October 4, 2019

Will The Circle Be Unbroken Volume Two: Nitty Gritty Dirt Band

Universal Records UVLD-12500

Format: CD, Album
Country: US
Released: 1989
Genre: Rock, Folk, World, & Country
Style: Country Rock, Bluegrass
[Tracklis]
01 Life's Railway To Heaven: Johnny Cash (4:21)
02 Grandpa Was A Carpenter: Jimmy Ibbotson (3:10)
03 When I Get My Rewards: Levon Helm (4:26)
04 Don't You Hear Jerusalem Moan / John Cowan (3:32)
05 Little Mountain Church House: Ricky Skaggs (3:32)
06 And So It Goes: John Denver (3:33)
07 When It's Gone: Jimmy Ibbotson (2:33)
08 Mary Danced With Soldiers: Emmylou Harris (2:57)
09 Riding Alone: Emmylou Harris (2:34)
10 I'm Sittin' On Top Of The World: Jimmy Martin (3:07)
11 Lovin' On The Side: Paulette Carson (2:56)
12 Lost River: Bob Carpenter (3:11)
13 Bayou Jubilee: Sam Bush (2:52)
14 Blues Berry Hill: Instrument (3:10)
15 Turn Of The Century: Jimmy Ibbotson / Jeff Hanna / Bob Carpenter (3:38)
16 One Step Over The Line: Rosanne Cash (4:20)
17 You Ain't Going Nowhere: Roger McGuinn / Chris Hillman (3:37)
18 The Valley Road: Bruce Hornsby (4:03)
19 Will The Circle Be Unbroken: Johnny Cash and legends (4:47)
20 Amazing Grace: Instrument (1:48)
[Credits]
Johnny Cash (guitar/vocals) John Prine (guitar/vocals) Levon Helm (mandolin/vocals) John Cowan (vocals) Sam Bush (mandolin/fiddle/vocals) Pat Flynn (guitar/vocals) Ricky Skaggs (guitar/vocals) John Denver (vocals) Emmylou Harris (guitar/vocals) Jimmy Martin (guitar/vocals) Paulette Carlson (vocals) Michael Martin Murphey (guitar/vocals) Rosanne Cash (vocals) John Hiatt (vocals) Roger McGuinn (guitar/vocals) Chris Hillman (guitar/vocals) Bruce Hornsby (piano/vocals) Roy Acuff (vocals) Earl Scruggs (banjo) Vassar Clements (fiddle) Jerry Douglas (doblo) Bela Fleck (banjo) Mark O'Connor (fiddle/mandolin/mandola) Randy Scruggs (guitar) Chet Atkins (guitar) Roy Huskey, Jr. (bass) Buck White (piano) Bernie Leadon (banjo)
NGDB: Bob Carpenter (accordion/piano/vocals) Jimmie Fadden (drums/harmonica) Jeff Hanna (guitar/mandolin/vocals) Jimmy Ibbotson (mandolin/accordion/vocals) John McEuen (banjo)
[Notes]
This easily won the Country Music Association's Album of the Year Award, thanks to a stellar cast that includes John Denver, Johnny Cash, the Carter Family, Bruce Hornsby, Ricky Skaggs, Chris Hillman, Roger McGuinn, Rosanne Cash, Steve Wariner, Roy Acuff, Chet Atkins...you get the message. Tracks were all recorded in one "take," with no overdubs, making the outstanding musicianship particularly noteworthy. Atheists beware: there's a lot of gospel. -- AllMusic Review by Tom Roland

September 28, 2019

Just Around the Bend: Survival and Revival in Southern Banjo Sounds - Mike Seeger's Last Documentary

