Showing posts with label Elizabeth Cotten. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Elizabeth Cotten. Show all posts

May 20, 2022

Classic Railroad Songs from Smithsonian Folkways

Smithsonian Folkways – SFW CD 40192
Smithsonian Folkways – SFW CD 40192

Series: Smithsonian Folkways Classic Series
Format: CD, Compilation
Country: US
Released: 2006
Genre: Blues, Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk
[Tracklist]
01 An excerpt from "Rail Dynamics": n/a (0:24)
02 Train 45: The New Lost City Ramblers (2:18)
03 Kassie Jones: Furry Lewis (2:56)
04 Jay Gould's Daughter: Pete Seeger (2:38)
05 Railroad Bill: Walt Robertson (2:08)
06 Linin' Track: Lead Belly (1:15)
07 Freight Train: Elizabeth Cotten (2:43)
08 Drill, Ye Tarriers, Drill: Cisco Houston (2:30)
09 Zack, the Mormon Engineer: L. M. Hilton (2:02)
10 Lost Train Blues: Virginia Mountain Boys (2:57)
11 The FFV: Annie Watson (3:52)
12 He's Coming to Us Dead: The New Lost City Ramblers (3:15)
13 The Train That Carried My Girl from Town: Doc Watson (2:18)
14 Rock Island Line: Lead Belly (2:03)
15 Lonesome Train: Doc Watson, Woody Guthrie, and Cisco Houston (3:31)
16 John Henry: Sonny Terry, Woody Guthrie and Cisco Houston (2:42)
17 The Wreck of the Number Nine: Rosalie Sorrels (1:36)
18 Freight Train Blues: Brownie McGhee (3:36)
19 The New Market Wreck: Mike Seeger (3:39)
20 Jerry, Go Oil That Car: Harry "Haywire Mac" McClintock (2:37)
21 Way Out in Idaho: Rosalie Sorrels (3:34)
22 Old John Henry Died on the Mountain: Henry Grady Terrell (1:55)
23 Casey Jones: John D. Mounce (0:20)
24 Wreck of the Old 97: Ernest V. Stoneman (2:51)
25 Midnight Special: Lead Belly (2:03)
26 Wabash Cannonball: Doc Watson (3:17)
27 Lost Train Blues: Vernon Sutphin (1:13)
28 New River Train: Iron Mountain String Band (4:26)
29 Excerpt from "Three Little Engines and 33 Cars": n/a (0:25)
[Credits]
Compiler and Liner Notes: Jeff Place, Photographer: Jack Delano, Designer: Communication Visual, Engineer: Pete Reiniger
[Notes]
As 19th-century America expanded, so too did the "ribbons of iron" that crisscrossed the vast landscape and sparked the imagination of music-makers. Work songs, ballads recounting riveting exploits, and instrumental echoes of the once familiar sounds of the steam locomotive have enshrined the railroad in our musical memory. Classic Railroad Songs mines the Smithsonian Folkways archives to create this tribute to a favorite American source of inspiration. 36-page booklet. 71 minutes.

February 12, 2022

Close to Home: Old Time Music from Mike Seeger's Collection 1952-1967

Smithsonian Folkways – SF CD 40097
Smithsonian Folkways – SF CD 40097

Format: CD, Album
Country: US
Released: 1997
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Old Time
[Tracklist]
01 In the Sweet Bye and Bye: Elizabeth Cotten (1:24)
02 Tie Your Dog, Sally Gal: Will Adam (2:41)
03 Banjo Instrumental: J.C. "Cleve" Sutphin (2:01)
04 Lost Train Blues: V.L. Sutphin (1:16)
05 Shortening Bread: V.L. And Cleve Sutphin (1:45)
06 The Train That Carried My Girl from Town: V.L. And Cleve Sutphin (1:30)
07 Old Gambling Man: J.J. Neece (3:24)
08 John Henry: J.J. Neece, Cleve and V.L. Sutphin (2:16)
09 Shout Little Lulu: Louise Foreacre (0:51)
10 He Will Set Your Fields on Fire: Kilby Snow (2:19)
11 Gather in the Golden Grain: Ernest V. and Hattie Stoneman (0:53)
12 Going to Lay Down My Burdens: Elizabeth White and Gideon Craig (1:42)
13 John Henry: Lesley Riddle (2:26)
14 Pretty Fair Damsel: Clarence Ashley (2:29)
15 It's These Hard Times: Pearly "Grandma" Davis (1:23)
16 Old Time Reel: Pearly "Grandma" Davis and Oliver Davis (2:13)
17 Jackson Schottische: A.L. Hall (2:12)
18 Lone Prairie: Wade Ward (1:36)
19 Molly Put the Kettle On: Wade Ward (1:23)
20 Last Gold Dollar: Edsel Martin and Bill McElreath (1:43)
21 John Henry: Bill and Jean Davis (1:11)
22 Three Nights Drunk (Our Goodman): The Blue Ridge Buddies with E.C. and Orna Ball (2:36)
23 Jimmie Sutton: The Blue Ridge Buddies with E.C. and Orna Ball (1:44)
24 Going to Lay Down My Old Guitar: Snuffy Jenkins and Ira Dimmery (0:59)
25 Black Mountain Rag: The McGee Brothers and Arthur Smith (2:21)
26 A Talk on the World: Clyde Lewis (4:52)
27 Red Wing: Lost John Ray and Walt Koken (0:53)
28 Leather Britches: Eck Robertson and the New Lost City Ramblers (3:02)
29 Blackberry Blossom: Sherman Lawson (2:01)
30 Alabama Gals: Emmett Cole (0:59)
31 Old Joe Clark: George Landers (0:50)
32 Sugar Baby: Dock Boggs (2:41)
33 Queen Sally: Archie Sturgill (1:47)
34 Poor Orphan: Kate Peters Sturgill (3:09)
35 My Virginia Rose: Scott Boatright (2:19)
36 I'm Leaving You: Sara Carter and Maybelle Carter (2:38)
37 He Said If You Love Me, Feed My Sheep: The Stancer Quartet (2:56)
38 I Would Not Live Always: Clarence Ferrill (1:32)
[Credits]
Producer, Recorder, Liner Notes & Photographer: Mike Seeger, Photographer (Cover): Alice Gerrard, Mastering Engineer: Dave Glasser
[Notes]
In the 1950's and sixties musician-collector Mike Seeger, inspired by the great folksong collectors of the 1930's, visited traditional musicians of the rural South. This is his handpicked selection of the recordings made during those visits. Included in the 38 selections are previously unreleased recordings by the well-known Sara & Maybelle Carter, Arthur Smith, Elizabeth Cotten, and Dock Boggs, as well as treasures by lesser-known artists. The enclosed booklet contains photographs and notes on the performance, which include virtuoso fiddle, banjo, and guitar music, unaccompanied ballad singing, and a story-teller entertaining his buddies in a fiddler's convention parking lot.

