Classic Railroad Songs from Smithsonian Folkways

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.

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

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.

In The Pines: Tar Heel Folk Songs & Fiddle Tunes

Old-Time Music of North Carolina 1926-1936

Old Hat Records – CD1006

Format: CD, Album, Compilation
Country: US
Released: 2008
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk, Old Time
[Tracklist]
01 In The Pines: Dock Walsh (3:08)
02 Mountain Sweetheart: The Red Fox Chasers (2:56)
03 Mistreated Blues: Carolina Buddies (3:10)
04 Johnson City Hop: Carolina Ramblers String Band (2:46)
05 DAre You Sure?: Dixon Brothers & Mutt Evans (3:14)
06 The Rose With A Broken Ste: North Carolina Cooper Boys (3:02)
07 Jack Of Diamonds: Ben Jarrell (2:43)
08 Otto Wood: Thompson & Cranford (2:36)
09 Richmond Square: The Highlanders (2:58)
10 Will, The Weaver: Charlie Parker & Mack Woolbright (2:52)
11 Lindy: Proximity String Quartet (2:56)
12 Working On The Railroad: Blankenship Family (2:41)
13 Carolina's Best: The Grady Family (3:12)
14 Banjo Sam: Wilmer Watts & The Lonely Eagles (3:05)
15 New River Train: Cauley Family (2:39)
16 Little Bunch Of Roses: Clarence Greene (2:42)
17 That Lonesome Valley: Carolina Ramblers String Band (2:52)
18 Honeysuckle Rag: Blue Ridge Mountain Entertainers (2:57)
19 A Pretty Gal's Love: Whitter - Hendley - Small (2:42)
20 Tom Dooley: Grayson & Whitter (3:08)
21 The Longest Train: J.E. Mainer's Mountaineers (3:10)
22 Sweet Freedom: E.R. Nance Family with Clarence Dooley (2:27)
23 Sunny Home In Dixie: Frank Jenkins' Pilot Mountaineers (3:10)
24 My Home's Across The Blue Ridge Mountains: Carolina Tar Heels (3:20)
[Credits]
Producer: Marshall Wyatt, Liner Notes: Wayne Martin, Photographers: Tony Russell & Kip Lornell, Engineers: Christopher C. King & Jeff Carroll
[Notes]
In the early days of the recording industry, North Carolina was a hotbed of string bands playing traditional Appalachian folk-rooted music. This compilation collects 24 such recordings from the era immediately preceding and following the onset of the Depression, many of them quite obscure. Listeners with a general knowledge and appreciation of early American folk recordings might have heard of the Dixon Brothers and Mainer's Mountaineers, but for the most part, these performers will probably be unfamiliar to everybody except scholars and aficionados in the field. While they might have originated in the same region, this music shares many of the characteristics of early American recordings of what was then marketed as hillbilly music: plaintive heartfelt singing (and sometimes harmonizing); lively ensemble playing by varying combinations of guitar, fiddle, and banjo; and a repertoire growing out of traditional folk songs, even if the songs were sometimes written by the musicians (such as the one penned by Cranford & Thompson in honor of outlaw Otto Wood). The most renowned of these specific tracks by far is the first recorded version of "Tom Dooley" (by Grayson & Whitter in 1929), about 30 years before the Kingston Trio took it to the top of the charts, though both the tune and arrangement are much different in this early guise. Some other songs continue to echo as standards in the American popular music consciousness, such as "That Lonesome Valley" (here done by Carolina Ramblers String Band), "In the Pines" (here performed by "Dock" Walsh), and a variation of "In the Pines," "The Longest Train" (here presented by Mainer's Mountaineers). The 24-page booklet is of exceptional quality, with historical liner notes that comment upon each track and even offer a history of outlaw Otto Wood, as well as superb vintage photos of North Carolina folk musicians.-- AllMusic Review by Richie Unterberger

Hard Times Come Again No More Vol. 2

Early American Rural Songs Of Hard Times And Hardships

Yazoo – 2037

Format: CD, Compilation
Country: US
Released: 1998
Genre: Blues, Folk, World, & Country
Style: Country Blues, Hillbilly
[Tracklist]
01 Price of Cotton Blues: Allen Brothers (02:42)
02 Keno, The Rent Man: The Cofer Brothers (03:01)
03 Bad Time Blues: Barbecue Bob (03:15)
04 Wreck of the Tennessee Gravey Train: Sam McGee (03:11)
05 The Arkansas Sheik: Clayton McMichen & Riley Puckett (03:12)
06 Away from Home: Jim Hill & Peg Leg Howell (03:00)
07 I'm Satisfied: Earl Johnson (02:59)
08 Got the Farm Land Blues: The Carolina Tar Heels (03:19)
09 Times Is Tight Like That: Bo Carter & Walter Vinson (03:15)
10 Weave Room Blues: Fisher Hendley (02:32)
11 Boll Weevil: Alvin Conder & W.A. Lindsey (03:00)
12 Providence Help the Poor People: Joe Williams (03:09)
13 The Tramp: McGee Brothers (02:49)
14 Cotton Mill Colic: David McCarn (02:34)
15 Starvation Blues: Charley Jordan (03:17)
16 Broke Down Section Hand: Ernest V. Stoneman (03:05)
17 Little Old Sod Shanty: Jules Allen (02:58)
18 Down South Blues: Ernest V. Stoneman (03:10)
19 No One's Hard up But Me: Red Brush Rowdies (02:44)
20 Cotton Mill Blues: Lee Brothers Trio (03:02)
21 No Dough Blues: Blind Blake (03:05)
22 The Northern Starvers Are Returning Home: Bob Carter & Charlie McCoy (03:27)
23 Them Good Old Times Are Coming Back Again: Jim Baird (03:30)
[Credits]
Producer: Richard Nevins, Liner Notes: Don Kent, Designer: Joan Pelosi
[Notes]
With the unlikely sound of a kazoo, the Allen Brothers kick off this fine volume of hard-time blues collected from the '20s and '30s. More tongue-in-cheek than its predecessor, this volume is not all moaning and weeping. Uncle Dave Macon & Sam McGhee create a joyful sound with dueling banjos on "Wreck of the Tennessee Gravey Train" and Earl Johnson & his Dixie Entertainers are hilarious on "I'm Satisfied." The disc proves some things never change: you have to laugh sometimes to keep from crying.-- AllMusic Review by Tim Sheridan

