Norman Blake: Wood, Wire & Words

Plectrafone Records 824761-144762

Format: CD, Album
Country: US
Released: January 20, 2015
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Country, Old Time
[Tracklist]
01 Savannah Rag (3:31)
02 The Incident At Condra's Switch (3:48)
03 The Keeper Of The Government Light On The River (5:00)
04 The New Dawning Day (3:24)
05 There's A One Way Road To Glory (4:08)
06 Farewell Francisco Madero (4:54)
07 Blake's Rag (3:41)
08 Joseph Thompson Hare On The Old Natchez Trace (4:06)
09 Grady Forester's Store And Cotton Gin (5:00)
10 Chattanooga Rag (2:42)
11 Black Bart (4:23)
12 Cloverdale Plantation March (4:30)
[Credits]
Norman Blake (guitar/vocals) Nancy Blake (guitar/vocals)
Producer: Scott O'Malley, Photographer: Gary Hamilton, Designer: Kathleen Fox Collins, Sylvia Hutson and Dave Olsen, Engineer: David Hammonds
[Notes]
Nominated for a Grammy in the category of Best Traditional Folk Album, Wood, Wire & Words was old-time country legend Norman Blake's first album of entirely original compositions in more than three decades. On this release, Blake masterfully presents twelve selections composed of two rags, one march, and eight songs. Serving primarily as the album's sole performer, Blake is direct and enthralling, while his original works seamlessly bring a centuries-old songwriting style into the present day. Wood, Wire & Words was originally released by Plectrafone in 2015.

Norman & Nancy Blake: Just Gimme Somethin' I'm Used To

Shanachie Records – 6001

Format: CD, Album
Country: US
Released: 1991
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk, Old Time
[Tracklist]
01 Waiting The Boatman (4:17)
02 Georgia Railraod (3:25)
03 Silence Or Tears (3:20)
04 The Poor Little Sailor Boy (6:17)
05 Green Leaf Of Fancy / The Fields Of November / Gonna Go Huntin' For The Buffalo (7:23)
06 When The Work's All Done This Fall (4:03)
07 Brickyard Joe (3:22)
08 Mr Garfield (7:22)
09 Old Grimes (2:27)
10 Wabash Cannonball (5:02)
11 I'd Rather Be An Old Time Christian (3:20)
12 Little Matty Groves (7:03)
13 Walking Tune (5:15)
[Credits]
Nancy Blake (guitar/cello/vocals) Norman Blake (guitar/fiddle/vocals)
Producer: Norman & Nancy Blake, Liner Notes: Holly Crenshaw
[Notes]
Just Gimme Somethin' I'm Used To is another charming album by Norman and Nancy Blake, featuring an excellent selection of old-timey country and traditional folk like "Wabash Cannonball" and "Georgia Railroad." There's not much that separates Just Gimme Somethin' I'm Used To from the rest of the duo's catalog, yet it remains a thoroughly enjoyable listen. -- AllMusic Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Rising Fawn Gathering

