The Definitive Doc Watson

Sugar Hill Records – SUG-CD-4097097

Format: 2 x CD, Compilation
Country: US
Released: 2013
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Country, Folk
[Disk One]
01 The Cyclone Of Rye Cove (2:22)
02 St. Louis Blues (2:35)
03 The House Carpenter (3:55)
04 The Wagoner's Lad (3:17)
05 Anniversary Blue Yodel (Blue Yodel #7) (2:10)
06 Sitting On Top Of The World (2:39)
07 Black Mountain Rag (1:33)
08 Country Blues (3:32)
09 Weary Blues (2:43)
10 Little Sadie (2:01)
11 Dreams Of The Miner's Child (2:51)
12 Southbound (2:52)
13 Tennessee Stud (3:38)
14 Blue Railroad Train (2:46)
15 Georgie (2:47)
16 Katie Morey (2:25)
17 Matty Groves (6:04)
[Disk Two]
01 Whistlin' Rufus/Ragtime Annie (4:04)
02 Big Spike Hammer (3:14)
03 Listening To The Rain (3:15)
04 Willie Moore (4:04)
05 My Rough And Rowdy Ways (2:32)
06 The Wreck Of The Number Nine (2:58)
07 Omie Wise (5:27)
08 Shady Grove (2:59)
90 Watson's Blues (3:32)
10 Slidin' Delta (2:03)
11 Bright Sunny South (2:38)
12 Greenville Testle High (3:28)
13 I'm Going Back To The Old Home (2:14)
14 George Gudger's Overalls (3:26)
15 The Ninety And The Nine (2:36)
16 Your Lone Journey (2:48)
17 Whiskey Before Breakfast (2:53)
[Credits]
Doc Watson (guitar/banjo/vocals) Merle Watson (guitar/banjo) Sam Bush (mandolin/fiddle) Marty Stuart (mandolin) Mark O'Connor (fiddle) Stuart Duncan (fiddle) Dan Crary (guitar) Bryan Sutton (guitar) Jack Lawrence (guitar) John Herald (guitar) Béla Fleck (banjo) Buddy Davis (bass) T. Michael Coleman (bass) Junior Huskey (bass) Roy Huskey Jr. (bass) Russ Savukus (bass) Eric Weissberg (bass) Pat McInerney (percussion) Alan O'Bryant (vocal/harmony)
Producer: Fred Jaspe, Liner Notes: Derek Halsey, Cover Illustration: Carrie Smith, Photographer: Peter Figen, Mastering: David Glasser
[Notes]
Arthel "Doc" Watson was nearly 40 years old and had been playing guitar and banjo most of his life when he was discovered as part of the folk music revival of the early '60s; Watson was a remarkably gifted instrumentalist who had a nearly encyclopedic knowledge of traditional folk and country songs, and he became a cornerstone artist on the folk music scene, as he recorded and toured regularly until his death in 2012. A massive influence on such pickers as Vince Gill, Ricky Skaggs, and Clarence White, Watson left behind a massive body of work, and The Definitive Doc Watson is a two-disc set that brings together highlights from his recordings for Vanguard and Sugar Hill Records. While this means that a large portion of Watson's catalog is left unrepresented, Vanguard and Sugar Hill happen to be two of the labels with which Watson had the longest and most fruitful relationship, so this gives the set a broader focus than one might imagine. And while this set is a bit short of truly being "definitive" -- it would take a cross-licensed box set to truly fit that description -- there's plenty of great music here, and these 34 tracks show off Watson's warm, rich, unaffected vocals, superlative flat-picked guitar, and impressive banjo work to excellent advantage. A collection of essential songs performed by a master of the form, The Definitive Doc Watson is a fine introduction to a giant of American folk music, and a strong if somewhat limited sampler of his recording career. -- AllMusicReview by Mark Deming

