Gilsaw

The fiddle tune “Gilsaw” traces back to the Great Depression era when a traveling fiddler played it at a railroad depot in Montgomery City, Missouri, sometime between 1933-1935. Local sheriff and fiddler Claude Gregory heard the performance and learned the tune, later teaching it to his teenage nephew Pete McMahan. When the traveling musician departed, he referred to either himself or the tune as “Gilsaw,” though the exact spelling and meaning remain mysteries since the name was only heard, never written down.

Pete McMahan brought this tune to wider attention through his performances at fiddle sessions during the 1980s. The tune gained broader recognition after McMahan recorded it in 1986, leading to its release on the 1987 album “Ozark Mountain Waltz.” This recording helped establish “Gilsaw” as one of the essential Missouri fiddle tunes, spreading its popularity beyond its central Missouri roots.

The story exemplifies how traditional fiddle music traveled through informal networks – from a nameless wandering musician to a local sheriff to a contest champion who helped preserve it for future generations.