Norman & Nancy Blake, Boys of the Lough, James & Rachel Bryan

Plectrafone Records - PLECT040125

Format: CD, Album, Stereo
Country: US
Released: 2009
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk, Celtic
[Tracklist]
01 The Sweet Sunny South (5:53)
02 O'Connell's Trip To Parliament / The Twin Katies (2:51)
03 Castleberry's March (3:09)
04 Da Unst Bridal March (2:57)
05 The Stockton & Redesdale Hornpipes (3:28)
06 The El Paso Waltz (2:56)
07 Joe Bane's / The Gypsy Princess (4:07)
08 The Teelin March (2:40)
09 Eamon An Chonoic (Ned Of The Hill) (3:01)
10 While The Band Is Playing Dixie (4:57)
11 Derry So Fair (6:01)
[Credits]
Norman Blake (guitar/vocals) Nancy Blake (cello/mandolin/guitar/vocals) Dave Richardson (concertina/mandolin) Malcolm Stitt (guitar) Rachel Bryan (flute/whistle/guitar/vocals) Kevin Henderson (fiddle) James Bryan (fiddle) Rachel Bryan (mandolin/fiddle) Cathal McConnell ) Brendan Begley (accordion)
Producer: Nancy Blake and Scott O'Malley, Photographer: Sarah Lincoln, Designer: Sylvia Hutson, Kathleen Collins and Victoria Ward, Engineer: Butch Hause and David Glasser
[Notes]
Rising Fawn Gathering represents a cross-continental meeting of roots musicians in the small northwest Georgia town of Rising Fawn. Recorded at the home of seminal old-time musicians Norman and Nancy Blake, the album is a collaboration between the Blakes, James and Rachel Bryan, and the Edinburgh-based Celtic folk ensemble Boys of the Lough. Having first met each other in 1978 at the Winnipeg Folk Festival, the parties had hoped to record together throughout the years that followed. After nearly three decades of missed connections, they finally did—a "dream come true," according to Norman Blake. The resulting twelve selections are a mix of old-time and Celtic songs, hornpipes, marches, and waltzes, performed in a way that seamlessly fuses the complementary aspects of either style, highlighting their shared origins and accentuating their beauty. Rising Fawn Gathering was originally released by the Western Jubilee Recording Company.

The Unbroken Circle: The Musical Heritage of the Carter Family

Dualtone – 80302-01162-2

Format: CD, Album, Compilation
Country: US
Released: 2004
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Country, Bluegrass
[Tracklist]
01 Worried Man Blues: George Jones (3:11)
02 No Depression In Heaven: Sheryl Crow (3:20)
03 On The Sea of Galilee: Emmylou Harris with the Peasall Sisters(3:16)
04 Engine One-Forty-Three: Johnny Cash (3:38)
05 Never Let The Devil Get the Upper Hand of You: Marty Stuart & Fabulous Superlatives (4:50)
06 Little Moses: Janette and Joe Carter (2:19)
07 Black Jack David: Norman and Nancy Blake with Tim O'Brien (2:57)
08 Bear Creek Blues: John Prine (4:23)
09 You Are My Flower: Willie Nelson (2:39)
10 Single Girl, Married Girl: Shawn Colvin with Earl Scruggs and Randy Scruggs (2:19)
11 Will My Mother Know Me There?: The Whites with Ricky Skaggs (3:04)
12 The Winding Stream: Rosanne Cash (4:31)
13 Rambling Boy: The Del McCoury Band (4:24)
14 Hold Fast To The Right: June Carter Cash (2:55)
15 Gold Watch And Chain: The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band with Kris Kristofferson (4:06)
[Credits]
Producer: John Carter Cash
[Notes]
Country musicians, be they alternative, traditional, or neo-traditionalist, never tire of singing praises to the Carter Family. Heck, even the occasional rocker will say a few kind words about the Carter legacy. With this type of enthusiasm, there's never a bad time to put together a tribute album like The Unbroken Circle. The album is packed with VIPs like Emmylou Harris, George Jones, Sheryl Crow, and Willie Nelson, and it even includes no less than three Cashes (Johnny, June Carter, and Rosanne). Despite this impressive list, The Unbroken Circle gets a very rocky start with lukewarm efforts by Jones, Crow, Harris, and Johnny Cash. Jones and Cash sound fairly rough, and Harris' outing, backed by the Peasall Sisters, is underwhelming. Crow's appearance on a country record is somewhat surprising, and perhaps it was meant to add a little pizzazz to the disc. Unfortunately, she sings "No Depression in Heaven" as though she were auditioning for Freakwater. While the album never quite recovers from this early stumble, there are bright spots after those first four songs. Marty Stuart offers a truly superb version of "Never Let the Devil Get the Upper Hand of You," filled with creepy ambience and a fine vocal, while Janette and Joe Carter's take on "Little Moses" sounds more old-time than the Carter Family. There are solid offerings by Nelson, John Prine, and the Del McCoury Band before everything comes to a crash landing with the less polished contributions of June Carter Cash and Kris Kristofferson. While fans of the artists on this compilation may want to check it out, there are better Carter Family collections (Bristol by Ginny Hawker and Kay Justice and Songs of the Carter Family by Jody Stecher and Kate Brislin), and there's always the option of listening to the Carter Family themselves. -- AllMusic Review by Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr.