Hard Times Come Again No More Vol. 1

Early American Rural Songs Of Hard Times And Hardships

Yazoo – 2036

Format: CD, Compilation, Remastered
Country: US
Released: 1998
Genre: Blues, Folk, World, & Country
Style: Country Blues, Hillbilly
[Tracklist]
01 Down On Penny's Farm: The Bentley Boys (02:47)
02 How Can a Poor Man Stand Such Times and Live: Blind Alfred Reed (03:15)
03 Hard Time Blues: Lane Hardin (03:18)
04All I Got's Gone: Ernest V. Stoneman (02:53)
05 Bread Line Blues: "Slim" Smith (03:22)
06 Miss Meal Cramp Blues: Alec Johnson (02:59)
07 My Name Is John Johanna: Kelly Harrell (03:13)
08 Serves 'Em Fine: Dave McCarn (03:00)
09 It's Hard Time: J.D. Short (03:11)
10 All In Down and Out: Uncle Dave Macon (02:32)
11 Richmond Blues: Rutherford & Foster (03:02)
12 Hard Times: Elder Curry (03:17)
13 Georgia Hobo: Cofer Brothers (03:19)
14 One Dime Blues: Blind Lemon Jefferson (02:46)
15 Dixie Boll Weavil: Fiddlin' John Carson (02:56)
16 See the Black Clouds A'Breakin' Over Yonder: Chubby Parker (03:04)
17 Down and Out Blues: Scrapper Blackwell (02:55)
18 Starving To Death On A Government Claim: Edward L. Crain (02:56)
19 We Sure Got Hard Times: Barbecue Bob (03:24)
20 Georgia Blues: Samantha Bumgarner (02:58)
21 Blue Harvest Blues: Mississippi John Hurt (02:53)
22 Weaver's Life: Dixon Brothers (03:24)
23 Hard Times Come Again No More: Graham Brothers (02:50)
[Credits]
Producer: Richard Nevins, Liner Notes: Don Kent, Designer: Joan Pelosi
[Notes]
Another fine Yazoo collection of vintage American recordings of the '20s and '30s. The theme here of first-hand hardship experience makes for some amazing music, whether by white or black artists. The buoyant "Down on Penny's Farm" is beautifully offset by Blind Alfred Reed's baleful complaint "How Can a Poor Man Stand," complete with fragile fiddle work and loping guitar work. And that's just the first two tracks. It's amazing stuff: part oral history, part entertainment and all priceless, though both volumes together may make for more hard times than you want to experience.-- AllMusic Review by Tim Sheridan

Virginia Traditions: Native Virginia Ballads and Songs

BRI Records – BRI 004

Series: Virginia Traditions
Format: Vinyl, LP, Compilation
Country: US
Released: 1981
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk, Country, & Bluegrass
[Tracklist]
A1 Claude Allen: Hobart Smith (3:33)
A2 Sidney Allen: Spence Moore (1:59)
A3 Poor Goins: James Taylor Adams and Finley Adams (3:59)
A4 The Vance Song: Branch W. Higgins (2:16)
A5 The Fate of Dewey Lee: Spence Moore (2:59)
A6 The Fate of Talmadge Osborne: Ernest V. Stoneman (3:06)
A7 The Wreck of the 1256: Vernon Dalhart (4:16)
A8 The Wreck of the Old 97: Kelly Harrell and Henry Whitter (3:49)
B1 The Life and Death of Charlie Poole: Ted Prillaman (2:25)
B2 The Story of Freeda Bolt: Floyd County Ramblers (3:41)
B3 The Ballad of Caty Sage: J.C. Pierce (3:43)
B4 The Cyclone of Rye Cove: The Carter Family (2:04)
B5 The Story of the Flood: The Stanley Brothers (3:12)
B6 The Pinnacle Mountain Silver Mine: Helen Cockram (2:08)
B7 New River Song: Jim and Artie Marshall (2:59)
B8 Highway 52: Little "Doc" Raymond and The Coleman Pardners (2:54)
B9 The Ballad of Fancy Gap: Jim and Artie Marshall (4:51)
[Credits]
Liner Notes: Doug DeNatale, Editor: Linda Linnartz, Recorders: Alan Lomax, Herbert Halpert, Elizabeth Lomax and Bobby Patterson, Engineers: Doug DeNatale and Glen Hinson
[Notes]
Few states in this country can boast of more diverse folkways than Virginia. Many of the material objects—such as barns, tools, and furniture—reflect the traditions that shaped the lives of its earliest settlers and the generations of Virginians who followed. The Commonwealth’s performance traditions of songs, tunes, and tales also tell of a shared heritage involving all classes of people in every facet of life. Because traditions naturally change over time, the documentation of Virginia folk culture is an ongoing process essential to our understanding of the past, present, and future. By recording the folkways of Virginia, the Blue Ridge Institute of Ferrum College and its BRI Record label strive to foster a greater appreciation of our folk roots through an array of interpretive programs. From murders to train wrecks to natural disasters, the ballads on this recording concern events and people of Appalachian Virginia. Performance styles range from traditional unaccompanied singing to sophisticated modern bluegrass.

