Format: 3 x CD, Compilation
Country: United States
Released: 2006
Genre: Blues, Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk, Bluegrass, Blues, Gospel, & Old Time
[Tracklist]
1-01 I'm Troubled: Doc and Arnold Watson (03:10)
1-02 The Country Blues: Dock Boggs (04:24)
1-03 Going Down to the River: Fred McDowell (03:09)
1-04 East Virginia Blues: Roscoe Holcomb (04:51)
1-05 The Storms Are on the Ocean: Maybelle Carter (03:03)
1-06 The Dream of the Miner's Child: The Stanley Brothers (04:03)
1-07 Soldier's Joy: Hobart Smith (01:45)
1-08 Coffee Blues: Mississippi John Hurt (04:47)
1-09 Live and Let Live: Bill Monroe and His Blue Grass Boys (02:46)
1-10 Lonely Tombs: The Watson Family (02:25)
1-11 Rockin' Boogie: Jesse Fuller (03:46)
1-12 Brown's Dream: Gaither Carlton and Doc Watson (01:43)
1-13 Down South Blues: Dock Boggs (03:17)
1-14 Knoxville Blues: Sam McGee (02:30)
1-15 Have a Feast Here Tonight: The Stanley Brothers (03:12)
1-16 Riley: John Davis and the Georgia Sea Island Singers (02:09)
1-17 Buck and Wing: Jesse Fuller (01:22)
2-01 Hell Among the Yearlings: Arthur Smith (01:47)
2-02 Amelia Earhart's Last Flight: The Greenbriar Boys (03:47)
2-03 The Brakeman's Blues: Bill Monroe and His Blue Grass Boys (02:32)
2-04 Foggy Mountain Top: Maybelle Carter (02:07)
2-05 Hicks' Farewell: Doc Watson (05:00)
2-06 Jordan is a Hard Road to Travel: The New Lost City Ramblers (02:42)
2-07 Write Me a Few of Your Lines: Fred McDowell (02:54)
2-08 Bimini Gal: Joseph Spence (02:44)
2-09 Shady Grove: Bill Monroe and His Blue Grass Boys (01:37)
2-10 Grey Eagle: Bill Monroe and His Blue Grass Boys (01:36)
2-11 Walkin' the Dog: Bill Monroe and His Blue Grass Boys (02:03)
2-12 San Francisco Bay Blues: Jesse Fuller (03:24)
2-13 Short Life of Trouble: Doc and Arnold Watson (03:41)
2-14 John Henry: Roscoe Holcomb (01:59)
2-15 Kneelin' Down Inside the Gate: Stanley Thompson (03:45)
2-16 Tell Me Why You Like Roosevelt: McKinley Peebles (04:29)
2-17 Bury Me Under the Weeping Willow: Maybelle Carter (02:34)
2-18 Mansions for Me: The Stanley Brothers (02:27)
2-19 Before This Time Another Year: Bessie Jones and the Georgia Sea Island Singers (05:02)
3-01 My Creole Belle: Mississippi John Hurt (02:54)
3-02 Guitar Lesson: Jesse Fuller (01:26)
3-03 Cincinnati Blues: Jesse Fuller (02:27)
3-04 Poor Boy in Jail: Dock Boggs (02:41)
3-05 He's Solid Gone: Maybelle Carter (02:44)
3-06 Maggie Walker Blues: The Clarence Ashley Group (03:43)
3-07 Chevrolet: Ed Young and Emma Ramsay (03:14)
3-08 Rising Sun Blues: Roscoe Holcomb (03:03)
3-09 Lord, Build Me a Cabin in Glory: Bill Monroe and His Blue Grass Boys (01:37)
3-10 Frankie and Albert: Mississippi John Hurt (05:20)
3-11 Hard Times: The Stanley Brothers (02:23)
3-12 The Miller's Will: Horton Barker (03:17)
3-13 The Coo Coo Bird: Clarence Ashley (04:04)
3-14 Double File: Gaither Carlton and Doc Watson (01:30)
3-15 The Wandering Boy: Annie Bird (03:22)
3-16 Stranger Blues: Jesse Fuller (03:29)
3-17 I Saw the Light: Bill Monroe and His Blue Grass Boys (02:24)
3-18 Sugar Hill: Maybelle Carter (01:06)
3-19 Amazing Grace: The Clarence Ashley Group (04:29)
[Credits]
Producer, Recorder, Mastering Engineer and Liner Notes: Peter K Siegel, Photographer: David Gahr, John Cohen, Alan Lomax, Mike Seeger, Guy Droussart, and Anton Mikofsky
[Notes]
From 1961 to 1965, New York City's trailblazing Friends of Old Time Music presented 14 concerts that brought dozens of legendary traditional musicians before city audiences for the first time. This "folk arrival" changed the course of American folk music, expanding the vision of the Folk Song Revival and leaving an indelible mark on the musical landscape. For Friends of Old Time Music, Peter K. Siegel, who personally recorded most of the concerts, handpicked 55 tracks from the original master tapes. They include the first concert appearances by Doc Watson, Roscoe Holcomb, Clarence Ashley, and Joseph Spence, and the triumphant return visits to New York by Dock Boggs and Mississippi John Hurt, who had made classic recordings in the city during the 1920s. Three CDs of live concert recordings. 55 tracks, including 53 never before released tracks. Accompanied by a richly illustrated 60-page book. Recorded, produced, and annotated by Peter K. Siegel A Henry Street Folklore production Produced in association with City Lore, Inc.