Norman Blake: Day by Day

Plectrafone Records - PLECT005155

Format: CD, Album
Country: US
Released: October 22, 2021
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk
[Tracklist]
1 When the Roses Bloom (4:03)
2 Just Tell Them That You Saw Me (2:38)
3 I’m Free Again (3:36)
4 Old Joe's March (2:38)
5 Montcalm and Wolfe (6:25)
6 Three Leaves of Shamrock (3:28)
7 Time (2:54)
8 The Dying Cowboy (3:55)
9 My Home's Across the Blue Ridge Mountains (4:39) [Credits]
Norman Blake (guitar/banjo/vocals) Nancy Blake (cello) James Bryan (fiddle) Joel McCormick (guitar/vocals) David Hammonds (vocals)
Liner Notes: Jeff Place, Producer: Norman Blake, Executive producer: Scott O’Malley, Recorder: David Hammonds, Mastering assistant: Ray Gressett, Creative Consultant: Dom Flemons, Photographer: Christi Carrolle
[Notes]
Guitarist Norman Blake is one of the unsung heroes of 20th-century folk music. With nine Grammy nominations and several dozen albums under his own name and with his wife Nancy Blake, his long and storied career includes stints with Johnny Cash and Kris Kristofferson, features on Bob Dylan’s Nashville Skyline, and performances on the seminal O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack. Day By Day is a collection of single-take recordings of original and traditional tunes, ranging from solo guitar and five-string banjo to ensemble performances with The Rising Fawn String Ensemble, show Blake reaching back to the roots of country and old-time music. It is a rich, poignant send-off to one of folk music’s most enduring voices.

Warehouse Tracks

Western Jubilee WJRC127623

Country: US
Released: 2002
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Country
[Tracklist]
01 There's a Rainbow over the Range: Sons of the San Joaquin (2:52)
02 The Old Spinning Wheel: Norman Blake, Rich O'Brien (3:24)
03 Santa Rosa: Jim Ibbotson (2:48)
04 Billy Gray: Katy Moffatt (4:21)
05 Warehouse Opus 36: John McEuen (2:44)
06 Dog: Bryan Bowers (3:00)
07 Whole Load: Waddie Mitchell (3:08)
08 Jack of Diamonds / Black Mountain Blues: Skip Gorman (3:57)
09 Cattle Call: Wylie & the Wild West (2:57)
10 Don't Tell Me: R. W. Hampton (2:44)
11 Little Jimmy in the Swamp: Norman Blake, Nancy Blake (4:28)
12 I Will Miss Ireland: Juni Fisher (5:19)
13 Leaving Stoer: Cowboy Celtic (5:41)
14 The Raven: Peter Rowan (1:59)
15 Red River Valley: Don Edwards (4:13)
[Credits]
Producer and Engineer: Butch Hause, Producer: Scott O'Malley, Photographers: David Pahl and Donald Kallaus, Designers: David Weed, Kathleen Collins and Victoria Ward
[Notes]
Representing ten years of live performances, Warehouse Tracks presents fifteen selections from the Western Jubilee Warehouse Theater in Colorado Springs. Formerly a freight house owned by the Santa Fe Railroad, it became the flagship venue of the cowboy and Western label Western Jubilee Recording Company, hosting several concerts annually and serving frequently as the label’s recording studio. Featured on this release are live recordings from several of the label’s noted artists, including Sons of the San Joaquin, Norman Blake, and Don Edwards, as well as "guests" Skip Gorman, John McEuen, and more. Warehouse Tracks showcases the immense talent that has congregated around the Warehouse Theater, celebrating the vitality of the music of the American West

Peter Rowan & Don Edwards: High Lonesome Cowboy featuring Tony Rice and Norman Blake