Gennett Old Time Music Classic Country Recordings 1927-1934

JSP Records – JSP77130

Format: 4 x CD, Compilation
Country: UK
Released: 2010
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Country, Old Time
[Disc One]
01 When I Was Single My Pockets Would Jingle: John D. Foster (03:00)
02 Good Bye, My Darlin': John D. Foster (03:06)
03 My Sarah Jane: John D. Foster (02:24)
04 Storms May Rule the Ocean: John D. Foster (02:28)
05 The Cabin with Roses at the Door: John D. Foster (03:14)
06 My Boyhood Happy Days: John D. Foster (03:15)
07 Some Day I'll Wander Back Again: John D. Foster (03:19)
08 We Can Only Have One Mother: John D. Foster (03:10)
09 Taylor's Quickstep: John D. Foster (03:02)
10 Richmond Blues: John D. Foster (03:03)
11 These Bones Gwine Rise Again: John D. Foster (02:56)
12 My Carolina Home: John D. Foster (03:13)
13 Let Her Go I'll Meet Her: John D. Foster (02:53)
14 She's Only a Bird in a Guilded Cage: John D. Foster (02:43)
15 Meet Me in the Moonlight: John D. Foster (02:53)
16 There's More Pretty Girls Than One: John D. Fosterd (02:42)
17 Two Faithful Lovers: John D. Foster (02:52)
18 Cabin with Roses at the Door: John D. Foster (03:13)
19 Six Months Ain't Long: John D. Foster (03:03)
20 New River Train: Ernest V. Stoneman (02:53)
21 John Hardy: Ernest V. Stoneman (03:10)
22 Kenney Wagner's Surrender: Ernest V. Stoneman (02:23)
23 The Poor Tramp Has to Live: Ernest V. Stoneman (03:06)
24 Long Eared Mule: Ernest V. Stoneman & His Grayson County Boys (03:06)
25 Round Town Gals: Ernest V. Stoneman & His Grayson County Boys (03:04)
[Disc Two]
01 The Arkansas Traveler: Red Fox Chasers (03:08)
02 Turkey in the Straw: Red Fox Chasers (03:11)
03 Did You Ever See the Devil, Uncle Joe?: Red Fox Chasers (03:04)
04 Wreck on the Mountain Road: Red Fox Chasers (02:37)
05 Stolen Love: Red Fox Chasers (02:45)
06 Tell Mother I'll Meet Her: Red Fox Chasers (03:19)
07 Weeping Willow Tree: Red Fox Chasers (02:44)
08 Little Sweetheart Pal of Mine: Red Fox Chasers (03:04)
09 Put My Little Shoes Away: Red Fox Chasers (02:56)
10 Mississippi Sawyer: Red Fox Chasers (03:10)
11 Twinkle Little Star: Red Fox Chasers (02:55)
12 Looking to My Prayer: Red Fox Chasers (02:36)
13 We Shall Meet on That Beautiful Shore: Red Fox Chasers (02:45)
14 May I Sleep in Your Barn Tonight, Mister: Red Fox Chasers (02:53)
15 Something Wrong with My Gal: Red Fox Chasers (02:42)
16 Honeysuckle Time: Red Fox Chasers (02:40)
17 The Blind Man and His Child: Red Fox Chasers (02:48)
18 Makin' Likker in North Carolina, Pt. 1: Red Fox Chasers (03:09)
19 Makin' Likker in North Carolina, Pt. 2: Red Fox Chasers (02:33)
20 Virginia Bootleggers: Red Fox Chasers (02:50)
21 Naomi Wise: Red Fox Chasers (02:55)
22 Devilish Mary: Red Fox Chasers (02:40)
23 Six Feet of Earth Makes Us All One Size: Oscar L. Coffey (02:53)
24 My Dear Old Mountain Home: Oscar L. Coffey (03:05)
25 He's Only a Miner Killed in the Ground: Ted Chestnut (02:32)
[Disc Three]
01 Deer Walk: Fiddlin' Doc Roberts (03:07)
02 The Devil in Georgia: Fiddlin' Doc Roberts (03:12)
03 Take Those Lips Away: Fiddlin' Doc Roberts (03:01)
04 Jacks Creek Waltz: Fiddlin' Doc Roberts (03:13)
05 Martha Campbell: Fiddlin' Doc Roberts (03:07)
06 The Girl I Left Behind Me: Fiddlin' Doc Roberts (03:07)
07 Rocky Mountain: Fiddlin' Doc Roberts (03:06)
08 Cripple Creek: Fiddlin' Doc Roberts (02:36)
09 Old Buzzard: Fiddlin' Doc Roberts (02:37)
10 Arkansas Traveler: Fiddlin' Doc Roberts (02:45)
11 Johnny Inchin' Along: Fiddlin' Doc Roberts (03:09)
12 Buck Creek Gal: Fiddlin' Doc Roberts (02:35)
13 I've Got a Girl Named Susie: Fiddlin' Doc Roberts (03:04)
14 Run Smoke Run: Fiddlin' Doc Roberts (02:51)
15 Gray Eagle: Taylor's Kentucky Boys (02:40)
16 Forked Deer: Taylor's Kentucky Boys (02:45)
17 Sourwood Mountain: Taylor's Kentucky Boys (02:36)
18 Coal Creek: March Marion Underwood (02:48)
19 Eighth of January: Ted Gossett's Band (02:44)
20 Fire on the Mountain: Tommy Whitmer (02:52)
21 Wild Geese: Ted Gossett's Band (02:53)
22 Fox Chase: Ted Gossett's Band (02:59)
23 Little Birdie: John Hammond (02:49)
24 Purty Polly: John Hammond (03:08)
25 As Free a Little Bird as Can Be: John Hammond (02:32)
[Disc Four]
01 Richmond Cotillion: Da Costa Woltz'sSouthern Broadcasters (02:55)
02 John Brown's Dream: Da Costa Woltz's Southern Broadcasters (02:43)
03 Merry Girl: Da Costa Woltz's Southern Broadcasters (02:59)
04 Yellow Rose of Texas: Da Costa Woltz's Southern Broadcasters (02:49)
05 I Know My Name Is There: Da Costa Woltz's Southern Broadcasters (02:44)
06 Are You Washed in the Blood of the Lamb: Da Costa Woltz's Southern Broadcasters (02:52)
07 Wandering Boy: Da Costa Woltz's Southern Broadcasters (02:50)
08 Take Me Back to the Sweet Sunny South: Da Costa Woltz's Southern Broadcasters (02:46)
09 When You Ask a Girl to Leave Her Happy Home: Da Costa Woltz's Southern Broadcasters (02:37)
10 Old Joe Clark: Da Costa Woltz's Southern Broadcasters (02:45)
11 Evening Star Waltz: Da Costa Woltz's Southern Broadcasters (02:44)
12 Home Sweet Home: Da Costa Woltz's Southern Broadcasters (02:35)
13 Last Days in Georgia: Byrd Moore (02:57)
14 Flop Eared Mule: Byrd Moore (03:02)
15 That Old Tiger Rag: Byrd Moore (03:09)
16 Favourite Two Step: Byrd Moore (03:03)
17 Careless Lover: Byrd Moore (03:13)
18 Mama Don't Allow No Low Down Hangin' Round: Byrd Moore (03:04)
19 The Bully of the Town: Byrd Moore (02:54)
20 Snatch 'Em Back Blues: Byrd Moore (03:12)
21 Bed Bugs Makin' Their Last Go Round: Byrd Moore (03:19)
22 All Night Long: Byrd Moore (03:18)
23 When the Snowflakes Fall Again: Byrd Moore (03:01)
24 Birmingham Jail: Byrd Moore (03:03)
[Credits]
Jim Booker (fiddle) John Booker (guitar) Kahle Brewer (fiddle) Guy Brooks (fiddle) Ted Chestnut (vocals) Oscar Coffey (banjo/vocals) Bob Cranford (harmonica/vocals) Da Costa Woltz (banjo/vocals) John D. Foster (guitar/vocals) Bolen Frost (banjo) Enos Gossett (guitar) Ted Gossett (fiddle) John Hammond (guitar/vocals) Jesse James (mandolin/vocals) Benny Jarrell (fiddle/vocals) Frank Jenkins (banjo/fiddle/vocals) Asa Martin (guitar/vocals) Paul Miles (banjo/vocals) Byrd Moore (guita/vocals) Earl Nossinger (guitar) Fiddlin' Doc Roberts (fiddle/mandolin) Melvin Robinette (fiddle/vocals) Leonard Rutherford (fiddle/vocals) Ernest V. Stoneman (guitar/harmonica/vocals) Earl Sweet (banjo) Herbert Sweet (fiddle) A.P. Thompson (guitar/vocals) Marion Underwood (banjo) Tommy Whitmer (fiddle) Justin Winfield (guitar/vocals) Pete Woods (banjo) Willie Young (guitar)
Liner Notes: Pat Harrison, Source Material: Tony Russell and Charles K. Wolfe
[Notes]
Although best known for its jazz releases, Fred Gennett's self-named Gennett Records label also did extensive recording in the rural folk genre, tracking various singers and string bands from the South in the 1920s and 1930s. This expansive four-disc set compiled by Chris King collects nearly 100 of these rare sides issued between 1927 and 1934, including early recordings by Ernest Stoneman, the Red Fox Chasers, Fiddlin' Doc Roberts, and a trio of lovely claw hammer banjo pieces from John Hammond. Modern country grew out of these kinds of back-porch performances, and what they lack in polish and sleekness they more than make up for with pure heart and soul.