December 28, 2021

Smithsonian Folkways American Roots Collection

Smithsonian Folkways – SFW40062
Smithsonian Folkways – SFW40062

Format: CD, Compilation
Country: US
Released: 1996
Genre: Jazz, Blues, Folk, World, & Country
Style: Gospel, Bluegrass, Cajun, Folk, Country
[Tracklist]
01 Penitentary Blues: Lightnin' Hopkins (2:56)
02 Sweet Old Chicago: Roosevelt Sykes (2:58)
03 Blue Moon of Kentucky: Bill Monroe (2:02)
04 If I Had a Hammer (Hammer Song): Pete Seeger (2:13)
05 Lafayette: Lucinda Williams (3:45)
06 Bosco Stomp: Nonc Allie Young, Bessyl Duhon, and Rodney Balfa (3:04)
07 Better Day: Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee (3:04)
08 Long Road to Travel: Lonnie Johnson (2:22)
09 The Cuckoo Bird (The Coo-Coo Bird): Doc Watson and Clarence Ashley (2:35)
10 Pretty Saro: Doug and Jack Wallin (2:32)
11 Freight Train: Elizabeth Cotten (2:46)
12 Old Joe Bone: The New Lost City Ramblers (2:00)
13 Have a Feast Here Tonight: Bill Monroe and Doc Watson (2:24)
14 Freedom Road: Josh White (2:21)
15 This Land is Your Land: Woody Guthrie (2:19)
16 Two Good Men (Sacco and Vanzetti): Woody Guthrie (3:49)
17 Black Girl (In the Pines): Lead Belly (2:10)
18 Irene (Goodnight Irene): Lead Belly (2:18)
19 Somebody's Been Fooling #1: Big Joe Williams (2:52)
20 Hesitation Blues: Dave Van Ronk (2:34)
21 I'm Gonna Be an Engineer: Peggy Seeger (4:31)
22 Delgadina: Mercedez López (2:16)
23 I Was Standing by the Bedside of a Neighbor: Michele Lanchester and Sweet Honey (3:22)
24 Virgo: Mary Lou Williams (2:29)
25 Syl-O-Gism: Mary Lou Williams (3:31)
26 We Shall Overcome: The Freedom Singers, Dorothy Cotton, and Pete Seeger (2:42)
[Credits]
Compiler & Producer: Anthony Seeger & Amy Horowitz, Designer: Visual Dialogue, Engineer: David Glasser & Lea Anne Sonenstein
[Notes]
Twenty-six tracks from outstanding Smithsonian Folkways recordings present a panorama of American Roots music. Blues, Bluegrass, ballads, topical songs, and jazz are performed by master musicians. If you have never heard of Smithsonian Folkways or Folkways before, this collection will take you on a trip through American Music; if you have heard some already, you will still be delighted by the breadth and variety of this collection.