Western Jubilee WJRC117520

Format: CD, Album
Country: US
Released: 2002
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk, Country, Old Time
[Tracklist]
01 Take Me Back To The Range (4:12)
02 The Old Chisolm Trail (4:19)
03 Ramblin' Cowboy (4:31)
04 Reno Blues (3:26)
05 The Old Grey Mare Came Tearing Out Of The Wilderness (2:06)
06 Trail To Mexico (2:32)
07 The Night Guard (4:03)
08 Buddies In The Saddle (3:29)
09 Goodbye Old Paint (4:16)
10 Midnight On The Stormy Deep (9:04)
11 I'm Going To Leave Old Texas Now (6:00)
[Credits]
Peter Rowan (guitar/mandolin/banjo/vocals) Don Edwards (guitar/vocals) Norman Blake (guitar) Tony Rice (guitar) Nancy Blake (guitar) Billy Brigh (mandolin)
Producer: Don Edwards and Peter Rowan, Photographer: Owen Perkins and Donald Kallaus, Designer: David Weed and Jenna Shearn, Engineer: Sam McFadin, Doug Wilson, Butch Hause, Robert Vosgien and Pete Papageorges
[Notes]
High Lonesome Cowboy is a collaboration between legends of the acoustic music scene - cowboy singer Don Edwards, bluegrass pioneer Peter Rowan, roots icons Norman and Nancy Blake, and bluegrass guitar favorite Tony Rice. It was a top-selling recording when initially released by the Western Jubilee Recording Company in 2002 and was nominated for Best Traditional Folk Album at the 45th Grammy Awards. High Lonesome Cowboy showcases the heritage common to the traditional music of the Western ranges and the old-time mountain music of Appalachia. The eleven selections feature a mix of traditional songs and the works of songwriters foundational to the development of folk and country music, including Woody Guthrie, Bill Monroe, and Maybelle Carter.

The Fields of November / Old And New: Norman Blake

Flying Fish‎– FF70004

Format: CD, Album, Compilation
Country: US
Released: 1992
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Bluegrass, Folk
[Tracklist]
The Fields Of November
01 Green Leaf Fancy
02 Last Train From Poor Valley
03 White Oak Stomp
04 Graycoat Soldiers
05 Southern Railroad Blues
06 Lord Won't You Help Me
07 Krazy Kurtis
08 Coming Down From Rising Fawn
09 Uncle
10 The Old Brown Case
11 The Fields Of November

Flying Fish‎– FF70004

Old And New
12 Widow's Creek
13 Bristol In The Bottle
14 Billy Gray
15 Forked Deer
16 Cuckoo's Nest
17 Witch Of The Wave
18 My Old Home On The Green Mountainside
19 Miller's Reel
20 Dry Grass On The High Fields
21 Harvey's Reel
22 The Railroad Days
23 Valley Head
24 Sweet Heaven
25 Ajimina
26 Flat Rock
[Credits]
Norman Blake (guitar/fiddle/dobro/mandolin/vocals) Charlie Collins (guitar/fiddle) Robert Arthur "Tut" Taylor (dobro) Nancy Short (cello)
[Notes]
The Fields of November is an album of American guitarist Norman Blake, released in 1974. It was reissued in 1992 by Flying Fish along with Old and New as a double CD. Blake later married Nancy Short, who plays cello on this release. They would release a number of duet albums throughout the years.

