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.

Bob Dylan: Self Portrait

Columbia – C2X 30050

Format: 2 x Vinyl, LP, Album, Textured Gatefold
Country: US
Released: Jun 8, 1970
Genre: Rock, Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk Rock, Blues Rock, Country
[Tracklist]
A1 All The Tired Horses (3:11)
A2 Alberta #1 (2:55)
A3 I Forgot More Than You'll Ever Know (2:22)
A4 Days Of 49 (5:42)
A5 Early Mornin' Rain (3:31)
A6 In Search Of Little Sadie (2:26)
B1 Let It Be Me (2:58)
B2 Little Sadie (1:58)
B3 Woogie Boogie (2:06)
B4 Belle Isle (2:28)
B5 Living The Blues (2:41)
B6 Like A Rolling Stone (5:14)
C1 Copper Kettle (3:32)
C2 Gotta Travel On (3:04)
C3 Blue Moon (2:26)
C4 The Boxer (2:45)
C5 The Mighty Quinn (Quinn, The Eskimo) (2:54)
C6 Take Me As I Am (Or Let Me Go) (2:59)
D1 Take A Message To Mary (2:44)
D2 It Hurts Me Too (3:16)
D3 Minstrel Boy (3:29)
D4 She Belongs To Me (2:42)
D5 Wigwam (3:08)
D6 Alberta #2 (3:20)
[Credits]
Bob Dylan (guitar/harmonica/keyboards/vocals) Performers: Al Kooper, Alvin Rogers, Albert W. Butler, Albertine Robinson, Barry McDonald, Bill Pursell, Bob Moore, Bob Wilson, Brenton Banks, Byron T. Bach, Carol Montgomery, Charlie Daniels, Charlie McCoy, David Bromberg, Dennis A. Good, Delores Edgin, Dottie Dillard, Doug Kershaw, Bubba Fowler, Emanuel Green, Frank C. Smith, Fred Carter, Jr., Frederick Hill, Garth Hudson, Gary Van Osdale, Gene A. Mullins, George Binkley, Hilda Harris, June Page, Karl T. Himmel, Kenneth Buttrey, Levon Helm, Lillian Hunt, Maeretha Stewart, Martha McCrory, Martin Katahn, Marvin D. Chantry, Millie Kirkham, Norman Blake , Oliver Mitchell, Peter Drake, Rex Peer, Richard Manuel, Rick Danko, Robbie Robertson, Ron Cornelius, Sheldon Kurland, Solie J. Fott, Stu Woods, Anthony Terron
Producer: Bob Johnston, Designer: Ron Coro, Paintin: Bob Dylan, Photographers: Al Clayton and John Cohen, Engineers: Don Puluse, Glynn Johns and Neil Wilburn
[Notes]
Self Portrait is the tenth studio album by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, released on June 8, 1970, by Columbia Records. Self Portrait was Dylan's second double album (after Blonde on Blonde), and features many cover versions of well-known pop and folk songs. Also included are a handful of instrumentals and original compositions. Most of the album is sung in the affected country crooning voice that Dylan had introduced a year earlier on Nashville Skyline. Seen by some as intentionally surreal and even satirical at times, Self Portrait received extremely poor reviews.

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: Home In Sulphur Springs

Rounder Records – 0012

Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: US
Released: 1972
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk, Country
[Tracklist]
A1 Bully Of The Town (2:00)
A2 Randall Collins (1:52)
A3 Done Gone (1:35)
A4 Down Home Summertime Blues (3:40)
A5 Warp Factor No. 9 (3:36)
A6 Orphan Annie (2:54)
A7 Spanish Fandango (2:47)
B1 Little Joe (2:47)
B2 Richland Avenue Rag (1:54)
B3 When The Fields Are White With Daisies (2:44)
B4 Cattle In The Cane (2:07)
B5 Crossing No. 9 (2:43)
B6 Weave And Way (2:20)
B7 Ginseng Sullivan (3:29)
B8 Bringing In The Georgia Mail (2:24)
[Credits]
Norman Blake (guitar/mandolin/vocals) Tut Taylor (dobro)
Producers: Norman Blake, Tut Taylor and Mike Melford, Photographer: Slick Lawson, Engineer: Claude J. Hill
[Notes]
Home in Sulphur Springs is the debut album of American guitarist Norman Blake, released in 1972. The album was reissued by Rounder records with the title incorrectly printed as Back Home in Sulphur Springs.