December 22, 2021

Elizabeth Cotten: Shake Sugaree

Smithsonian Folkways – SFW40147
Smithsonian Folkways – SFW40147

Format: CD, Album
Country: US
Released: 2004
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk
[Tracklist]
01 Shake Sugaree (5:03)
02 Take Me Back To Baltimore (1:59)
03 Washington Blues (3:38)
04 I'm Going Away (3:25)
05 Fox Chase (3:42)
06 Ontario Blues (3:45)
07 Fare You Well, My Darling (2:03)
08 Untitled / Georgie Buck (3:01)
09 Mama, Nobody's Here But The Baby (0:53)
10 Mama, Nobody's Here But The Baby (1:36)
11 Look And Live, My Brother (1:52)
12 Jesus Lifted Me (2:08)
13 Jesus Is Tenderly Calling (1:39)
14 Buck Dance (1:52)
15 Ruben (2:13)
16 Oh, Miss Lulie Gal (1:31)
17 Can't Get A Letter From Down The Road (1:44)
18 Shoot That Buffalo (1:40)
19 Boatman Dance (1:48)
20 Hallelujah, It Is Done (1:34)
21 Holy Ghost, Unchain My Name (1:25)
22 Little Brown Jug (2:22)
23 Delia (2:12)
24 Ball The Jack (2:34)
25 Till We Meet Again (2:03)
26 When The Train Comes Along (2:45)
[Credits]
Elizabeth Cotten (guitar/vocals) Brenda Evans (vocals)
Producer: Mike Seeger, Mary Monseur, D.A. Sonneborn & Daniel Sheehy, Liner Notes: John Ullman & Mike Seeger, Designer: Sonya Cohen Cramer, Photographers: David Gahr, Jim Mys, John Cohen, Mark Sandson & Sue Sandson, Recorders: Dan Seeger, Mike Seeger & Toshi Seeger
[Notes]
Elizabeth "Libba" Cotten (1896-1987) wrote her well-known song "Freight Train" at the age of 11 and sang it for nearly 80 years. Through her songwriting, her quietly commanding personality, and her unique left-handed guitar and banjo styles, she has inspired and influenced generations of younger artists. Cotten was declared a National Heritage Fellow by the National Endowment for the Arts in 1984, and was recognized by the Smithsonian Institution as a "living treasure." She received a Grammy Award in 1985 when she was 90. These essential 1965-66 recordings include ten previously unreleased tracks. 26 tracks. 60 minutes. Reissued from Folkways 31003.

November 9, 2021

Classic Blues from Smithsonian Folkways

Smithsonian Folkways – SFW CD 40134
Smithsonian Folkways – SFW CD 40134

Format: CD, Compilation
Country: US
Released: 2003
Genre: Blues, Folk, World, & Country
Style: Blues
[Tracklist]
01 Old Jabo: Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee (2:14)
02 Mule-Ridin' Blues: Big Bill Broonzy (3:46)
03 Joggie Boogie: Memphis Slim and Willie Dixon (3:28)
04 Black Woman: Vera Hall (1:27)
05 Mercury Blues: K. C. Douglas (2:21)
06 Ran the Blues Out of My Window: Roosevelt Sykes (2:57)
07 Leaving Blues: Lead Belly (2:23)
08 One Dime Blues: Etta Baker (3:46)
09 County Farm Blues: Son House (2:11)
10 Clog Dance (Stomping Blues): Champion Jack Dupree (2:02)
11 Boll Weevil: Pink Anderson (3:06)
12 Nickel's Worth of Liver: Edith North Johnson and Henry Brown (2:43)
13 Don't Leave Me Here: Big Joe Williams (2:43)
14 Jimmy Bell: Cat Iron (2:20)
15 Candy Man: Rev. Gary Davis (2:35)
16 Beer Drinking Woman: Memphis Slim and Willie Dixon (2:32)
17 Come Go Home with Me: Lightnin' Hopkins (3:55)
18 Careless Love: Josh White (3:23)
19 I Asked Her If She Loved Me: Henry Townsend (2:55)
20 Rising Sun: Brownie McGhee and Sonny Terry (2:43)
21 Pony Blues: David "Honeyboy" Edwards (3:28)
22 Vicksburg Blues: Little Brother Montgomery (4:02)
23 Vastapol: Elizabeth Cotten (2:11)
24 Drifting Along Blues: Lonnie Johnson (2:59)
25 Oh Baby, You Don't Have to Go: The Chambers Brothers (2:49)
26 Don't Lie Buddy: Lead Belly and Josh White (2:20)
[Credits]
Producer and Liner Notes: Barry Lee Pearson, Photographers: Marion Post Wolcott and Russell Lee, Engineer: Pete Reiniger
[Notes]
A living and dynamic tradition, blues is forged in hard times but powerful enough to bring on the good times. Legends such as Lead Belly, Memphis Slim, Big Bill Broonzy, Elizabeth Cotten, Sonny Terry, and Brownie McGhee, among others formed the "blues backbone" of Folkways Records. This compilation from the Smithsonian Folkways collection spans half a century and features Delta, St. Louis, Southwest, and Chicago styles performed by some of the best-known figures in blues history. From boogies to ballads, full of innuendo and irony, this classic collection is a jukebox in a jewel case.