Ernest V. Stoneman 1928 Edison Recordings

County Records – CD3510

Format: CD, Compilation
Country: US
Released: 1996
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Classic Country
[Tracklist]
01 Remember The Poor Tramp Has To Live (3:13)
02 The Prisoner's Lament (3:08)
03 All Go Hungry Hash House (3:24)
04 There'll Come A Time (3:12)
05 Sally Goodwin (3:10)
06 Careless Love (3:28)
07 The Eastbound Train (3:07)
08 The Unlucky Road To Washington (3:19)
09 The Old Maid And The Burglar (3:21)
10 Down On The Banks Of The Ohio (3:09)
11 We Parted At The River (3:21)
12 It's Sinful To Flirt (3:29)
13 He Was Nailed To The Cross For Me (3:26)
14 When The Redeemed Are Gathering In (3:29)
15 Goodbye Dear Old Stepstone (3:12)
16 Fallen By The Wayside (3:21)
17 My Mother And My Sweetheart (3:31)
18 Midnight On The Stormy Deep (3:04)
19 The Pretty Mohea (3:28)
20 Watchman Ring That Bell (3:22)
21 I Remember Calvary (3:27)
22 He Is Coming After Me (3:33)
[Credits]
Ernest V. Stoneman (autoharp/guitar/harmonica/vocals) Bolen Frost (banjo)
Coordinator: Gary B. Reid, Liner Notes: Frank Mare, Designer: Rebecca Pittard, Engineer: Craig Maier and Dave Glasser
[Notes]
1928 Edison Recordings contains all 22 tracks that Ernest Stoneman recorded for Edison in 1928. On these sessions, he was backed by a string band, which gave him and his autoharp a fuller sound, yet this music remains pure, direct and rural -- his versions of traditional numbers like "The Prisoner's Lament," "I Remember Cavalry" and "Fallen By the Wayside" are startling in their openness.

Masters of Old-time Country Autoharp

Smithsonian Folkways – SFW CD 40115

Format: CD, Compilation
Country: US
Released: 2006
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk
[Tracklist]
01 Stoney's Waltz: Ernest V. Stoneman (1:56)
02 Sweet Marie: Neriah and Kenneth Benfield (2:00)
03 John Henry: Kilby Snow (2:07)
04 May I Sleep in Your Barn Tonight, Mister?: Kilby Snow (1:37)
05 She'll Be Coming Around the Mountain: Kilby Snow with Wade Ward (1:11)
06 Sweet Sunny South: Ernest V. Stoneman (2:30)
07 Bile'em Cabbage Down: Ernest V. Stoneman (2:02)
08 Marching Through Georgia: Ernest V. Stoneman (1:20)
09 Wreck of Number Nine: Ernest V. Stoneman (2:49)
10 Ella's Grave: Neriah Benfield (1:45)
11 Waltz: Neriah Benfield (1:21)
12 Old Joe Clark: Kenneth Benfield (1:25)
13 Shortening Bread: Kenneth Benfield (1:14)
14 Cindy: Kilby Snow (1:10)
15 Budded Roses: Kilby Snow (1:53)
16 Flop-eared Mule: Kilby Snow (1:50)
17 Home Sweet Home: Kilby Snow (2:31)
18 Springtime Again Little Annie: Ernest V. Stoneman (2:11)
19 Great Reaping Day: Ernest V. Stoneman (2:04)
20 Weeping Willow Tree: Kenneth & Neriah Benfield (1:56)
21 I'm Alone, All Alone: Ernest Stoneman with Mike Seeger (2:48)
22 All I Got's Gone: Ernest Stoneman (2:37)
23 Benfield Hoedown (Idaho Girl): Neriah Benfield (1:07)
24 Bonaparte's Retreat: Kenneth Benfield (1:47)
25 Chinese Breakdown: Neriah and Kenneth Benfield (2:13)
26 Wildwood Flower: Kilby Snow with Mike Seeger (1:22)
27 Tragic Romance: Kilby Snow with Hazel Dickens & Mike Seeger (1:25)
28 Close By: Kilby Snow (2:03)
29 Way Down in the Country: Kenneth Benfield (1:07)
30 Golden Slippers: Kenneth Benfield (2:11)
31 Lights in the Valley: Neriah and Kenneth Benfield (1:25)
32 Chicken Reel: Kilby Snow (0:47)
33 Precious Jewel: Kilby Snow (3:33)
34 Muleskinner Blues: Kilby Snow (2:18)
35 Red River Valley: Kilby and Jim Snow (2:11)
36 Hallelujah Side: Ernest V. Stoneman (2:17)
37 Jacob's Ladder: Kenneth Benfield (1:09)
38 I Ain't Gonna Work Tomorrow: Kilby Snow (1:52)
[Credits]
Producer, Recorder, Photographer and Liner Notes: Mike Seeger, Liner Notes: Charles Wolfe, Designer: Sonya Cohen Cramer, Editor: Carla Borden, Product Manager: Mary Monseur, Engineer: Pete Reiniger
[Notes]
The autoharp, invented in the 1870s and a fad in the 1890s, became a virtuoso instrument among the artists featured here as well as other players in the early to mid 20th century. Spirited breakdowns, sentimental and gospel songs—some played as instrumentals—and even a bluegrass song are presented here in this re-release of the only documentary of traditional Southern autoharp players. Includes 14 previously unissued tracks. Recorded, edited, and annotated by Mike Seeger. Song notes by Charles Wolfe. 32-page booklet. 38 tracks; 72 minutes

Religious Music: Congregational & Ceremonial

The Library of Congress - LBC1

Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
Series: Folk Music In America – Volume 1
Country: US
Released: 1976
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk
[Tracklist]
A1 Nobody's fault but mine (1st version): Milledgeville, Georgia Singers
A2 Lebt friedsam, sprach Christus: Amish Singers of Kalona, Iowa
A3 Hosanna! Jesus reigns: Elder Walter Evans and Congregation
A4 The Lord will provide: Lenville Ball
A5 Little David, play on your harp: Brother Claude Ely "The Gospel Ranger"
A6 I know my name is there: Stoneman's Dixie Mountaineers
A7 Travelin' to that new buryin' ground: Banks, Bentley, Blake, and Vosburg
A8 Pascola dance music: Yaqui Indian musicians
A9 My soul is a witness: Austin Coleman, Joe Washington Brown, and group
B1 Down on the old camp ground: Dinwiddie Colored Quartet
B2 Do you call that religion?: Banks, Bentley, Blake, and Vosburg
B3 ifty miles of elbow room: Rev. F. W. McGee and Congregation
B4 Birchas kohanim: Cantor Isaiah Meisels and Congregation
B5 Antioch: Allison's Sacred Harp Singers
B6 Bells of love: Middle Georgia Singing Convention No. 1
B7 I am the vine: Elder Otis Jones and Congregation
B8 God's got a crown: Arizona Dranes and choir
B9 A1 Nobody's fault but mine (2nd version): Milledgeville, Georgia Singers
[Creduts]
Producer: Richard Keith Spottswood
[Notes]
This is the first record in a series that provides many examples of the traditional music which forms an essential part of the American heritage. The selections have been chosen from field and commercial sources going back to the 19th century. This LP spans seven decades, from The Dinwiddie Colored Quarter (1902) to Lenville Ball (1971). -- AllMusic Review by Roundup Newsletter

