The Dust Busters with John Cohen: Old Man Below

Smithsonian Folkways – SFW 40206

Format: CD, Album
Country: US
Released: 2012
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Country, Folk
[Tracklist]
01 The Honest Farmer (2:59)
02 Arkansas Traveler (3:18)
03 Black Jack Daisy (3:07)
04 Roving Gambler (3:00)
05 The Old Man Below (2:03)
06 Wimbush Rag (2:16)
07 Because He Loved Her So (2:38)
08 Barnyard Medley (2:36)
09 Waltz Of The Roses (3:20)
10 Cotton Pickers Drag (2:19)
11 Combination Rag (3:15)
12 A Lazy Farmer Boy (3:14)
13 Free Little Bird (2:58)
14 Arthritis Blues (3:37)
15 Fort Smith Breakdown (2:48)
16 Johnny Booker (3:16)
17 Two Soldiers (3:36)
18 Baby, Your Time Ain't Long (4:15)
19 Yellow Rose Of Texas (3:16)
20 Saturday Night Waltz (2:18)
[Credits]
John Cohen (banjo/guitar/mandolin/vocals) Eli Smith (guitar/banjo/mandolin/organ/vocals) Craig Judelman (fiddle/vocals) Walker Shepard (banjo/vocals) Frank Fairfield (fiddle)
Producer: Eli Smith, D.A. Sonneborn and Daniel E. Sheehy, Engineer: Jim Bertini, Mark Allen-Piccolo, Pete Reiniger, Jim Bertini and Marcos Ruedas
[Notes]
On Old Man Below, The Dust Busters point the way for a new generation of old-time music devotees. Standing squarely in the lineage of the New Lost City Ramblers, their reverence for tradition runs deep while their interpretations bring fresh meaning and a sense that their music is as contemporary as any other. Dust Busters mentor and Ramblers elder John Cohen joins Eli Smith, Walker Shepard, and Craig Judelman in this solidly grounded, future-looking album of classic melodies that makes the legacy of yesterday the sound of today. 60 minutes, 36-page booklet with photos and extensive notes.

John Jackson: Blues And Country Dance Tunes From Virginia

Arhoolie Records – F1025

Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: US
Released: 1970
Genre: Blues, Folk, World, & Country
Style: Country Blues, Delta Blues
[Tracklist]
A1 Nobody's Business But Mine (2:50)
A2 Going Down In Georgia On A Horn (2:30)
A3 Black Snake Moan (2:10)
A4 If Hattie Wanna Lu, Let Her Lu Like A Man (2:05)
A5 I'm A Bad, Bad Man (2:35)
A6 John's Rag (2:35)
A7 Cindy (2:10)
A8 John Henry (3:45)
B1 Rattlesnakin' Daddy (2:25)
B2 T.B. Blues (4:30)
B3 Flat Foot & Buck Dance (3:00)
B4 Steamboat Whistle Blues (2:35)
B5 Boats Up The River (3:25)
B6 Poor Boy (3:35)
[Credits]
John Jackson (guitar/banjo/vocals)
Cover: Wayne Pope, Photographer: John Dildine, Recordedr: Chris Strachwitz
[Notes]
Side A: Recorded (in Mono) in Fairfax, VA. on April 19, 1965 Side B: Recorded (in Stereo) in Stuttgart, Germany on Oct. 23, 1969. John Jackson was an excellent country blues musician whose repertoire also included reels, mountain music and folk tunes. This was an outstanding collection of vintage material done in what was about as contemporary a fashion as you could get in that genre in the mid-'60s. -- AllMusic Review by Ron Wynn

Music from the South Vol. 7: Elder Songsters, 2

Folkways Records – FA 2656

Field recordings taken in Alabama, louisiana, and Mississippi under a grant from the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial foundation by frederic Ramsey, Jr. With photographs, notes, and personnels.
Series: Music From The South – Volume 7
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: US
Released: 1955
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Gospel
[Tracklist]
A1 O, The Sun Don't Never Go Down: George Herod (1:41)
A2 I Shall Not Be Moved: George Herod (1:17)
A3 Sister Mary Wore Three Lengths Of Chain: George Herod (1:35)
A4 Lord, When I Was A Sinner: George Herod (1:03)
A5 Travellin' Shoes: George Herod and Fanny Herod and Peggy Lou Herod (2:40)
A6 When I Can Read My Title Clear: John and Lovie Griffins (2:59)
A7 Dark Was The Night Cold Was The Ground: ohn and Lovie Griffins (2:59)
A8 Am I A Soldier Of The Cross?: John and Lovie Griffins (2:57)
A9 A Charge To Keep I Have: John and Lovie Griffins (3:40)
B1 That Ain't All, I Got More B'side: Adeline Carey (0:58)
B2 Dark Was The Night: Mary Price (1:15)
B3 Dark Was The Night: Rev. Lewis Jackson and Charlotte Rucell (0:57)
B4 Tallest Tree In Paradise: Rev. Lewis Jackson and Charlotte Rucell (1:23)
B5 Lord, Have Mercy, If You Please: Richard Jolla (3:59)
B6 Speech/When The Way Is Dark And Dreary/I Heard My Old Mother Call: Richard Jolla (2:22)
B7 When I Get Home/Speech: Richard Jolla (6:21)
B8 Well. I Been Travelling All Through This Way: Horace Sprott, Annie Sprott (4:13)
[Credits]
Producer, Recorder and Photographer: Frederic Ramsey, Designer: Ronald Clyne
[Notes]
Of Elder Songsters 1 & 2, Frederic Ramsey, Jr.. writes, "The mothers, fathers, grandmothers, and grandfathers [have] kept the music alive and burning in the home. There are ways of singing hymns and other songs that are peculiar to the family unit, and to [the] everyday environment... It is this everyday environment... that we have sought to capture in these two volumes."