September 11, 2021

There is No Eye: Music for Photographs

Smithsonian Folkways – SFW CD 40091
Smithsonian Folkways – SFW CD 40091

Format: CD, HDCD, Compilation
Country: US
Released: 2001
Genre: Blues, Folk, World, & Country
Style: Bluegrass, Blues, Folk, Gospel, Country Blues, Celtic
[Tracklist]
01 Thank You Lord: Gospel Church, Harlem (4:29)
02 If I Had My Way: Reverend Gary Davis (4:46)
03 Have You Ever Been Mistreated: Yvonne Hunter (1:39)
04 I Can't Be Satisfied: Muddy Waters (2:44)
05 Roll On John: Bob Dylan (3:26)
06 Man of Constant Sorrow: Roscoe Holcomb (2:59)
07 Hicks Farewell: Doc Watson and Gaither Carlton (4:31)
08 Come All You Tenderhearted: Carter Stanley (3:38)
09 Young But Growing: Mary Townsley (3:29)
10 TB Blues: Alice Gerrard and Hazel Dickens (3:29)
11 John Henry: Bill Monroe (1:34)
12 Sally Goodin: Eck Robertson (3:42)
13 Twin Sisters: Sidna Myers (0:57)
14 Sally Johnson: Wade Ward and Charlie Higgins (2:15)
15 Pull My Daisy: David Amram Quartet (4:33)
16 So Long: Go: Rufus Cohen and Wade Patterson (3:02)
17 Who'll Water My Flowers?: Last Forever (2:36)
18 Oh Babe, It Ain't No Lie: Elizabeth Cotten (2:07)
19 Ramblin' Round: Woody Guthrie (2:17)
20 Love My Darling-O: Alan Lomax (1:56)
21 Buck Creek Girls: The New Lost City Ramblers (3:01)
22 Paloma Blanca: Huayno Stringband (2:20)
23 Kitchen Girl: Sweets Mill Band (The Arkansas Sheiks) (2:42)
[Credits]
Compiler, Producer, Liner Notes and Photographer: John Cohen, Coordinator: Mary Monseur, Designer: Visual Dialogue, Editor: Carla Borden, Engineer: Pete Reiniger
[Notes]
In Music For Photographs, photographer, film maker, folklorist and musician John Cohen (of the New Lost City Ramblers) presents some of the finest American roots recordings ever made. On their own, these songs are authentic and captivating. Yet, they are only one half of a conceptual whole—Cohen has also released a book of photographs, There is No Eye, showcasing the musicians featured here as well as many others. Experienced together, the music and the photographs create new dimensions of possibility in our collective drive to understand and appreciate people's music. Includes unreleased music from Rev. Gary Davis and Bob Dylan, as well as classic tracks from Woody Guthrie, Roscoe Holcomb, Bill Monroe, Carter Stanley, Muddy Waters, and many more. 32-page booklet, exquisite photos, extensive notes, 68 minutes.

July 4, 2021

Folk Music U.S.A.: Volume One

Compiled by Harold Courlander With by Charles Edward Smith
Ethnic Folkways Library – FE 4530

Format: 2 x Vinyl, LP, Compilation
Country: US
Released: 1959
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Field Recording, Country, Cajun, Folk
[Tracklist]
A1 John Henry: Virgil Perkins and Jack Sims (4:10)
A2 Grizzly Bear: Negro Prison Camp Worksong (3:31)
A3 Blowing the Train: Percy Randolph (2:52)
A4 Six Thousand Miles from Nowhere: Snooks Eaglin (3:06)
A5 Dark Was the Night: Blind Willie Johnson (3:24)
A6 Amasee: Children's Ring Game Song: Unspecified (1:34)
B1 Spooky Drums: Baby Dodds (2:19)
B2 Black Jack Davy: Mary Jo Davis (3:09)
B3 Drunken Sailor: Unspecified (1:19)
B4 Ellen Smith: Pete Steele (1:38)
B5 Run, Run: Elizabeth Cotten (0:57)
B6 Mole in the Ground: Bascom Lamar Lunsford (2:49)
B7 Rolling River: Murph Gribble, John Lusk & Albert York (2:45)
C1 Allons Danser Colinda: Roy Brule (1:51)
C2 Sourwood Mountain: Hobart Smith (1:22)
C3 Diamond Joe: Cisco Houston (2:24)
C4 Siete Leguas: Peter Hurd (2:24)
C5 Matachines Dance: Unspecified (1:33)
C6 Moonlight Song: Unspecified (2:08)
D1 War Dance Song: Unspecified (1:28)
D2 Esta Navidad: Unspecified (3:06)
D3 Aguinaldo Cagueño: The "Trobador" De La Montana & the Puerto Rican Quartet (4:17)
D4 If We Never Meet Again: Children of Diamond Rural School, St. Croix, Virgin Island (0:55)
D5 Rocky Road: Alabama Sacred Harp Singers (2:43)
D6 Inviting-In Dance Song: Otis Ahkivigak (1:05)
[Credits]
Producer: Charles Edward Smith and Harold Courlander, Designer: Donald Clyne
[Notes]
This wide-ranging anthology of American folk music was compiled by noted folklorist Harold Courlander from recordings, many of them field recordings, made in the 1940s and ’50s. Almost all the performers on the collection—who include Cisco Houston, Elizabeth Cotten, and Snooks Eaglin—learned their music from oral tradition. Selections represent a broad spectrum of American folk music, from Puerto Rico to the north coast of Alaska. Extensive liner notes, written by Charles Edward Smith, delve into the characteristics of American folk music and provide detailed information, with lyrics, for each of the 25 selections.