The Stoneman Family: Old-Time Tunes of the South

Folkways Records – FA 2315

Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: US
Released: 1957
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk, Country, Old Time
[Tracklist]
A01 Say, Darling, Say: Ernest V. Stoneman (1:41)
A02 Black Dog Blues: Ernest V., Hattie and Vann Stoneman (2:21)
A03 When the Springtime Comes Again: Ernest V. Stoneman (1:50)
A04 Stoney's Waltz: Ernest V. Stoneman (2:02)
A05 New River Train: Ernest V. and Hattie Stoneman (3:38)
A06 Hallelujah Side: Ernest V. Stoneman (2:27)
A07 Cumberland Gap: Hattie Stoneman (1:04)
A08 Hang John Brown: Ernest V. Stoneman (2:48)
A09 Bile Them Cabbage Down: Ernest V. Stoneman (2:10)
A10 The Wreck of the Old Ninety-Seven: Ernest V., Hattie, Gene and Vann Stoneman (2:57)
B01 Lonesome Road Blues: J.C. Sutphin, Vernon Sutphin, and J.J. Neese (1:58)
B02 Little Sadie: Louise Foreacre (1:43)
B03 Late Last Night: Louise Foreacre (1:45)
B04 Frankie Was a Good Girl: Louise Foreacre (2:21)
B05 I Met a Handsome Lady: H.N. Dickens (2:25)
B06 John Henry: J.C. and Vernon Sutphin (1:37)
B07 The Cruel War: Louise Foreacre (2:42)
B08 The Golden Pen: H.N. Dickens (4:04)
B09 The Arkansas Traveler: H.N. Dickens (1:31)
B10 A Rose in Grandma's Garden: Louise Foreacre: 3:42)
B11 Lost John: J.C. and Vernon Sutphin (1:23)
[Credits]
Ernest V. Stoneman (guitar/autoharp/harmonica/vocals) Hattie Stoneman (banjo/fiddle) Vann Stoneman (bass) Gene Stoneman (guitar) Vernon Sutphin (banjo) J.J. Neese (fiddle) Louise Foreacre (banjo/fiddle) H.N. Dickens (banjo/vocals) Gene Cox (banjo)
Producer and Liner Notes: Ralph Rinzler, Recorder: Mike Seeger, Designer: Cliff Condak
[Notes]
Originally from Carroll County, Virginia, the Stoneman family moved to the Washington, DC area during the Depression, where they continued to play old-time music after harsh economic conditions cut short Ernest "Pop" Stoneman's recording career for Okeh and Edison. This album features tunes and songs from Pop, Mrs. Stoneman, and their children.

When the Work's All Done This Fall: Ernest V. Stoneman 1926

Edison Blue Amberol: 5188 / Edison Record: 11054

Dubbed from Edison Diamond Disc matrix 11054.
Year of release from Blue Amberol records: a discography, 1912-1929 / Allan Sutton, 2005.
Special Coll., Performing Arts Cylinder 8115
Durable URL: http://www.library.ucsb.edu/OBJID/Cylinder8115

Hand Me Down My Walking Cane: Ernest V. Stoneman 1927

Edison Blue Amberol: 5297 / Edison Record: 11481

Ernest V. Stoneman (guitar/harmonica/vocals) Bolen Frost (banjo) Kahle Brewer (fiddle)
Edison Blue Amberol: 5297. Dubbed from Edison Diamond Disc matrix 11481.
Year of release from Blue Amberol records: a discography, 1912-1929 / Allan Sutton, 2005.
Special Coll., Performing Arts Cylinder 7362

Mountain Music Played on the Autoharp

Folkways Records FA-2365

Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: US
Released: 1962
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Country, Field Recording, Bluegrass, Folk
[Tracklist]
A01 Stoney's Waltz: Ernest V. Stoneman (2:09)
A02 Sweet Marie: Neriah and Kenneth Benfield (2:04)
A03 May I Sleep in Your Barn Tonight, Mister?: Kilby Snow (1:41)
A04 She'll Be Coming 'Round the Mountain: Kilby Snow and Wade Ward (1:15)
A05 Flop-Eared Mule: Kilby Snow (2:01)
A06 Bile Them Cabbage Down: Ernest V. Stoneman (2:40)
A07 All I Got's Gone: Ernest Stoneman (2:40)
A08 Ella's Grave: Neriah and Kenneth Benfield (1:50)
A09 Shortenin' Bread: Kenneth Benfield (1:18)
A10 Old Joe Clark: Kenneth Benfield (1:30)
A11 Waltz: Neriah Benfield (1:24)
A12 Precious Jewel: Kilby Snow (3:38)
A13 Ain't Going to Work Tomorrow: Kilby Snow (1:56)
B01 Muleskinner Blues: Kilby Snow (2:22)
B02 John Henry: Kilby Snow (3:35)
B03 Weeping Willow Tree: Neriah and Kenneth Benfield (2:00)
B04 Wreck of Number Nine: Ernest V. Stoneman (2:52)
B05 Red River Valley: Kilby Snow (2:15)
B06 The Great Reaping Day: Ernest V. Stoneman (2:06)
B07 I'm Alone, All Alone: Ernest V. Stoneman (2:50)
B08 Jacob's Ladder: Kenneth Benfield (1:12)
B09 Way Down in the Country: Kenneth Benfield (1:00)
B20 Benfield Hoedown (Idaho Girl): Neriah Benfield (1:12)
B21 Wildwood Flower: Kilby Snow (1:27)
B22 Tragic Romance: Kilby Snow (1:33)
[Credits]
Ernest V. Stoneman (autoharp/vocals) Kenneth Benfield (autoharp) Neriah Benfield (autoharp) Kilby Snow (autoharp) Wade Ward (banjo) Mike Seeger (banjo/guitar) Hazel Dickens (guitar)
Recorder and Producer: Mike Seeger
[Notes]
First patented in 1881 by German instrument repairman Charles Zimmerman, the autoharp first reached popularity as a novelty instrument. By 1900, while that fad had passed, the autoharp found an enduring home in the southern mountains. This compilation features a variety of performers, as well as extensive biographical notes about each contributor.

Round The Heart Of Old Galax Vol. 1

County Records 533

Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: US
Released: 1980
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Country
[Tracklist]
A1 The Old Hickory Cane: Ernest V. Stoneman
A2 Two Little Orphans: Ernest V. Stoneman, Eck Dunford, George Stoneman
A3 No More Goodbyes: Ernest V. Stoneman, Kahle Brewer, Irma Frost
A4 John Hardy: Ernest V. Stoneman, Herbert Sweet, Earl Sweet
A5 Barney McCoy: Eck Dunford, Ernest V. Stoneman, Hattie Stoneman, I. Edwards
A6 There's A Light Lit Up In Galilee: Ernest V. Stoneman, Hattie Stoneman, Eck Dunford
A7 Lonesome Road Blues: Kahle Brewer, Bolen Frost, Ernest V. Stoneman
B1 Flop Eared Mule: Kahle Brewer, Bolen Frost, Ernest V. Stoneman
B2 Tell Mother I Will Meet Her: Ernest V. Stoneman, Kahle Brewer, W. Mooney
B3 Buffalo Gals: Kahle Brewer, Bolen Frost, Ernest V. Stoneman
B4 I Am Resolved: Ernest V. Stoneman, Kahle Brewer, Irma Frost
B5 Sweet Bunch Of Violets: Ernest V. Stoneman, Kahle Brewer
B6 Too Late: Ernest V. Stoneman, Hattie Stoneman, Eck Dunford
B7 New River Train: Herbert Sweet, Earl Sweet, Ernest V. Stoneman
[Credits]
Liner Notes and Producer: Wayne Martin, Cover: Richard Nevins
[Notes]
Features a good cross-section of the musicrecorded commercially in the the 1920s and 30s by Ernest V. "Pop" Stoneman with his family and associates. Stoneman has not been held in high regard by some who value "the Galax Sound," for he was something of an opportunist who carved out a professional career for himself. Yet his repertoire sprang from the diverse streams of tradition found in his home area, and included ballads, sentimental songs, sacred songs, humorous songs, and instrumental music. Many of Stoneman's performances utilized the more or less standard string band alignment of fiddle, guitar, and banjo. Some of the most accomplished instrumentalists from Galax recorded with Stoneman, such as fiddlers Kahle Brewer and Eck Dunford. Stoneman was also one of the few early country musicians to record with a parlour organ, an instrument which has played a large role in many family music traditions in the South. (Reviewed by Paul L. Tyler)