Smithsonian Folkways Recordings SFW40207

Format: 2xCD, DVD, Album
Country: US
Released: 2019
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk, Old Time, Bluegrass
[Traclist]
101 Sally Ann: Riley Baugus (1:20)
102 Pretty Polly: Riley Baugus (3:45)
103 Darling Nellie Gray: Brien Fain (2:11)
104 Long Lonesome Road: Brien Fain (3:05)
105 Nancy Blevins: Debbie Grim Yates (2:27)
106 Billy Wilson: Debbie Grim Yates (2:04)
107 Cumberland Gap: Tina Steffey (2:03)
108 Hop Light Ladies: Marsha Bowman Todd (3:09)
109 Sandy River Bells: Marsha Bowman Todd (2:44)
110 Richmond: Marsha Bowman Todd (2:29)
111 Soldier's Joy: Marsha Bowman Todd (2:11)
112 Sandy River: Jerry Adams (1:43)
113 Country Blues: Jerry Adams (4:44)
114 Rabbit Song: Peter Gott (1:23)
115 Whistle Blow (version 1): Peter Gott (3:22)
116 Whistle Blow (version 2): Peter Gott (2:03)
117 Cumberland Gap (version 1): Peter Gott (2:04)
118 Cumberland Gap (version 2): Peter Gott (1:37)
119 Liza Jane: Peter Gott (3:32)
120 Sugar Hill: Frank George (1:34)
121 Liza Jane: Frank George (1:48)
122 Preacher and the Bear: David Reed (1:03)
123 Old Jawbone: Joe Ayers (2:19)
124 Jesus Gonna Make Up My Dying Bed: Joe Ayers (1:45)
125 Georgia Buck: Rhiannon Giddens (3:14)
126 Cripple Creek: Rhiannon Giddens (1:27)
201 Wild Bill Jones: George Gibson (4:21
202 Story of Morgan's March: George Gibson (1:12)
203 Morgan's March: George Gibson (1:04)
204 Big Stone Gap: George Gibson (2:02)
205 John Henry: John Haywood (1:16)
206 Cold Icy Mountain: Matt Kinman (5:42)
207 The Cuckoo: Matt Kinman (2:33)
208 Morphine: Matt Kinman (4:00)
209 German War: Clifton Hicks (7:56)
210 Lost Hornpipe: Brett Ratliff (2:54)
211 Fair and Tender Ladies: Brett Ratliff (3:14)
212 Whitesburg: Jesse Wells (1:59)
213 Going Across the Sea: Jesse Wells (2:13)
214 Going Across the Sea: Robert Montgomery (2:50)
215 Old Rattler: Robert Montgomery (2:45)
216 Bully of the Town: Leroy Troy (1:45)
217 Cotton-Eyed Joe: Leroy Troy (2:04)
[Credits]
Mike Seeger - Recorder
Bob Carlin - Mixing Engineer, Mastering Engineer, Liner Notes
Charlie Pilzer - Mastering Engineer, Mastering Engineer
Yasha Aginsky - Director, Editor, Producer
Slava Basovich - Assistant Director, Recorder, Photographer
Alexia Smith - Assistant Producer, Liner Notes
Daniel Olmsted - Mixing Engineer
Jennifer Cox - Cover Artwork
Gary Coates - Visual Artist
John Gilkes - Visual Artist
Jackson Foster - Designer
[Notes]
Mike Seeger, along with his wife Alexia Smith and filmmaker Yasha Aginsky, trekked through the Appalachian Mountains in 2009 to produce this extraordinary glimpse of the vigor and diversity of the region’s old-time banjo artistry. When Seeger passed away later that same year, the project took on the added importance of paying tribute to this renowned musician, folklorist, and documentarian of the people. Just Around the Bend: Survival and Revival in Southern Banjo Sounds captures many banjo lineages, styles, and techniques—performed by 19 virtuosic banjo players—in a package of two CDs compiled by Bob Carlin and a DVD by Aginsky. 110 minutes of music in 2 CDs; 80-page book with extensive notes, 110 minute DVD.