December 3, 2023
Friends of Old Time Music: The Folk Arrival 1961-1965
February 13, 2023
American History in Ballad and Song Vol.2
Format: 3 x Vinyl, LP, Compilation
Country: US
Released: 1962
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk
[Tracklist]
A01 Skada In America: Gene Bluestein (02:13)
A02 Bragg Talk: Harry Jackson (01:34)
A03 Immigrant Worker: Michael Quill (00:45)
A04 He Lies in The American Land: Pete Seeger (01:59)
A05 German-American Loyalty: James Watson Gerard (02:49)
A06 American Indian Loyalty Oath: John Oberly (01:03)
A07 Two Good Men: (03:15)
A08 Ballad of Sherman Wu: Pete Seeger (02:07)
A09 Immortality: Williams Jennings Bryan (02:09)
A10 The Lord's Prayer: Dora Bliggen (02:06)
B01 F.D.R's Back Again: The New Lost City Ramblers (02:20)
B02 Then And Now: Oscar Brand (02:45)
B03 Puerto Ricans in New York: Tony Schwartz (02:43)
B04 Roll On Columbia: Pete Seeger (03:35)
B05 Conestoga Wagoner's Complaint: Vivien Richman (01:46)
B06 Trusts: William Howard Taft (01:54)
B07 Banks of Marble: Pete Seeger (03:11)
B08 The Farmer: Theodore Roosevelt (01:35)
B09 The Farmer is the Man : Gene Bluestein (01:37)
C01 One-Third Of a Nation: Franklin D. Roosevelt (01:56)
C02 Pastures of Plenty: Woody Guthrie (02:07)
C03 Labor Strife: Aunt Molly Jackson (04:48)
C04 Ludlow Massacre: Woody Guthrie (03:28)
C05 Money, Money, Money: Tony Schwartz (01:42)
C06 Too Old to Work: John Greenway (02:04)
C07 Corruption: Broadcast (00:32)
C08 Teacher's Blues: Pete Seeger (02:16)
C09 The Taxation Tyranny: Elizabeth Knight (01:42)
D01 Van Buren: Oscar Brand (00:44)
D02 The Political Smear: Broadcast (03:04)
D03 If He's Good Enough For Lindy: Oscar Brand (02:00)
D04 I'm a Migrant: Will Geer (00:51)
D05 Keep Moving: The New Lost City Ramblers (02:12)
D06 Too Many Bookmakers: Broadcast (01:43)
D07 The Delinquent: Malvina Reynolds (04:12)
D08 Let's Move It: Frederic Ramsey, Jr. (01:22)
D09 The Negro Voter: Martin Luther King, Jr. (00:25)
D10 Desegregation at Little Rock: Dwight Eisenhower and Orval Faubus (00:42)
D11 The State of Arkansas: Pete Seeger (02:01)
D12 The Supreme Court: Dwight Eisenhower and Orval Faubus (01:14)
D13 The Grand Wizard of the Klu Klux Klan: Freedom Riders (00:18)
D14 They Go Wild Over Me: The Freedom Riders (01:42)
E01 First, Fifth and Sixth Amendments: Broadcast (02:51)
E02 The Communist 11: Vito Marcantonio (00:54)
E03 Land of the Daily Worker: Joe Glazer (00:58)
E04 Landing of the A.E.F: General John Pershing (01:32)
E05 Let's Bury the Hatchet: Ernest Hemingway (00:55)
E06 The Spanish Civil War: Woody Guthrie (01:47)
E07 Valley of Jarama (Jarama Valley): Woody Guthrie (02:54)
E08 Isolationism: Charles A. Lindberg (01:09)
E09 Quarantine Speech: Franklin D. Roosevelt (02:01)
E10 The Sinking of the Reuben James: Woody Guthrie (02:54)
F01 The League of Nations: Franklin D. Roosevelt (01:15)
F02 The United Nations: Franklin D. Roosevelt (01:21)
F03 The Marshall Plan: Robert A. Taft (00:44)
F04 Isolationism: Robert A. Taft (01:09)
F05 The Red Issue: Henry Wallace (02:13)
F06 Little Joe the Rustler: Joe Glazer (02:26)
F07 The Baruch Plan: Bernard Baruch (00:27)
F08 Strontium 90: Bann the Bomb Recording (2:50)
F09 Nuclear Control: John F. Kennedy (00:45)
F10 Doomsday Blues: Dwight Eisenhower and Orval Faubus (02:47)
F11 Inagural Address: John F. Kennedy (02:12)
F12 Then We'll Have Peace: Pete Seeger (01:52)
[Credits]
Producer: Moses Asch, Designer: Ronald Clyne
[Notes]
Originally intended as a teaching aid for senior high school social studies and covering a broad scope of civic, government, economic, citizenship and immigration issues, this compilation provides a provocative mid-century impression of America culled from witnesses to the first half of the twentieth century. We are treated to songs from Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger and Malvina Reynolds; speeches from Theodore Roosevelt, Dwight Eisenhower, Martin Luther King, Jr. and Williams Jennings Bryan; so-called "brag talk" by cowboys; and pronouncement of an oath of loyalty by Chief John Oberly of the "Osage Tribe of Indians" affirming that he will not conspire with any political parties to overthrow the US government.