Anthology of American Folk Music: Edited by Harry Smith

Smithsonian Folkways SFW-40090

Format: 6-CD, Compilation, Enhanced, Reissue, Box Set
Country: United States
Released: 1997
Genre: Blues, Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk, Cajun, Country, Gospel, Blues
[Tracklist]
Disk One
101 Henry Lee: Dick Justice (3:28)
102 Fatal Flower Garden: Nelstone's Hawaiians (2:58)
103 The House Carpenter: Clarence Ashley (3:16)
104 Drunkard's Special: Coley Jones (3:16)
105 Old lady and the Devil: Bill and Belle Reed (3:05)
106 The Butcher's Boy: Buell Kazee (3:05)
107 The Wagoner's Lad: Buell Kazee (3:05)
108 King Kong Kitchie Kitchie Ki-me-o: Chubby Parker (3:09)
109 Old Shoes And Leggins: Uncle Eck Dunford (3:01)
110 Willie Moore: Richard Burnett and Leonard Rutherford (3:16)
111 A Lazy Farmer Boy: Buster Carter and Preston Young (3:00)
112 Peg And Awl: The Carolina Tar Heels (2:59)
113 Ommie Wise: G. B. Grayson (3:12)
114 My Name Is John Johanna: Kelly Harrell and the Virginia String Band (3:13)
Disk Two
201 Bandit Cole Younger: Edward L. Crain (2:57)
202 Charles Giteau: Kelly Harrel And the Virginia String Band (3:05)
203 John Hardy Was A Desperate Little Man: The Carter Family (2:57)
204 Gonna Die With My Hammer In My hand : The Williamson Brothers and Curry (3:26)
205 Stackalee (Stagger Lee): Frank Hutchison (3:01)
206 White House blues Charlie Poole and the North Carolina Ramblers (3:31)
207 Frankie: Mississippi John Hurt (3:28)
208 When That Great Ship Went Down (The Titanic): William and Versey Smith (2:58)
209 Engine 14(3 The Carter Family (3:19)
210 Kassie Jones, Parts 1 and (2: Furry Lewis (6:16)
211 Down On Penny's Farm: The Bently Boys (2:50)
212 Mississippi Boweavil (Boll Weevil) Blues: The Masked Marvel (3:09)
213 Got The Farm Land Blues: The Carolina Tar Heels (3:17)
Disk Three
301 Sail Away Lady: Uncle Bunt Stephens (2:58)
302 The Wild Wagoner: Jilson Setters (3:17)
303 Wake Up Jacob: Prince Albert Hunt's Texas Ramblers (2:55)
304 La Danseuse: Delma Lachney and Blind Uncle Gaspard (2:56)
305 Georgia Stomp: Andrew and Jim Baxter (2:47)
306 Brilliancy Medley: Eck Robertson and Family (3:01)
307 Indian War Whoop: Hoyt Ming and the Pep Steppers (3:13)
308 Old Country Stomp: Henry Thomas (2:55)
309 Old Dog Blue: Jim Jackson (3:04)
310 Saut Crapaud: Columbus Fruge (2:49)
311 Acadian One-Step: Joseph Falcon (3:00)
312 Home Sweet Home: The Breaux Freres (3:00)
313 The Newport Blues: The Cincinnati Jug Band (2:58)
314 Moonshiner's Dance Part One: Frank Cloutier and the Victoria Cafe Orchestra (2:40)
Disk Four
401 Must Be Born Again: Rev. J.M. Gates (1:31)
402 Oh Death Where Is Thy Sting: Rev. J.M. Gates (1:29)
403 Rocky Road: Alabama Sacred Harp Singers (2:45)
404 Present Joys: Alabama Sacred Harp Singers (2:53)
405 This Song of Love: Middle Georgia Singing Convention No. 1 (2:58
406 Judgement: Rev. Sister Mary Nelson (2:25
407 He Got Better Things For You: Memphis Sanctified Singers (2:54)
408 Since I Laid My Burden Down: The Elders McIntorsh and Edwards' Sanctified Singers (3:19)
409 John The Baptist: Rev. Moses Mason (3:05)
410 Dry Bones: Bascom Lamar Lunsford (3:00)
411 John The Revelator: Blind Willie Johnson (3:21)
412 Little Moses: The Carter Family (3:14)
413 Shine On Me: Ernest Phipps and His Holiness Singers (3:03)
414 Fifty Miles Of Elbow Room: Rev. F.M. McGee (2:43
415 I'm In The Battlefield For My Lord: Rev. D.C. Rice and His Sanctified Congregation (3:20)
Disk Five
501 The Coo Coo Bird: Clarence Ashley (2:56)
502 East Virginia: Buell Kazee (3:01)
503 Minglewood Blues: Cannon's Jug Stompers with Noah Lewis (3:44)
504 I Woke Up One Morning In May: Didier Hébert (3:04)
505 James Alley Blues: Richard "Rabbit" Brown (3:07)
506 Sugar Baby: Dock Boggs (2:58)
507 I Wish I Was A Mole In The Ground: Bascom Lamar Lunsford (3:21)
508 The Mountaineer's Courtship: Ernest and Hattie Stoneman (2:44)
509 The Spanish Merchant's Daughter (No, Sir No): The Stoneman Family (3:18)
510 Bob Lee Junior Blues: The Memphis Jug Band (3:11)
511 Single Girl, Married Girl: The Carter Family (2:47)
512 Le Vieux Soulard et Sa Femme: Cleoma Breaux and Joseph Falcon (3:10)
513 Rabbit Foot Blues: Blind Lemon Jefferson (2:57)
514 Expressman Blues: Sleepy John Estes and Yank Rachell (3:02)
Disk Six
601 Poor Boy Blues: Ramblin' Thomas (2:24)
602 Feather Bed: Cannon's Jug Stompers (3:16)
603 Country Blues: Dock Boggs (2:59
604 99 Year Blues: Julius Daniels (3:07)
605 Prison Cell Blues: Blind Lemon Jefferson (2:47)
606 See That My Grave Is Kept Clean: Blind Lemon Jefferson (2:55)
607 C'est Si Triste Sans Lui: Cleoma Breaux and Joseph Falcon (3:01)
608 Way Down the Old Plank Road: Uncle Dave Macon (3:01)
609 Buddy Won't You Roll Down the Line: Uncle Dave Macon (3:15)
610 Spike Driver Blues: Mississippi John Hurt (3:17)
611 K.C. Moan: The Memphis Jug Band (2:33)
612 Train on the Island: J.P. Nestor (3:00)
613 The Lone Star Trail: Ken Maynard (3:15)
614 Fishing Blues: Henry Thomas (2:45)
[Credits]
Producer: Harry Everett Smith, Designer: Scott Stowell, Mastering Engineer: David Glasser, Pete Reiniger & Charlie Pilzer, Liner Notes: Greil Marcus, Neil Rosenberg, Luis Kemnitzer, Jon Pankake, Peter Stampfel, Luc Sante, Kip Lornell, Eric Von Schmidt, John Fahey & Jeff Place
[Notes]
The Anthology of American Folk Music, edited by Harry Smith (1923–1991), is one of the most influential releases in the history of recorded sound. Originally issued by Folkways Records in 1952, the Anthology brought virtually unknown parts of America's musical landscape recorded in the late 1920s and early 1930s to the public's attention. For more than half a century, the collection has profoundly influenced fans, ethnomusicologists, music historians, and cultural critics; it has inspired generations of popular musicians, including Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Jerry Garcia, and countless others. Many of the songs included in the Anthology have now become classics, as has Harry Smith's unique "scientific/aesthetic handbook" of song notes and drawings. Reissued by Smithsonian Folkways Recordings in 1997, this deluxe 6-CD collector's boxed set contains a 96-page book featuring Harry Smith's original liner notes and essays by Greil Marcus and other noted writers, musicians, and scholars. "Anthology was our bible…. We all knew every word of every song on it, including the ones we hated. They say that in the 19th-century British Parliament, when a member would begin to quote a classical author in Latin the entire House would rise in a body and finish the quote along with him. It was like that." – Dave Van Ronk "Had he never done anything with his life but this Anthology, Harry Smith would still have borne the mark of genius across his forehead. I'd match the Anthology up against any other single compendium of important information ever assembled. Dead Sea Scrolls? Nah. I'll take the Anthology." – John Fahey "First hearing the Harry Smith Anthology of American Folk Music is like discovering the secret script of so many familiar musical dramas. Many of these actually turn out to be cousins two or three times removed, some of whom were probably created in ignorance of these original riches. It also occurred to me that as we are listening at a greater distance in time to a man or woman singing of their fairly recent past of the 1880s, we are fortunate that someone collected these performances of such wildness, straightforward beauty, and humanity." – Elvis Costello