September 22, 2019

Country Music: A Film by Ken Burns The Soundtrack

Public Broadcasting Service

Format: 5xCD, Compilation, Limited Edition, Stereo, Mono
Country: US
Released: 2019
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Bluegrass, Country, Honky Tonk, Western Swing
[Tracklist]
Disc One
101 Can the Circle Be Unbroken: The Carter Family
102 Blue Yodel No. 8 (Mule Skinner Blues): Jimmie Rodgers
103 Barbara Allen: Bradley Kincaid
104 I'll Fly Away: James and Martha Carson
105 If the River Was Whiskey: Charlie Poole with The North Carolina Ramblers
106 Fox Chase: DeFord Bailey
107 Blue Yodel No. 9 (Standin' on the Corner): Jimmie Rodgers
108 Wildwood Flower: The Carter Family
109 In the Jailhouse Now: Jimmie Rodgers
110 Comin' Round the Mountain: Uncle Dave Macon and Sam McGee
111 Pretty Polly: Coon Creek Girls
112 T.B. Blues: Jimmie Rodgers
113 Mountain Dew: Grandpa Jones and his Grandchildren
114 Home On the Range: Gene Autry
115 I Want to Be a Cowboy's Sweetheart: Patsy Montana & The Prairie Ramblers
116 Tumbling Tumbleweeds: The Sons Of The Pioneers
117 Medley: Keep on the Sunny Side / I'm Thinking Tonight of My Blue Eyes: The Carter Family
118 The Great Speckled Bird: Roy Acuff
119 Whoa Babe: Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys
120 New San Antonio Rose: Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys
121 Wabash Cannonball: Roy Acuff
122 Mule Skinner Blues (Blue Yodel #8): Bill Monroe & his Blue Grass Boys
Disc Two
201 Honky Tonkin': Hank Williams with His Drifting Cowboys
202 It's Mighty Dark to Travel: Bill Monroe & his Blue Grass Boys
203 New Mule Skinner Blues: Maddox Brothers and Rose
204 I'll Hold You In My Heart (Till I Can Hold You In My Arms): Eddy Arnold
205 Foggy Mountain Breakdown: Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs with The Foggy Mountain Boys
206 Molly and Tenbrook: The Stanley Brothers
207 Lovesick Blues: Hank Williams
208 I Saw the Light: Hank Williams
209 Hey, Good Lookin': Hank Williams
210 It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels: Kitty Wells
211 I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry: Hank Williams with His Drifting Cowboys
212 Jambalaya: Little Brenda Lee
213 New Step It Up and Go: Maddox Brothers and Rose
214 I Walk the Line: Johnny Cash & The Tennessee Two
215 Crazy Arms: Ray Price
216 Bye, Bye Love: The Everly Brothers
217 The Long Black Veil: Lefty Frizzell
218 El Paso: Marty Robbins
219 Night Life: Ray Price
220 Hello Walls: Faron Young
221 I Fall to Pieces: Patsy Cline
222 Ring of Fire: Johnny Cash
223 Crazy: Patsy Cline
224 I Can't Stop Loving You: Ray Charles
Disc Three
301 Dang Me: Roger Miller
302 I've Got a Tiger by the Tail: Buck Owens
303 Don't Come Home a Drinkin' (With Lovin' On Your Mind): Loretta Lynn
304 Coal Miner's Daughter: Loretta Lynn
305 Kiss an Angel Good Mornin': Charley Pride
306 Hungry Eyes: Merle Haggard & The Strangers
307 Mama Tried: Merle Haggard & The Strangers
308 Harper Valley P.T.A.: Jeannie C. Riley
309 Don't Touch Me: Jeannie Seely
310 Folsom Prison Blues: Johnny Cash
311 Stand by Your Man: Tammy Wynette
312 She Thinks I Still Care: George Jones
313 You Ain't Goin' Nowhere: The Byrds
314 Me and Bobby McGee: Kris Kristofferson
315 Help Me Make It Through the Night: Sammi Smith
316 Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down: Kris Kristofferson
317 Okie from Muskogee: Merle Haggard
318 Man in Black: Johnny Cash
319 Girl from the North Country: Bob Dylan with Johnny Cash
320 Grand Ole Opry Song: Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
321 Will the Circle Be Unbroken: Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
Disc Four
401 Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way: Waylon Jennings
402 Mule Skinner Blues (Blue Yodel No. 8): Dolly Parton
403 Jolene: Dolly Parton
404 I Will Always Love You: Dolly Parton
405 We're Gonna Hold On: George Jones & Tammy Wynette
406 Texas Cookin': Guy Clark
407 If I Needed You: Townes Van Zandt
408 I Can't Stop Loving You: Johnny Rodríguez
409 I've Been a Long Time Leaving (But I'll Be a Long Time Gone): Waylon Jennings
410 Love Hurts: Gram Parsons and the Fallen Angels
411 Boulder to Birmingham: Emmylou Harris
412 Bluebird Wine: Emmylou Harris
413 Whiskey River: Willie Nelson
414 Miles and Miles of Texas: Asleep At The Wheel
415 Blue Eyes Crying In the Rain: Willie Nelson
416 A Good Hearted Woman: Waylon Jennings & Willie Nelson
417 Family Tradition: Hank Williams Jr.
418 Seven Year Ache: Rosanne Cash
419 Pancho and Lefty: Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson
420 He Stopped Loving Her Today: George Jones
Disc Five
501 Don't Get Above Your Raisin': Ricky Skaggs
502 On the Road Again: Willie Nelson
503 Amarillo by Morning: George Strait
504 Somebody Should Leave: Reba McEntire
505 Diggin' Up Bones: Randy Travis
506 Why Not Me: The Judds
507 Honky Tonk Man: Dwight Yoakam
508 Streets of Bakersfield: Dwight Yoakam with Buck Owens
509 Where've You Been: Kathy Mattea
510 I'm No Stranger to the Rain: Keith Whitley
511 Go Rest High on That Mountain: Vince Gill
512 Guitar Town: Steve Earle
513 She's In Love with the Boy: Trisha Yearwood
514 Tennessee Flat Top Box: Rosanne Cash
515 Get Up John: Emmylou Harris & The Nash Ramblers
516 Uncle Pen: Ricky Skaggs
517 I Still Miss Someone: Rosanne Cash
518 Will the Circle Be Unbroken: Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
[Notes]
"If you write the truth and you're writing about your life, it's going to be country. It'll be country 'cause you're writing what's happening. And that's all a good song is." Loretta Lynn COUNTRY MUSIC, the eight-part, 16-hour film by Ken Burns, chronicles the creation of a truly American genre of music through the songs and stories of its greatest trailblazers. Country Music A Film By Ken Burns (The Soundtrack) includes more than 100 timeless classics as heard in the film, including songs by The Carter Family, Jimmie Rodgers, Bill Monroe, Bob Wills, Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, Loretta Lynn, Charley Pride, Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton and many more. This deluxe 5CD set includes 68 pages of liner notes and rarely seen archival photos, documents and memorabilia.