September 30, 2022
Classic Old-Time Music from Smithsonian Folkways
Format: CD, Compilation
Country: US
Released: 2003
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Fol, Old Timek
[Tracklist]
01 Sugar Hill: The Iron Mountain String Band (03:35)
02 Bill Morgan and His Gal: The New Lost City Ramblers (02:57)
03 Country Blues: Dock Boggs (03:52)
04 Little Sadie: Clarence Ashley (02:20)
05 Susannah Gal: Frank Bode and Tommy Jarrell (02:59)
06 Wednesday Night Waltz: Clark Kessinger (03:07)
07 Cyclone of Rye Cove: The New Lost City Ramblers (03:05)
08 I'm Leaving You This Lonesome Song: Maybelle Carter and Sara Carter Bayes (02:37)
09 Carroll County Blues: Doc Watson and Fred Price (01:42)
10 Don't Let Your Deal Go Down: Sam and Kirk McGee (03:03)
11 Trouble in Mind: Roscoe Holcomb (02:18)
12 Chilly Winds: Wade Ward (01:08)
13 Going Down the Road Feeling Bad: David, Bill and Billie Ray Johnson (02:25)
14 Pretty Polly: Lee Sexton (02:13)
15 Bonaparte's Retreat: Mike Seeger (01:29)
16 Concord Rag: J.E. Mainer's Mountaineers (02:15)
17 John Henry: George Pegram (02:18)
18 Bowling Green: Cousin Emmy with The New Lost City Ramblers (01:49)
19 Fine Times in Our House: John W. Summers (03:12)
20 Streets of Glory: Old Reliable String Band (02:10)
21 Policeman: The Spare Change Boys (02:53)
22 Soldier's Joy: Joe and Tommy Thompson (02:15)
23 House of David Blues: Red Clay Ramblers with Al McCanless (01:27)
24 Ship in the Clouds: Andy Cahan, Lisa Ornstein and Laura Fishleder (01:46)
25 Late Last Night: Sam and Kirk McGee (02:26)
26 Look Down That Lonesome Road: Gaither Carlton (02:07)
27 Down Yonder: Gordon Tanner, Joe Miller, and John Patterson (02:38)
28 Jaybird March: Etta Baker and Cora Phillips (01:51)
29 John Brown's Dream: The New Lost City Ramblers (01:35)
[Credits]
Compiler and Liner Notes: Jeff Place
[Notes]
This collection of old-time social and instrumental string-band music spotlights instrumental prowess. Old-time music features playing styles that pre-date bluegrass, emerging from the string band tradition stretching back to the early years of United States history. Both African-American and Anglo-American ingredients are at its core, the banjo having African origins, the fiddle European. Some of the most revered sources of old-time roots music—Dock Boggs, Roscoe Holcomb, Wade Ward, Tommy Jarrell, and more—are heard playing in their original styles. The Grateful Dead's cover of "Don't Let Your Deal Go Down" and Bob Dylan's rendition of Clarence Ashley's "Little Sadie" clearly attest to the continuing influence of these songs. Compiled and annotated by Jeff Place.
May 20, 2022
Classic Railroad Songs from Smithsonian Folkways
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.
February 23, 2022
"Earth is Earth" sung by The New Lost Bang Boys
Format: Vinyl 7" EP
Country: US
Released: 1963
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk, Old Time
[Tracklist]
A1 My Sweet Farm Girl (2:24)
A2 Bang Bang Lulu (2:44)
B1 Then It Won't Hurt (2:56)
B2 Women Wear No Clothes At All (2:38)
[Credits]
McKinley (John) Cohen, Wilbur (Mike) Seeger and Delmore (Tom) Paley
[Notes]
These four earthy old-time songs are performed by the New Lost City Bang Boys, three young men who were born and raised in and around New Lost City, which is famGus fOi earth and old-time songs. The New Lost City Bang Boys is a pseudonym for the New Lost City Ramblers.
February 12, 2022
Close to Home: Old Time Music from Mike Seeger's Collection 1952-1967
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.
December 28, 2021
Smithsonian Folkways American Roots Collection
Format: CD, Compilation
Country: US
Released: 1996
Genre: Jazz, Blues, Folk, World, & Country
Style: Gospel, Bluegrass, Cajun, Folk, Country
[Tracklist]
01 Penitentary Blues: Lightnin' Hopkins (2:56)
02 Sweet Old Chicago: Roosevelt Sykes (2:58)
03 Blue Moon of Kentucky: Bill Monroe (2:02)
04 If I Had a Hammer (Hammer Song): Pete Seeger (2:13)
05 Lafayette: Lucinda Williams (3:45)
06 Bosco Stomp: Nonc Allie Young, Bessyl Duhon, and Rodney Balfa (3:04)
07 Better Day: Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee (3:04)
08 Long Road to Travel: Lonnie Johnson (2:22)
09 The Cuckoo Bird (The Coo-Coo Bird): Doc Watson and Clarence Ashley (2:35)
10 Pretty Saro: Doug and Jack Wallin (2:32)
11 Freight Train: Elizabeth Cotten (2:46)
12 Old Joe Bone: The New Lost City Ramblers (2:00)
13 Have a Feast Here Tonight: Bill Monroe and Doc Watson (2:24)
14 Freedom Road: Josh White (2:21)
15 This Land is Your Land: Woody Guthrie (2:19)
16 Two Good Men (Sacco and Vanzetti): Woody Guthrie (3:49)
17 Black Girl (In the Pines): Lead Belly (2:10)
18 Irene (Goodnight Irene): Lead Belly (2:18)
19 Somebody's Been Fooling #1: Big Joe Williams (2:52)
20 Hesitation Blues: Dave Van Ronk (2:34)
21 I'm Gonna Be an Engineer: Peggy Seeger (4:31)
22 Delgadina: Mercedez López (2:16)
23 I Was Standing by the Bedside of a Neighbor: Michele Lanchester and Sweet Honey (3:22)
24 Virgo: Mary Lou Williams (2:29)
25 Syl-O-Gism: Mary Lou Williams (3:31)
26 We Shall Overcome: The Freedom Singers, Dorothy Cotton, and Pete Seeger (2:42)
[Credits]
Compiler & Producer: Anthony Seeger & Amy Horowitz, Designer: Visual Dialogue, Engineer: David Glasser & Lea Anne Sonenstein
[Notes]
Twenty-six tracks from outstanding Smithsonian Folkways recordings present a panorama of American Roots music. Blues, Bluegrass, ballads, topical songs, and jazz are performed by master musicians. If you have never heard of Smithsonian Folkways or Folkways before, this collection will take you on a trip through American Music; if you have heard some already, you will still be delighted by the breadth and variety of this collection.