Blind Boy Fuller: Truckin' My Blues Away

Yazoo – YAZ 1060

Format: Vinyl, LP, Compilation
Country: US
Released: 1978
Genre: Blues, World, & Country
Style: Country Blues
[Tracklist]
A1 Truckin' My Blues Away (3:05)
A2 Untrue Blues (2:50)
A3 Homesick And Lonesome Blues (3:07)
A4 You Never Can Tell (2:54)
A5 Mamie (2:45)
A6 Jivin' Woman Blues (2:32)
A7 Funny Feeling Blues (2:50)
B1 I Crave My Pigmeat (2:46)
B2 Meat Shakin' Woman (2:42)
B3 Walking My Troubles Away (2:53)
B4 Painful Hearted Man (2:47)
B5 Corrine What Makes You Treat Me So ? (2:57)
B6 Sweet Honey Hole (2:45)
B7 Weeping Willow (3:10)
[Credits]
Blind Boy Fuller (guitar/vocals)
Producer: Nick Perls, Liner Notes: Steve Calt, Artwork: R. Crumb
[Notes]
For most listeners, Blind Boy Fuller's "Truckin' My Blues Away" (on Yazoo) may be a better bet than Columbia/Legacy's East Coast Piedmont Style, since it actually has a higher concentration of strong material, capturing the influential bluesman at his peak. All of the 14 tracks were recorded between 1935 and 1938, and there are a number of exceptional performances here, including "Homesick and Lonesome Blues," "Truckin' My Blues Away," "I Crave My Pig Meat," "Walking My Troubles Away" and "Sweet Honey Hole." It's a nice, concise introduction and, best of all, there's no duplication between this disc and East Coast Piedmont Style, making the two discs wonderful complementary collections that tell a comprehensive story when taken together.-- AllMusic Review by Thom Owens

Music from the South, Vol. 6: Elder Songsters, 1

Folkways Records – FA 2655

Field recordings taken in Alabama, louisiana, and Mississippi under a grant from the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial foundation by frederic Ramsey, Jr. With photographs, notes, and personnels.
Series: Music From The South – Volume 6
Format: Vinyl, LP, Compilation
Country: US
Released: 1956
Genre: Blues, Folk, World, & Country
Style: Country Blues, Gospel
[Tracklist]
A01 I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say: Suddie Griffins (4:32)
A02 Go Preach My Gospel: Suddie Griffins (5:14)
A03 Most Done Traveling - Rocky Road: Emmett Brand (1:46)
A04 Give Me That Old Time Religion: Emmett Brand (1:42)
A05 Take This Hammer: Emmett Brand (0:45)
A06 My Old Mother: Emmett Brand (2:00)
A07 Stay, John, Don't You Ride No More: Emmett Brand (1:02)
A08 The Chickens and Crows: Emmett Brand (0:34)
A09 I'm Going to Cross the Rivers of Jordan, Some of These Days: Emmett Brand (1:52)
B01 Riding My Buggy, My Whip in My Hand: Two Fragments: Emmett Brand (0:59)
B02 Singing on the Old Church Ground: Emmett Brand (1:01)
B03 Baby Cryin': Emmett Brand (0:42)
B04 I'm So Glad That I Am Free: Excerpt: Wilson Boling (1:37)
B05 We Have Mothers Over Yonder: Wilson Boling (3:24)
B06 Come to Jesus: Wilson Boling and Verna Ford (2:05)
B07 O Baptise Me John in the River of Jordan: Bessie Ford, Horace & Annie Sprott, & Nellie Hastings (1:21)
B08 Just Over in the Glory Land: Bessie Ford, Horace and Annie Sprott, and Nellie Hastings (3:51)
B09 Father, I Stretch My Hands to Thee: Jake Field, Eastman Brand, and Arthur Holifield (2:45)
B10 Down Here Lord, Waitin' on You: Jake Field, Eastman Brand, and Arthur Holifield (2:09)
[Credits]
Producer, Recorder and Photographer: Frederic Ramsey, Designer: Ronald Clynek
[Notes]
Of Elder Songsters 1 & 2, Frederic Ramsey, Jr. writes, "The mothers, fathers, grandmothers, and grandfathers [have] kept the music alive and burning in the home. There are ways of singing hymns and other songs that are peculiar to the family unit, and to [the] everyday environment... It is this everyday environment...that we have sought to capture in these two volumes."

Music from the South, Volume 5: Song, Play, and Dance

Folkways Records – FA 2654

Field recordings taken in Alabama, louisiana, and Mississippi under a grant from the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial foundation by frederic Ramsey, Jr. With photographs, notes, and personnels.
Series: Music From The South – Volume 5
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: US
Released: 1956
Genre: Blues, Folk, World, & Country
Style: Country Blues, Folk
[Tracklist]
A01 Fox Chase: Horace Sprott (1:42)
A02 Buck Dance by Harry Rutledge: Horace Sprott (0:57)
A03 Take Rocks and Gravel To Make a Solid Road - Railroad Blues: Horace Sprott (2:44)
A04 Me and My Short Box (or Pork Chop): Mrs. Philip Ramsey (2:57)
A05 Saturday Night Hoe-Down: Horace Sprott (1:52)
A06 I Feel Good Now, Baby: Philip Ramsey and Horace Sprott (3:26)
A07 Blind Child: Berenice Ford, Eunice Ford, and Bessie Lee Daniels (2:39)
A08 Head-Shoulder Baby: Berenice Ford, Eunice Ford, and Bessie Lee Daniels (1:08)
A09 I Asked My Mother for Fifty Cents: Berenice & Eunice Ford, and Bessie Lee Daniels (1:24)
A10 Talk About Jesus: Philip Ramsey, Rosemary Daniels, and Berenice Ford (1:37)
B01 Blues: Mississippi String Band, Tom Johnson, and John Copeland (2:30)
B02 Hootchie Kootchie: Mississippi String Band, Tom Johnson, and John Copeland (1:56)
B03 It's Tight Like That: Mississippi String Band, Tom Johnson, and John Copeland (2:08)
B04 See See Mama: Mississippi String Band, Tom Johnson, and John Copeland (2:05)
B05 Memphis Mail: Scott Dunbar (3:14)
B06 Buck Dance by Joe Tucker: Scott Dunbar and Joe Tucker (1:21)
B07 Forty-four - Forty-four Blues: Scott Dunbar (4:18)
B08 Easy Rider: Scott, Celeste, and Rosie Dunbar (3:56)
[Credits]
Philip Ramsey (guitar/vocals) Mrs. Philip Ramsey (guitar/vocals) Scott Dunbar (guitar/vocals) Tom Johnson (guitar/vocals) Horace Sprott (harmonica/vocals) Horace Sprott (harmonica) John Copeland (mandolin) Berenice Ford (vocals) Bessie Lee Daniels (vocals) Celeste Dunbar (vocals) Eunice Ford (vocals) Rosemary Daniels (vocals)
Producer, Recorder and Photographer: Frederic Ramsey, Designer: Ronald Clyne
[Notes]
This collection of recordings from Alabama features several kinds of music and dance, from Horace Sprott's country blues harmonica to the sounds of Vicksburg musicians, who were influenced by both Kansas City jazz and Jelly Roll Morton’s piano artistry.