Virginia Traditions: Ballads from British Tradition

BRI Records BRI-002

Format: Vinyl, LP, Compilation
Country: US
Released: 1979
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk, Bluegrass, Old Time
[Tracklist]
A01 Old Ireland (William Hall): Polly Johnson (2:38)
A02 The Three Maids (The Cruel Brother): Polly Johnson (3:41)
A03 The Farmer's Curst Wife: Joe Hubbard (0:53)
A04 As I Walked Over London's Bridge (Geordie): S.F. Russel (3:55)
A05 Little Massie Grove: Ruby Bowman Plemmons (4:31)
A06 Wild Hog in the Woods (Bangum and the Boar): Eunice Yeatts McAlexander (2:30)
A07 Barbara Allen: Dan Tate (2:52)
A08 Wind and Rain (The Two Sisters): Dan Tate (1:58)
A09 Devil's Nine Questions: Texas Gladden (2:32)
A10 The Bad Girl: Texas Gladden (3:23)
B01 The Turkish Rebelee (The Golden Vanity): Horton Barker (3:45)
B02 House Carpenter: Dorothy Rorick (2:38)
B03 Oh Death: Dock Boggs (3:20)
B04 The Three Babes (The Wife of Usher's Well): Spence Moore (2:57)
B05 Queen Sally: Kate Peters Sturgill (2:33)
B06 Froggie Went a'Courtin': Robert Russel (1:41)
B07 Raging Sea, How It Roars (The Mermaid): Ernest V. Stoneman (3:21)
B08 The Jealous Lover: The Stanley Brothers (2:17)
B09 The Butcher's Boy: Kelly Harrell (3:19)
[Credits]
Producer, Engineer and Liner Notes: Blanton Owen, Producers: Roddy Moore, Lornell and Ferrum College, Photographer: Alfreda Peel, Engineer: Charles Ellerton, Recorders: Herbert Halpert, Emory Hamilton, Mike Seeger, Sidney Robertson Cowell, Alan Lomax and Elizabeth Lomax
[Notes]
Few states in this country can boast of more diverse folkways than Virginia. Many of the material objects—such as barns, tools, and furniture—reflect the traditions that shaped the lives of its earliest settlers and the generations of Virginians who followed. The Commonwealth’s performance traditions of songs, tunes, and tales also tell of a shared heritage involving all classes of people in every facet of life. Because traditions naturally change over time, the documentation of Virginia folk culture is an ongoing process essential to our understanding of the past, present, and future. By recording the folkways of Virginia, the Blue Ridge Institute of Ferrum College and its BRI Record label strive to foster a greater appreciation of our folk roots through an array of interpretive programs. The songs on this recording are ballads in the traditional sense, i.e., they tell a story. The singers are all from southwestern Virginia and present in a variety of styles, ranging from strictly traditional to relatively modern with stringband accompaniment.

Classic Southern Gospel from Smithsonian Folkways

Smithsonian Folkways SFW CD 40137

Format: CD, Compilation
Country: US
Released: 2005
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Stle: Folk, Country, Bluegrass
[Tracklist]
01 I'm Working on a Building: Bill Monroe and His Bluegrass Boys (1:51)
02 No Disappointment in Heaven: Dock Boggs (2:29)
03 Wondrous Love: Old Harp Singers of Eastern Tennessee (2:06)
04 Are You Washed in the Blood?: Red Allen (2:43)
05 What Are They Doing in Heaven Today?: Harry and Jeanie West (2:16)
06 The Lost Soul: The Watson Family (2:57)
07 Hallelujah Side: Ernest V. Stoneman (2:20)
08 Walking in Jerusalem (Just Like John): The Country Gentlemen (2:15)
09 Sinner, You'd Better Get Ready: The Lilly Brothers (2:57)
10 When He Reached Down His Hand For Me: Bill Monroe and His Bluegrass Boys (2:45)
11 Away Over in the Promised Land: The Phipps Family (2:15)
12 No Tears in Heaven: Kilby Snow (2:29)
13 Old Country Church: Tom Morgan (2:49)
14 Glory to the Lamb: The DeBusk-Weaver Family (2:43)
15 Amazing Grace: Clarence Ashley, Clint Howard, Fed Price, Jean Ritchie and Doc Watson (3:54)
16 River of Jordan: The Poplin Family (2:08)
17 Shake Hands with Mother Again: The Allen Brothers (2:54)
18 Gabriel's Call: Hazel and Alice (2:13)
19 What Would You Give in Exchange for Your Soul?: Bill Monroe and Doc Watson (4:26)
20 He Said, If You Love Me, Feed My Sheep): The Stancer Quartet (2:54)
21 I Am a Pilgrim: The Country Gentlemen (2:55)
22 I'm Going to a City: Indian Bottom Association of Old Regular Baptists (3:18)
[Credits]
Compiler & Liner Notes: Kip Lornell
[Notes]
Showcasing some of the best in bluegrass gospel and country gospel from the Smithsonian Folkways archives in a single, special priced album. The music's plain-spoken, direct, and earnest style stokes it with power and appeal, whether performed by widely known marquee-name artists Bill Monroe and the Watson family or by local churchgoers such as the Old Regular Baptists. The spirit of time-worn Southern Gospel music remains as rock-solid as the people who perform it on this moving collection of inspired songs. 28-page booklet with extensive notes. 59 minutes.