Michael Cleveland: Tall Fiddler

Compass Records – COM4737

Format: CD, Album
Country: US
Released: August 23, 2019
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Bluegrass
[Tracklist]
01 Arkansas: Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper (02:34)
02 High Lonesome Sound: The Travelin' McCourys (03:36)
03 20 Cent Cotton And 90 Cent Meat: Michael Cleveland (03:31)
04 Beauty Of My Dreams: Del McCoury, Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper (02:35)
05 5-String Swing: Michael Cleveland (03:26)
06 Old Time River Man: Michael Cleveland (04:52)
07 Tennessee Plates: Michael Cleveland (03:28)
08 Tall Fiddler: Tommy Emmanuel, Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper (03:14)
09 Tarnation: Béla Fleck (05:56)
10 Son Of A Ramblin' Man: Dan Tyminski, Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper (03:07)
11 Mountain Heartache: Dan Tyminski, Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper (03:45)
12 Me And Helen: Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper (03:56)
13 Lazy Katie: Larry Bales (03:19)
[Credits]
Producers: Jeff White and Sean Sullivan
[Notes]
This album has been something I've wanted to do for a very long time. I've been thinking for a while that it would be awesome to have my band, Flamekeeper, collaborate with some of my musical heroes, and just wondered what it would sound like. I knew it was going to be awesome about an hour into the first day in the studio. Tommy Emmanuel came in to record 'Tall Fiddler' and about an hour after he got there, we had the track. Also, I had the honor of co-writing a song with Béla Fleck, recording a Memphis rock song that talks about stealing one of Elvis's Cadillacs… had so much fun along the way. Thanks to everyone who was involved in the making of this album and especially to my co-producers, Jeff White and Sean Sullivan, for making this dream a reality. — Michael Cleveland

Tim O'Brien: Traveler

Howdy Skies Records – SUG-CD-3978

Format: CD, HDCD, Album
Country: US
Released: 2003
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Bluegrass
[Tracklist]
01 Kelly Joe's Shoes (03:33)
02 I've Endured (03:29)
03 Turn the Page Again (03:43)
04 Let Love Take You Back Again (04:21)
05 Restless Spirit Wandering (05:03)
06 Another Day (04:20)
07 On the Outside Looking In (04:07)
08 Forty-Nine Keep on Talkin' (03:27)
09 Family History (04:29)
10 Fell into Her Deep Blue Eyes (05:05)
11 Travelers (04:39)
12 Less & Less (03:25)
[Credits]
Tim O'Brien (mandolin/guitar/bouzouki/vocals) Dirk Powell (accordion/banjo/bass) John Doyle (guitar/bouzouki) Ray Bonneville (harmonica/vocals) Jerry Douglas (dobro) Béla Fleck (banjo) Casey Driessen (fiddle) Kenny Malone (percussion) Dennis Crouch (bass) Edgar Meyer (bass) Darrell Scott (vocals) Jon Randall Stewart (vocals) Jonell Mosser (vocals)
[Notes]
Traveler arrives like some horseman from the dusty past. His news is blunt, if not apocalyptic, with warnings that the future promises only "rotting flesh and broken bone." His chaps are stained with blood shed during the Civil War, and the trail he's followed from then until now runs alongside the Mississippi before melting into "a road without end" that winds back toward where our memories began. O'Brien lays all this out with help from some impressive players, but even the often incendiary Béla Fleck joins with them in toning down the fireworks and creating evocative settings through the most minimal gestures -- a slow-motion guitar arpeggio, a keening fiddle, a note here or there to complement O'Brien's relaxed delivery. It's significant, perhaps, that the album opens with "Kelly Joe's Shoes," an ode to a pair of beat-up sneakers that gave O'Brien some pretty good mileage, and ends with "Less & Less," which celebrates the joys of moving through life with as little baggage as possible. From music through message, Traveler just about gets it right.-- AllMusic Review by Robert L. Doerschuk