Negro Folk Music of Alabama Vol. 1 Secular Music

Ethnic Folkways Library – FE 4417

Format: Vinyl, LP, Compilation
Country: US
Released: 1956
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk
[Tracklist]
A01 Mama Don't Tear My Clothes: Joe Brown (1:42)
A02 Southern Pacific: Joe Brown (1:23)
A03 Black Woman: Rich Amerson (5:00)
A04 Kansas City Blues: Red Willie Smith (1:46)
A05 Salty Dog Blues: Red Willie Smith (1:30)
A06 I'm Goin' Up North: East York School (Ala.) (1:27)
A07 Little Sally Walker: Lilly's Chapel School (Ala.) (1:05)
A08 See See Rider: Lilly's Chapel School (Ala.) (1:21)
B01 Mama's Goin' To Buy Him a Little Lap Dog: Vera Hall (0:47)
B02 Soon As My Back's Turned: Earthy Anne Coleman (1:35)
B03 She Done Got Ugly: Willie Turner (1:21)
B04 Now Your Man Done Gone: Willie Rurner (2:05)
B05 Field Calls: Annie Grace Horn Dodson (1:20)
B06 Father's Field Call: Annie Grace Horn Dodson (0:27)
B07 Children's Call: Annie Grace Horn Dodson (0:45)
B08 Greeting Call: Annie Grace Horn Dodson (0:48)
B09 Complaint Call: Enoch Brown (0:42)
B10 Brer Rabbit and the Alligators: Rich Amerson (3:55)
[Credits]
Recorder and Linaer Notes: Harold Courlander, Director: Moses Asch, Designer: Ronald Clyne
[Notes]
In an attempt to break away from the caricature of black music that was popular in America during the 1950s, Harold Courlander compiled this collection as documentation of black music in Alabama in its purest form. This first volume of secular music highlights some of the different manifestations of black music during that time including the virtuosic harmonica playing of Joe Brown, the left-handed guitar playing of Willie Smith, and the popular ring games of school children.

Classic African-American Ballads from Smithsonian Folkways

Smithsonian Folkways – SFW40191

Series: Smithsonian Folkways Classic Series
Format: CD, Compilation
Country: US
Released: 2006
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk
[Tracklist]
01 Mouse on the Hill (Froggie Went a-Courting): Warner Williams with Jay Summerour (3:44)
02 Casey Jones: K.C. Douglas (1:23)
, 03 John Hardy: Lead Belly (2:43)
04 Railroad Bill: John Jackson (3:33)
05 Stewball: Memphis Slim and Willie Dixon (3:33)
06 John Henry: Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee (4:04)
07 St. James Infirmary: Snooks Eaglin (2:20)
08 Staggerlee (Stackolee): John Cephas and Phil Wiggins (5:03)
09 Lost John: Convict Group, Ramsey and Retrieve State Farms (4:54)
10 Betty and Dupree: Josh White (3:45)
11 Old Riley / Here, Rattler, Here: Lead Belly (1:58)
12 The Race of the Jim Lee and Katy Adam: Jazz Gillum, Memphis Slim (2:27)
13 The Titanic: Pink Anderson (2:49)
14 Frankie and Johnny: Big Bill Broonzy (2:07)
15 White House Blues: Earl Taylor and the Stoney Mountain Boys (1:59)
16 Louis Collins: John Jackson (3:18)
17 Bad Lee Brown (Late One Night): Woody Guthrie (2:14)
18 Luke and Mullen: Horace Sprott (2:25)
19 Duncan and Brady: Dave Van Ronk (3:00)
20 Gallis Pole (The Maid Freed from the Gallows): Lead Belly (2:45)
21 Boll Weevil: Pink Anderson (3:04)
22 Delia's Gone: Josh White Jr. (3:45)
[Crtedits]
Producer and Liner Notes: Barry Lee Pearson, Designer: Joe Parisi, Engineer: Pete Reiniger
[Notes]
Classic African-American Ballads is a sampling of an important, historic, and engaging slice of America's Black music heritage. The heyday of the Black ballad tradition (1890-1920) left a lasting strain of creativity and a monument to African American life of the time. Ranging from songs created from the heritage of the English ballad, to social commentary vilifying abusive white authority figures, to "blues ballads," this album reminds us of the enormity and constant evolution of African American musical tradition. 36-page booklet. 22 tracks. 67 minutes.