May 24, 2018

Classic Folk Music from Smithsonian Folkways Recordings

Smithsonian Folkways SFW CD 40110

Format: CD, Album, Compilation
Country: US
Released: 2004
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk
[Tracklist]
01 Pastures Of Plenty: Woody Guthrie (2:25)
02 We Shall Overcome: Pete Seeger (4:39)
03 Rock Island Line: Lead Belly (2:02)
04 No More Auction Block: Paul Robeson (2:09)
05 Deportees (Plane Wreck At Los Gatos): Barbara Dane (5:44)
06 John Henry: Doc Watson (3:41)
07 John Hardy: Mike Seeger (2:40)
08 Betty And Dupree: Brownie McGhee (3:58)
09 Gallis Pole: Fred Gerlach (3:43)
10 Polly Von: Paul Clayton (3:09)
11 Butcher Boy: Peggy Seeger (2:17)
12 Duncan And Brady: Dave Van Ronk (3:00)
13 Railroad Bill: Hobart Smith (2:35)
14 Wayfaring Stranger: Burl Ives (1:12)
15 Big Rock Candy Mountain: Haywire Mac (2:06)
16 Born 100,000 Years Ago: Cisco Houston (1:07)
17 Sugar Babe, It’s All Over: Mark Spoelstra (1:58)
18 Changes: Phil Ochs (4:16)
19 Black And White: Earl Robinson (2:56)
20 Most Fair Beauty Bright: Jean Ritchie (2:17)
21 Cielito Lindo: Pete Seeger (2:31)
22 Tom Dooley: The New Lost City Ramblers (2:52)
23 Freight Train: Elizabeth Cotten (2:43)
24 Down On Me: Mary Pickney And Janie Hunter (3:02)
25 This Train (Bound For Glory): Big Bill Broonzy (2:58)
[Credits]
Compiled and Liner Notes: Jeff Place, Designer: Communication Visual, Photographers: Diana Davies, Galen Lawson and David Gahr, Engneer: Pete Reiniger
[Notes]
We often take for granted the supremacy of artists such as Doc Watson, Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Lead Belly, Big Bill Broonzy, Brownie McGhee, and other folk music legends. Classic Folk sheds new light on the success of the urban intellectual-driven movement that made rural white and African-American artists and their music favorites of audiences everywhere. This recording features classic performances by classic artists doing some of their classic songs during the great folksong revival of the 1940s through 1960s. It features some of the great performances from the vaults of Folkways Records. (Compiled and annotated by Jeff Place)

March 23, 2018

Elizabeth Cotten: Freight Train and Other North Carolina Folk Songs and Tunes

Smithsonian Folkways SF CD 40009

Format: CD, Album, Reissue
Country: US
Released: 1989
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk
[Tracklist]
01 Wilson Rag (1:35)
02 Freight Train (2:42)
03 Going Down The Road Feeling Bad (2:09)
04 I Don't Love Nobody (1:10)
05 Ain't Got No Honey Baby Now (0:53)
06 Graduation March (2:29)
07 Honey Babe Your Papa Cares For You (2:11)
08 Vastopol (2:08)
09 Here Old Rattler Here / Sent For My Fiddle Sent For My Bow / George Buck (3:45)
10 Run…Run / Mama Your Son Done Gone (2:15)
11 Sweet Bye And Bye / What A Friend We Have In Jesus (3:00)
12 Oh Babe It Ain't No Lie (4:40)
13 Spanish Flang Dang (2:49)
14 When I Get Home (2:21)
[Credits]
Elizabeth Cotten (guitar/vocals)
Compiler, Liner Notes and Recorder: Mike Seeger, Designer: Ronald Clyne
[Notes]
This reissue of Elizabeth Cotten's 1958 debut album, Folksongs and Instrumentals with Guitar is best known for containing the original recording of her classic "Freight Train". The breadth of her repertoire and endearing style have captivated generations of guitarists and fans of traditional American music. Freight Train includes guitar and banjo accompanied songs and tunes and features Mike Seeger's updated notes that include comments on Cotten's life, musical style and song lyrics. Cotten's self-taught, upside-down, left-handed style made her one of the most original guitar and banjo players in the history of American folk music. Many of her deeply personal compositions, such as the immortal "Oh Babe It Ain't No Lie", are included. "...[A] classic and belongs in every collection..." — Blues Review Quarterly