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

Bill Monroe: Anthology

MCA Nashville / Decca 088 113 207-2

Format: 2 x CD, Compilation
Country: United States
Released: 2003
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Bluegrass
[Tracklist]
1-01 New Mule Skinner Blues (02:30)
1-02 My Little Georgia Rose (03:06)
1-03 Uncle Pen (02:45)
1-04 Raw Hide (02:36)
1-05 Kentucky Waltz (03:16)
1-06 When The Cactus Is In Bloom (02:04)
1-07 Get Down On Your Knees And Pray (03:01)
1-08 In The Pines (03:11)
1-09 Footprints In The Snow (02:40)
1-10 Walking In Jerusalem (02:00)
1-11 Get Up John (02:11)
1-12 On And On (02:47)
1-13 I'm Working On A Building (2:43)
1-14 Blue Moon Of Kentucky (02:08)
1-15 Roanoke (02:39)
1-16 Goodbye Old Pal (02:04)
1-17 Molly & Tenbrooks (02:22)
1-18 I'm Sitting On Top Of The World (02:18)
1-19 I Saw The Light (02:30)
1-20 Scotland (01:55)
1-21 Panhandle Country (02:05)
1-22 Gotta Travel On (02:34)
1-23 Big Mon (02:17)
1-24 Linda Lou (02:10)
1-25 Lonesome Road Blues (02:28)
2-01 Time Changes Everything (02:15)
2-02 I'm Going Back To Old Kentucky (02:23)
2-03 Toy Heart (02:15)
2-04 Live And Let Live (02:40)
2-05 Old Joe Clark (02:24)
2-06 Columbus Stockade Blues (03:05)
2-07 Drifting Too Far From The Shore (02:29)
2-08 Somebody Touched Me (02:32)
2-09 Jimmy Brown The Newsboy (02:26)
2-10 I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry (02:13)
2-11 Devil's Dream (02:24)
2-12 Highway Of Sorrow (02:22)
2-13 Roll On Buddy, Roll On (02:11)
2-14 (We're Going) Just Over In The Glory Land (02:23)
2-15 Fire On The Mountain (02:05)
2-16 The Long Black Veil (02:40)
2-17 I Wonder Where You Are Tonight (02:34)
2-18 Dusty Miller (02:19)
2-19 Midnight On The Stormy Deep (03:42)
2-20 Sally Goodin (03:15)
2-21 Walls Of Time (03:19)
2-22 I Haven't Seen Mary In Years (03:04)
2-23 With Body And Soul (03:06)
2-24 Walk Softly On This Heart Of Mine (02:35)
2-25 My Last Days On Earth (04:42)
[Credits]
Bill Monroe (mandolin/vocals) James Monroe (bass/guitar/vocals) Jimmy Martin (guitar/vocals) Carter Stanley (guitar/vocals) Edd Mayfield (guitar/vocals) Del McCoury (guitar/vocals) Jimmy Maynard (guitar/vocals) Franklin G. Buchanan (guitar/vocals) Roland White (guitar/vocals) Peter Rowan (guitar/vocals) Rudy Lyle (banjo/vocals) Charlie Cline (fiddle/ocals) Kenny Baker (vocals) Boudleaux Bryant (vocals) Milton Estes (vocals) Culley Holt (vocals) Arlene Hardin (vocals) Bobby Hardin (vocals) Cindy Nelson (vocals) Curtis Young (vocals) Carl Butler (guitar) Jack Cooke (guitar) Jimmy Elrod (guitar) Grady Martin (guitar) Norman Blake (guitar) Jackie Phelps (guitar) Jimmy Selph (guitar) Joe Stuart (banjo/fiddle/guitar) Hubert Davis (banjo) Joe Drumright (banjo) Tony Ellis (banjo) Lamar Grier (banjo) Lonnie Hoppers (banjo) Vic Jordan (banjo) Bill Keith (banjo) Don Lineberger (banjo) Curtis McPeake (banjo) Robert Lee Pennington (banjo) Don Stover (banjo) Rual Yarbrough (banjo) Sonny Osborne (banjo) Gordon Terry (fiddle/vocals) Vassar Clements (fiddle) Red Hayes (fiddle) Tommy Jackson (fiddle) Connie Ellisor (fiddle) Carl Gorodetzky (fiddle) Bobby Hicks (fiddle) Byron Berline (fiddle) George Binkley III (fiddle) Richard Greene & Beryl Marriott (fiddle) Dennis Molchan (fiddle) Hal Smith (fiddle) Dale Potter (fiddle) Red Stanley (fiddle) Merle "Red" Taylor (fiddle) Horace "Benny" Williams (fiddle) Tommy Williams Jr. (fiddle) Roy Christensen (cello) Joel Price (bass/vocals) Ernie Newton (bass/vocals) Mark Hembree (bass) Howard Watts (bass) Farris Coursey (drums) Joe Zinkan (bass)
Producer: Owen Bradley, Paul Cohen, Harry Silverstein and Walter Haynes, Photographer: Les Leverett, Designer: Mike Fink, Liner Notes: Mary Katherine Aldin, Engineer: Gavin Lurssen
[Notes]
So much has been said about the founding father of bluegrass music that it would be nice if there was an all-encompassing collection of Bill Monroe's music to accompany the legend. Although the almost-correctly titled Anthology comes close, there is still a wealth of Columbia and RCA-Victor recordings missing from this Decca-centric collection, which runs chronologically from 1950 to 1969 (with one final track from 1981). Unfortunately, this means that the classic lineup of Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs, with fiddler Chubby Wise and bassist Howard Watts, is not represented. Still, bluegrass luminaries Vassar Clements, Jimmy Martin, Kenny Baker, Del McCoury, Peter Rowan, and many others, all drifted in and out of the Blue Grass Boys during their twenty-some years, and make appearances on classic tracks like "Sally Goodin," "Uncle Pen," "Blue Moon of Kentucky," and "New Mule Skinner Blues." All told, this may be the perfect collection of Monroe's work for Decca, but it falls only slightly short of being the Bill Monroe Anthology.-- AllMusic Review by Zac Johnson

