The Definitive Doc Watson

Sugar Hill Records – SUG-CD-4097097

Format: 2 x CD, Compilation
Country: US
Released: 2013
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Country, Folk
[Disk One]
01 The Cyclone Of Rye Cove (2:22)
02 St. Louis Blues (2:35)
03 The House Carpenter (3:55)
04 The Wagoner's Lad (3:17)
05 Anniversary Blue Yodel (Blue Yodel #7) (2:10)
06 Sitting On Top Of The World (2:39)
07 Black Mountain Rag (1:33)
08 Country Blues (3:32)
09 Weary Blues (2:43)
10 Little Sadie (2:01)
11 Dreams Of The Miner's Child (2:51)
12 Southbound (2:52)
13 Tennessee Stud (3:38)
14 Blue Railroad Train (2:46)
15 Georgie (2:47)
16 Katie Morey (2:25)
17 Matty Groves (6:04)
[Disk Two]
01 Whistlin' Rufus/Ragtime Annie (4:04)
02 Big Spike Hammer (3:14)
03 Listening To The Rain (3:15)
04 Willie Moore (4:04)
05 My Rough And Rowdy Ways (2:32)
06 The Wreck Of The Number Nine (2:58)
07 Omie Wise (5:27)
08 Shady Grove (2:59)
90 Watson's Blues (3:32)
10 Slidin' Delta (2:03)
11 Bright Sunny South (2:38)
12 Greenville Testle High (3:28)
13 I'm Going Back To The Old Home (2:14)
14 George Gudger's Overalls (3:26)
15 The Ninety And The Nine (2:36)
16 Your Lone Journey (2:48)
17 Whiskey Before Breakfast (2:53)
[Credits]
Doc Watson (guitar/banjo/vocals) Merle Watson (guitar/banjo) Sam Bush (mandolin/fiddle) Marty Stuart (mandolin) Mark O'Connor (fiddle) Stuart Duncan (fiddle) Dan Crary (guitar) Bryan Sutton (guitar) Jack Lawrence (guitar) John Herald (guitar) Béla Fleck (banjo) Buddy Davis (bass) T. Michael Coleman (bass) Junior Huskey (bass) Roy Huskey Jr. (bass) Russ Savukus (bass) Eric Weissberg (bass) Pat McInerney (percussion) Alan O'Bryant (vocal/harmony)
Producer: Fred Jaspe, Liner Notes: Derek Halsey, Cover Illustration: Carrie Smith, Photographer: Peter Figen, Mastering: David Glasser
[Notes]
Arthel "Doc" Watson was nearly 40 years old and had been playing guitar and banjo most of his life when he was discovered as part of the folk music revival of the early '60s; Watson was a remarkably gifted instrumentalist who had a nearly encyclopedic knowledge of traditional folk and country songs, and he became a cornerstone artist on the folk music scene, as he recorded and toured regularly until his death in 2012. A massive influence on such pickers as Vince Gill, Ricky Skaggs, and Clarence White, Watson left behind a massive body of work, and The Definitive Doc Watson is a two-disc set that brings together highlights from his recordings for Vanguard and Sugar Hill Records. While this means that a large portion of Watson's catalog is left unrepresented, Vanguard and Sugar Hill happen to be two of the labels with which Watson had the longest and most fruitful relationship, so this gives the set a broader focus than one might imagine. And while this set is a bit short of truly being "definitive" -- it would take a cross-licensed box set to truly fit that description -- there's plenty of great music here, and these 34 tracks show off Watson's warm, rich, unaffected vocals, superlative flat-picked guitar, and impressive banjo work to excellent advantage. A collection of essential songs performed by a master of the form, The Definitive Doc Watson is a fine introduction to a giant of American folk music, and a strong if somewhat limited sampler of his recording career. -- AllMusicReview by Mark Deming