February 25, 2018

Classic Banjo from Smithsonian Folkways

Smithsonian Folkways SFW CD 40209

Series: Smithsonian Folkways Classic Series
Format: CD, Compilation
Country: US
Released: 2013
Genre: Blues, Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk, Bluegrass, Old Time
[Tracklist]
01 Fly Around My Blue-Eyed Girl / Cripple Creek / Ida Red / Old Joe Clark: Pete Seeger (2:38)
02 Banging Breakdown: Hobart Smith (1:21)
03 Johnson Boys: Frank Proffitt (1:44)
04 Peachbottom Creek: Wade Ward (1:27)
05 Coo Coo: Dink Roberts (2:14)
06 Josh Thomas’s Roustabout: Mike Seeger (2:40)
07 Jaw Bone: Willie Chapman (0:55)
08 Bright Sunny South: Dock Boggs (3:40)
09 Coal Creek March: Pete Steele (1:55)
10 Mississippi Heavy Water Blues: Josh Thomas (3:40)
11 Walk Light Ladies: Rufus Crisp (1:32)
12 Buck Creek Girls: Bill Cornett (1:03)
13 Gut Bucket Blues: Don Vappie and the Creole Jazz Serenaders (4:18)
14 Skylark / Roaring Mary: Mick Moloney (3:27)
15 St. Anne's Reel / La Renfleuse Gorbeil: Ken Perlman (2:52)
16 Smokey Mokes: Roger Sprung (2:23)
17 Golden Bell Polka: A.L. Camp (2:29)
18 Banjoland: Tony Trischka with Bill Evans (3:03)
19 Sally Ann: Snuffy Jenkins (1:13)
20 Lonesome Road Blues: Roni Stoneman (1:15)
21 Fox Chase: Lee Sexton (0:59)
22 Hop Along Lou: John Tyree (1:12)
23 Cotton Eyed Joe: "Big Sweet" Lewis Hairston (1:27)
24 Foggy Mountain Top: Ola Belle Reed (2:32)
25 Rambling Hobo: Doc Watson (1:39)
26 Old Rattler: John Snipes (2:50)
27 Georgia Buck: Elizabeth Cotten (1:45)
28 I Wish to the Lord I’d Never Been Born: Irvin Cook (3:07)
29 Black Eye Susie: Roscoe Holcomb (1:28)
30 Bluegrass Breakdown: Bill Keith with Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys (3:09)
[Credits]
Compiler & Liner Notes: G reg C. Adams and Jeff Place, Editor: Carla Borden, Designer: Joe Parisi, Mastering Engineer: Pete Reiniger
[Notes]
The banjo is a "bigger than life" instrument, a symbol of deep southern American heritage. At the same time, beneath its veneer of old-time icon, the story of the banjo is one of enormous creativity and adaptation to many musical traditions around the world - from Africa, to the Caribbean, to North America, to Europe, and beyond. In Classic Banjo from Smithsonian Folkways, banjo connoisseurs Greg Adams and Jeff Place cull 30 gems of banjo artistry from more than 300 albums in the Folkways collections, offering a gateway into the deep and varied veins of banjo history. 64 minutes, 44-page booklet with extensive notes and photos.

December 25, 2017

Music for Children, Music by Children

Smithsonian Folkways SFW CD 45081

Format: CD, Album,
Country: US
Released: 2017
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk, Children's
[Tracklist]
01 Go Waggaloo: Sarah Lee Guthrie (3:30)
02 Little Liza Jane: Elizabeth Mitchell (2:25)
03 Did You Feed My Cow?: Ella Jenkins (3:15)
04 Hop High Ladies (Hop Up Ladies): The New Lost City Ramblers (2:29)
05 Shake Sugaree: Elizabeth Cotten and Brenda Evans (5:00)
06 Race You Down the Mountain: Woody Guthrie (2:28)
07 ¡Que llueva! (Let it Rain!): Suni Paz (1:05)
08 Botana: José-Luis Orozco (1:46)
09 Go In and Out the Window: Jean Ritchie (0:59)
10 Yomi, Yomi: Ruth Rubin (1:37)
11 Jim Along Josie: Pete Seeger (2:06)
12 Kaa Fo: Dennis Allen, A. Kdjo Tettey, and W.K. Amoaku (1:16)
13 Bring Me a Little Water, Silvy: Lead Belly (0:51)
14 Here We Go Loopy-Loo: Pete Seeger (2:24)
15 Loop de Loo: Children in Lilly’s Chapel School, Alabama (1:42)
16 Charlie Over the Ocean: Children in East York School, East York, Alabama (0:54)
17 I Must See (Amasee): Children in Brown's Chapel School, Livingston, Alabama (1:32)
18 Here We Go Willowby: Children from Minisink Day Camp (1:34)
19 London Bridge: Children in New York City (2:03)
20 Twenty-Four Robbers: Children in Chicago (0:58)
21 Al citron: Children in Uruapan, Michoacán, Mexico (1:20)
22 Gypsy in the Moonlight: Children at St. Belmont’s Home, Trinidad (2:03)
23 Jump Shamador: Children at P.S. 48, Bronx, New York (3:06)
24 Arroz con leche: Children in Cuenca, Ecuador (1:58)
25 A la rueda de San Miguel: Children in Uruapan, Michoacán, Mexico (1:04)
26 Ambos a dos: Children in Loíza Aldea, Puerto Rico (4:49)
27 Camp Songs: Bill Bones: Children in New York City (1:43)
28 The Fox: Six boys in New York City (1:10)
[Credits]
Compiler & Liner Notes: Patricia Shehan Campbell, Cover Artwork: Keith Patterson, Designer: Natalia Custodio, Mastering Engineer: Pete Reiniger
[Notes]
Like eating, breathing, and sleeping, children sing because they must. Music, the universal language, is learned in the earliest years of life and remains vital thereafter. This rich collection invites listeners of all ages to revel and participate in the colorful world of Smithsonian Folkways’ children’s music collection, with both music created “for children,” showcasing our most celebrated storytellers and songwriters, and “by children,” featuring the unique ways children express and understand themselves and the world through song. 57 minutes, 36-page illustrated booklet.

September 27, 2017

The New Lost City Ramblers 50 Years: Where Do You Come From? Where Do You Go?

