Four years later, not a bad time to revive this thread.

By the way, the Folkways link has bitten the dust, and I cannot find any copy of Witches and War Whoops for sale.

John Allison is underrated, I think. Somebody in Old Lyme or Pound Ridge should root around, see what's available. It would be nice to know more of his biography, performing history, friendships (how did Pete Seeger get "Wild Goose Grasses," did they know each other? You might get good data from Pete, who despite his recent admission to ailment, does faithfully answer his mail), and list of composed and/or arranged songs.

A websearch turns up next to nothing. Beware, there is a more modern John Allison out there, in fact several, but one who is a noted musician and thus gets lots of Google hits.

I should think there might be an Allison archive somewhere, a deposit in a local museum, files, data, something...?

Maybe "In Tarrytown / Wild Goose Grasses" is his most widely sung song, but there is much more to him, and while his and his wife Lucy's musical aesthetic runs closer to the Frank Luther and Zora Layman / Marais & Miranda mold than to what we think of nowadays as folk style, he had a nice way with a tune, and a great love for the musical history of the Northeast.

Yes, he did adapt older stuff, and the contents of the FW album suggest that.
He and Lucy also did an earlier album, 78s, during the 1940s, "Songs of the American Revolution and the War of 1812." Not sure if it was an RCA VIctor original?? All I know is the custom dubbed version sold by Stinson in the 1950s.

Apparently this was a 12-inch 78 album, and the songs are largely arranged as medleys. I add my guesses at attribution. "Trad" stands in for any song that preceded Allison, including such well-known composed numbers as "Free America." "Broadside/Allison" indicates songs he found as broadsides, put tunes to, and arranged.

LP contents:

1. Johnny Has Gone For a Soldier (trad) / Bennington Riflemen (trad/Allison, see DT thread)
2. Major Andre (broadside/Allison?)
3. Nathan Hale (broadside/Allison?) / Cornwallis' Country Dance (trad to tune of Pop Goes the Weasel)
4. Constitution and the Guerriere (trad) / Betty Martin (trad)
5. The Hunters of Kentucky (trad) / Ye Parliaments of England (trad)

1. Free America (trad) / Unhappy Boston (??uncertain) / White Cockade (a song, not the same as either of the two traditional fiddle pieces, and thus probably not traditional, but by Allison)
2. Yankee Doodle (trad) / Boston Tea Tax (broadside/Allison)
3. The Chieftain's Bride (trad...very interesting. One of the great early American broadsides, one of a very small group dealing with Americans and Native Americans living side by side and often hurting each other. Parallel texts in Belden and other sources. Tune perhaps Allison, thus "broadside/Allison")
4. Bombardment of Bristol, R.I. (unknown, perhaps Allison)
5. The Ballad of Bunker Hill (trad/Allison), Death of Warren (uncertain)

The album is tuneful and fun, though thoroughly pop, in the sort of style later familiar from, say, John Langstaff - - - tolerable if not at all authentic.

But the man had a way with a song.

I would be interested in postings from anyone who can add details of John and Lucy Allison's life as performers and people. They had a unique feel for the archaic New England, if nothing else, and deserve to be better known.

Sounds like a good historical task for DTers to tackle. Anyone have a copy of Wtiches and War Whoops they'd like to copy the notes booklet from? Lyrics to the songs, and the usual good Folkways biographical information, would be a fine and worthy addition to this thread.

Bob