com/charliewalden. Paid subs can also download a PDF book of Nile Wilson tune transcriptions.
Patreon paid subscribers also have access to over 300 fiddle, mandolin and guitar back-up lessons plus an incredible online resource folder with over 700 tune transcriptions and more. New lessons posted fortnightly. Use the link below to view the lesson.
Become a paid subscriber to my Substack and get some extra perks.
$5 per month ($50 per year) - You’ll have access to all posts to enjoy, share and comment. You’ll also receive a curated PDF mini-tunebook delivered twice per year via paid-sub only post.
$80 per year - Join the Catgut Confederacy - You’ll get all the bennies of free and basic paid subscriptions plus you’ll receive a curated PDF tunebook with MP3 files when you join at this level.
Share this post