Smithsonian Folkways SFW CD-40180

Format: 3xCD, Various Artists
Country: US
Released: 2009
Genre: Blues, Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk, Country, Old Time
[Tracklist]
Disk One
1-01 Colored Aristocracy: The New Lost City Ramblers (2:05)
1-02 Hopalong Peter: The New Lost City Ramblers (2:04)
1-03 Don't Let Your Deal Go Down: The New Lost City Ramblers (2:26)
1-04 When First Unto this Country: The New Lost City Ramblers (2:48)
1-05 Sales Tax on the Women: The New Lost City Ramblers (3:14)
1-06 Rabbit Chase: The New Lost City Ramblers (2:30)
1-07 Leaving Home: The New Lost City Ramblers (3:05
1-08 How Can a Poor Man Stand Such Times and Live?: The New Lost City Ramblers (3:34)
1-09 Franklin D. Roosevelt's Back Again: The New Lost City Ramblers (2:19)
1-10 I Truly Understand You Love Another Man: The New Lost City Ramblers (2:29)
1-11 The Old Fish Song: The New Lost City Ramblers (4:52)
1-12 The Battleship of Maine: The New Lost City Ramblers (3:05)
1-13 No Depression in Heaven: The New Lost City Ramblers (2:56)
1-14 Dallas Rag: The New Lost City Ramblers (2:02)
1-15 Bill Morgan and His Gal: The New Lost City Ramblers (2:56)
1-16 Fly Around My Pretty Little Miss: The New Lost City Ramblers (2:31)
1-17 The Lady of Carlisle: The New Lost City Ramblers (3:32)
1-18 Brown's Ferry Blues: The New Lost City Ramblers (2:46)
1-19 My Long Journey Home: The New Lost City Ramblers (2:37)
1-20 Talking Hard Luck: The New Lost City Ramblers (2:40)
1-21 The Teetotals: The New Lost City Ramblers (1:00)
1-22 Sal Got a Meatskin: The New Lost City Ramblers (3:24)
1-23 Railroad Blues: The New Lost City Ramblers (2:41)
1-24 On Some Foggy Mountain Top: The New Lost City Ramblers (2:25)
1-25 My Sweet Farm Girl: The New Lost City Ramblers (2:22)
1-26 Crow Black Chicken: The New Lost City Ramblers (2:35)
Disk Two
2-01 John Brown's Dream: The New Lost City Ramblers (1:32)
2-02 Riding on That Train: The New Lost City Ramblers (2:19)
2-03 The Titanic: The New Lost City Ramblers (2:59)
2-04 Don't Get Trouble in Your Mind: The New Lost City Ramblers (2:15)
2-05 Cowboy Waltz: The New Lost City Ramblers (1:49)
2-06 Shut Up in the Mines of Coal Creek: The New Lost City Ramblers (2:49)
2-07 Private John Q: The New Lost City Ramblers (2:03)
2-08 Old Johnny Bucker Wouldn't Do: The New Lost City Ramblers (3:01)
2-09 I've Always Been a Rambler: The New Lost City Ramblers (3:16)
2-10 Automobile Trip Through Alabama: The New Lost City Ramblers (3:15
2-11 Who Killed Poor Robin?: The New Lost City Ramblers (3:52)
2-12 My Wife Died on Saturday Night: The New Lost City Ramblers (2:18)
2-13 Little Satchel: The New Lost City Ramblers (2:47)
2-14 Black Bottom Strut: The New Lost City Ramblers (2:09
2-15 The Cat's Got the Measels, the Dog's Got the Whooping Cough: The New Lost City Ramblers (2:55)
2-16 Dear Okie: The New Lost City Ramblers (2:14)
2-17 Smoketown Strut: The New Lost City Ramblers (2:16)
2-18 The Little Girl and the Dreadful Snake: The New Lost City Ramblers (2:31)
2-19 Fishing Creek Blues: The New Lost City Ramblers (2:01)
2-20 '31 Depression Blues: The New Lost City Ramblers (3:31)
2-21 Black Jack Daisy: The New Lost City Ramblers (2:31)
2-22 Victory Rag: The New Lost City Ramblers (2:05)
2-23 The Little Carpenter: The New Lost City Ramblers (2:50)
2-24 On Our Turpentine Farm: The New Lost City Ramblers (2:51)
2-25 Parlez-Nous à Boire: The New Lost City Ramblers (3:35)
2-26 Valse du Bambocheur: The New Lost City Ramblers (2:59)
2-27 Old Joe Bone: The New Lost City Ramblers (1:59)
Disk Three
3-01 Colored Aristocracy: The Rich Family (1:37)
3-02 Cluck Old Hen: Wade, Crockett and Fields Ward (1:31)
3-03 Young Emily: Dellie Norton (2:03)
3-04 Going Down the River: The New Lost City Ramblers (2:40)
3-05 Billy Grimes the Rover: The New Lost City Ramblers (2:26)
3-06 Pretty Little Miss: The New Lost City Ramblers (3:20)
3-07 Dark & Stormy Weather: The New Lost City Ramblers (2:24)
3-08 Sioux Indians: The New Lost City Ramblers (3:01)
3-09 Moonshiner: The New Lost City Ramblers (3:07)
3-10 Long Lonesome Road: The New Lost City Ramblers (2:56)
3-11 Cotton Eyed Joe: The New Lost City Ramblers (3:14)
3-12 New White House Blues: The New Lost City Ramblers (2:41)
3-13 Milwaukee Blues: The New Lost City Ramblers (2:31)
3-14 Poor Old Dirt Farmer: Tony Balfa, Tracy and Peter Schwarz (3:40)
3-15 Cady Hill: Arthur Smith & Sam and Kirk McGee (1:22)
3-16 I Belong to the Band: Reverend Gary Davis (3:56)
3-17 Freight Train: Elizabeth Cotten (2:38)
3-18 I'm Leaving You: Sara Carter Bayes and Maybelle Carter (2:35)
3-19 Walking Boss: Clarence Tom Ashley (2:28)
3-20 Mother's Advice: Dock Boggs (2:48)
3-21 Hills of Mexico: Roscoe Holcomb (2:29)
3-22 Galax Rag: Kilby Snow (2:49)
3-23 Say Old Man, Can You Play a Fiddle?: Eck Robertson, The New Lost City Ramblers (2:50)
3-24 Awake, Awake: Dillard Chandler (4:12)
3-25 Bowling Green: Cousin Emmy with The New Lost City Ramblers (3:49)
3-26 Madeleine: Dewey & Rodney Balfa, Allie Young, & Weston Bergeau (2:54)
3-27 Fishing Creek Blues: Sue Draheim, Mack Benford, Eric Thompson, Jody Stecher, Hank Bradley, Will Spires, Kenny Hall, Holly Tannen, & Larry Hanks (2:39)
3-28 Sally In the Garden: New Tranquility String Band & friends (2:21)
[Credits]
Producers: John Cohen, Mike Seeger and Tracy Schwarz, Liner Notes: Jon Pankake and Ray Allen, Photographers: Robert Frank and Chris Strachwitz, Designer: Visual Dialogue
[Notes]
Collectively known as the New Lost City Ramblers, Mike Seeger, John Cohen, and Tom Paley were pioneers in the revival of Southern mountain music during the folk music revival of the late 1950s and early 1960s. They brought the sounds of genuine old-time string band music and early bluegrass to eager city and college audiences who had grown disillusioned with the commercial pap of the folk boom. This set features two previously released CDs of the Ramblers classic Folkways recordings: The Early Years, 1958-1962 with the original trio, and Out Standing in Their Field: Volume II, 1963-1973, with Tracy Schwarz replacing Tom Paley. A newly compiled third disc,Where Do You Come From? Where Do You Go? celebrates the band's 50th anniversary in 2009, presenting more choice Ramblers selections along with their field recordings of the traditional Southern musicians who inspired them including: Dock Boggs, Roscoe Holcomb, Tom Ashley, Maybelle Carter, Elizabeth Cotten, Eck Robertson, Cousin Emmy, Reverend Gary Davis, Kilby Snow, Dillard Chandler, Dellie Norton, and the Balfa Brothers. 81 tracks, over 3 ½ hours of music, 88-page booklet over 3 CDs. Disc #3 includes 6 previously unreleased songs.