Ragtime 2: The Country

Mandolins, Fiddles, and Guitars

RBF Records – RBF 18

Format: Vinyl, LP, Compilation
Country: US
Released: 1971
Genre: Jazz, Folk, World, & Country
Style: Jazz & Ragtime
[Tracklist]
101 Dallas Rag: The Dallas String Band (2:55)
102 No Use Workin' So Hard: The Carolina Tar Heels (3:09)
103 Old Weary Blues: Jesse Young's Tennessee Band (3:10)
104 Atlanta Rag: Cow Cow Davenport (3:09)
105 Hungry Man's Scuffle: Walter Roland and Lucille Bogan (2:47)
106 Downtown Blues: Frank Stokes (3:13)
107 They Go Wild Simply Wild Over Me: The Leake County Revelers (2:59)
201 Hale's Rag: Theron Hale & Daughters (2:49)
202 Laughing Rag: Sam Moore and Horace Davis (2:45)
203 Lindy: The Proximity String Quartet (2:57)
204 Kansas City Dog Walk: Charlie Turner (2:59)
205 Ozark Rag: The East Texas Serenaders (3:09)
206 Dill Pickles Rag: The Kessinger Brothers (3:17)
207 Rag Mama Rag: Blind Boy Fuller, Gary Davis, and Bull City Red (3:07)
[Credits]
Compiled & Annotated: Samuel Charters, Designer: Ronald Clyne
[Notes]
This collection features country ragtime from 1917 to 1935—a genre that mixes the syncopation of African-American rhythms with the melodic structure of European dance music. As these recordings demonstrate, musicians created different mixtures of these elements: some rags sound more like the blues, while others are closer to European quadrilles.

Ragtime 1: The City

Banjos, Brass Bands, & Nickel Pianos

RBF Records – RBF 17

Format: Vinyl, LP, Compilation
Country: US
Released: 1971
Genre: Jazz, Folk, World, & Country
Style: Jazz & Ragtime
[Tracklist]
A1 Contentment Rag: Steve Williams (2:41)
A2 Oriole Rag: Fred Van Eps and Frank Banta, Sr. (2:45)
A3 Buffalo Rag: Vess L. Ossman (2:11)
A4 Original Rags: Machine-cut piano roll (3:47)
A5 Operatic Rag: Joseph Moskovitz (2:36)
A6 Notoriety Rag: Fred Van Eps and James Lent (2:58)
A7 Frog Legs Rag: Machine-cut piano roll (3:26)
B1 St. Louis Tickle: Ossman-Dudley Trio (3:01)
B2 Railroad Rag: Prince's Band (2:45)
B3 Tickled to Death: Prince's Band (2:59)
B4 Springtime Rag: Vic Meyers and His Orchestra (2:58)
B5 Frog-I-More Rag: Jelly Roll Morton (2:43)
B6 Original Tuxedo Rag: Original Tuxedo Jazz Orchestra (2:42)
B7 Sic 'Em Tige: The State Street Ramblers (2:58)
[Credits]
Compiled & Annotated: Samuel Charters, Designer: Ronald Clyne
[Notes]
As it did with blues and jazz, the early recording industry missed the beginnings of ragtime. Luckily, the burgeoning player piano industry produced ragtime tunes on paper rolls, and these rolls augment the recordings we have. This collection presents ragtime played on piano rolls as well as on instruments like the banjo, which were suitable for early recording processes.

They All Played for Us

Arhoolie Records 50th Anniversary Celebration

Arhoolie Records – ARH00540

Format: 4 x CD, Album
Country: US
Released: 2012
Genre: Jazz, Funk & Soul, Blues, Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk, Bluegrass, Blues, Cajun & Zydeco, Country; Jazz & Ragtime, Latin
[Disk One]
01 Introduction, Vol. 1: Nick Spitzer (0:06)
02 Ay Te Dejo En San Antonio: Santiago Jimenez Jr. y la familia Peña-Govea (2:59)
03 Viva Seguín: Santiago Jimenez Jr. y la familia Peña-Govea (3:33)
04 Voy Caminando: Los Cenzontles (2:52)
05 El Chuchumbe: Los Cenzontles (3:39)
06 Vigilante Man: Ry Cooder (6:46)
07 Wooly Bully: Ry Cooder (3:06)
08 Let Me Fall: Any Old Time String Band (2:42)
09 Long Lost Lover Blues: Any Old Time String Band (5:12)
10 C-U-B-A: Any Old Time String Band (4:55)
11 I've Got What It Takes: Any Old Time String Band (4:22)
12 Bee la Manche: David Doucet (3:47)
13 La Valse a Pop: David Doucet (2:49)
14 Boudreaux / J'ai Été Au Zydeco: David Doucet (6:24)
15 The Free Mexican Air Force: Peter Rowan (4:07)
16 Break My Heart Again: Peter Rowan (5:11)
17 O My Malissa: Laurie Lewis and the Right Hands (2:47)
18 Here Today: Laurie Lewis and the Right Hands (5:44)
19 Sally Gooden: Laurie Lewis and the Right Hands (5:06)
[Disk Two]
01 Texas Blue Bonnets: Laurie Lewis and the Right Hands (4:13)
02 I Bid You Goodnight: Ensemble (3:05)
03 Introduction, Vol. 2: Nick Spitzer (0:36)
04 Oh By Jingo: The Goodtime Washboard 3 (3:22)
05 Pasadena: The Goodtime Washboard 3 (3:02)
06 Oakland: The Goodtime Washboard 3 (3:04)
07 Step It Up and Go: The Goodtime Washboard 3 (2:52)
08 Le Fond De Culottes & La Danse De La Misere: Creole Belles (2:11)
09 Separation Waltz: Creole Belles (2:59)
10 Tes Parents Ne Veulent Plus Me Voir: Creole Belles (2:07)
11 Joe Simien Special: Creole Belles (1:45)
12 My Bucket's Got a Hole in It: Barbara Dane and Bob Mielke's Jazz All Stars (5:00)
13 Make Me a Pallet on the Floor: Barbara Dane and Bob Mielke's Jazz All Stars (5:51)
14 Milenburg Joys: Barbara Dane and Bob Mielke's Jazz All Stars (6:58)
15 Trouble in Mind: Barbara Dane and Bob Mielke's Jazz All Stars (5:29)
16 Midnight Blues / Closer to the Ground: Toni Brown and Terry Garthwaite (10:40)
17 Port Arthur Blues: Savoy-Doucet Cajun Band (4:00)
18 Marie: Savoy-Doucet Cajun Band (5:03)
[Disk Three]
01 Midland Two Step: Savoy-Doucet Cajun Band (4:09)
02 I Made a Big Mistake: Savoy-Doucet Cajun Band (5:03)
03 Amede Two Step: Savoy-Doucet Cajun Band (5:16)
04 Parade: The Treme Brass Band (1:13)
05 Jazz Funeral: The Treme Brass Band (6:48)
06 My Bucket's Got a Hole in It: The Treme Brass Band (7:00)
07 Welfare Blues: The Treme Brass Band (4:35)
08 When the Saints Go Marching In: The Treme Brass Band (6:18)
09 I Don't Drink No Whiskey: Suzy and Eric Thompson (3:11)
10 In the Pines: Suzy and Eric Thompson (4:51)
11 In My Girlish Days: Suzy and Eric Thompson (3:22)
12 Lake Arthur Stomp: Suzy and Eric Thompson (2:59)
13 I Feel Like I'm Fixin' to Die Rag: Country Joe McDonald (3:12)
14 Save the Whales: Country Joe McDonald (4:44)
15 Oklahoma Hills: Country Joe McDonald (2:19)
16 End of My Journey: Campbell Brothers (9:42)
[Disk Four]
01 Going Home on the Morning Train: Campbell Brothers (6:26)
02 Jump for Joy: Campbell Brothers (6:15)
03 México Americano: Los Cenzontles (2:59)
04 Prenda del alma: Los Cenzontles (3:57)
05 Arizona, estado de vergüenza: Los Cenzontles (4:00)
06 Puno de tierra: Los Cenzontles (3:38)
07 Lapin Dans Son Nique: The Savoy Family Band (4:10)
08 Little Black Eyes: The Savoy Family Band (4:20)
09 Quo Faire: The Savoy Family Band (5:00)
10 Reno Waltz: The Savoy Family Band (3:47)
11 Eunice Two Step: The Savoy Family Band (6:36)
12 Blues with a Feeling: Taj Mahal (5:33)
13 Roscoe's Mule Down in Roscoe's Barn: Taj Mahal (3:15)
14 Fishing Blues: Taj Mahal (3:09)
15 Corinna: Taj Mahal (4:06)
16 The New Hula Blues: Taj Mahal (4:09)
17 Goodnight, Irene: Ensemble (3:52)
[Credits]
Manager: Bob Whitfield, Liner Notes: Adam Machado and Chris Strachwitz, Designer: Debbie Berne, Photographer: Rufus Diamant and Mike Melnyk, Engineer: Alberto Hernandez and Brian Walker
[Notes]
German-born Chris Strachwitz founded Arhoolie Records in El Cerrito, California in 1960, and over the next 50-plus years, the label released 310 LPs, a half-hundred 45s, and as the digital era dawned, some 375 CDs of blues, folk, Cajun, zydeco, gospel, jazz, country, jazz, and bluegrass that helped define Americana roots music. This handsome box set presents the music of a three-day, 50-year anniversary concert held in February of 2011 to celebrate Arhoolie's legacy, and includes live tracks from some 70 musicians, including Santiago Jimenez, Jr., Ry Cooder, the Creole Belles, the Savoy-Doucet Cajun Band, Country Joe McDonald, the Campbell Brothers, Los Cenzontles, and Taj Mahal.-- AllMusic Review by Steve Leggett