September 20, 2019

Mountain Music Played on the Autoharp

Folkways Records FA-2365

Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: US
Released: 1962
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Country, Field Recording, Bluegrass, Folk
[Tracklist]
A01 Stoney's Waltz: Ernest V. Stoneman (2:09)
A02 Sweet Marie: Neriah and Kenneth Benfield (2:04)
A03 May I Sleep in Your Barn Tonight, Mister?: Kilby Snow (1:41)
A04 She'll Be Coming 'Round the Mountain: Kilby Snow and Wade Ward (1:15)
A05 Flop-Eared Mule: Kilby Snow (2:01)
A06 Bile Them Cabbage Down: Ernest V. Stoneman (2:40)
A07 All I Got's Gone: Ernest Stoneman (2:40)
A08 Ella's Grave: Neriah and Kenneth Benfield (1:50)
A09 Shortenin' Bread: Kenneth Benfield (1:18)
A10 Old Joe Clark: Kenneth Benfield (1:30)
A11 Waltz: Neriah Benfield (1:24)
A12 Precious Jewel: Kilby Snow (3:38)
A13 Ain't Going to Work Tomorrow: Kilby Snow (1:56)
B01 Muleskinner Blues: Kilby Snow (2:22)
B02 John Henry: Kilby Snow (3:35)
B03 Weeping Willow Tree: Neriah and Kenneth Benfield (2:00)
B04 Wreck of Number Nine: Ernest V. Stoneman (2:52)
B05 Red River Valley: Kilby Snow (2:15)
B06 The Great Reaping Day: Ernest V. Stoneman (2:06)
B07 I'm Alone, All Alone: Ernest V. Stoneman (2:50)
B08 Jacob's Ladder: Kenneth Benfield (1:12)
B09 Way Down in the Country: Kenneth Benfield (1:00)
B20 Benfield Hoedown (Idaho Girl): Neriah Benfield (1:12)
B21 Wildwood Flower: Kilby Snow (1:27)
B22 Tragic Romance: Kilby Snow (1:33)
[Credits]
Ernest V. Stoneman (autoharp/vocals) Kenneth Benfield (autoharp) Neriah Benfield (autoharp) Kilby Snow (autoharp) Wade Ward (banjo) Mike Seeger (banjo/guitar) Hazel Dickens (guitar)
Recorder and Producer: Mike Seeger
[Notes]
First patented in 1881 by German instrument repairman Charles Zimmerman, the autoharp first reached popularity as a novelty instrument. By 1900, while that fad had passed, the autoharp found an enduring home in the southern mountains. This compilation features a variety of performers, as well as extensive biographical notes about each contributor.

August 20, 2019

Tom Paley & Peggy Seeger with Claudia Paley

Who's Going To Shoe Your Pretty Little Foot? Who's Going To Glove Your Hand?

Label: Vivid Sound VSCD262
Format: CD, Album, Mono, Reissue
Country: Japan
Released: 2002
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk, Old Time
[Tracklist]
01 That Knocking At My Window? (2:31)
02 Love Henry (2:36)
03 The Lass Of Roch Royal (6:18)
04 Who's Going To Shoe Your Pretty Little Foot? (2:17)
05 Pretty Polly (2:45)
06 Englewood Mine (2:31)
07 Buck Dancer's Choice (1:09)
08 Just As The Tide Was Flowing (2:00)
09 The Kicking Mule (1:29)
10 The Heartless Lady (3:53)
11 The Fiddling Soldier (3:11)
12 Tittery Nan (1:42)
13 Loving Reilly (5:26)
14 The Cuckoo (2:31)
15 If He'd Be A Buckaroo (1:07)
16 The Girl On The Greenbriar Shore (2:26)
[Credits]
Tom Paley (guitar/banjo/vocals) Peggy Seeger (autoharp/banjo/guitar/vocals)
Liner Notes: Tom Paley & Peggy Seeger, Photographer: Brian Shuel, Recorder: Bill Leader
[Notes]
Peggy Seeger and Tom Paley, both New York, are brilliant exponents of American instrumental traditions. Guitar, banjo, autoharp and dulcimer weave a delicate majesty on a great selection of traditional material. This stunning collection, recorded in London in 1964 by Bill Leader, is a powerful example of their musical accuity and has been an influence on many younger performers. Originally a Topic Record (12T113), published in England in 1964.

