Look! Who's Here: The McGee Brothers and Arthur Smith

Old Timers of the Grand Ole Opry

Folkways Records – FA 2379

Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: US
Released: 1964
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Country
[Tracklist]
A01 Cumberland Gap (2:11)
A02 Roll on Buddy (2:14)
A03 Needlecase (1:26)
A04 Buck Dancer's Choice (1:27)
A05 Sally Long (1:25)
A06 Rock House Joe (1:37)
A07 Polly Ann (1:31)
A08 Hell Among the Yearlings (1:58)
A09 Kilby Jail (2:44)
A10 Coming from the Ball (2:10)
A11 Dusty Miller (2:09)
B01 Sixteen on Sunday (1:49)
B02 Snowdrop (2:18)
B03 Railroad Blues (2:47)
B04 House of David Blues (2:14)
B05 Green Valley Waltz (3:02)
B06 Guitar Waltz (2:08)
B07 Knoxville Blues (3:04)
B08 Jim Sapp Rag (1:28)
B09 Whoop'Em Up Cindy (1:45)
B10 Hollow Poplar (1:29)
[Credits]
Sam McGee (guitar/vocals) Kirk McGee (banjo/vocals) Arthur Smith (fiddle/vocals)
Producer and Liner Notes: Mike Seeger, Designer: A Doyle Moore, Photographer: Jerry Stevens
[Notes]
A chance meeting with Uncle Dave Macon and a great deal of talent brought Sam and Kirk McGee first to Macon's act and then to the first broadcasts of the Grand Ole Opry radio show. On this 1957 recording, Arthur Smith plays fiddle, Sam picks the banjo, and Kirk backs them on guitar.

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.

The McGee Brothers and Arthur Smith: Milk 'em in the Evening Blues

Folkways Records FTS-1007

Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: United States
Released: 1968
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Old Time, & Country
[Tracklist]
A01 Single-Footing Horse (1:30)
A02 Widow Haley (1:53)
A03 Charming Bill (2:06)
A04 Milk Cow Blues (2:32)
A05 Memphis Blues (1:02)
A06 Boogie (1:02)
A07 Amos Johnson Rag (1:40)
A08 Redwing (1:59)
A09 Under The Double Eagle (1:27)
A10 Don't Let Your Deal Go Down (2:53)
A11 Evening Shade (2:02)
A12 Pig At Home In The Pen (2:08)
A13 Peacock Rag (1:53)
B01 Milk 'em In The Evening Blues (2:39)
B02 Late Last Night (2:17)
B03 Keep A Light In Your Window Tonight (1:54)
B04 Uncle Buddy (1:22)
B05 Lafayette (1:28)
0B6 Drummer Boy (2:15)
B07 Easy Rider (2:30)
B08 Chinese Breakdown (2:20)
B09 Dance All Night With A Bottle In Your Hand (2:25)
B10 Whistling Rufus (1:26)
B11 Sally Johnson (2:10)
B12 I've Had A Big Time Tonight (1:39)
[Credits]
Sam McGee (guitar/vocals) Kirk McGee (banjo/vocals) Arthur Smith (fiddle/banjo/vocals)
Design: Craig Mierop, Liner Notes: Jon Pankake, Recorded and Edited: Mike Seeger
[Notes]
The McGee Brothers, Sam (1894–1975) and Kirk (1899–1983), played as a musical duo for 50 years beginning in the mid-1920s. Steeped in the tradition of “old-time” string band music, Sam, on guitar, and Kirk, on banjo and fiddle, were joined in the 1930s with Arthur Smith on fiddle and banjo to form the Dixieliners. The McGees enjoyed a resurgence during the folk music revival of the late 1950s and early 1960s. During this period, musician Mike Seeger (The New Lost City Ramblers) reunited the McGees with Smith and in 1968 recorded their first album together. This is their only recording as a trio.

Uncle Dave Macon: The Dixie Dewdrop

Vetco Records LP-101

Format: Vinyl, LP, Compilation
Country: United States
Released: 1971
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Old Time, & Country
[Tracklist]
A1 Rise When The Rooster Crows (4/14/26)
A2 Hold On To The Sleigh (9/9/26)
A3 She's Got The Money Too (1/24/38)
A4 On The Dixie Bee Line (4/14/26)
A5 Poor Sinners, Fare You Well (4/16/26)
A6 Country Ham And Red Eye Gravy (1/24/38)
B1 Shout Mona You Should Be Free (9/8/26)
B2 Over The Mountain (1/22/35 New Orleans, La.)
B3 The Bibles True (4/14/26
B4 Hold That Woodpile Down (5/7/27)
B5 Tennessee Red Fox Chase (12/17/30)
B6 From Jerusalem To Jericho (8/3/37)
[Credits]
Uncle Dave Macon (banjo/vocals) Sam McGee (guitar/banjo) Delmore Brothers (guitar/vocals) Kirk McGee (fiddle) Mazy Todd (fiddle) Glen Stagner (guitar)
Liner Notes: Bob Hyland
[Notes]
Uncle Dave Macon, also known as "The Dixie Dewdrop" was an American old-time banjo player, singer, songwriter, and comedian. Known for his chin whiskers, plug hat, gold teeth, and gates-ajar collar, he gained regional fame as a vaudeville performer in the early 1920s before becoming the first star of the Grand Ole Opry in the latter half of the decade.