Format: 2 x CD, Compilation
Country: US
Released: 2007
Genre: Blues, Folk, World, & Country
Style: Blues, Folk, Bluegrass, Country
[Disc One}
01 Down in a Coal Mine: Edison Concert Band (01:21)
02 Mining Camp Blues: Trixie Smith (02:55)
03 Sprinkle Coal Dust on My Grave: Orville J. Jenks (02:41)
04 Coal Miner's Blues: The Carter Family (03:01)
05 Hard Times in Coleman's Mine: Aunt Molly Jackson (02:34)
06 He's Only a Miner Killed in the Ground: Ted Chestnut (02:32)
07 Coal Black Mining Blues: Nimrod Workman (01:12)
08 '31 Depression Blues: Ed Sturgill (02:45)
09 Prayer of a Miner's Child: Dock Boggs 01:47)
10 That Twenty-Five Cents You Paid: Sarah Ogan Gunning (02:21)
11 The L & N Don't Stop Here Anymore: Jean Ritchie (03:10)
12 Dark as a Dungeon: Merle Travis (01:54)
13 Come All You Coal Miners: Reel World String Band (02:20)
14 My Sweetheart's the Mule in the Mines: Mike Kline (00:21)
15 Thirty Inch Coal: Hobo Jack Adkins (02:34)
16 Blakc Waters:Jim Ringer (03:34)
17 Roof Boltin' Daddy: Gene Carpenter (02:25)
18 Dream of a Miner's Child: Carter Stanley (02:42)
19 Coal Miner's Boogie: George Davis (02:55)
20 The Yablonski Murder: Hazel Dickens (02:57)
21 What Are We Gonna Do?: Dorothy Myles (03:01)
22 Explosion at Derby Mine: Charlie Maggard (04:03)
23 Blind Fiddler: Jim "Bud" Stanley (03:00)
24 Loadin' Coal: John Hutchinson (02:30)
25 Coal Town Saturday Night: Randall Hylton (03:04)
26 It's Been a Long Time: Roger Hall & Sonny Houston (03:38)
27 Fountain Filled with Blood: James Caudill (03:50)
[Disc Two}
01 West Viriginia Mine Disaster: Molly Stemp (02:49)
02 Union Man: Blue Highway (03:34)
03 Blue Diamond Mines: Robin & Linda Williams (04:43)
04 Set Yourself Free: Billy Gene Mullins (00:49)
05 Redneck War: Ron Short (05:18)
06 Sixteen Tons: Ned Beatty (02:30)
07 There Will Be No Black Lung (Up in Heaven): Rev. Joe Freeman (02:01)
08 Deep Mine Blues: Nick Stump (03:30)
09 I'm a Coal Mining Man: Tom T. Hall (02:24)
10 Dirty Black Coal: Kenny Davis 04:30)
11 Black Lung: AJ Roach (03:21)
12 Coal Dust Kisses: Suzanne Mumpower-Johnson (04:05)
13 Coal Tattoo: Dale Jett 04:07)
14 A Strip Miner's Life: Don Stanley & Middle Creek (03:00)
15 Daddy's Dinner Bucket: Ralph Stanley II (03:30)
16 In Those Mines: Valerie Smith (03:43)
17 Miner's Prayer: Ralph Stanley & Dwight Yoakam (03:08)
18 Dyin' to Make a Livin': W.V. Hill (03:38)
19 You'll Never Leave Harlan Alive: Darrell Scott (05:51)
20 They Can't Put It Back: Jack Wright (02:30)
21 Which Side Are You On?: Natalie Merchant (05:01)
[Credits]
Hobo Jack Adkins (guitar/vocals) Stanley Almon (keyboards) Louis Armstrong (cornet) Ned Beatty Primary (bass/vocals) Buster Bailey(clarinet) Wayne Benson (mandolin) Junior Blankenship (guitar) Dock Boggs (banjo/vocals) Robert Bowlin (guitar) Mike Bub (bass) Becky Buller (banjo/viola) Jason Burleson (banjo/guitar/vocals) Maybelle Carter (guitar/vocals) Sara Carter (guitar/vocals) James Caudill (vocals) Curley Ray Cline (fiddle) Dudley Connell (guitar) Jack Cooke (bass) Steve Cooley (banjo/bass/guitar/mandolin) Dub Cornett (vocals) Ronny Cox (guitar) Jeff D'Angelo (bass) Beverly D'Angelo (vocals) Aaron Davis (choir) George Davis (guitar/vocals) Kenny Davis (guitar/vocals) Vernon Derrick (fiddle) Hazel Dickens (vocals) Charlie Dixon (banjo) Edith Drake (guitar) Glen