August 17, 2019

Seeger Family Concert | Library of Congress


Mike, Peggy, and Pete Seeger with the Short Sisters perform at the Library of Congress March 16, 2007. Forms part of "How Can I Keep From Singing": A Seeger Family Tribute symposium and concert.

August 3, 2019

The Very Best Of Judy Collins

Rhino Records 8122-74374-2

Format: CD, Compilation
Country: UK
Released: 2001
Genre: Rock, Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk Rock, Folk
[Tracklist]
01 Turn! Turn! Turn! (Pete Seeger) 3:40
02 So Early, Early in the Spring (Traditional) 3:12
03 Suzanne (Leonard Cohen) 4:26
04 Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues (Bob Dylan) 5:08
05 Both Sides Now (Joni Mitchell) 3:16
06 Since You Asked (Judy Collins) 2:37
07 Albatross (Judy Collins) 4:53
08 My Father (Judy Collins) 5:02
09 Someday Soon (Ian Tyson) 3:47
10 Who Knows Where the Time Goes? (Sandy Denny) 4:47
11 Chelsea Morning (Joni Mitchell) 3:21
12 Farewell to Tarwathie (Traditional) 4:58
13 Song for Judith (Open the Door) (Judy Collins) 4:07
14 Cook with Honey (Valerie Carter) 3:31
15 Send in the Clowns (Stephen Sondheim) 4:03
16 Amazing Grace (John Newton) 4:06
[Credits]
Judy Collins (guitar/piano/vocals) Stephen Stills (guitar) Chris Ethridge (bass) James Gordon (drums)
Producer [Original Recordings] Arif Mardin, David Anderle, Jac Holzman, Judy Collins and Mark Abramson, Liner Notes: Gillian G. Gaar and Judy Collins, Art Director: Hugh Brown, Designer: Nancy L. Hopkins, Photographer: Guy Webster
[Notes]
The Very Best of Judy Collins is a greatest hits album by singer/songwriter Judy Collins. It includes highlights of her career through 1975. All tracks are taken from her Elektra studio albums with one exception, the single version of Collins' biggest hit "Both Sides Now", which peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard singles chart.

July 26, 2019

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

May 13, 2019

Kilby Snow: Country Songs and Tunes with Autoharp

Asch Recordings AH 3902

Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: US
Released: 1970
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Appalachian Music
[Tracklist]
A1 Molly Hare (1:48)
A2 Greenback Dollar (1:47)
A3 Wind And Rain (3:08)
A4 Budded Roses (3:29)
A5 Sourwood Mountain (1:49)
A6 The Cannonball (2:13)
A7 Mean Women (2:37)
A8 The Road That's Walked By Fools (2:07)
A9 Autoharp Special (3:46)
B1 I Will Arise (3:05)
B2 The Old Crossroads (2:18)
B3 No Tears In Heaven (2:32)
B4 Lonely Tombs (3:12)
B5 Flop Eared Mule (1:43)
B6 'Round Town Girls (1:56)
B7 Two-Timing Blues (3:17)
B8 Woodrow For President (2:07)
B9 Shady Grove (2:36)
[Credits]
Kilby Snow (autoharp/vocals)
Designer: Ronald Clyne, Recorder: Mike Seeger
[Notes]
Recorded over three days on the stage of an auditorium near Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, Kilby Snow sings and plays autoharp on this 1969 Folkways release. Snow began playing the autoharp at just three years old. By the time he was five, he won first prize of $20 in gold at a fiddler's convention. Liner notes include an introductory essay by Snow as well as notes on a number of the album's songs.

