Bluegrass from the Blue Ridge Country Band Music of Virginia

Folkways Records – FS 3832

Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: US
Released: 1967
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Country, Bluegrass
[Tracklist]
A01 Fly Around My Pretty Little Miss: Wade Ward and Glen Smith (3:42)
A02 Walkin' in the Parlor: Wade Ward and Glen Smith (1:27)
A03 Jenny Put the Kettle On: William Marshall and Glen Smith (3:01)
A04 Soldier's Joy: Wade Ward and Glen Smith (1:53)
A05 Sally Goodin': Wade Ward and Glen Smith (1:16)
A06 John Lover Is Gone: Wade Ward and Glen Smith (2:29)
A07 Cindy: William Marshall and Glen Smith (3:23)
A08 Sally Ann: Wade Ward and Glen Smith (2:05)
A09 Don't Let Your Deal Go Down: Wade and Fields Ward and Glen Smith (3:00)
A10 Ragtime Annie: Wade Ward and Glen Smith (2:26)
B01 Paddy on the Turnpike: Uncle Charlie Higgins, Cliff Caraco, and Kelly Lundy (2:28)
B02 Skip to My Lou: Spud Gravely and Glen Smith (2:15)
B03 John Hardy: Wade and Fields Ward and Glen Smith (3:05)
B04 Cotton Eyed Joe: Spud Gravely and Glen Smith (1:48)
B05 Train on the Island: Wade and Fields Ward and Glen Smith (2:13)
B06 Eighth Day of January: Bruce Mastin, Kyle Cole, and Dale Poe (1:56)
B07 Jesse James: Wade and Fields Ward and Glen Smith (3:10)
B08 Walkin' in My Sleep: The Bluegrass Buddies (2:37)
B09 Banks of the Ohio: Glen Neaves, Jessie Neaves, and Ted Lundy (2:27)
B10 Old Joe Clark: The Bluegrass Buddies (2:50)
[Credits]
Producer and Recorder: Eric H. Davidson and Paul Newman, Recorder: Caleb Ellicott Finch, Designer: Ronald Clyne
[Notes]
Collected in the mountain country of southwestern Virginia by Eric H. Davidson, Paul Newman, and Caleb E. Finch, this recording focuses specifically on the string band music of Grayson and Carroll counties and was intended to give recognition to the intricate instrumental band music which attained high levels of development in the region. Thus, examples of the oldest indigenous band style—as heard on "Western Country"—can be found alongside tracks recorded in later styles such as Irish band music. The liner notes help clarify the relationships between the different string band styles, and chart the course of musical development through half a century of cultural change.

Classic American Ballads from Smithsonian Folkways

Smithsonian Folkways – SFW40215

Series: Smithsonian Folkways Classic Series
Format: CD, Compilation
Country: US
Released: 2015
Genre: Blues, Folk, World, & Country Style: Folk, Country [Tracklist}
01 Banks of the Ohio: Doc Watson and Bill Monroe (3:32)
02 Blue Mountain Lake: Pete Seeger (2:47)
03 Claude Allen: Hobart Smith (3:50)
04 Cole Younger: Dock Boggs (1:50)
05 Cowboy’s Lament (Streets of Laredo): Buck Ramsey (3:21)
06 Boll Weevil: Sam Hinton (2:12)
07 Duncan and Brady: Lead Belly (1:08)
08 Floyd Collins: Paul Clayton (3:27)
09 Frankie and Johnny: Rolf Cahn and Eric Von Schmidt (6:39)
10 John Henry: John Jackson (3:22)
11 Jesse James: Sis Cunningham, Mike Millius, and Wes Houston (3:51)
12 Billy the Kid: Woody Guthrie (2:04)
13 The Death of the Lawson Family: Glen Neaves (1:54)
14 Naomi Wise: Doug Wallin (3:06)
15 Pearl Bryan: Bruce Buckley (2:54)
16 Sam Bass: Hermes Nye (1:59)
17 Springfield Mountain: Bascom Lamar Lunsford (2:31)
18 Tom Dooley: Glen Neaves, Roscoe Russell, Ivor Melton, Warren Brown, Ted Lundy (2:11)
19 Tying a Knot in the Devil's Tail: Cisco Houston (2:14)
20 Young Charlotte: Pete Seeger (4:05)
21 Wasn't That a Mighty Storm?: The Tex-i-an Boys (2:41)
22 Zebra Dun: Joan O'Bryant (2:32)
23 The Titanic: Pink Anderson (2:52)
24 The Louisville Burglar: The Iron Mountain String Band (3:09)
25 The F.F.V. (Engine 143): Annie Watson (3:56)
[Credits]
Compilers: Jeff Place, Katie Ortiz and Max Smith, Editor: Carla Borden, Designer: Joe Parisi
[Notes]
Born of the British ballad, its American offspring was the blank canvas for all type of tale, the more calami­tous or scandalous, the better. Jesse James and Billy the Kid, train wrecks and hurricanes, the Titanic and Tom Dooley, fatal lovers' quarrels and foiling the devil, all and more were normal fare, served up in a song. Classic American Balla