September 24, 2017

Classic Piedmont Blues

Smithsonian Folkways SFW CD 40221

Series: Smithsonian Folkways Classic Series
Format: CD, Compilation
Country: US
Released: Mar 24, 2017
Genre: Blues
Style: Piedmont Blues
[Tracklist]
01 Truckin' Little Baby: John Jackson (3:00)
02 Mamie: John Cephas and Phil Wiggins (4:13)
03 Hey Bartender, There’s a Big Bug in My Beer: Warner Williams and Eddie Pennington (2:47)
04 Confusion: Brownie McGhee and Sonny Terry (3:21)
05 T.B. Blues: Josh White (3:24)
06 If I Could Holler Like a Mountain Jack: Baby Tate (3:06)
07 Clog Dance: Hobart Smith (1:09)
08 Daisy: Brownie McGhee (3:27
09 Going Down the Road Feeling Bad: Elizabeth Cotten (2:13)
10 I Got a Woman 'Cross Town: Pink Anderson (1:56)
11 Red River Blues: John Jackson (3:01)
12 I Ain’t Gonna Pick No More Cotton: Warner Williams and Jay Summerour (3:50)
13 Sweet Woman: Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee (3:06)
14 The Train that Carried My Girl from Town: Doc Watson (2:22)
15 Mountain Jack: Reverend Gary Davis (3:31)
16 Crow Jane: John Cephas and Phil Wiggins (3:04)
17 Fore Day Creep: Brownie McGhee (4:14)
18 Sittin’ On Top of the World: Roscoe Holcomb (2:43)
19 Meet Me in the Bottom: Pink Anderson (3:33)
20 Dirty Mistreater: Sonny Terry, Brownie McGhee, and J. C. Burris (3:01)
21 The Road Is Rough And Rocky: Archie Edwards (3:24)
[Credits]
Liner Notes: Barry Lee Pearson, Producer: D.A. Sonneborn and Huib Schippers, Production Manager: Mary Monseu, Photographers: Ruby Lomax Photography, Ben Shahn and Nick Spitzer
[Notes]
With a selection of indelible recordings made over 70 years, Classic Piedmont Blues captures the essence of this fascinating blues tradition. Originating in the foothills of Southern Appalachia, the Piedmont blues served as a breeding ground for cross-pollination between traditions: rural and urban, black and white, country and coastal. Swept up on the tide of the Great Migration, it was carried from the Carolinas and Virginia, north and east through Maryland and Washington, D.C., to New York City and back again. Featuring influential artists like John Jackson, Cephas & Wiggins, Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee, and many others, this collection offers an illuminating overview of the Piedmont style. 64 minutes, 36-page booklet with extensive notes.