May 8, 2019

Nitty Gritty Dirt Band: Stars And Stripes Forever

United Artists Records UA-LA184-J2

Format: 2xVinyl, LP, Album, Gatefold
Country: US
Released: 1974
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Bluegrass, Country Rock, Folk Rock, Country
[Tracklist]
A1 Jambalaya (On The Bayou) (1:43)
A2 Dirt Band Interview (3:39)
A3 Cosmic Cowboy (Part 1) (3:21)
A4 Aluminum Record Award (1:31)
A5 Fish Song (3:50)
A6 Mr. Bojangles (3:46)
B1 Vassar Clements Interview (3:56)
B2 Listen To The Mockingbird (2:47)
B3 The Sheik Of Araby (2:08)
B4 Resign Yourself To Me (2:40)
B5 Dixie Hoedown (2:27)
B6 Cripple Creek (0:54)
B7 The Mountain Whipporwill (Or, How Hillbilly Jim Won TheGreat Fiddler's Prize) (7:07)
C1 Honky Tonkin' (2:00)
C2 House At Pooh Corner (2:54)
C3 Buy For Me The Rain (2:32)
C4 Oh Boy (2:50)
C5 Teardrops In My Eyes (2:11)
C6 Glocoat-Blues (3:11)
D1 Stars And Stripes Forever (0:38)
D2 Battle Of New Orleans (2:58)
D3 It Came From The '50s (Blast From The Past) (6:46)
D4 My True Story (3:08)
D5 Diggy Liggy Lo (3:52)
[Credits]
Jimmie Fadden (drums/harmonica) Jeff Hanna (bass/drums/washboard) Jimmy Ibbotson (accordion/bass/drums/keyboards/piano) John McEuen (banjo/accordion/fiddle/mandolin) Vassar Clements (fiddle) Les Thompson (bass/guitar/mandolin) Doug Journigan (dobro)
Coordinator: Dave Neckar, Director: William E. McEuen, Painters: Terry Schoonhoven and Vic Henderson, Photographers: Alice McEuen, Bill Higgins, Kansas Film Works, Kerwin Plevka, William E. McEuen, William Estabrook and Win Muldrow, Engineers: Dino Lappas, Michael Denecke and Gary Mullen
[Notes]
In many ways, the mixed collection of live and studio recordings on Stars & Stripes Forever accomplished for the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and rock music what Sweetheart of the Rodeo failed to do for or with the Byrds, showing the rock band plunging deeply into country music. Two years in the making, it incorporated new studio cuts and live tracks recorded at five concerts over a two-year period, as well as interview material with guest fiddle player Vassar Clements. The mix works better than just about any genuine country (as opposed to country-rock) effort ever done by a rock band, mostly because the band was so careful in their recording and editing, and they gave themselves time to get this stuff just the way they wanted it. Beyond the excellent concert renditions of "Mr. Bojangles" or "The Battle of New Orleans" (which became a single in the wake of this album), and covers of Hank Williams songs and numerous traditional tunes, listeners found they'd walked in on something very deep and profound, tapping into a special creative process. Whatever the reason, this album gave the public more than its money's worth and was a success, charting higher than any other record the group ever released. It still packs lots of power. --AllMusic Review by Bruce Eder

May 3, 2019

Cowboy Songs, Ballads, And Cattle Calls From Texas

Library of Congress AFS L28

Format: Vinyl, LP, Compilation, Reissue
Country: US
Released: 1952
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk
[Tracklist]
A1 Colley's Run-I-O (I) (Lumberjack Song): L. Parker Temple
A2 The Buffalo Skinners (II): John A. Lomax
A3 Goodbye, Old Paint (I): Jess Morris
A4 Goodbye, Old Paint (II): Sloan Matthews
A5 The Texas Rangers: Sloan Matthews
A6 Cattle Calls: Starting, Driving, And Night-Herding: Sloan Matthews
A7 The Cowboy's Life Is A Very Dreary Life: Sloan Matthews
B1 The Dying Ranger: Johnny Prude
B2 The Dying Cowboy: Sloan Matthews
B3 The Streets Of Laredo: Johnny Prude
B4 The Zebra Dun: J. M. Waddell
B5 The Dreary Black Hills: Harry Stephens
B6 The Night-Herding Song: Harry Stephens
[Credits]
Editor: Duncan B. M. Emrich, Recorder: Duncan Emrich, John A. Lomax and Rae Korson
[Notes]
Part unaccompanied and part with guitar or fiddle accompaniment. "From the Archive of American Folk Song." Field recordings made at various places in Texas and studio recordings in Washington, D. C. from 1941-1948 by John A. Lomax, Rae Korson, and Duncan Emrich. Program notes and texts (22 p.). Description from audio disc recording, analog, 33 1/3 rpm; 12 in., 1952; reissued in 1974. Digital preservation masters recorded from original master analog tapes by the Library of Congress Recording Laboratory in 2012. Original cutting master for audio disc production for reissue of AAFS L28: COWBOY SONGS, BALLADS, AND CATTLE CALLS FROM TEXAS (MASTER TAPE) 1974, 2 sound tape reels : analog, 15 ips, full track, mono. ; 10 in. RWC 8319, 8320. MAVIS title no.: 162559-3-1; 162559-3-2.