December 9, 2021
If You Ain't Got The Do-Re-Mi
Format: CD, Compilation
Country: US
Released: Mar 13, 2007
Genre: Reggae, Blues, Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk, Country Blues, Calypso
[Tracklist]
01 Wall Street Rag: Ann Charters (3:51)
02 Empty Pocket Blues: Pete Seeger (1:29)
03 Do-Re-Mi: Woody Guthrie (2:31)
04 Bill Morgan and His Gal: The New Lost City Ramblers (2:55)
05 One Meat Ball: Josh White (3:09)
06 Jim Fisk: June Lazare (2:51)
07 Gallis Pole: Lead Belly (2:44)
08 Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?: Joe Glazer (3:59)
09 Yankee Dollar: Lord Invader (2:28)
10 If I Had a Million Dollars: Speckled Red (4:25)
11 Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out: Rolf Cahn and Eric Von Schmidt (4:46)
12 If I Lose, I Don't Care: The New Lost City Ramblers (2:57)
13 Banks of Marble: Pete Seeger (3:13)
14 The Old Arm Chair: Gale Huntington (3:36)
15 The Money Rolls In: Derek Lamb (1:18)
16 Business: Pete Seeger (2:04)
17 If You Lose Your Money: Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee (2:40)
18 Union Maid: Almanac Singers (2:08)
19 Greenback Dollar: Kilby Snow (1:45)
20 The Miller and His Sons: Horton Barker (3:12)
21 Penny's Farm: Pete Seeger (1:47)
22 Billy Grimes the Rover: The New Lost City Ramblers (2:28)
23 Ida Mae: Joe Glazer (2:20)
24 Last Gold Dollar: Bascom Lamar Lunsford (1:15)
25 Black Dog Blues: The Stoneman Family (2:10)
26 I Don't Want Your Millions Mister: Almanac Singers (2:54)
27 Pretty Boy Floyd: Woody Guthrie (3:03)
[Credits]
Compilers: Jack Manischewitz and John Herzog, Liner Notes: Jeff Place, Designer: Joe Parisi, Engineer: Pete Reiniger
[Notes]
As a subject, money has always generated great interest. If You Ain't Got the Do Re Mi celebrates the songs and singers whose words express the human side of money: hope or frustration, criticism or humor, desire or avowed disinterest. This compilation from the Smithsonian Folkways archive marks the opening of the Museum of American Finance on New York City’s Wall Street, and lets the voices of Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Lead Belly, and other folk music legends ring out their stories of rags and riches. 24-page booklet. 74 minutes.
November 15, 2021
The New Lost City Ramblers: The Early Years, 1958-1962
Format: CD, Compilation
Country: US
Released: 1991
Genre: Blues, Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk, Country, & Old Time
[Tracklist]
01 Colored Aristocracy (2:08)
02 Hopalong Peter (2:07)
03 Don't Let Your Deal Go Down (2:29)
04 When First Into this Country (2:48)
05 Sales Tax on the Women (3:16)
06 Rabbit Chase (2:33)
07 Leaving Home (Frankie and Johnny) (3:08)
08 How Can a Poor Man Stand Such Times and Live? (3:36)
09 Franklin D. Roosevelt's Back Again (2:22)
10 I Truly Understand You Love Another Man (2:32)
11 The Old Fish Song (4:55)
12 The Battleship of Maine (3:08)
13 No Depression in Heaven (2:59)
14 Dallas Rag (2:05)
15 Bill Morgan and His Gal (My Name is Morgan But it Ain't J.P. ) (2:58)
16 Fly Around My Pretty Little Miss (Pretty Little Miss) (2:32)
17 The Lady of Carlisle (3:34)
18 Brown's Ferry Blues (2:49)
19 My Long Journey Home (2:39)
20 Talking Hard Luck (2:42)
21 The Teetotals (1:02)
22 Sal Got a Meatskin (3:27)
23 Railroad Blues (2:44)
24 On Some Foggy Mountain Top (2:28)
25 My Sweet Farm Girl (2:25)
26 Crow Black Chicken (2:37)
[Credits]
Mike Seeger (fiddle/mandolin/autoharp/guitar/banjo/vocals) Tom Paley (banjo/guitar/vocals) John Cohen (guitar/banjo/vocals)
Producer: Jon Pankake, Photographer: Robert Frank, Designer: Carol Hardy, Recorders: Moses Asch, Peter Bartok and Mike Seeger
[Notes]
Moses Asch had a unique method of recording artists back in the '40s and '50s. Someone like Woody Guthrie, for instance, would just drop by Folkways when he had an idea and record. Asch might pay him five dollars for the session, and in this way he accumulated a vault full of material. Perhaps this explains the incredible fact that the New Lost City Ramblers recorded 12 albums between 1958-1962. The Early Years (1958-1962) collects 26 songs, over 70 minutes of music, from these dozen discs, creating an excellent document of the band's years with Tom Paley. John Cohen, and Mike Seeger formed the New Lost City Ramblers in 1958 with the idea of playing old-time music recorded between the late '20s and 1940. While it has often been stated that the trio intended to copy -- phrase for phrase, lick for lick -- the old 78s, Jon Pankake points out in the liner notes that this wasn't the case. Instead, the New Lost City Ramblers wanted to insert the same vim and vigor into "The Battleship of Maine" and "Fly Around My Pretty Little Miss" as the original players. What stands out now, some 60 years after these recordings, is the band's versatility. Whether cutting loose on an instrumental like "Colored Aristocracy" or singing tight harmony on "Brown's Ferry Blues," the three comrades form a tight unit. While the arrangements never outgrow the number of persons in the band, each player's ability to play multiple instruments lends diversity to the material. The Early Years (1958-1962) offers a very good introduction to an innovative and influential band. -- AllMusic Review by Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr.