Traditional Music From Grayson And Carroll Counties: Songs, Tunes with Fiddle, Banjo and Band

Folkways Records FS-3811

Format: Vinyl, Album, Mono
Country: US
Released: 1962
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk, Bluegrass, Old Time
[Tracklist]
A01 Cluck Old Hen: Vester Jones (3:22)
A02 Soldier's Joy: Glen Smith (2:51)
A03 Polly Put the Kettle On: Glen Smith (2:04)
A04 Ida Red: Wade Ward (1:29)
A05 Devilish Mary: Glen Neaves, Roscoe Russell, and Ivor Melton (2:28)
A06 Old Jimmy Sutton: Vester Jones (2:49)
A07 Fire in the Mountain: Glen and Frank Smith (1:21)
A08 Old Ruby (Old Reuben): Vester Jones (3:26)
A09 Little Love: Glen Smith (2:42)
A10 Sourwood Mountain: Wade Ward (1:07)
A11 Poor Ellen Smith: Vester Jones (2:25)
A12 Mississippi Sawyer: Glen and Frank Smith: (1:56)
A13 Pretty Polly: Ed Spencer (1:29)
B01 Katy Cline: Vester Jones (2:19)
B02 Cindy: Glen Smith (2:10)
B03 Ground Hog: Vester Jones (2:27
B04 Hell Among the Yearlings (Hell Amongst the Yearlings): Glen Smith (2:03)
B05 Sugar Hill: Ed Spencer (1:08)
B06 Old Joe Clark: Vester Jones (2:18)
B07 Johnson Boys: Glen Smith (2:50)
B08 Cripple Creek: Wade Ward (1:06)
B09 Tom Dooley: Glen Neaves, Roscoe Russell, and Ivor Melton (2:12)
B10 Fortune: Glen Smith (3:35)
B11 Pretty Little Willow / Sugarfoot Rag (medley): Glen Smith (1:40)
B12 Sally Goodin': Vester Jones (2:24)
B13 Old Jimmy Sutton: Glen Smith (2:05)
B14 Handsome Molly: Glen Neaves and Roscoe Russell (2:52)
[Credits]
Recorder & Producer: Eric H. Davidson & Paul Newman
[Notes]
Bordering each other in southwestern Virginia, Grayson and Carroll counties have a distinctive musical heritage. An important banjo technique, variously called "clawhammer," "flailing the banjo," or "thumbnoting," captured the interest of collectors Eric Davidson and Paul Newman, who set out to record examples of this indigenous style. Recorded between 1958 and 1961, the songs and tunes are believed to be representative of the traditional musical heritage of the area. How do we know? According to elderly locals, the style of the music on this album is similar to what they remember as far back as their grandparents’ day. Liner notes include a social and musical history of Grayson and Carroll counties, song notes and lyrics, and performer biographies.

Ballads And Songs Of The Blue Ridge Mountains

Asch Records‎ AH-3831

Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: United States
Released: 1968
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Country, Folk
[Tracklist]
A1 The Hanging of Georgie: Paul Joines (1:34)
A2 Returning Sweetheart: Sarah Hawkes (1:54)
A3 Barbry Allen: Granny Porter and Wade Ward (2:43)
A4 The Young Men and Maids: Paul Joines (2:19)
A5 The Green Willow Tree: Paul Joines (4:21)
A6 Ho Lilly Ho: Sarah Hawkes (2:15)
A7 Walkin' in the Parlor: Kilby Reeves (1:22)
A8 Little Sparrow: Sarah Hawkes (1:50)
A9 County Jail: Kilby Reeves (1:50)
A10 Warfare is A-Raging: Aunt Polly Joines (1:22)
A11 Pig in a Pen: Spud Gravely and Glen Smith (2:31)
A12 Roving Ranger: Paul Joines (2:52)
B1 Pretty Polly: The Cruel Ship's Carpenter (2:09)
B2 George Allen: Lady Alice (1:16)
B3 Roving Gambler: Hobart and Larry Delp with Joe Kyles (2:28)
B4 Ten Thousand Miles: Ruby Vass (3:22)
B5 1809: Glen Neaves (3:12)
B6 Little Maggie: Ivor Melton, Cullen Galyean and Claudine Lambert (3:36)
B7 Death Of The Lawson Family: Glen Neaves (1:55)
B8 Lonesome Day: Ruby Vass (2:13)
B9 Budded Roses: Paul Jones and Cliff Evans (2:35)
[Credits]
Liner Notes: Eric Davidson and Paul Newman
[Notes]
Stemming from a want to preserve the dwindling unique oral traditions of the Blue Ridge Mountain back-country region, Eric Davidson, Paul Newman and Caleb Finch performed field recordings of songs that exemplified the evolution of ballads in the region, creating an anthology of music that characterized the musical mountain traditions. Originating from folk music of the British Isles, many of the songs are performed with little or no instrumental accompaniment. These beautiful archaic folk melodies have retained their roots in the ballad and lament tradition, sung here by both men and women (traditionally ballads were sung only by women) with occasional lively banjo accompaniments.