April 24, 2019

Mike Seeger: Old Time Country Music

Folkways Records FA 2325

Format: Vinyl, LP
Country: US
Released: 1962
Genre: Blues, Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk, Bluegrass, Country
[Tracklist]
A1 Richmond Cotillion (1:55)
A2 The Baldheaded End Of A Broom (2:49)
A3 Sad And Lonesome Day (3:31)
A4 Lord Thomas (3:50)
A5 Oh My Little Darling (2:12)
A6 Bonaparte's Retreat (1:30)
A7 Frankie (3:04)
A8 Will The Weaver (3:24)
A9 Rollin' On (1:43)
B1 Don't Let Your Deal Go Down (3:21)
B2 Worried Blues (3:29)
B3 The Story Of The Mighty Mississippi (3:03)
B4 Man Of Constant Sorrow (2:45)
B5 Handsome Molly (2:15)
B6 John Hardy (2:44)
B7 Johnson City Blues (2:48)
B8 Fisherman's Luck (2:40)
B9 Sourwood Mountain (1:46)
[Credits]
Mike Seeger (fiddle/banjo/dulcimer/guitar/mouth-harp/mandolin/autoharp/vocals)
Liner Notes: Mike Seeger, Photographer and Designer: John Cohen, Engineer: Tracy Schwarz
[Notes]
After researching, learning, and polishing songs found on early recordings of country music, multi-instrumentalist Mike Seeger laid down these rousing tracks in 1962 at his home in New Jersey. His liner notes include lyrics and indicate the sources from which he learned each song.

April 21, 2019

The Poplin Family of Sumter, South Carolina

Folkways Records FA 2306

Format: Vinyl, LP
Country: US
Released: 1963
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk, Old Time
[Tracklist]
A01 Goin' Back To Sumter (1:38)
A02 Hannamariah (1:14)
A03 Sit At Home (2:23)
A04 Sumter Rag (1:09)
A05 River Of Jordan (2:12)
A06 Catfish (1:43)
A07 I Don't Want To Get Married (3:02)
A08 Someone's Been Beating My Time (1:58)
A09 Crawdad Song (2:56)
A10 The Preacher And The Bear (2:15)
A11 Sweet Kiss Waltz (1:33)
A12 Just Because (1:53)
B01 Eyes Like Cherries (2:16)
B02 The Blues Don't Mean A Thing (1:51)
B03 Cindy Gal (2:15)
B04 I Don't Drink Your Whiskey (1:15)
B05 Panhandle Rag (2:17)
B06 Hammer Ring (2:04)
B07 Steel Guitar Rag (0:58)
B08 You Gotta See Your Mama Every Night (1:45)
B09 Brown's Ferry Blues (1:11)
B10 Old Rueben (1:13)
B11 Fingers On Fire (1:11)
B12 My Home Is Not In South Carolina (1:30)
[Credits]
Edna Poplin Elmore (guitar/vocals) "Uncle" China Poplin (banjo/vocals) Bill Poplin (mandolin) David Jackson (guitar/vocals) Jack Tottle (mandolin)
Producer and Recorder: Jack Tottle, Designer: Ronald Clyne
[Notes]
The members of this musical family learned from their parents and from singers on the radio, including the Carter Family and Gid Tanner, but created and retained an individual style that distinguishes them from other string bands. This album presents both traditional and original songs.

March 31, 2019

Pete Seeger: Frontier Ballads

Folkways Records FA 2175

Format: Vinyl, 10", LP
Country: US
Released: 1959
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk
[Tracklist]
A1 Fare You Well Polly (2:12)
A2 No Irish Need Apply (1:55)
A3 Johnny Gray (1:55)
A4 Greer County Bachelor (2:36)
A5 Cowboy Yodel (0:51)
A6 The Trail To Mexico (2:49)
A7 Joe Bowers (3:00)
B1 Wake Up, Jacob (0:19)
B2 Cumberland Gap (1:22)
B3 Erie Canal (3:21)
B4 Blow The Man Down (2:04)
B5 Ox Driver's Song (1:55)
B6 The Tex-I-An Boys (1:30)
B7 Sioux Indians (3:42)
[Credits]
Pete Seeger (banjo/vocals)
[Notes]
Adventurers, nonconformists, naturalists, and anyone seeking a new life traveled to America's far reaches, singing their old music even as they created new songs to describe life on the frontier. Through Pete Seeger's performance, Frontier Ballads presents the musical expressions of these immigrants, settlers, and workers as they moved westward.

March 17, 2019

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.