Grazz Matazz: Delinquent Minor

Grazz Matazz Music CD S818410

Format: CD, Album
Country: US
Released: 1987
Genre: World, & Country
Style: Bluegrass, Swing Jazz
[Tracklist]
01 Mapleview Rag (2:41)
02 Walkin' One And Only (3:13)
03 Sunburst (4:16)
04 Oh, Lady Be Good (4:09)
05 One Morning In May (3:07)
06 Delinquent Minor (4:21)
07 Send Me On My Way (3:08)
08 Mitch's Dilemma (3:32)
09 After You've Gone (4:21)
10 Yodel Lady (3:19)
11 Fat Man In The Bathtub (9:03)
[Credits]
Al Petteway (guitar/mandolin/bass/vocals) Pat Petterway (vocals/piano/guitar) Akira Otsuka (mandolin/mandola/vocals) Phil Bloch (fiddle) Mike Auldridge (dobro) Carl Fanning (banjo) Ronnie Freeland (percussion) Carolyn Kellock (bass) Béla Fleck (banjo) Larry Dowdy (bass) Pete Kennedy (guitar) Mark Schatz (bass) Carolyn Kellok (cello) Rick Watson (harpsichord) Jethro Bums (mandolin) Fred Smith (bass)
Producer: Robin Siegel, Photographer: Jim Tyndall, Engineer: Bill Wolf
[Notes]
YOU CAN'T judge a band by the company it keeps -- or can you? After listening to "Delinquent Minor" by the local acoustic trio Grazz Matazz, it hardly seems a coincidence that such stellar instrumentalists as Jethro Burns, Mike Auldridge, Bela Fleck and Pete Kennedy would want to contribute to this album. They know a good thing when they hear it. Take the opening tune: Arlo Guthrie's "Mapleview Rag," while a nifty showcase for Auldridge's Dobro, ultimately leaves no doubt that Grazz Matazz' Al Petteway (on guitar) and Akira Otsuka (on mandolin) can play in the big leagues. Fleet yet expressive, their solos distill the rag's southwestern flavor and fit nicely alongside the playing of fiddler Phil Bloch and banjo player Carl Fanning. The remaining member of the band -- rhythm guitarist, pianist and vocalit Pat Petteway -- makes her debut on a finger- popping rendition of Dan Hicks' "Walkin' One and Only." Petteway's reedy soprano voice is just right for western swing tunes. But it also has a decidedly plaintive edge at times, especially on the traditional tune "One Morning in May" and the jazz standard "After You've Gone," delightful performances both. (Mike Joyce/The Washington Post)

Epilogue: A Tribute to John Duffey

Smithsonian Folkways CD SFW 40228

Format: CD, Album
Country: US
Released: 2018
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Bluegrass
[Tracklist]
01 Sad and Lonesome Day: Randy Waller and Lou Reid (2:36)
02 If That's the Way You Feel: Amanda Smith (3:20)
03 If I Were a Carpenter: Jonathan Edwards (2:44)
04 Lonesome River: Dudley Connell (2:56)
05 Sunrise: Sam Bush and Béla Fleck (3:22)
06 Going to the Races: James King (1:59)
07 Some Old Day: John Cowan (2:43)
08 Girl from the North Country: Steve Gulley (3:32)
09 He Was a Friend of Mine: Dudley Connell and John Cowan (3:08)
10 Poor Ellen Smith: Tim O'Brien (2:22)
11 Reason For Being: Fred Travers (3:16)
12 Ain't Gonna Work Tomorrow: Don Rigsby (2:41)
13 Chim-Chim-Cher-Ee: Bruce Molsky (1:27)
14 Cold Wind a Blowin': Ronnie Bowman and Lou Reid (2:15)
15 Christmas Time Back Home: John Duffey Tribute All-Stars (3:13)
16 Bringing Mary Home: John Starling (3:48)
17 First Tear: Akira Otsuka (1:22)
[Crerdits]
Producers: Akira Otsuka and Ronnie Freeland, Annotation: Katy Daley, Dudley Connell and Jeff Place, Photographers: Charles Tompkins and Nobuharu Komoriya, Editor: Carla Borden, Engineers: Rick Watson, Bill Wolf, Greg Lukens, Brent Truitt and Phil Rosenthal
[Notes]
John Duffey's influence on bluegrass cannot be overstated. His contributions to legendary bands The Country Gentlemen and The Seldom Scene helped transform the genre from a regional Appalachian music to a sophisticated, urban sound, resulting in a legion of new fans the world over. On Epilogue, the bluegrass music community comes together to create a marvelously fitting tribute to "the father of modern bluegrass." Sam Bush, John Cowan, Béla Fleck, Bruce Molsky, Tim O'Brien, Don Rigsby, and so many more—it’s a rare and special all-star cast. Their eagerness and passion to record the album attest to how profoundly Duffey impacted them and countless other musicians today. 46 minutes, 44-page booklet with extensive notes and photos.