October 18, 2021
Strange Creek Singers
Format: CD, Album, Reissue
Country: US
Released: 1997
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Bluegrass, Appalachian Music, Country, Hillbilly
[Tracklist]
01 When I Can Read My Titles Clear (2:13)
02 In the Pines (3:48)
03 Sunny Side of Life (2:19)
04 Poor Old Dirt Farmer (2:18)
05 Sally Ann (1:22)
06 I Truly Understand That You Love Another Man (2:29)
07 Old Black Choo Choo (2:39)
08 Today Has Been a Lonesome Day (3:16)
09 No Never No (4:11)
10 New River Train (2:55)
11 Get Acquainted Waltz (2:38)
12 Will the Circle Be Unbroken (3:41)
13 Black Lung (3:27)
14 Difficult Run (Pt. 2) (2:48)
[Credits]
Mike Seeger (mandolin/fiddle/banjo/guitar/autoharp/vocals) Hazel Dickens (bass/vocals) Tracy Schwarz (fiddle/guitar/dobro/vocals) Alice Gerrard (guitar/vocals) Lamar Grier (banjo)
Producer: Mike Seeger and Chris Strachwitz, Liner Notes: Richard K. Spottswood, Designer: Dix Bruce, Tom Diamant and Wayne Pope, Photographer: Betsy Siggins
[Notes]
Composed of Mike Seeger, Tracy Schwarz (two-thirds of the New Lost City Ramblers), Hazel Dickens, Alice Gerrard, and Lamar Grier, the Strange Creek Singers bring new life to hymnals and old-time country classics. Utilizing a combination of instrumental and vocal talent, the singers perform solo as well as in duets, trios, and quartets to bring a traditional country voice into the cities where four of them grew up. Of particular note is the song “Black Lung,” written and sung by Hazel Dickens and dedicated to her brothers, who were coal miners.
September 23, 2021
Maybelle Carter – Wildwood Pickin'
Series: Newport Folk Festival Classics
Format: CD, Compilation
Country: US
Released: 1997
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Appalachian Music, Folk
[Tracklist]
01 Introduction (02:19)
02 Bury Me Under The Weeping Willow (02:40)
03 Cannonball Blues (02:07)
04 Two Sweethearts of Mine (05:01)
05 Wabash Cannonball (01:56)
06 Coal Miner's Blues (00:56)
07 Lover's Farewell (02:24)
Autoharp Workshop With Mike Seeger
08 Little Brown Jug (00:58)
09 Unknown Fiddle Tune (01:55)
10 San Antonio Rose (01:52)
11 Liberty Dance (01:17)
12 Bully of The Town (01:55)
13 My Native Home (03:55)
14 Come All Ye Fair And Tender Ladies (03:59)
15 Tennessee Waltz (01:22)
16 Never on Sunday (02:51)
17 Gathering Flowers From The Hillside (00:51)
18 Little Darling Pal of Mine (02:27)
New Lost City Ramblers & Maybelle
19 Worried Man Blues (03:11)
20 The Storms Are on The Ocean (03:40)
21 Wildwood Flower (03:49)
22 Gold Watch And Chain (02:26)
[Credits]
Maybelle Carter (guitar/autoharp/vocals) Mike Seeger (guitar) John Cohen (guitar) Tom Paley (guitar) Bill Clifton (intro)
[Notes]
In the late 1950s the daughters stopped performing, but Maybelle Carter remained with the Opry until 1967. The folk revival of the late 1960s revitalized interest in the Original Carter Family, and Maybelle performed at the Newport Folk Festivals 26/28 July 1963.