Back Home In Sulphur Springs: Norman & Nancy Blake

Smithsonian Folkways PLECT012112

Format: CD, Album
Country: US
Released: 2006
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk
[Tracklist]
01 More Good Woman Gone Wrong (3:13)
02 Columbus Stockade Blues (3:22)
03 He's Coming To Us Dead (2:59)
04 The Girl I Left In Sunny Tennessee (3:33)
05 We Parted By The Riverside (3:55)
06 Ella Ree (3:36)
07 Happy Little Home In Arkansas (3:10)
08 Back Home In Sulphur Springs (3:22)
09 The Mermaid (5:23)
10 Take Home Poor Julia (4:33)
11 Seaboard Airline Rag (2:50)
12 Star Spangled Banner (1:57)
13 The Empress Of Ireland (3:35)
14 Katy Cline (3:22)
15 Don't Be Afraid Of The Neo-Cons (4:23)
[Cerdits]
Norman Blake (guitar/dobro/fiddle/mandolin/vocals) Nancy Blake (guitar/cello/vocals)
Engineers: Butch Hause and David Glasser, Photographer and Designer: Donald Kallaus, Liner Notes: Scott O'Malley
[Notas]
Norman and Nancy Blake's Back Home in Sulphur Springs was named in reference both to Norman's classic 1972 debut Home in Sulphur Springs, and to the Alabama town where Blake spent his childhood, learned guitar from his grandmother, and first heard hillbilly records on his neighbor's Victrola record player. Presented here are fourteen old-time country selections, mostly traditional, performed in the Blakes' characteristically non-pretentious, authentic, and heartfelt style. Underscoring this, the tracks were recorded with minimal playback and are presented in the order of recording, giving the sense of a live performance.

Take Me Back to the Range: Selections from Western Jubilee Recording Company

Smithsonian Folkways WJRC019876

Format: CD, Album
Country: USA
Released: 2020
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Cowboy, Western
[Tracklist]
01 Take Me Back to the Range: Peter Rowan & Don Edwards (4:12)
02 The Sunny Side of Life: Norman Blake & Nancy Blake (3:19)
03 Where Horses Are Heroes: Wylie & the Wild West (3:19)
04 Typical: Waddie Mitchell (1:11)
05 Annie Laurie / Bad Half Hour: Don Edwards, Waddie Mitchell & the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra (5:45)
06 Hallie Lonigan: Katy Moffatt (4:31)
07 Santa Rosa Serenade: Rich O'Brien (4:00)
08 Rooster Poem: Georgie Sicking (0:45)
09 Bonnie Dundee / Fareweel Tae Tarwathie / The Railroad Corral: David Wilkie & Cowboy Celtic (3:25)
10 Flop-Eared Mule: Norman Blake & Rich O'Brien (4:05)
11 Coyotes: Don Edwards (4:31)
12 Waddie-ism-8: Waddie Mitchell (0:18)
13 Summer Ranges: Michael Martin Murphey (3:33)
14 Two Miles to Town: Cowboy Nation (4:12)
15 Lupus #1: Tom Morrell (2:54)
16 Harsh Words: Waddie Mitchell (0:58)
17 Cloverdale Plantation March: Norman Blake (4:30)
18 From Whence Came the Cowboy: Sons of the San Joaquin (4:22)
[Credits]
Compilers: Scott O'Malley and Fred Knittel, Liner Notes: Jeff Place and Carla Borden, Cover Artwork: William Mathews and Bob Moline - Cover Artwork, Designer: Darryl Norsen, Mastering Engineer: Pete Reiniger
[Notes]
The Western Jubilee Recording Company is a small label with an exceptional catalog of authentic cowboy music and poetry. Founded in 1996 by Scott O’Malley, Western Jubilee has been based out of a former warehouse of the Santa Fe Railroad in Colorado Springs that doubles as an intimate concert space and recording studio. Its walls adorned with Western paraphernalia, the warehouse, much like the label itself, served as a sanctuary to the deep-rooted and ever-evolving traditions of Western music and folklife. Take Me Back to the Range: Selections from Western Jubilee Recording Company shows the label in its full breadth. From the old-time tunes and historic songs by Norman Blake and Don Edwards to Buckaroo poems from Waddie Mitchell, from Hollywood-styled "Singing Cowboy" songs from Sons of the San Joaquin to the pioneering fusion from the punk-inspired Cowboy Nation, this 18-track compilation, produced to celebrate the label’s acquisition by Smithsonian Folkways, showcases the diversity of sound and voices in cowboy music and poetry, honoring the label that has championed it.