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.

Blake & Rice

Rounder Records CD 0233

Format: CD, Album
Country: USA & Canada
Released: 1992
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Bluegrass
[Tracklist]
01 New Chance Blues (2:15)
02 Green Light On The Southern (3:43)
03 I'm Not Sayin' (2:16)
04 Texas Gales (3:38)
05 Ridge Road Gravel (2:25)
06 Monroe's Hornpipe (2:14)
07 Last Train From Poor Valley (3:32)
08 New River Train (3:25)
09 Stoney Point (2:11)
10 Gonna Lay Down My Old Guitar (3:32)
11 Little Beggarman/Gilderoy (3:05)
12 The Shipyard Apprentice (4:13)
13 Medley: Fiddler's Dram/Whiskey Before Breakfast (4:40)
14 I'm Comin' Back But I Don't Know When (2:43)
[Credits]
Norman Blake (guitar/mandolin/vocals) Tony Rice (guitar/vocals)
Recorder and Photographer: Bill Wolf, Engineer: George Horn
[Nptes]
Like consummate musicians, for their first album together Norman Blake and Tony Rice largely ignored flash and speed in favor of songs and mood. There is some exceptional flatpicking here, but even the more manic passages are tempered by a softness that is striking, and perhaps even a little disappointing, in its modesty. Once the listener gets past the desire to hear hardcore chops, though, the album reveals its full beauty, especially in Blake's gorgeous "Last Train From Poor Valley" and Rice's cover of Gordon Lightfoot's "I'm Not Sayin'." Perky fiddle tune medleys and bluegrass standards provide some balance, but this is gentle listening throughout. - AllMusic Review by Jim Smith

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.

John Hartford: Aereo-Plain

Warner Bros. Records WS-1916

Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: US
Released: Sep 1971
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Bluegrass, Country, Folk
[Tracklist]
A1 Turn Your Radio On (1:17)
A2 Steamboat Whistle Blues (3:23)
A3 Back In The Goodle Days (3:38
A4 Up On The Hill Where They Do The Boogie (2:40)
A5 Boogie (1:12)
A6 First Girl I Loved (4:32)
A7 Presbyterian Guitar (2:01)
B1 With A Vamp In The Middle (3:25)
B2 Symphony Hall Rag (2:45)
B3 Because Of You (0:59)
B4 Steam Powered Aereo Plane (3:40)
B5 Holding (1:46)
B6 Tear Down The Grand Ole Opry (3:26)
B7 Leather Britches (1:58)
B8 Station Break (0:15)
B9 Turn Your Radio On (2:15)
[Credits]
John Hartford (banjo/guitar/fiddle/vocals) Vassar Clements (fiddle/cello/viola/vocals) Norman Blake (guitar/mandolin/vocals) Tut Taylor (dobro/vocals) Randy Scruggs (bass/vocals)
Producer: David Bromberg, Photographer: Peter Amf, Liner notes: Sam Bush, Engineers: Warren Dewey, Claude Hill & Toby Mountain
[Notes]
The music on Aereo-Plain is a blend of traditional bluegrass musicianship, and the hippie spirit of the '70s. The album sold so poorly that Warner Bros. decided to devote no promotion at all to Hartford's next release Morning Bugle. Nevertheless, Aereo-Plain has been called the forerunner of the genre now known as "Newgrass". Hartford subsequently asked to be released from his contract and later signed with Flying Fish Records. The other members of the Aereo-Plain Band were bluegrass veterans Norman Blake, Vassar Clements, Tut Taylor, and Randy Scruggs. The sessions were controlled but relaxed, as Taylor commented, "John let us play what we wanted to play. 'Cause that's one of the beautiful parts about it—he just let us get in there and pick." Producer David Bromberg recounted, "We'd sit around and smoke pot and play "Sally Goodin" for an hour and a half. That approach kind of became, after awhile, newgrass." Hartford instructed Bromberg to "let the tapes roll, we don't want to hear playbacks until you've put the master together." --Wikipedia

