Old-Time
Old-time music is a fascinating blend of the banjo music brought to the Americas by African slaves and the fiddle brought by European immigrants. Later additions of the guitar, mandolin and bass from other cultures combined with minstrel songs, Tin Pan Alley pop favorites and Victorian-era parlor songs created a unique, purely American genre for the first time. Music and dance were always interconnected in old-time music. Jigs, reels and waltzes were as much a part of the musical experience as the music and lyrics of the performers. Old-time performers would take a melody and create a wall of sound that forced the listener to join in, whether by tapping their toe, swinging their partner, or shuffling to the beat on their own in a corner.
Two examples of old-time music:
The Carter Family, "Keep on the Sunny Side."
The Darlings from the Andy Griffith Show, "There is a Time."