The Phipps Family: Faith, Love and Tragedy

Folkways Records FA 2375

Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: US
Released: 1965
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk, Country, Hillbilly
[Tracklist]
A1 Just Another Broken Heart (2:35)
A2 Away Over In The Promised Land (2:17)
A3 The Great Titanic (3:46)
A4 Forsaken Lover (2:28)
A5 The Red Jacket Mine Explosion (4:02)
A6 I Never Will Marry (2:31)
A7 Gonna Row My Boat (1:56)
B1 The Old Pine Tree (3:05)
B2 The Merry Golden Tree (3:05)
B3 The Unclouded Day (3:26)
B4 Charles Guiteau (2:29)
B5 My Home Among The Hills (2:25)
B6 Pearl Bryan (3:39
[Credits]
A.L.Phipps (guitar/vocals) Kathleen Phipps (autoharp/vocals) Helen Phipps (autoharp/vocals) Leemon Phipps (guitar/vocals)
Recorder and Producer: Ralph Rinzler, Sleeve Notes:Bill Vernon, Designer: Ronald Clyne, Photographer: Jim Marshall
[Notes]
Influenced by the legendary Carter Family, the Phipps Family was known for its personal yet deeply traditional style. This album includes ballads, traditional hymns, and two originals: Kathleen's "Forsaken Lover" and A. L.'s "The Red Jacket Mine Explosion."

Hermes Nye: Anglo-American Ballads

Folkways Records FA 2037

Format: Vinyl, 10", Album
Country: US
Released: 1952
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk
[Tracklist]
A1 Tomorrow Is St. Valentine's Day (1:20)
A2 A North Country Maid (1:38)
A3 King Arthur Had Three Sons (2:01)
A4 Earl Richard (2:39)
A5 Greenland Fishery (1:50)
A6 Earl Of Murray (1:22)
B1 John Peel (2:18)
B2 The Mermaid (2:44)
B3 The Red Herring (2:05)
B4 The Bailiff's Daughter Of Islington (3:49)
[Credits]
Hermes Nye (guitar/vocals)
Artwork: David Stone Martin
[Notes]
Sung on record and described in liner notes with Hermes Nye's characteristic down-home humor, Anglo-American ballads on this album come from a variety of sources, from an Elizabethan torch song in Shakespeare's Hamlet to a version of "John Peel" taken from a Girl Scout songbook!

Keith Whitley: Don't Close Your Eyes

RCA 6494-2-R

Format: CD, Album
Country: US
Released: 1988
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Country
[Tracklist]
01 Flying Colors (3:35)
02 It's All Coming Back To Me Now (2:45)
03 Lucky Dog (2:00)
04 Don't Close Your Eyes (4:09)
06 Some Old Side Road (3:25)
07 Would These Arms Be In Your Way (3:10)
08 I'm No Stranger To The Rain (3:33)
09 I Never Go Around Mirrors (4:24)
10 When You Say Nothing At All (3:40)
11 A Day In The Life Of A Fool (3:37)
12 Honky Tonk Heart (3:04)
[Credits]
Keith Whitley (guitar/vocals) Allen Frizzell, Curtis Young, Dennis Wilson , Emmylou Harris, Garth Fundis and Vern Gosdin (chorus) Mac McAnally, Red Lane, Billy Sanford and Brent Rowan (guitar) Dave Pomeroy and Larry Paxton (bass) Eddie Bayers and Jerry Kroon (drums) Rob Hajacos (fiddle) Mitch Humphries (keyboards) Matt Rollings (piano) Mike Lawler (synthesizer) Sonny Garrish (steel guitar) Paul Franklin (pedalboard)
[Notes]
Don't You Close Your Eyes was more successful than Keith Whitley's two previous albums and it's easy to see why. Though the record still suffered from a handful of mediocre songs and a slightly soft production, the overall album was leaner and more direct than Whitley's earlier solo work, showcasing his talent for heartfelt honky tonk singing and his skill for crafting excellent barroom ballads. "Don't Close Your Eyes," "When You Say Nothing At All," and "I'm No Stranger to the Rain" were the hits, but there's a wealth of excellent material here, including a haunting version of Lefty Frizzell's "I Never Go Around Mirrors." The sheer strength of the best numbers make the handful of weaker songs perfectly excusable. After all, country in the late '80s rarely got better than Don't You Close Your Eyes at its best. -- AllMusic Review by Thom Owens

Lucinda Williams: Ramblin'