September 11, 2021
There is No Eye: Music for Photographs
Format: CD, HDCD, Compilation
Country: US
Released: 2001
Genre: Blues, Folk, World, & Country
Style: Bluegrass, Blues, Folk, Gospel, Country Blues, Celtic
[Tracklist]
01 Thank You Lord: Gospel Church, Harlem (4:29)
02 If I Had My Way: Reverend Gary Davis (4:46)
03 Have You Ever Been Mistreated: Yvonne Hunter (1:39)
04 I Can't Be Satisfied: Muddy Waters (2:44)
05 Roll On John: Bob Dylan (3:26)
06 Man of Constant Sorrow: Roscoe Holcomb (2:59)
07 Hicks Farewell: Doc Watson and Gaither Carlton (4:31)
08 Come All You Tenderhearted: Carter Stanley (3:38)
09 Young But Growing: Mary Townsley (3:29)
10 TB Blues: Alice Gerrard and Hazel Dickens (3:29)
11 John Henry: Bill Monroe (1:34)
12 Sally Goodin: Eck Robertson (3:42)
13 Twin Sisters: Sidna Myers (0:57)
14 Sally Johnson: Wade Ward and Charlie Higgins (2:15)
15 Pull My Daisy: David Amram Quartet (4:33)
16 So Long: Go: Rufus Cohen and Wade Patterson (3:02)
17 Who'll Water My Flowers?: Last Forever (2:36)
18 Oh Babe, It Ain't No Lie: Elizabeth Cotten (2:07)
19 Ramblin' Round: Woody Guthrie (2:17)
20 Love My Darling-O: Alan Lomax (1:56)
21 Buck Creek Girls: The New Lost City Ramblers (3:01)
22 Paloma Blanca: Huayno Stringband (2:20)
23 Kitchen Girl: Sweets Mill Band (The Arkansas Sheiks) (2:42)
[Credits]
Compiler, Producer, Liner Notes and Photographer: John Cohen, Coordinator: Mary Monseur, Designer: Visual Dialogue, Editor: Carla Borden, Engineer: Pete Reiniger
[Notes]
In Music For Photographs, photographer, film maker, folklorist and musician John Cohen (of the New Lost City Ramblers) presents some of the finest American roots recordings ever made. On their own, these songs are authentic and captivating. Yet, they are only one half of a conceptual whole—Cohen has also released a book of photographs, There is No Eye, showcasing the musicians featured here as well as many others. Experienced together, the music and the photographs create new dimensions of possibility in our collective drive to understand and appreciate people's music. Includes unreleased music from Rev. Gary Davis and Bob Dylan, as well as classic tracks from Woody Guthrie, Roscoe Holcomb, Bill Monroe, Carter Stanley, Muddy Waters, and many more. 32-page booklet, exquisite photos, extensive notes, 68 minutes.
August 19, 2021
Old Timey Songs for Children Played and Sung by the New Lost City Ramblers
Format: Vinyl, LP, 10", Album
Country: US
Released: 1960
Genre: Children's, Folk, World, & Country
Style: Children's
[Tracklist]
A1 Old Bell Cow (3:12)
A2 Hopalong Peter (2:09)
A3 Beware, Oh Take Care (2:23)
A4 Soldier, Soldier Will You Marry Me (1:25)
A5 Eyes are Blue (1:35)
A6 Charley He's a Good Ol' Man (2:13)
A7 Adam in the Garden Pinnin' Leaves (1:25)
A8 Chewing Gum (2:37)
B1 Cotton Eyed Joe (1:15)
B2 Jennie Jenkins (2:34)
B3 Barbara Allen (3:24)
B4 Hop High Ladies (Hop Up Ladies) (2:31)
B5 Rabbit Chase (2:36)
B6 Common Bill (1:47)
B7 Johnny Get Your Gun (1:39)
[Credits]
The New Lost City Ramblers: John Cohen (banjo/guitar/vocals) Tom Paley (banjo/vocals) Mike Seeger (fiddle/guitar/autoharp/vocals)
[Notes]
On this record, the New Lost City Ramblers perform traditional children's songs from the Appalachian Mountains, characterized by the fiddle, the banjo, and a strong narrative. As John Cohen writes in the liner notes, there are "some songs with common sense and common nonsense...songs to listen to, songs you can sing to others. Some of these songs I heard when I was a kid—and some of them I wish I had heard then." Favorites include "Cotton Eyed Joe," "Barbara Allen," and "Hop High Ladies."
June 23, 2021
Tom Paley, John Cohen, and Mike Seeger Sing Songs of the New Lost City Ramblers
Format: Vinyl, LP
Country: US
Released: 1978
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk, Bluegrass
[Tracklist]
A1 Colored Aristocracy (2:17)
A2 Don't Let Your Deal Go Down (2:41)
A3 Brown's Ferry Blues (2:51)
A4 Talking Hard Luck (2:40)
A5 Railroad Blues (2:41)
A6 Likes Likker Better Than Me (2:38)
A7 Hop High Ladies The Cakes All Dough (2:07)
A8 It's A Shame To Whip Your Wife On Sunday (2:42)
A9 Crow Black Chicken (2:07)
B1 Battleship Of Maine (2:41)
B2 Beware (2:19)
B3 The Lady Of Carlisle (3:36)
B4 Tom Dooley (2:35)
B5 Chewing Gum (2:23)
B6 Who's That Knocking At My Window? (2:19)
B7 Serves 'Em Fine (2:20)
B8 Old Age Pension Check (2:21)
B9 Whitehouse Blues (2:50)
[Credits]
Tom Paley (banjo/mandolin/guitar/vocals) John Cohen (guitar/banjo/vocals) Mike Seeger (fiddle/autoharp/mandolin/banjo/guitar/vocals)
Recorder: Peter Bartok
[Notes]
This album, recorded in 1960-1961, shows these three musicians' passionate love for mountain music. The New Lost City Ramblers learned their music from impeccable sources—from old time commercial discs made between 1922 and 1941, and from field recordings in the Library of Congress Archive of American Folk Song.
June 6, 2021
The New Lost City Ramblers: Rural Delivery No. 1
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: US
Released: 1964
Genre: Folk, Word, & Country
Style: Folk, Country
[Tracklist]
A1 Going Down The River (2:37)
A2 The Cyclone Of Rye Cove (3:00)
A3 Sweet Willie (2:02)
A4 I've Always Been A Rambler (3:12)
A5 Old Joe Bone (1:57)
A6 Durham's Bull (1:33)
A7 Automobile Trip Through Alabama (3:15)
A8 Bachelor Blues (3:00)
A9 Train On The Island (2:30)
B1 Pretty Polly (3:08)
B2 Soldier And The Lady (2:43)
B3 Gold Watch And Chain (2:55)
B4 The Days Of My Childhood Plays (2:00)
B5 Fishing Creek Blues (1:58)
B6 Hungry Hash-House (3:00)
B7 Rubber Neck Blues (2:15)
B8 Twenty-One Years (2:30)
B9 Rosa Lee McFall (2:35)
[Credits]
Mike Seeger (guitar/banjo/mandolin) Tracy Schwarz (fiddle) John Cohen (guitar/banjo/straws)
Director: Moses Asch. Director: Jerry Schoenbaum, Photograper: John Cohen, Designer: Ronald Clyne, Liner Notes: Mike Seeger, Tracy Schwarz and John Cohen, Engineer: Val Valentin and Peter Bartok
[Notes]
In this album's liner notes, John Cohen writes, "After seven years of performing, the New Lost City Ramblers play in a great many country styles. We have each developed our own individual preferences, so one will recognize greater polar ties here, from old time music to some of the more modern sounds."