Heartland: An Appalachian Anthology

Sony Classical SK-89683

Format: CD, Compilation
Country: US
Released: 2001
Genre: Classical, Folk, World, & Country
Style: Classical Crossover
[Tracklist]
01 Short Trip Home: Mike Marshall/Sam Bush/Joshua Bell/Edgar Meyer (3:48)
02 Johnny Has Gone For A Soldier: Mark O'Connor/James Taylor (2:55)
03 1B: Yo-Yo Ma/Edgar Meyer/Mark O'Connor (3:58)
04 Appalachia Waltz: Yo-Yo Ma/Mark O'Connor/Edgar Meyer (5:45)
05 Soldier's Joy: Mark O＇Connor (4:06)
06 Sliding Down: Edgar Meyer/Mike Marshall/Béla Fleck (4:41)
07 BT: Yo-Yo Ma/Joshua Bell/Edgar Meyer/Mark O'Connor/Mike Marshall/Sam Bush (4:50)
08 Butterfly's Day Out: Yo-Yo Ma/Edgar Meyer/Mark O'Connor (4:42)
09 College Hornpipe: Yo-Yo Ma/Edgar Meyer/Mark O'Connor (3:15)
10 Fancy Stops and Goes: Mark O＇Connor (3:47)
11 Old Tyme: Edgar Meyer/Mike Marshall/Béla Fleck (3:24)
12 Emily's Reel: Yo-Yo Ma/Edgar Meyer/Mark O'Connor (2:46)
13 Slumber My Darling: Yo-Yo Ma/Edgar Meyer/Mark O'Connor/Alison Krauss (4:49)
14 Death by Triple Fiddle: Joshua Bell/Sam Bush/Mike Marshall/Edgar Meyer (4:15)
15 Amazing Grace: Mark O＇Connor (2:46)
16 Song of the Liberty Bel: Mark O＇Connor (5:45)
[Credits]
Yo-Yo Ma (Cello) Mark O'Connor (violin) Joshua Bell (violin) Sam Bush (mandolin/violin) Edgar Meyer (bass/mandocello/piano) Mike Marshall (guitar/mandola/mandolin/violin) Béla Fleck (banjo/guitar/mandolin) Mark Schatz (banjo/bass) John Jarvis (harpsichord/keyboards/piano) Jerry Douglas (dobro) John Mock (whistle) Russ Barenberg (guitar) Eddie Bayers (percussion) Glenn Worf (bass) James Taylor (vocals) Alison Krauss (vocals)
Producer: Laraine Perri, Liner Notes: Thomas Goldsmith, Photographer: Noah Cross, Designer: Laura Torres
[Notes]
In 1995, Yo-Yo Ma, Edgar Meyer, and Mark O'Connor joined forces on Appalachia Waltz, the first of a series of Sony Classical albums celebrating the varied musical textures of Americana. Over the course of six years, several albums were cut, among them Short Trip Home, Liberty!, Uncommon Ritual, and Midnight on the Water, in addition to the Grammy-winning Appalachia Waltz. Each project may have had its own specific instrumental focus, although the shared theme was clearly to obfuscate the genre lines that separate classical and traditional American music on a 200-year journey from the concert halls of Britain to the Shenandoah Valley. Heartland: An Appalachian Anthology is a carefully plucked and eclectic amalgam of these recordings. Featuring swinging waltzes, Baroque chamber music, Celtic reels, and Yankee ballads, this compendium serves as a stylistic hub of the European strain in American music. It passes as a refined bluegrass recording that is easily digested by less stodgy classical devotees, and the roster alone should be enough to cue the listener that dazzling instrumental interplay is the pièce de résistance. "Sliding Down," a Meyer composition featuring Bela Fleck (banjo) and Mike Marshall (guitar), "BT," and "Death By Triple Fiddle" (Sam Bush, Joshua Bell, and Marshall) are just a few prime examples. "Johnny Has Gone for a Soldier" and "Slumber, My Darling," which showcase the vocal nuances of James Taylor and Alison Krauss, respectively, round out the radio-friendly end of the album. Heartland is a mere crossroads, a refreshing spin on two timeless idioms. It's safe to say that it adds something to both, but the album's greatest asset may be the unknown direction it will springboard the listener. (AllMusic Review by Brian Kelly)

Echo In The Valley: Béla Fleck & Abigail Washburn

Rounder Records H661002

Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: US
Released: 2017
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Bluegrass, Folk
[Tracklist]
A1 Over The Divide
A2 Take Me To Harlan
A3 Let It Go
A4 Don't Let It Bring You Down
A5 Medley: Sally In The Garden / Big Country / Molly Put The Kettle On
B1 My Home's Across The Blue Ridge Mountains
B2 Hello Friend
B3 If I Could Talk To A Younger Me
B4 On This Winding Road
B5 Come All You Coal Miners
B6 Bloomin' Rose
[Credits]
Béla Fleck (banjo/guitar/vocals) Abigail Washburn (banjo/tap dancing/vocals)
Designer: Jimmy Hole, Photographer: Jim McGuire, Engineer: Richard Battaglia, Mastering: Richard Dodd
[Notes]
With one eye on using the banjo to showcase America's rich heritage and the other pulling the noble instrument from its most familiar arena into new and unique realms, Béla Fleck and Abigail Washburn's second album Echo in the Valley is simultaneously familiar and wildly innovative.