Norman Blake & Tony Rice 2

Rounder Records CD-0266

Format: CD, Album
Country: US
Released: 1990
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Bluegrass
[Tracklist]
01 It's Raining Here This Morning (3:37)
02 Lost Indian (3:06)
03 Georgie (2:49)
04 Father's Hall (2:17)
05 The Two Soldiers (4:35)
06 Blackberry Blossom (3:14)
07 Eight More Miles To Louisville (2:46)
08 Lincoln's Funeral Train (The Sad Journey To Springfield) (4:14)
09 Molly Bloom (2:39)
10 D-18 Song (Thank You, Mr. Martin) (3:58)
11 Back In Yonder's World (3:54)
12 Bright Days (2:14)
13 Salt Creek (3:10)
[Credits]
Norman Blake (guitar/mandolin/vocals) Tony Rice (guitar/vocals) Doc Watson (guitar) Nancy Blake (mandolin/cello/vocals) Mark Schatz (bass)
[Notes]
Norman Blake and Tony Rice 2 is an album by American guitarists Norman Blake and Tony Rice, released in 1990. It is their second album together. They previously released Blake & Rice in 1987. Doc Watson appears as a guest. Recorded at Bias Recording Co., Springfield, Virginia.

Norman Blake: Live At McCabe's

Takoma D-1052

Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: US
Released: 1976
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk, Bluegrass
[Tracklis]
A1 Introduction (0:38)
A2 Nine Pound Hammer (4:04)
A3 Sweet Heaven When I Die (3:51)
A4 Introducing Nancy Blake (1:10)
A5 Border Widow (2:10)
A6 "G" Medley (5:35)
B1 Dry Grass On High Fields (2:35)
B2 John Hardy (5:17)
B3 Arkansas Traveler (2:26)
B4 Bully Of The Town / Bonaparts Retreat / Richland Ave Rag (3:22)
B5 Harvey's Reel (2:00)
[Credits]
Norman Blake (guitar/fiddle/vocals) Nancy Blake (cello)
Art Director: Absalom Jackson and Jon Monday, Producer and Engineer: Doug Decker
[Notes]
Long cherished by Norman Blake's fans as one of the greatest flatpicking albums of all time, Live at McCabe's isn't as essential as some of the guitarist's studio records of the time (see Whiskey Before Breakfast), but there's a warm, ramshackle beauty about this concert that is every bit as charming. Originally released on Takoma in 1976, it was out of print for years before an overwhelming fan petition prompted a reissue of the album in 1999. The sound is marvelous and, as one would expect, there's a ton of fine flatpicking here, as well as a rare chance to hear Blake live and in his prime. Joined by then-wife Nancy on three cuts, Blake switches to fiddle for a few tunes, including the lovely "Border Widow." His rendition of "Nine Pound Hammer" is one of the best on record, and equally great is a loose arrangement of "Arkansas Traveler" that finds a number of other half melodies and improvisations darting in and out. Some of these tunes turned up on previous and later studio albums; some he would never record again. -- AllMusic Review by Jim Smith

Norman Blake: Directions

Takoma D-1064

Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: US
Released: 1978
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Bluegrass, Folk
[Tracklist]
A1 Blue Ridge Mountain Blues (2:44)
A2 Thebes (4:39)
A3 The L&N Don't Stop Here Anymore (4:22)
A4 A4 Loch Lavan Castle, Santa Ana's Retreat, Cattle In The Cane (4:15)
A5 Poor Ellen Smith (3:20)
B1 Uncle Sam (4:00)
B2 Ice On The Road (2:40)
B3 Rake And The Rambling Blade (3:05)
B4 High Dad In The Morning (2:35)
B5 Father's Hall (2:30)
B6 White Horse Breakdown (2:15)
B7 '76 Blues + 2 (2:55)
[Credits]
Norman Blake (guitar/mandolin/fiddle/vocals) Nancy Blake (cello/guitar/mandolin/vocals) Miles Anderson (trombone/trumpet/horn)
Arranger: Joseph Byrd (tracks: B1), Designer: Charlie Mitchell, Jon Monday & Ron Johnson, Photographer: Rick Dugan, Engineer: George Belle
[Notes]
As with most of Norman Blake's records, unassuming, easy going charm and virtuoso. The songs on this record have a definite mountain feel to it. Simple elegant melodies played in an understated way that draws you in. Highly recommended for those who those who like music that evokes past times. -- Henk Van Der Beek