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

Will The Circle Be Unbroken: Nitty Gritty Dirt Band

Capitol Records 7243-5-35148-2-2

Format: 2×CD, Album, Reissue, Remastered
Country: US
Released: 2002
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk, Bluegrass
[Tracklist]
1-01 Grand Ole Opry Song (3:10)
1-02 Keep On The Sunny Side (4:26)
1-03 Nashville Blues (3:15)
1-04 You Are My Flower (3:39)
1-05 The Precious Jewel (4:09)
1-06 Dark As A Dungeon (2:47)
1-07 Tennessee Stud (4:50)
1-08 Black Mountain Rag (2:40)
1-09 Wreck On The Highway (3:25)
1-10 The End Of The World (3:54)
1-11 I Saw The Light (4:21)
1-12 Sunny Side Of The Mountain (2:50)
1-13 Nine Pound Hammer (2:53)
1-14 Losin' You (Might Be The Best Thing Yet) (2:49)
1-15 Honky Tonkin' (2:32)
1-16 You Don't Know My Mind (2:47)
1-17 My Walkin' Shoes (2:52)
2-01 Lonesome Fiddle Blues (2:43)
2-02 Cannonball Rag (1:16)
2-03 Avalanche (2:52)
2-04 Flint Hill Special (2:13)
2-05 Togary Mountain (2:28)
2-06 Earl's Breakdown (2:37)
2-07 Orange Blossom Special (2:12)
2-08 Wabash Cannonball (2:03)
2-09 Lost Highway (3:48)
2-10 Doc Watson & Merle Travis: First Meeting (Dialogue) (1:52)
2-11 Way Downtown (3:35)
2-12 Down Yonder (3:45)
2-13 Pins And Needles (In My Heart) (2:54)
2-14 Honky Tonk Blues (2:23)
2-15 Sailin' On To Hawaii (2:09)
2-16 I'm Thinking Tonight Of My Blue Eyes (4:26)
2-17 I Am A Pilgrim (3:54)
2-18 Wildwood Flower (3:33)
2-19 Soldier's Joy (3:33)
2-20 Will The Circle Be Unbroken (4:48)
2-21 Both Sides Now (2:25)
[Previously Unreleased Tracks]
2-22 Foggy Mountain Breakdown (2:39)
2-23 Warming Up For "The Opry" (Talk) (2:43)
2-24 Sunny Side (Talk) (4:06)
2-25 Remember Me (1:39)
[Credits]
Roy Acuff (vocals) Maybelle Carter (autoharp/guitar/vocals) Doc Watson, Jimmy Martin, Merle Travis (guitar/vocals) Earl Scruggs (banjo/guitar) Vassar Clements (fiddle) Bashful Brother Oswald, Norman Blake (dobro) Randy Scruggs (autoharp/guitar) Junior Husky, Ellis Padgett (bass) Chet Flippo, Martha Flippo, Ray Martin, Tim Martin, Alice McEuen, Larry Murray, Gary Scruggs, Louise Scruggs, Steve Scruggs, Betty Travis (background vocals) Emmylou Harris, John Hiatt, Bruce Hornsby, Béla Fleck, Roger McGuinn (guest artists) NGDB: Bob Carpenter (accordion/piano/vocals) Jimmie Fadden (drums/harmonica) Jeff Hanna (guitar/mandolin/vocals) Jimmy Ibbotson (mandolin/accordion/vocals) John McEuen (banjo)
[Notes]
Will the Circle be Unbroken is a 1972 album by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band with collaboration from many famous bluegrass and country-western players, including Roy Acuff, Mother Maybelle Carter, Doc Watson, Earl Scruggs, Merle Travis, Pete "Oswald" Kirby, Norman Blake, Jimmy Martin, and others. It also introduced fiddler Vassar Clements to a wider audience.