Friends of Old Time Music

Disc Records – D 113

Format: Vinyl, LP, Stereo
Country: US
Released: 1964
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk, Old Time
[Tracklist]
A1 Double File: Doc Watson and Gaither Carlton (1:55)
A2 Hicks' Farewell: Doc Watson and Gaither Carlton (4:32)
A3 Soldier's Joy: Hobart Smith (1:42)
A4 Claude Allen: Hobart Smith (3:48)
A5 Monday Morning Blues: Mississippi John Hurt (5:58)
A6 Pallet on the Floor: Mississippi John Hurt (4:36)
A7 Chick-a-la-lee-o: Almeda Riddle (3:02)
B1 Come All Ye Tender Hearted: The Stanley Brothers (3:38)
B2 Little Birdie: The Stanley Brothers (2:40)
B3 Rabbit in the Log: The Stanley Brothers (2:24)
B4 Dark Holler Blues: Doc Watson and Clarence Ashley (4:57)
B5 What Did I Do To Be So Black and Blue?: Jesse Fuller (3:43)
B6 Mistreated Mama Blues: Dock Boggs (2:07)
B7 Hook and Line: Roscoe Holcomb (0:31)
B8 Pretty Fair Miss All in a Garden: Roscoe Holcomb (3:55)
B9 He's Coming In Glory Some Day: Doc Watson, Clint Howard, Fred Price (2:46)
[Credits]
Producer: John Cohen and Peter K. Siegel, Recorder: Edward A. Kahn, Ralph Rinzler and Mike Seeger
{Notes}
Founded in 1960 by Margot Mayo, Jean Ritchie, John Cohen, Ralph Rinzler, and Israel G. Young, the Friends of Old Time Music endeavored to bring traditional folk artists to New York City to show people "the real thing." This album features the artists who participated in the non-profit's concerts between 1961 and 1963.

Paul Geremia: Just Enough

Folkways Records – FTS 31023

Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Stereo
Country: US
Released: 1968
Genre: Blues, Folk, World, & Country
Style: Country Blues, Folk
[Tracklist]
A1 Nashville 40 (4:21)
A2 Vigilante Man (3:28)
A3 I'll Be Goin' (3:35)
A4 Come On In My Kitchen (3:43)
A5 When Things Go Wrong (It Hurts Me Too) (3:00)
A6 Travelin' Man (3:35)
B1 Epitaph Blues (3:42)
B2 Somethin' Different (3:07)
B3 Just Enough (3:25)
B4 Geremia's Railroad (3:00)
B5 I Be Troubled (2:50)
B6 Hell Hound On My Trail (4:10)
[Credits]
Paul Geremia (guitar/harmonica/dobro/vocals) Frank Wakefield (mandolin)
Producer: Patrick Sky, Cover Art: Craig Mierop, Liner Notes: Paul Geremia
[Notes]
This debut album by blues and folk singer Paul Geremia features six classic blues and folk songs and six songs of Geremia's own composition. Among the former selections are a rendition of blues great Robert Johnson's "Come On in My Kitchen" and Muddy Waters' "I Be Troubled." Since this 1968 release, Geremia has gone on to release almost a dozen albums.