April 6, 2021
The Harry Smith Connection: A Live Tribute to the Anthology of American Folk Music
Format: CD, Album
Country: US
Released: 1998
Genre: Blues, Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk, Gospel, Blues, Cajun, Country, & Jug
[Tracklist]
01 East Virginia Blues: Roger McGuinn, Jeff Tweedy, and Jay Bennett (2:45)
02 I'm on the Battlefield for My Lord: Ethel Caffie-Austin (2:36)
03 John Henry: John Jackson (3:21)
04 A Lazy Farmer Boy: Greg Hooven String Band (3:17)
05 Old Dog Blue: Lonnie Pitchford (3:03)
06 Home Sweet Home: The New Lost City Ramblers (3:13)
07 The Butcher Boy: Ginny Hawker and Tracy Schwarz (4:12)
08 John the Revelator: Ethel Caffie-Austin (2:36)
09 His Tapes Roll On: Peter Stampfel (4:43)
10 Minglewood Blues: John Sebastian and the J Band with Geoff Muldaur (3:42)
11 The Coo Coo Bird: Ella Jenkins (2:49)
12 Frankie and Johnny: John Jackson (2:51)
13 Sugar Baby: Roger McGuinn, Jeff Tweedy, and Jay Bennett (2:59)
14 Le Vieux Soulard et sa Femme (bon vieux mari): Balfa Toujours (2:37)
15 Spike Driver Blues: Dave Van Ronk (4:25)
16 Darling Corey: Greg Hooven String Band (2:31)
17 The Coo Coo Bird: Toshi Reagon (3:29)
18 James Alley Blues: Roger McGuinn, Jeff Tweedy, and Jay Bennett (3:23)
19 Nothing: The Fugs (3:01)
[Credits]
Recorder & Producer: Pete Reiniger, Producer & Liner Notes: Robert Santelli and Jeff Place
[Notes]
Powerful new interpretations of Southern musical traditions, recorded live in October, 1997, at the Barns of Wolf Trap. These contemporary versions of songs that either appeared on the Grammy-Award winning Anthology of American Folk Music or are associated with its compiler, Harry Smith (tracks 9 and 19), are a wild mix of styles from "gangsta folk" to gospel, blues, Cajun, country rock, jug band, and more. A stellar group of musicians pays tribute to the past and dramatically demonstrates the enduring vitality of America’s traditional music. Extensive notes, discographies, and photographs. Produced by Pete Reiniger, Jeff Place and Bob Santelli, and annotated by Jeff Place and Bob Santelli.
April 1, 2021
Down Home Saturday Night
Format: CD, Album, Compilation
Country: US
Released: 2007
Genre: Blues, Folk, World, & Country
Style: Cajun, Hillbilly, Hill Country Blues, Texas Blues
[Tracklist]
01 Minglewood Blues: John Sebastian and the J Band with Geoff Muldaur (3:41)
02 White House Blues: Earl Taylor and the Stoney Mountain Boys (1:58)
03 Le Vieux Soulard Et Sa Femme: Balfa Toujours (2:37)
04 El Sinaloense: Mingo Saldívar y y sus Tremendos Cuatro Espadas (4:07)
05 It's Love Baby (24 Hours a Day): Erbie Bowser, T.D. Bell, and the Blues Specialists (4:09)
06 Big Ball’s in Cowtown: The Texas Playboys (3:06)
07 Pinetop’s Boogie Woogie: Memphis Slim (4:10)
08 Bill Morgan and His Gal: The New Lost City Ramblers (2:55)
09 You Keep On Doggin’ Me: Sonny Terry, J.C. Burris, Sticks McGhee (2:41)
10 Bosco Stomp: Nonc Allie Young, Bessyl Duhon, Rodney Balfa (3:01)
11 Walking Blues: Arbee Stidham, Memphis Slim, and Jump Jackson (3:10)
12 Hey Bartender, There’s A Bug In My Beer: Warner Williams and Eddie Pennington (2:43)
13 Oh Baby, You Don’t Have to Go: The Chambers Brothers (2:45)
14 Chiquitos Pero Picos: Los Polkeros de Ben Tavera King (2:00)
15 Uncle Bud: Boozoo Chavis and the Magic Sounds (2:56)
[Credits]
Compilers: Mark Gustafson, Brian Scott and Jeff Place, Mastering Engineer: Pete Reiniger
[Notes]
On any Saturday night, rollicking down-home music can be heard throughout the USA, be it bluegrass, blues, boogie woogie, country, Cajun, zydeco, Texas swing, or Texas Mexican conjunto. Down Home Saturday Night has them all. Smithsonian Folkways archivist Jeff Place compiled these 15 tracks of American regional and ethnic roots music with one idea in mind: to bring people together and have fun with music and musicians from across the land.