Brother Oswald

Rounder Records 0013

Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: US
Released: 1972
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Bluegrass & Country
[Tracklist]
A1 End Of The World (2:50)
A2 Island March (2:35)
A3 Sailing Along (3:50)
A4 Kansas City Kitty (2:40)
A5 Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain (3:17)
A6 Farewell Blues (2:38)
A7 Echo Chimes (2:28)
B1 Wabash Cannonball (1:38)
B2 Prairie Queen (2:37)
B3 Tennessee Waltz (2:50)
B4 Song Of The Islands (3:00)
B5 Dobro Chimes (2:41)
B6 I'll Be All Smiles Tonight (2:54)
B7 Two Different Worlds (2:54)
B8 Carry Me Back To The Mountains (2:10)
[Credits]
Brother Oswald (dobro) Charlie Collins (guitar) Norman Blake (guitar/mandolin/dobro) Tut Taylor (mandolin/dobro)
Producers: Mike Melford and Tut Taylor
[Notes]
Recorded at Glaser Sound Studios, Nashville, on January 1972. As a member of Roy Acuff's Grand Ole Opry band, Bashful Brother Oswald played a dumb-hick hillbilly character for the sake of comic relief, his slapstick antics and clown-like apparel making him an audience favorite -- but his dobro playing was no joke. During the Depression, Oswald found work playing Hawaiian-style dobro music at a Flint, Mich., radio station. When he was picked up by Acuff later in the decade, he brought with him the weeping, island-flavored style of playing that is one of the defining characteristics of country music. While Oswald was not solely responsible for this sound, his role as a key player in the modern country vocabulary is indisputable. Although he worked mainly as a sideman, he did record a couple of solo efforts on which he sang as well as played, showcasing a taste for old-time Bluegrass and singing in a friendly, weathered voice.

Earl Scruggs: I Saw The Light With Some Help From My Friends

Columbia KC-31354

Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: US
Released: 1972
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Bluegrass
[Tracklist]
A1 Lonesome And A Long Way From Home: Earl Scruggs Revue (2:33)
A2 Silver Wings: Linda Ronstadt (3:25)
A3 It's A Picture From Life's Other Side: Arlo Guthrie (3:36)
A4 Motherless Child Blues: Tracy Nelson (4:29)
A5 Some Of Shelley's Blues: Nitty Gritty Dirt Band (2:44)
B1 Never Ending Song Of Love: Earl Scruggs Revue (2:44)
B2 Rock Salt And Nails: Linda Ronstadt & Tracy Nelson (3:20)
B3 The Banks Of The Ohio: Arlo Guthrie (3:25)
B4 Ring Of Fire: Linda Ronstadt (2:11)
B5 Propinquity: Nitty Gritty Dirt Band (2:17)
B6 I Saw The Light: Guest Artists (3:43)
[Credits]
Earl Scruggs (banjo) Linda Ronstadt, Arlo Guthrie, Tracy Nelson, Gary Scruggs, Jeff Hanna (lead vocals) Norman Blake (dobro) Vassar Clements (fiddle) Les Thompson (mandolin) Bob & Pauline Wilson (piano) Jody Maphis, Karl Himmel (drums) The Earl Scruggs Revue, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Stacey Belson & Arloff Boguslavaki
Producer: Don Law, Designer: Bill Barnes, Photographer: Slick Lawson, Engineer: Charlie Bragg
[Notes]
When Earl Scruggs split with longtime collaborator and fellow Foggy Mountain Boy Lester Flatt in 1969, it was evident who of the pair had the more commercial aspirations. While Flatt remained firmly rooted in the bluegrass tradition, Scruggs, much like similar-minded artists such as the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Johnny Darrell, and the Dillards, sought to bridge the gap between pop, folk, and the old-timey sounds of yesteryear. I Saw the Light With Some Help from My Friends may sound like it was culled from the buckle of the "Bible Belt" (there are indeed a few spirituals), but the "friends" referenced in the title are merely saviors of the late-'60s/early-'70s country-folk movement. Scruggs gathered both family -- sons Gary, Randy, and Steve -- and contemporaries like Linda Ronstadt, Arlo Guthrie, Vassar Clements, Tracy Nelson, Norman Blake, and the aforementioned Dirt Band, to flesh out an album of covers both sublime (Merle Haggard's "Silver Wings") and surprising (Monkee Michael Nesmith's "Some of Shelley's Blues"). The musicianship is top-notch and the vocals, especially Ronstadt and Nelson -- Arlo Guthrie will always be an acquired taste for some -- are warm and soulful, resulting in one of the more lucid and enjoyable examples of the crossover genre. (by James Christopher Monger)