March 16, 2019

Lead Belly Sings "Goodnight Irene" 1935


A folklorist, John Lomax and his son Alan Lomax, with funding from the Library of Congress recorded Huddie William Ledbetter, commonly known as Lead Belly or Leadbelly. They first meet him while he was imprisoned. They were deeply impressed by his vibrant tenor voice and huge repertoire, they recorded him on portable aluminum disc recording equipment for the Library of Congress. They returned to record with new and better equipment in July of the following year (1934), all in all recording hundreds of his songs. On August 1, Lead Belly was released (again having served almost all of his minimum sentence), this time after the Lomaxes had taken a petition to Louisiana Governor Oscar K. Allen at Ledbetter's urgent request. The petition was on the other side of a recording of his signature song, "Goodnight Irene."

Kip Lornell, a Leadbelly expert, thinks this is almost certainly footage from March/April 1935, shot in Wilton, CT. --- probably at the home of friends of the Lomaxes. He wasn't sure if he'd ever seen footage from this event (Martha joining Huddie in NYC) but I have seen stills. He confirmed that, this was before he recorded for ARC, though he had previously recorded for the Library of Congress. Its also well before he recorded anything for Moe Asch, which is now Smithsonian Folkways material.

March 14, 2019

Woody Guthrie: Dust Bowl Ballads

Buddha Records 74465 99724 2

Format: CD, Club Edition, Reissue, Remastered
Country: US
Released: 07 Nov 2000
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk
[Tracklist]
01 The Great Dust Storm (Dust Storm Disaster) (3:17)
02 Talking Dust Bowl Blues (2:38)
03 Pretty Boy Floyd (3:07)
04 Dusty Old Dust (So Long It's Been Good To Know Yuh) (3:05)
05 Dust Bowl Blues (3:24)
06 Blowin' Down The Road (I Ain't Gonna To Be Treated This Way) (3:01)
07 Tom Joad (Part 1) (3:23)
08 Tom Joad (Part 2) (3:26)
09 Do Re Mi (2:32)
10 Dust Bowl Refugee (3:04)
11 I Ain't Got No Home In This World Anymore (2:43)
12 Vigilante Man (3:20)
13 Dust Can't Kill Me (2:53)
14 Dust Pneumonia Blues (2:39)
15 Talkin' Dust Bowl Blues (Alternate Take) (2:27)
[Credits]
Woody Guthrie (guitar/harmonica/vocals)
Reissue Producers: Glenn Korman, Nora Guthrie and Rob Santos, Coordinator: Jeremy Holiday, Liner Notes: Dave Marsh, Designer: Brad Conger, Remastered: Doug Pomeroy
[Notes]
Dust Bowl Ballads is an album by Woody Guthrie, recorded for Victor Records in Camden, New Jersey in 1940. It was Guthrie's first commercial recording and the most successful album he made. It is considered to be the first or one of the very first concept albums. The Dust Bowl Ballads was originally released as two three-disc collections of 78 rpm records. Twelve sides, including the double-sided "Tom Joad", were included in this release, but two of the thirteen songs, "Pretty Boy Floyd" and "Dust Bowl Blues" were left out due to length. All tracks were recorded at Victor studios in Camden, New Jersey on April 26, 1940, except "Dust Cain't Kill Me" and "Dust Pneumonia Blues" which were recorded on May 3. In 1964, during the American folk music revival of the 1950s and 1960s, a reissue including all tracks from the sessions was released in LP format by Folkways Records after RCA refused Guthrie's request to re-issue the album. The complete Dust Bowl Ballads remains available on compact disc through the Smithsonian Institution's Folkways Collection. The songs on Dust Bowl Ballads are semi-autobiographical, chronicling Guthrie's experience as a so-called "Okie" during the Dust Bowl era, where Guthrie witnessed the economic hardship that many migrant workers faced in California. Like many of Guthrie's later recordings, these songs contain an element of social activism, and would be an important influence on later musicians, including Pete Seeger, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Phil Ochs and Joe Strummer. -- Wikipedia

March 13, 2019

Joan Baez: Diamonds and Rust


Label: A&M Records SP-4527
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Monarch
Country: US
Released: 1975
Genre: Blues, Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk Rock
[Tracklist]
01 Diamonds & Rust (4:44)
02 Fountain Of Sorrow (4:31)
03 Never Dreamed You'd Leave In Summer (2:45)
04 Children And All That Jazz (3:07)
05 Simple Twist Of Fate (4:46)
06 Blue Sky (2:54)
07 Hello In There (3:04)
08 Jesse (4:28)
09 Winds Of The Old Days (3:53)
10 Dida (3:20)
11 I Dream Of Jeannie / Danny Boy (4:13)
[Notes]
Diamonds & Rust is a 1975 album by Joan Baez. Baez is often regarded as an interpreter of other people's work, and on this album she covered songs by Bob Dylan, Stevie Wonder, The Allman Brothers, and Jackson Browne. But Diamonds & Rust also contained a number of her own compositions, including the acclaimed title track, a distinctive song written about Bob Dylan.