December 4, 2018
The Folk Music of the Newport Folk Festival 1959-60 Vol.2
Country: US
Released: 1961
Genre: Blues, Folk, World, & Country
Style: Blues, Folk, Bluegrass
A1 The Midnight Special: Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee (3:31)
A2 Living with the Blues: Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee (2:57)
A3 Instrumental: The New Lost City Ramblers (1:07)
A4 Hop High Ladies: The New Lost City Ramblers (1:36)
A5 Take a Drink on Me: The New Lost City Ramblers (2:19)
A6 As I Was Out Walking: Frank Warner (2:14)
A7 Fod!: Frank Warner (1:46)
A8 Asheville Junction: Frank Warner (1:57)
B1 Rake and a Rambling Blade: Fleming Brown (3:17)
B2 Tom Hubbard: Fleming Brown (4:16)
B3 Talking Dust Bowl: John Greenway (3:00)
We Shall Overcome: Guy Carawan (3:50)
[Credits]
Liner Notes: Irwin Silber, Photographers: Dave Gahr, W. Field and Ted Bettancourt
[Notes]
This volume is half of a two-recording set that includes recordings not issued on the Vanguard or Elektra Newport compilations. Intended to represent music from the American South and then-current trends in folk singing, the album features Brownie McGhee, Sonny Terry, the New Lost City Ramblers, Frank Warner, John Greenway, Guy Carawan, and Fleming Brown.
May 24, 2018
Classic Folk Music from Smithsonian Folkways Recordings
Country: US
Released: 2004
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk
[Tracklist]
01 Pastures Of Plenty: Woody Guthrie (2:25)
02 We Shall Overcome: Pete Seeger (4:39)
03 Rock Island Line: Lead Belly (2:02)
04 No More Auction Block: Paul Robeson (2:09)
05 Deportees (Plane Wreck At Los Gatos): Barbara Dane (5:44)
06 John Henry: Doc Watson (3:41)
07 John Hardy: Mike Seeger (2:40)
08 Betty And Dupree: Brownie McGhee (3:58)
09 Gallis Pole: Fred Gerlach (3:43)
10 Polly Von: Paul Clayton (3:09)
11 Butcher Boy: Peggy Seeger (2:17)
12 Duncan And Brady: Dave Van Ronk (3:00)
13 Railroad Bill: Hobart Smith (2:35)
14 Wayfaring Stranger: Burl Ives (1:12)
15 Big Rock Candy Mountain: Haywire Mac (2:06)
16 Born 100,000 Years Ago: Cisco Houston (1:07)
17 Sugar Babe, It’s All Over: Mark Spoelstra (1:58)
18 Changes: Phil Ochs (4:16)
19 Black And White: Earl Robinson (2:56)
20 Most Fair Beauty Bright: Jean Ritchie (2:17)
21 Cielito Lindo: Pete Seeger (2:31)
22 Tom Dooley: The New Lost City Ramblers (2:52)
23 Freight Train: Elizabeth Cotten (2:43)
24 Down On Me: Mary Pickney And Janie Hunter (3:02)
25 This Train (Bound For Glory): Big Bill Broonzy (2:58)
[Credits]
Compiled and Liner Notes: Jeff Place, Designer: Communication Visual, Photographers: Diana Davies, Galen Lawson and David Gahr, Engneer: Pete Reiniger
[Notes]
We often take for granted the supremacy of artists such as Doc Watson, Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Lead Belly, Big Bill Broonzy, Brownie McGhee, and other folk music legends. Classic Folk sheds new light on the success of the urban intellectual-driven movement that made rural white and African-American artists and their music favorites of audiences everywhere. This recording features classic performances by classic artists doing some of their classic songs during the great folksong revival of the 1940s through 1960s. It features some of the great performances from the vaults of Folkways Records. (Compiled and annotated by Jeff Place)
February 22, 2018
The New Lost City Ramblers with Cousin Emmy
Country: US
Released: 1968
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk
[Tracklist]
A1 Old Tim Brooks (1:21)
A2 A Home In Old Kentucky (1:23)
A3 I'm Going 'Cross The Sea (2:17)
A4 Pretty Little Miss Out In The Garden (3:12)
A5 Little Joe (3:01)
A6 Ruby, Are You Mad At Your Man? (1:46)
A7 Dance All Night With A Bottle In Your Hand (1:37)
A8 Lost John (3:12)
B1 Bowling Green (1:46)
B2 Cat's Got The Measles (1:22)
B3 Mother's Grave (2:58)
B4 Chilly Scenes Of Winter (2:05)
B5 Graveyard (1:37)
B6 Johnny Booker (1:29)
B7 Scat Tom Kitty Puss (1:14)
B8 Shortening Bread (1:00)
[Credits]
Cousin Emmy (banjo/harmonica/vocals) Mike Seeger (mandolin/autoharp) John Cohen (guitar) Tracy Schwarz (fiddle/bass) George Winston (bass)
Produced by the New Lost City Ramblers
[Notes]
Recorded April 24, 1967, at Sound House in El Monte, California. Cousin Emmy, born Cynthia May Carver (1903-1980) in Barren County, Kentucky, brought the old time banjo music of her roots to glitzier venues, where she donned sequined dresses to create a stage presence, all the while maintaining the integrity of her clear vocals and banjo frailing. It was at such a venue, at a +IBw-Country & Western Night performance+IB0- at the Disneyland Resort in 1961, that she happened to meet the New Lost City Ramblers, who accompany her on this album. The quintessential music of Cousin Emmy can be heard on this album in the classic bluegrass played in the style of mountainous regions, sometimes very popular in the mountains of eastern Kentucky but rarely recorded, and in Emmy+IBk-s reinterpretations that became standalone classics themselves, such as "Ruby are you mad at your man?"