Billy Strings: Renewal

Rounder Records – 1166101423

Format: CD, Album
Country: US
Released: Sep 24, 2021
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Bluegrass
[Tracklist]
01 Know It All (3:26)
Billy Strings (guitar/mandolin/piano/synth/vocals) Jarrod Walker (mandolin/guitar/vocals) Billy Failing (banjo/piano/vocals) Jonathan Wilson (celesta/percussion/harpsichord/vocals) Royal Masat (bass/vocals) John Mailander (fiddle) Grant Milliken (synth) Spencer Cullum Jr. (pedal steel guitar)
Producer: Billy Strings and Jonathan Wilson, Designer: Bill Orner, Photographer: Jesse Faatz and Tyler Franz, Engineer: Gary Paczosa, Grant Milliken, Skyler Chuckry, Paul Blakemore and Gary Paczosa
[Notes]
Renewal is the fifth studio album by American bluegrass musician Billy Strings/following Home. Released in 2021/the album peaked at number one on the Billboard Bluegrass Albums chart/making Renewal the second consecutive studio album by Billy Strings to do so.The song "Red Daisy"/one of the tracks on the album/was performed on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on 25 October 2021.

Fiddle Tunes from Mississippi Commercial and Informal Recordings

By Harry Bolick and Tony Russell

University Press of Mississippi September 30, 2021

In 2015 University Press of Mississippi published Mississippi Fiddle Tunes and Songs from the 1930s by Harry Bolick and Stephen T. Austin to critical acclaim and commercial success. Roughly half of Mississippi's rich, old-time fiddle tradition was documented in that volume and Harry Bolick has spent the intervening years working on this book, its sequel. Beginning with Tony Russell’s original mid-1970s fieldwork as a reference, and later working with Russell, Bolick located and transcribed all of the Mississippi 78 rpm string band recordings. Some of the recording artists like the Leake County Revelers, Hoyt Ming and His Pep Steppers, and Narmour and Smith had been well known in the state. Others, like the Collier Trio, were obscure. This collecting work was followed by many field trips to Mississippi searching for and locating the children and grandchildren of the musicians.

Previously unheard recordings and stories, unseen photographs and discoveries of nearly unknown local fiddlers, such as Jabe Dillon, John Gatwood, Claude Kennedy, and Homer Grice, followed. The results are now available in this second, companion volume, Fiddle Tunes from Mississippi: Commercial and Informal Recordings, 1920–2018. Two hundred and seventy musical examples supplement the biographies and photographs of the thirty-five artists documented here. Music comes from commercial recordings and small pressings of 78 rpm, 45 rpm, and LP records; collectors' field recordings; and the musicians’ own home tape and disc recordings. Taken together, these two volumes represent a delightfully comprehensive survey of Mississippi's fiddle tunes. (Read more...)

  Fiddle Tunes from Mississippi 1920-2018 | University Press of Mississippi

The Legacy of Tommy Jarrell: Vol 1 Sail Away Ladies

County Records – COUNTY 2724

Format: CD, Album, Reissue
Country: US
Released: 1999
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Appalachian Music
[Tracklist]
01 The Drunken Hiccups (6:50)
02 Devil In The Strawstack (1:19)
03 Cluck Old Hen (3:26)
04 Forked Deer (2:06)
05 The Joke On The Puppy (1:55)
06 Step Back Cindy (3:34)
07 Flatwoods (2:06)
08 Soldier's Joy (2:37)
09 Bonaparte's Retreat (2:19)
10 Greasy String (2:45)
11 Fisher's Hornpipe (2:16)
12 Sail Away Ladies (1:54)
13 Cotton Eyed Joe (3:15)
14 Rochester Schottische / Walking In The Parlor (1:52)
15 Raleigh And Spencer (3:43)
[Credits]
Tommy Jarrell (banjo/vocals) Producer: Barry Poss, Coordinator: Christopher C. King, Editor: Barry Poss and Charles Ellertson, Designer: Oak Branch, Photographer: Alice Gerrard, Kerry Blech, Heath Curdts, David Holt and Reavis Lyons, Engineer: Robert Vosgien and Bobby Patterson
[Notes]
Any label could rest on its laurels having released only one album such as this, a collection of fiddle solos with occasional vocal interludes that hardly sound anything like a smooth Nashville country singer, to put it mildly. Yet this music is the source of so much bluegrass and country, and much more. It is a kind of playing that reaches a state that would be somewhere over the rainbow, well beyond the reaches of a typical Nashville record or a slick set by a bluegrass group at a festival. This music is also a dialogue with and about nature. One moment Jarrell is a man, the next he is speaking in the voice of a rooster or a dog, like some kind of Chinese chen player. He is photographed sitting on a chair in some backyard or farm, and these are definitely outdoor sounds, like so much vintage old time music. Jarrell's fiddle rings with numerous overtones as if notes were bouncing off nearby foothills. It almost feels as if his each of his four strings is a different instrument, and one of them is definitely a set of bagpipes. The label provides a great deal of interesting written material including fiddle tunings and backgrounds on each song. In this type of material the concept of authorship is that the performer starts out with traditional material, but once a certain amount of his own flourishes are added it is considered to be his own composition or version of the song.-- AllMusic Review by Eugene Chadbourne