Calling Me Home: Kathy Mattea

Sugar Hill Records SUG-CD-4085

Format: CD, Album
Country: US
Released: 2012
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Country, Bluegrass, Folk
[Tracklist]
01 A Far Cry (4:07)
02 Gone, Gonna Rise Again (3:20)
03 The Wood Thrush’s Song (3:47)
04 West Virginia Mine Disaster (4:29)
05 The Maple’s Lament (3:52)
06 Hello, My Name Is Coal (3:00)
07 Calling Me Home (2:30)
08 Black Waters (4:56)
09 West Virginia, My Home (4:26)
10 Agate Hill (3:47)
11 Now Is The Cool Of The Day (3:25)
12 Requiem For A Mountain (2:37)
[Credits]
Kathy Mattea (vocals) Stuart Duncan (banjo/zither/fiddle/mandolin) Byron House (bass) Randy Kohrs (dobro) Bryan Sutton (banjo/guitar/mandolin) Jon Randall Stewart, Bill Cooley and John Randall (guitar) Tim Lauer (accordion/percussion/organ) Jim Brock (percussion) Tim Eriksen, Sarah Dugas, Alison Krauss, Mollie O'Brien, Tim O'Brien, Patty Loveless, Emmylou Harris, Oliver Wood and Aoife O'Donovan (vocal harmony)
Producer and Recorder: Gary Paczosa, Liner Notes: Barbara Kingsolver, Photographer: David McClister, Designer: Carrie Smith, Engineers: Brandon Bell, Ellery Durgin, Garrett Sawyer, Don Cobb and Eric Conn
[Notes]
When Kathy Mattea made a hard roots turn on 2008's Coal, a heartfelt examination in classic mining songs of the hard, often dangerous life of coal miners, it sounded like she'd been singing them all her life. On Calling Me Home, Mattea delivers a second album of material that has its origins in coal country and/or her native rural West Virginia. With co-producer Gary Paczosa, she chose songs that drew their inspiration from coal-mining communities, and the juxtaposition of the natural environment and its devastation at the hands of an industry that is often the only one that provides a livelihood. These songs were penned by classic topical writers and modern performers. The band is top-flight: Stuart Duncan, Byron House, Bryan Sutton, Tim Lauer, Bill Cooley, and Jim Brock. Guest vocalists include Patty Loveless, Tim & Mollie O'Brien, Alison Krauss, and Emmylou Harris, to mention a few. Paczosa is well-known in acoustic music circles, from bluegrass and newgrass to modern folk, for his manner of capturing warm, pristine, immediate sound. The arrangements by Paczosa and Mattea never lose sight of the traditional -- even if the song is present-day -- while honoring the progressive talents of all the players involved. Atop it all, of course, is Mattea's voice: full, rich, soulful, evocative of both history and mystery. Her husky, smooth delivery and unique phrasing get these songs across with conviction. Its in the haunted backwoods gospel of Si Kahn's "Gone, Gonna Rise Again," a song rich in sociological and environmental metaphors. Catch her reading of Laurie Lewis' "The Wood Thrush's Song," with Aoife O'Donovan's harmony vocal, as Mattea digs deep inside the lyric while mandolins, guitars, accordion, and bass give her a podium. She doesn't need to soar above them; she merely has to assert the authority of the lyric to invite the listener in. This is equally true in the reportorial classic "West Virginia Mine Disaster" by Hazel Dickens. Contrast this with the desolate a cappella lament of Alice Gerrard's "Now Is the Cool of the Day," the nostalgia of Dickens' "West Virginia, My Home," or the depth of historical loss in Jean Ritchie's "Black Waters." The "blues" in bluegrass is resonant in Mattea's declamatory reading of Larry Cordle's dark-tinged, historically ambivalent "Hello, My Name Is Coal." Calling Me Home is not only a worthy follow-up to Coal, but it presents even the most historic of these songs as timeless and ever present. It's more confident, powerful, and beautiful. (AllMusic Review by Thom Jurek)

Cold Mountain: Collector's Edition

VWDS-3796

Format: DVD, Color, Dolby, DTS Stereo, Widescreen
Region: 2 - Japan, Europe, South Africa, Greenland and the Middle East
Country: Japan
DVD Released: September 15, 2004
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Bluegrass, Neo-Classical
[Tracklist]
01 Wayfaring Stranger: Jack White (4:26)
02 Like A Songbird That Has Fallen: Reeltime Travelers (3:14)
03 I Wish My Baby Was Born: Tim Eriksen, Riley Baugus & Tim O'Brien (3:09)
04 The Scarlet Tide: Alison Krauss (2:59)
05 The Cuckoo: Tim Eriksen & Riley Baugus (1:40)
06 Sittin' On Top Of The World: Jack White (3:48)
07 Am I Born To Die?: Tim Eriksen (2:33)
08 You Will Be My Ain True Love: Alison Krauss (2:32)
09 I'm Going Home: Sacred Harp Singers At Liberty Church (2:19)
10 Never Far Away: Jack White (3:40)
11 Christmas Time Will Soon Be Over: Jack White (3:17)
12 Ruby With The Eyes That Sparkle: Stuart Duncan & Dirk Powell (3:12)
13 Lady Margret: Cassie Franklin (3:02)
14 Great High Mountain: Jack White (4:33)
15 Anthem: Gabriel Yared (3:24)
16 Ada Plays: Gabriel Yared (3:18)
17 Ada And Inman: Gabriel Yared (5:03)
18 Love Theme: Gabriel Yared (3:40)
19 Idumea: Sacred Harp Singers At Liberty Church (3:18)
[Cast]
Jude Law, Nicole Kidman, Renée Zellweger, Eileen Atkins, Brendan Gleeson
[Credits]
Directors: Anthony Minghella, Writers: Anthony Minghella, Charles Frazier, Producers: Albert Berger, Bob Osher, Bob Weinstein, Harvey Weinstein, Iain Smith