Smithsonian Folkways CD SF 40042

Format: CD, Album, Reissue, Remastered
Country: USA & Canada
Released: 2005
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk, Country Blues
[Tracklist]
01 Ramblin' On My Mind (2:30)
02 Me And My Chauffeur (3:12)
03 Motherless Children (3:31)
04 Malted Milk Blues (2:29)
05 Disgusted (2:28)
06 Jug Band Music (2:22)
07 Stop Breakin' Down (3:20)
08 Drop Down Daddy (3:23)
09 Little Darling Pal Of Mine (2:59)
10 Make Me Down A Pallet On Your Floor (3:50)
11 Jambalaya (On The Bayou) (3:05)
12 Great Speckled Bird (2:55)
13 You're Gonna Need That Pure Religion (3:07)
14 Satisfied Mind (4:06)
[Credits]
Lucinda Williams (12-string guitar/vocals) John Grimaudo (guitar)
Producer: Tom Royals, Liner Notes: John Morthland, Designer: Carol Hardy, Engineer: Gerald "Wolf" Stephenson, Malcolm Addey and Matt Walters
[Notes]
Recorded at Malaco Studios, Jackson, MS, Sept. 1978. The first recordings from an artist with a gift for interpreting original blues from Robert Johnson to Memphis Minnie to The Carter Family. Williams’s unmistakable sound is powerfully direct and filled with melancholy and passion. 43 minutes. "The quintessential recording of Lucinda Williams.... An unbelievably soulful...vocalist." — Montana State University Exponent "The quintessential recording of Lucinda Williams.... An unbelievably soulful...vocalist."-- Montana State University Exponent

Roscoe Holcomb: An Untamed Sense of Control

Smithsonian Folkways SFW CD 40144

Format: CD, Compilation
Country: US
Released: 2003
Genre: Blues, Folk, World, & Country
Style: Appalachian Music, Country Blues
[Credits]
01 Swanno Mountain (3:18)
02 Across The Rocky Mountain (5:23)
03 Graveyard Blues (3:01)
04 Single Girl (3:02)
05 Little Maggie (3:02)
06 Born And Raised In Covington (2:16)
07 Barbara Allen Blues (1:30)
08 Coal Creek (1:31)
09 Rock Island Prison (1:35)
10 I Am A Man Of Constant Sorrow (3:00)
11 Combs Hotel Burned Down (2:32)
12 The Hills Of Mexico (2:33)
13 Knife Guitar (1:17)
14 Mississippi Heavy Water Blues (2:16)
15 Coney Isle (1:51)
16 Train That Carried My Girl From Town (2:02)
17 Milk Cow Blues (2:08)
18 Black Eye Susie (1:15)
19 Darling Cory (3:40)
20 I Ain't Got No Sugar Baby Now (2:50)
21 Sitting On Top Of This World (2:42)
22 Frankie And Johnnie (5:11)
23 Foggy Mountain Top (1:52)
24 Fair Miss In The Garden (3:53)
25 Willow Garden (3:27)
26 True Love (6:24)
[Credits]
Roscoe Holcomb (banjo/guitar/harmonica/fiddle/vocals)
Recorder, Producer, Liner Notes and Photographer: John Cohen
[Notes]
Compiled from three Folkways albums: "Music of Roscoe Holcomb" (FA 2363, 1961) recorded at Sanders Recording Studio, 46th St. and Times Square, New York City; "The High Lonesome Sound" (FA 2368, 1964) recorded at Steinway Hall, New York City; and "Close To Home" (FA 2374, 1972) recorded on Roscoe's front porch, Daisy, Kentucky. Additional recordings taken from a concert performance in Cambridge, Mass. in 1973.

Happy New Year 2020

May this year be the one in which all your wishes and desires come true.

Mary Lou Williams

Folkways Records FS 32843

Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Stereo
Country: US
Released: 1964
Genre: Jazz
Style: Bop, Soul-Jazz, Gospel, Modal
[Tracklist]
A1 Black Christ Of The Andes (6:23)
A2 It Ain't Necessarily So (4:35)
A3 The Devil (3:55)
A4 Miss D. D. (2:25)
A5 Anima Christi (2:43)
B1 A Grand Nite For Swinging (2:54)
B2 My Blue Heaven (3:02)
B3 Dirge Blues (3:21)
B4 A Fungus Amungus (2:48)
B5 Praise The Lord (5:47)
[Credits]
Mary Lou Williams (piano)
Artwork: David Stone Martin, Liner Notes: Gerrard Pochonet, Engineer: Tommy Nola
[Notes]
Composer, arranger, and pianist Mary Lou Williams' musical career reflected the history of American jazz from the late 1920s through the 1970s. Described by Duke Ellington as being "beyond category," Williams was conversant in jazz styles ranging from stride through swing and be-bop to the avant-garde, yet her music was always rooted in spirituals and the blues. This self-produced recording, originally recorded in 1962 and 1963, contains a mix of standards and originals including four original compositions reflecting her devout interest in religious music.