Broadside Ballads Vol. 1

Broadside Records – BR 301

Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Compilation, Reissue
Country: US
Released: 1963
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk
[Tracklist]
A1 Blowing in the Wind: The New World Singers (2:33)
A2 The Ballad of Old Monroe: Pete Seeger (5:15)
A3 John Brown: Blind Boy Grunt (Bob Dylan) (4:24)
A4 As Long as the Grass Shall Grow: Peter La Farge (5:10)
A5 The Ballad of William Worthy: Phil Ochs (2:11)
A6 Benny Kid Paret: Gil Turner (3:45)
B1 Faubus Foibles: Peter La Farge (1:49)
B2 I Will Not Go Down Under the Ground: Happy Traum with Bob Dylan (3:42)
B3 Only a Hobo: Blind Boy Grunt (Bob Dylan) (2:01)
B4 Talking Devil: Blind Boy Grunt (Bob Dylan) (0:53)
B5 Ain't Gonna Let Segregation Turn Us Around: The Freedom Singers (2:36)
B6 Go Limp: Matt McGinn (2:32)
B7 Bizzness Ain't Dead: The New World Singers (2:32)
B8 The Civil Defense Sign: Mark Spoelstra (3:53)
B9 I Can See a New Day: The New World Singers (4:00)
[Credits]
Producer: Sis Cunningham, Liner Notes: Gordon Friesen
[Notes]
First released in 1963, and later reissued by Smithsonian Folkways to commemorate the folk publication Broadside Magazine, Broadside Ballads, Vol. 1 features artists such as Blind Boy Grunt (Bob Dylan), Peter La Farge, Phil Ochs, and Pete Seeger. With topical songs that vary in subject from civil rights to Vietnam and the nuclear arms race, Broadside Ballads, Vol. 1 is at once a staunch and elucidating account of a generation at odds with the world around it. Recorded in Broadside’s cramped New York apartment, the album is spontaneous and intimate in approach and features vocals, guitar, banjo, and drums. Contains the tracks "The Ballad of Old Monroe," "Faubus Foibles," "I Will Not Go Down Under the Ground (Let Me Die in My Footsteps)," "Only a Hobo," "Talking Devil," "Ain’t Gonna Let Segregation Turn Us Around," and "I Can See a New Day," which are not on The Best of Broadside 1962-1988.

The Kentucky Colonels: Long Journey Home

Vanguard – VCD 77004

Series: Newport Folk Festival Classics
Format: CD, Album
Country: US
Released: 1991
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Bluegrass
[Tracklist]
01 Roll On Buddy (2:18)
02 Bill Cheatham (2:53)
03 There Ain't Nobody Gonna Miss Me When I'm Gone (2:51)
04 Shuckin' The Corn (1:58)
05 A Beautiful Life (1:58)
06 Get Down On Your Knees And Pray (3:09)
07 Over In The Glory Land (1:52)
08 Sally Ann (1:36)
09 Brakeman's Blues (3:15)
10 Soldier's Joy (1:14)
11 Listen To The Mockingbird (1:13)
12 Farewell Blues (1:58)
13 Lonesome Road Blues (1:18)
14 Beaumont Rag (1:58)
15 Footprints In The Snow (2:08)
16 Long Journey Home (1:58)
17 In The Pines (2:24)
18 Chicken Reel (2:06)
19 Old Hickory (1:27)
20 Auld Lang Syne (3:20)
21 Nola (2:33)
22 Flat Fork (1:36)
23 Shady Grove (1:36)
[Credits]
Roland White (mandolin/vocals) Clarence White (guitar/vocals) Billy Ray Latham (banjo/vocals) Roger Bush (bass/vocals) Doc Watson (guitar) Bill Keith (banjo)
Producer and Liner Notes: Mary Katherine Aldin, Producer: Kent Crawford, Photographers: John Delgato and Bev Male, Engineer: Jeff Zaraya
[Notes]
The Kentucky Colonels are heard at the 1964 Newport Folk Festival on this Vanguard CD. A quartet at the time, as fiddler Scotty Stoneman had not yet joined the band, their performances include both instrumentals and vocals, with bassist Roger Bush also serving as the MC. Guitarist Clarence White, mandolinist Roland White, banjo player Billy Ray Latham, and bassist Roger Bush seem effortless as they delve into bluegrass favorites like "Shuckin' the Corn," "Sally Ann," and "Shady Grove," though there are a few surprises in store. Doc Watson joins Clarence White for six intricate guitar duets (including White's arrangement of "Soldier's Joy" and Watson's chart of "Lonesome Road Blues"). Several of the numbers near the end of the CD actually feature the Kentucky Colonels backing banjo master Bill Keith, who later joined Clarence White in the short-lived group Muleskinner. While there are a few spots where the sound is a tad overmodulated, this vintage live music will be of great interest to serious bluegrass fans.-- AllMusic Review by Ken Dryden

Tell It To Me: The Johnson City Sessions 1928-1929

Bear Family Records – BCD17591

Format: CD, Compilation
Country: Germany
Released: 2019
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Country, Old Time
[Tracklist]
01 Tell It to Me: Grant Brothers & Their Music (02:5)
02 Home Town Blues: The Roane County Ramblers (03:10)
03 Johnson City Blues: Clarence Greene (02:58)
04 Louise: Proximity String Quartet (03:06)
05 The Battleship Maine: Richard Harold (03:02)
06 Roll on Buddy: Charlie Bowman & His Brothers (03:17)
07 Old Lady and the Devil: Bill & Belle Reed (03:04)
08 I'll Be Ready When the Bridegroom Comes: McVay & Johnson (03:02)
09 When the Roses Bloom for the Bootlegger: Roy Harper / Earl Shirkey (02:50)
10 I Ain't a Bit Drunk: George Roarke (02:55)
11 Just Over the River: Garland Brothers (02:48)
12 Green Valley Waltz: McCartt Brothers & Patterson (02:55)
13 Pride of the Ball: Blalock & Yates (02:44)
14 When We Go A-Courtin': Francum Braswell / George Wade (03:03)
15 I'm Just a Black Sheep: Jack Jackson (03:09)
16 Evalina: Wyatt & Brandon (02:5)
17 Just Pickin': Leonard Copeland / Roy Harvey (02:57)
18 God Will Take Care of You: The Spindale Quartet (02:49)
19 Moatsville Blues: Moatsville String Ticklers (02:53)
20 Three Men Went A-Hunting: Byrd Moore & His Hot Shots (02:37)
21 The Coo-Coo Bird: Clarence Ashley (02:55)
22 Down on Penny's Farm: The Bently Boys (02:4)
23 Old Lonesome Blues: Bowman Sisters (03:02)
24 The Last Gold Dollar: Ephraim Woodie & The Henpecked Husbands (02:57)
25 Powder and Paint: Eugene Yates / Ira Yates (03:11)
26 Buttermilk Blues: Ellis Williams (03:07)
[Credits]
Artwork: Mychael Gerstenberger, Mastering: Chris Zwarg
[Notes]
Featuring 26 recordings by 26 different musical acts that were active in the late 1920s, 'Tell It To Me' presents a diverse and dynamic overview of Appalachia's vernacular music at the cusp of the Great Depression. While representing a range of genres and styles and showcasing both secular and sacred material, this album is thematically unified by the fact that all of the tracks hail from commercial location recording sessions held by Columbia Records in Johnson City, Tennessee, during successive Octobers in 1928 and 1929. With 25% of the released sides from those two Johnson City recording forays, 'Tell It To Me' documents timeless performances from the 1928-1929 sessions and bolsters recent assertions by discerning aficionados of 78 RPM records that those sessions generated a particularly memorable canon of historical recordings.