Classic Mountain Songs From Smithsonian Folkways

Smithsonian Folkways SFW CD 40094

Format: CD, Compilation
Country: US
Released: 2002
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk, Country
[Tracklist]
01 Omie Wise: Doug Wallin (3:03)
02 Sugar Baby: Dock Boggs (2:50)
03 I Am A Poor Pilgrim Of Sorrow: Old Regular Baptists (5:24)
04 Sixteen Tons: George Davis (3:05)
05 John Henry: Lesley Riddle (2:25)
06 Lost Indian: Marion Sumner (0:51)
07 Southbound: Doc And Merle Watson (2:39)
08 High On A Mountain: Ola Belle Reed (3:02)
09 Coal Creek March: Pete Steele (1:23)
10 Coal Miner Blues: Hazel Dickens And Alice Gerrard (2:42)
11 Railroad Blues: Sam McGee (2:45)
12 Cuckoo Bird: Clarence Ashley (2:33)
13 Conversation With Death: Berzilla Wallin (5:03)
14 Lone Prairie: Wade Ward (0:52)
15 Rain And Snow: Dillard Chandler (2:23)
16 Mole In The Ground: Bascom Lamar Lunsford (3:19)
17 Moonshiner: Roscoe Holcomb (1:59)
18 Wildwood Flower: Kilby Snow (1:23)
19 Barbry Ellen: Jean Ritchie (5:01)
20 Daniel Prayed: Watson, Price, And Howard (2:54)
21 Wreck Of The Number Nine: Ernest V. Stoneman (2:48)
22 Red Jacket Mine Explosion: The Phipps Family (4:00)
23 Kingdom Come: Norman Edmonds (2:02)
24 Amazing Grace: Horton Barker (4:16)
[Credits]
Liner Notes: Jeff Place & Jacob Love, Coordinator: Mary Monseur, Mastered by: Pete Reiniger, Technician: Nathaniel Berndt
[Notes]
Riding the wave of the renewed interest in traditional American music, Classic Mountain Songs From Smithsonian Folkways Recordings showcases a handful of the greatest mountain ballads as performed by some of the most influential folk singers and songwriters of the 20th century. This collection features many classic performances from a wide variety of regional instrumental and song styles. These diverse styles and songs from the mountain communities of North Carolina, Virginia, and Tennessee include old-time fiddle and banjo pieces, early bluegrass, and traditional ballads, with a special emphasis on Appalachian vocal traditions. Doc and Merle Watson, Roscoe Holcomb, Clarence Ashley, and Dock Boggs are just a few of the revered roots artists who appear on this stellar compilation. This album is essential for both old and new fans of American mountain music. Compiled and annotated by Jeff Place.

The Bristol Sessions

Country Music Foundation Records CMF-011-D

Format: 2 × CD, Compilation
Country: US
Released: 1991
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Country, Gospel, Folk
[Tracklist]
1-01 Skip To Ma Lou, My Darling: Uncle Eck Dunford
1-02 O Molly Dear: B.F. Shelton
1-03 Walking In The Way With Jesus: Blind Alfred Reed
1-04 The Newmarket Wreck: Mr. & Mrs. J.W. Baker
1-05 The Soldier's Sweetheart: Jimmie Rodgers
1-06 Greasy String: West Virginia Coon Hunters
1-07 Are You Washed In The Blood: Ernest V. Stoneman & His Dixie Mountaineers
1-08 Henry Whitter's Fox Chase: Henry Whitter
1-09 Bury Me Under The Weeping Willow: The Carter Family
1-10 The Jealous Sweetheart: Johnson Brothers
1-11 When They Ring The Golden Bells: Alfred G. Karnes
1-12 Sandy River Bell: Dad Blackard's Moonshiners
1-13 Sleep Baby Sleep: Jimmie Rodgers
1-14 Johnny Goodwin: Bull Mountain Moonshiners
1-15 I'm Redeemed: Alcoa Quartet
1-16 Little Log Cabin By The Sea: The Carter Family
1-17 Old Time Corn Shuckin' Parts 1 & 2 : Blue Ridge Corn Shuckers
2-01 I Want To Go Where Jesus Is: Earnest Phipps And His Holiness Quartet
2-02 On The Stormy Deep: Ernest Stoneman, Irma Frost & Eck Dunford
2-03 The Wandering Boy: The Carter Family
2-04 To The Work: Alfred G. Karnes
2-05 Black-eyed Susie: J.P. Nester
2-06 A Passing Policeman: Johnson Brothers
2-07 Tell Mother I Will Meet Her: Ernest V. Stoneman, K. Brewer & M. Mooney
2-08 Single Girl, Married Girl: The Carter Family
2-09 Pot Licker Blues: El Watson
2-10 The Longest Train I Ever Saw: Tenneva Ramblers
2-11 The Resurrection: Ernest V. Stoneman & His Dixie Mountaineers
2-12 The Storms Are On The Ocean: The Carter Family
2-13 The Wreck Of The Virginian: Blind Alfred Reed
2-14 Billy Grimes The Rover: Shelor Family
2-15 Standing On The Promises: Tennessee Mountaineers
2-16 The Mountaineer's Courtship: Ernest V. Stoneman, Irma Frost & Eck Dunford
2-17 The Poor Orphan Child: The Carter Family
2-18 I'm Bound For The Promised Land: Alfred G. Karnes
[Credits]
Art Direction: Virginia Team, Compiled: Bob Pinson, Coordinator: Chick Crumpacker, Design: Andy Engel & Virginia Team, Illustration: Andy Engel, Liner Notes: Charles K. Wolfe, Mastered: H. Ward Marston, Recorded: Ralph Peer

[Notes]
In the summer of 1927, talent scout Ralph Peer set up portable recording equipment in the mountain town of Bristol on the Tennessee-Virginia border. When his two-week marathon recording session was over he had discovered the likes of Jimmie Rodgers and the Carter Family and had produced 76 landmark recordings, which would pave the way for the commercialization of modern country music. These historic sessions showcase the diversity of early country music including gospel, blues, ballads, and mountain fiddle tunes. When tracing the roots of country music, old-timers, historians, and young fans will all note that the Bristol Sessions is a great place to start. http://bristolsessions.com