Duncan (fiddle) Dave Edwards (bass) Steve Edwards (fiddle) Chris Eldridge (guitar) Mark Fain (bass) Danny Ferrington (guitar) Jeffery Freeman (bass) Rev. Joe Freeman (guitar/vocals) Jimmy Gaudreau (mandolin/vocals) Gabriel Gordon (bass) Charlie Green (trombone) Sarah Ogan Gunning (vocals) Andy Hall (dobro) Roger Hall (banjo) Tom T. Hall (vocals) Glen Harlow (mandolin) Oscar Harris (mandolin) Fletcher Henderson (piano) W.V. Hill (vocals) Sonny Houston (guitar/vocals) John Hutchison (guitar/vocals) Randall Hylton (guitar/vocals) Judy Hyman (fiddle) Rob Ickes (dobro/vocals) Aunt Molly Jackson (vocals) Kevin Jackson (fiddle) Orville J. Jenks (guitar/vocals) Dale Jett (guitar/vocals) Teresa Jett (bass) Jamie Johnson (vocals) Frank Joines (guitar) Karen Jones (fiddle/vocals) Rev. Sandra Jones (vocals) John Kaparakis (guitar) Anthony Keyes (vocals) Dwight Yoakam (guitar/vocals) Mike Kline (guitar/vocals) Curley Lambert (mandolin) Jessica Lee (bass) Nimrod Workman (vocals) Graham Maby (guitar) Asa Martin (guitar) Sue Massek (banjo/vocals) Jimmy Mattingly (guitar/mandolin) Matt McElroy (banjo) Todd Meade (bass) Natalie Merchant (vocals) Allison Miller (drums) James Price (fiddle) Denny Rice (piano) Chuck Rich (guitar) John Rigsby (mandolin) Jim Ringer (guitar/vocals) Ralph Rinzler (mandolin) Jean Ritchie (guitar/vocals) Fiddlin' Doc Roberts (fiddle) Sharon Ruble (bass) Darrell Scott (guitar/vocals) Mike Seeger (bass/guitar) James Alan Shelton (guitar) Bob Siggins (banjo) Bill Airey Smith (bass/vocals) Trixie Smith (vocals) Valerie Smith (vocals) Steve Sparkman (banjo) Tim Stafford (guitar/vocals) Art Stamper (fiddle) Carter Stanley (guitar/vocals) Don Stanley (guitar/vocals) Ralph Stanley (banjo/ocals) Richie Stearns (banjo) Nick Stump (guitar/vocals) Ernie Thacker (mandolin) Chuck Tipton (guitar) Merle Travis (guitar/vocals) Jim Watson (bass/vocals) Aaron Williams (mandolin) Linda Williams (banjo/vocals)
Producer: Charles R. Freeland, Alan Maggard and Paul Kuczko, Photographers: John Cohen, Gene DuBey, Kenny Fannon, Jim Gibson, Trula M. Goostree, David Holt, Helen Lewis, Russell Lee, Earl Palmer, Earl Dotte and Doug Yarrow, Engineers: Paula Wolak, David Castle, George Cowan, Jeff Kiser, Doug Dorschug, George Korson, Jim Price, Todd Vos, Sandy & Caroline Paton
[Notes]
Music of Coal: Mining Songs from the Appalachian Coalfields is a 70-page book and two CD compilation of old and new music from southern Appalachian coalfields. The project was produced by Jack Wright and is a benefit for the Lonesome Pine Office on Youth in Wise County, Virginia. The songs included cover a range of topics related to coal culture such as mining accidents and black lung disease. Some of the artists are natives of the U.S. coal mining region while others have less direct ties. Both vintage recordings and contemporary music have been combined with detailed liner notes giving context to both the songs and the artists. Musicologist Archie Green adds a "Sanctus" note to Wright's "Introduction." In the preliminary round of nominations for the 50th Grammy Awards the boxed set was under consideration for a number of awards, including, Best Recording Package, Best Liner Notes and Best Historical Album. The compilation did not, however, make it the final round of nominees.