American Folk Blues Festival 1964

Fontana – TL5225

Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: UK
Released: 1964
Genre: Blues, Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk Blues
[Tracklist]
A1 I'm Trying To Make London My Home: Sonny Boy Williamson (4:00)
A2 Dissatisfied: Sonny Boy Williamson (4:12)
A3 Everytime I Get To Drinkin': Sunnyland Slim (3:54)
A4 Ain't It A Pity: Sam Lightnin' Hopkins (6:05)
A5 Baby Please Don't Go: Sam Lightnin' Hopkins (2:28)
B1 I'm A Tearing Little Daddy: Sleepy John Estes, Hammie Nixon (1:58)
B2 Cotton Pickin' Blues: John Henry Barbee (3:53)
B3 No Title Boogie: Hubert Sumlin (3:50)
B4 Slip In Mules: Sugar Pie Desanto (2:48)
B5 Dust My Broom: Howlin' Wolf (5:48)
[Credits]
Producer: Siegfried E. Loch, Liner Notes: Fritz Rau and Horst Lippmann, Designer: Michel + Kieser, Engineer: Peter Kramper
[Notes]
The American Folk Blues Festival was a music festival that toured Europe as an annual event for several years beginning in 1962. It introduced audiences in Europe, including the UK, to leading blues performers of the day such as Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, John Lee Hooker and Sonny Boy Williamson, most of whom had never previously performed outside the US. The tours attracted substantial media coverage, including TV shows, and contributed to the growth of the audience for blues music in Europe.

The Carrière Brothers: Musique Creole

Arhoolie Records – ARH00512

Format: CD, Album
Country: US
Released: 2004
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Cajun, Zydeco
[Tracklist]
01 Zydeco De Carrière (1:57)
02 Planté Dans La Port De Ma Maison (2:29)
03 Madam Faielle (1:52)
04 Zydeco Sont Pas Sale, Neg (2:26)
05 La Robe À Parasol (3:17)
06 Jolie Catin (1:54)
07 Daddy Carrière's Waltz (2:20)
08 Hey Mom! (2:15)
09 Éraste's Mazuka (1:49)
10 Les Barres De La Prison (2:46)
11 Lake Arthur Stomp (2:22)
12 'Tite Canaille (2:26)
13 Carrière Polka (1:56)
14 Chère Catin Blues (2:44)
15 Colinda (2:40)
16 Johnny Can't Dance (2:40)
17 Blue Runner (1:59)
18 Baby, Please Don't Go (3:25)
19 Bébé's Stomp (1:50)
20 Home Sweet Home (1:47)
[Credits]
Éraste "Dolan" Carrière (accordion/vocals) Joseph "Bébé" Carrière (fiddle/vocals)
Liner Notes: Ann Savoy, Fay Stanford and Ron Stanford, Recorder and Photographer: Chris Strachwitz, Research: Andrew Carrière and Suzy Rothfield Thompson
[Notes]
Recorded in 1974 near Lawtell, Louisiana, Musique Creole presents old-time Louisiana Creole music played by Joseph "Bébé" and Eraste "Dolan" Carrière. The brothers, with Bébé playing fiddle and Dolan on accordion, honed their wide-ranging repertoire of Creole, Cajun, zydeco, and blues music performing at local dances in southwest Louisiana for many decades.

The Asch Recordings, 1939 to 1947 - Vol. 1

Blues, Gospel, and Jazz

Asch Recordings – AA1

Format: Vinyl, LP, Compilation
Country: US
Released: 1966年
Genre: Blues, Folk, World, & Country
Style: Gospel, Folk
[Tracklist]
A1 National Defense Blues: Lead Belly (3:03)
A2 Keep Your Hands Off Her: Lead Belly (2:55)
A3 Too Evil To Cry: Champion Jack Dupree (3:40)
A4 Careless Love: Josh White (3:22)
A5 Drifting Along Blues: Lonnie Johnson (2:59)
A6 Pawnshop Blues: Brownie McGhee (3:03)
B1 Lonesome Train: Sonny Terry (3:34)
B2 Precious Lord: The Gospel Keys (3:13)
B3 You've Got to Move: The Gospel Keys (2:48)
B4 Moses Smote the Waters: The Thrasher Wonders (2:02)
B5 Does Jesus Care?: Sister Ernestine Washington with Bunk Johnson's Jazz Band (2:48)
B6 Where Could I Go But To the Lord?: Sister Ernestine Washington with Bunk Johnson (2:56)
[Credits]
Producer: Samuel Charters, Recorder: Moses Asch, Designer: Ronald Clyne
[Notes]
From the Moses Asch archives comes a pair of early blues, gospel and jazz compilations. Lead Belly, celebrated albeit volatile American folk and blues singer / guitarist, graces this first volume with "Defense Blues" and "Keep Your Hands off Her," but you'll also find powerful performances in the Josh White's bluesy "Careless Love," the stacked harmony of The Thrasher Wonders and Sister Ernestine Washington’s plaintive query "Does Jesus Care?" over backing by Bunk Johnson’s Jazz Band. Volume One continues on FW00AA2.

Happy New Year 2022

Warmest wishes to all for a wonderful holiday season and for much happiness in the new year.