Cold Mountain: Music From The Miramax Motion Picture

DMZ/Columbia/Sony Music CK-80843

Format: CD, Compilation
Country: US
Released: 2003
Genre: Folk, World, & Country, Stage & Screen
Style: Soundtrack, Bluegrass, Neo-Classical
[Tracklist]
01 Wayfaring Stranger: Jack White (4:26)
02 Like A Songbird That Has Fallen: Reeltime Travelers (3:14)
03 I Wish My Baby Was Born: Tim Eriksen, Riley Baugus & Tim O'Brien (3:09)
04 The Scarlet Tide: Alison Krauss (2:59)
05 The Cuckoo: Tim Eriksen & Riley Baugus (1:40)
06 Sittin' On Top Of The World: Jack White (3:48)
07 Am I Born To Die?: Tim Eriksen (2:33)
08 You Will Be My Ain True Love: Alison Krauss (2:32)
09 I'm Going Home: Sacred Harp Singers At Liberty Church (2:19)
10 Never Far Away: Jack White (3:40)
11 Christmas Time Will Soon Be Over: Jack White (3:17)
12 Ruby With The Eyes That Sparkle: Stuart Duncan & Dirk Powell (3:12)
13 Lady Margret: Cassie Franklin (3:02)
14 Great High Mountain: Jack White (4:33)
15 Anthem: Gabriel Yared (3:24)
16 Ada Plays: Gabriel Yared (3:18)
17 Ada And Inman: Gabriel Yared (5:03)
18 Love Theme: Gabriel Yared (3:40)
19 Idumea: Sacred Harp Singers At Liberty Church (3:18)
[Credits]
Producer: T Bone Burnett

Dolly Parton: The Grass Is Blue

Sugar Hill Record SUG-CD-3900

Format: CD, Album
Country: United States
Released:1999
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Bluegrass
[Tracklist]
01 Travelin' Prayer (4:15)
02 Cash On The Barrelhead (3:07)
03 A Few Old Memories 4:01
04 I'm Gonna Sleep With One Eye Open (3:04)
05 Steady As The Rain (3:04)
06 I Still Miss Someone (3:37)
07 Endless Stream Of Tears (2:39)
08 Silver Dagger (4:54)
09 Train, Train (2:49)
10 I Wonder Where You Are Tonight (3:13)
11 Will He Be Waiting For Me (3:25)
12 The Grass Is Blue (3:43)
13 I Am Ready (2:44)
[Credits]
Dolly Parton (vocals) Jim Mills (banjo) Jerry Douglas (dobro) Stuart Duncan (fiddle) Bryan Sutton (guitar) Sam Bush (mandolin) Barry Bales (bass)
Designer: Sue Meyer Design, Musical Director: Jerry Douglas, Engineer: Chuck Turner and Toby Seay, Photographer: Dennis Carney, Producer: Steve Buckingham
[Notes
The Grass is Blue is a bluegrass album by Dolly Parton, released on October 25, 1999 on the Sugar Hill label. It is her 35th studio album. In addition to rejuvenating Parton's career, the album, along with the O Brother, Where Art Thou soundtrack and the work of Alison Krauss, is credited with making bluegrass a hugely popular musical genre during the early 2000s. Though the album received little airplay on mainstream country radio, it sold well (peaking at number 24 on the U.S. country albums charts), and was among the most critically acclaimed albums of Parton's career. The album was listed on many critics' year-end "best of" lists and won a 2001 Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Album. The songs included a mixture of Parton originals and folk and bluegrass standards, as well as a Billy Joel cover. "Silver Dagger", a late nineteenth century ballad, had been popularized by Joan Baez during the early 1960s. Norah Jones would later record the title song on a 2003 Parton tribute album. Parton had originally written "Steady as the Rain" for her younger sister Stella Parton, who had a top-forty country hit with the song in 1979. "Will He be Waiting for Me" is an update of a song which originally appeared on Parton's 1972 album Touch Your Woman. The album also includes an acoustic cover version of the Southern rock band Blackfoot song "Train, Train".

Yo-Yo Ma, Edgar Meyer, Chris Thile And Stuart Duncan

NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert

1. Quarter Chicken Dark
2. Attaboy
3. Here And Heaven

The genre-bending cellist Yo-Yo Ma heads a dream team of string players -- Edgar Meyer, Chris Thile, Stuart Duncan -- who borrow from bluegrass. The quartet, plus singer and songwriter Aoife O'Donovan perform three songs from their album The Goat Rodeo Sessions at the NPR Music offices. For more videos and to subscribe to the Tiny Desk Concerts podcast, visit: NPR.org/tinydeskconcerts.