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

Old-Time Mountain Ballads 1926-29

County Records CD-3504

Format: CD, Compilation, Remastered
Country: US
Released: 1995
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Old-time
[Tracklist]
01 Dark Holler Blues: Clarence Ashley (2:56) 10/23/29
02 Pearl Bryan: Burnett & Rutherford (3:02) 11/6/26
03 Darling Cora: B. F. Shelton (3:47) 7/29/27
04 Charles Giteaux: Kelly Harrell (3:03) 3/22/27
05 Rose Conley: G. B. Grayson & Henry Whitter (3:24) 10/18/27
06 Wreck on the Mountain Road: Red Fox Chasers (2:35) 4/4/28
07 The Wagoner's Lad: Buell Kazee (3:02) 1/18/28
08 The Fate of Chris Lively and Wife: Blind Alfred Reed (3:20) 12/19/27
09 Six Months Ain't Long: Rutherford & Foster (2:59) 1/14/29
10 Louisville Burglar: The Hickory Nuts (2:47) 9/24/27
11 The Fate of Ellen Smith: Green Bailey (2:38) 11/30/28
12 Dixie Cowboy: Aulton Ray (2:46) 4/26/27
13 Willie Moore: Burnett & Rutherford (3:13) ca.11/3/27
14 I'll Never Be Yours: G. B. Grayson & Henry Whitter (3:01) early 10/27
15 My Mama Always Talked to Me: John Hammond, Jr. (2:28) ca. 9/17/27
16 Frankie Silvers: Byrd Moore (3:15) 10/23/29
17 The Burial of Wild Bill: Frank Jenkins' Pilot Mountaineers (2:50) ca. 9/12/29
18 Death of John Henry: Uncle Dave Macon (3:00) 4/14/26
[Credits]
Liner Notes: Charles Wolfe, Art Direction & Design: Fred Carlson, Coordination: Gary B. Reid, Produce: Rich Nevins
[Notes]Transfer of music from 78 rpm source material by Rich Nevins. Restoration of music and preparation of digital master by CMS Digital.

Times Ain't Like They Used To Be: Early American Rural Music

Yazoo 2028

Series: Classic Recordings Of The 1920s and 30s. Vol. 1
Format: CD, Compilation, Remastered
Country: US
Released: 1997
Genre: Blues, Folk, World, & Country
Style: Old-time
[Tracklist]
01 Blues In The Bottle: Prince Albert Hunt
02 Dollar Bill Blues: Charlie Jordon
03 Lost John Dean: Bascom Lamar Lundsford
04 Streak Of Lean, Streak Of Fat: A.A. Gray & Seven Foot Dilly
05 Sinking Of The Titanic: Richard "Rabbit" Brown
06 Tennessee Girls: Dykes Magic City Trio
07 Shotgun Blues: Bob Campbell
08 Train On The Island: J.P. Nestor & Norman Edmonds
09 The Fault's In Me: The Four Wanderers
10 The Tail Of Haley's Comet: Happy Hayseeds
11 Wake Up You Drowsy Sleeper: The Oaks Family
12 How You Want Your Rollin' Done: Louie Lasky
13 Fly Around My Pretty Little Miss: Frank Blevins & His Tar Heel Rattlers
14 On The Road Again: Memphis Jug Band
15 The Dying Soldier: Buell Kazee
16 Voice Throwin' Blues: Buddy Boy Hawkins
17 Been On The Job Too Long: Wilmer Watts & The Lonely Eagles
18 Fannie Moore: Ken Maynard
19 I Got Your Ice Cold Nugrape: Nugrape Twins
20 The Old Miller's Will: Carson Brothers & Sprinkle
21 Skinner: Winston Holmes & Charlie Turner
22 How To Make Love: Southern Moonlight Entertainers
23 Old Jimmie Sutton: Grayson & Whitter
[Credits]
Art Direction: Joan Pelosi, Cover Photo: Jim Bolman, Producer and Remaster: Richard Nevins, Sleeve Notes: Charles Wolfe and Don Kent

The Recordings Of Grayson & Whitter

County Records CD-3517

Format: CD, Compilation
Country: US
Released: 1998
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Old-time
[Tracklist]
01 I've Always Been A Rambler (3:27)
02 Handsome Molly (2:44)
03 I Saw A Man At The Close Of Day (2:58)
04 Going Down The Lee Highway (2:49)
05 Never Be As Fast As I Have Been (2:54)
06 Ommie Wise (3:11)
07 On The Banks Of The Old Tennessee (3:02)
08 Rose Conley (3:27)
09 Train Forty-Five (3:08)
10 I'll Never Be Yours (3:05)
11 Short Life Of Trouble (2:47)
12 Old Jimmie Sutton (3:08)
13 Tom Dooley (3:12)
14 A Dark Road Is A Hard Road To Travel (3:14)
15 He Is Coming To Us Dead (2:58)
[Credits]
G. B. Grayson (fiddle/vocals) Henry Whitter (guitar/vocals)
Coordinator: Christopher C. King, Design: David Lynch Graphic, Liner Notes: Joe Wilson
[Notes]
This duo recorded the original versions of quite a few songs that went on to become folk chestnuts. Tracing the source of a folk song might seem a confusing task, but it is simple compared to sorting out the various recordings, re-recordings, reissues, and repackagings of reissues that have come out on Grayson and Whitter. Old-time music experts can argue over which is the better recording of "Handsome Molly," but no one will argue that this particular County product is handsomely packaged. The front cover is a ghastly green sketch of a mill. reference? More than half the back cover is a list of other records on the label, but with the quality of music County has released this actually might be more valuable than more informative liner notes might have been. G.B. Grayson was mostly known as a singer, although he accompanies himself simply and effectively on fiddle. His partner accompanies him on guitar, sticking mostly to rhythm chording pattern. Sound quality obviously varies, with some of the source 78s' sound rather clean and rich while others provide a fair impression of what a stereo might sound like if it was able to play from inside a washing machine on the rinse cycle. It is lovely country-flavored folk music, always more about the songs than any flashy picking. (AllMusic Review by Eugene Chadbourne)

Old Time Southern Dance Music: String Bands Vol. 1

Old Timey Records LP-100

Format: Vinyl, LP, Compilation
Country: US
Released: 1965
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Country, Zydeco, Bluegrass
[Tracklist]
A1 Chinese Rag: The Spooney Five
A2 Moatsville Blues: Moatsville String Ticklers
A3 If The River Was Whiskey: Charlie Poole & The North Carolina Ramblers
A4 Japanese Breakdown: Scottdale String Band
A5 Crowley Waltz: Hackberry Ramblers
A6 Allen Brothers Rag: Allen Brothers
A7 Tickle Her: Hackberry Ramblers
A8 Jackson Stomp: Mississippi Mud Steppers
B1 Hawkins' Rag: Gid Tanner & His Skillet Lickers
B2 Hungry Hash House: Charlie Poole & The North Carolina Ramblers
B3 Train 45: Grayson & Whitter
B4 Down Yonder: Hershel Brown & His Washboard Band
B5 Dickson County Blues: Arthur Smith Trio
B6 Osson: Joseph Falcon with Clemo & Ophy Breaux
B7 Home Town Blues: Roane County Ramblers
B8 Nobody Loves Me: Hershel Brown & His Washboard Band
[Credits]
Liner Notes: Chris Strachwitz