Earl Scruggs and the 5-String Banjo

Revised and Enhanced Edition by Earl Scruggs

# Publisher: Hal Leonard; Pap/Com edition (August 1, 2005)
# Language: English
# ISBN-10: 0634060422
# ISBN-13: 978-0634060427

The best-selling banjo method in the world! Earl Scruggs's legendary method has helped thousands of banjo players get their start. The "Revised and Enhanced Edition" features more songs, updated lessons, and many other improvements. It includes everything you need to know to start playing banjo, including: a history of the 5-string banjo, getting acquainted with the banjo, Scruggs tuners, how to read music, chords, how to read tablature, right-hand rolls and left-hand techniques, banjo tunings, exercises in picking, over 40 songs, how to build a banjo, autobiographical notes, and much more! The book/audio version includes recordings of Earl Scruggs playing and explaining over 60 examples! Audio is accessed online using the unique code inside the book and can be streamed or downloaded. The audio files include PLAYBACK+, a multi-functional audio player that allows you to slow down audio without changing pitch, set loop points, change keys, and pan left or right.

Old-Time Fiddle: For the Complete Ignoramus

Wayne Erbsen (Author)

Spiral-bound: 80 pages
# Publisher: Native Ground Books & Music (September 2005)
# Language: English
# ISBN-10: 1883206480
# ISBN-13: 978-1883206482

Wayne Erbsen's 35 years of teaching experience shows on every page. He takes the reader through every step of adjusting, tuning, holding, and playing the fiddle. 37 tunes are written out in Wayne's own unique and easy-to-use tab system and standard notation. Fiddle instruction has never been any simpler, clearer, or more humorous. This book will teach absolutely anyone to play the fiddle. Instructional CD included. You WILL learn to play: Amazing Grace, Blackest Crow, Buffalo Gals, Charley He s a Good Old Man, Cluck Old Hen, Cotton-Eyed Joe, Cripple Creek, Cumberland Mountain Deer Chase, Darling Corey, Don t Let Your Deal Go Down, East Virginia, Groundhog, House of the Rising Sun, Ida Red, In the Pines, It Ain t Gonna Grain no Mo , Joy to the World, Little Birdie, Liza Poor Gal, Lynchburg Town, Muley s Daughter, Old Joe Clark, Old Molly Hare, Polly Put the Kettle On, Rain and Snow, Red River Valley, Run Johnny Run, Rye Whiskey, Sail Away Ladies, Say Darling Say, Shortening Bread, Sugar Hill, Wagoner s Lad, Wildwood Flower, Willie Moore.

Kendrick Lamar: To Pimp A Butterfly

Top Dawg Entertainment B0022958-02

Format: CD, Album
Country: US
Released: 2015
Genre: Hip Hop
Style: Conscious, Jazzy Hip-Hop
[Tracklist]
01 Wesley's Theory (4:47)
02 For Free? (Interlude) (2:10)
03 King Kunta (3:54)
04 Institutionalized (4:31)
05 These Walls (5:00)
06 U (4:28)
07 Alright (3:39)
08 For Sale? (Interlude) (4:51)
09 Momma (4:43)
10 Hood Politics (4:52)
11 How Much A Dollar Cost (4:21)
12 Complexion (A Zulu Love) (4:23)
13 The Blacker The Berry (5:28)
14 You Ain't Gotta Lie (Momma Said) (4:01)
15 I (5:36)
16 Mortal Man (12:07)
[Credits]
Kendrick Lamar (vocals)
[Notes]
Becoming an adult ultimately means accepting one's imperfections, unimportance, and mortality, but that doesn't mean we stop striving for the ideal, a search that's so at the center of our very being that our greatest works of art celebrate it, and often amplify it. Anguish and despair rightfully earn more Grammys, Emmys, Tonys, and Pulitzer Prizes than sweetness and light ever do, but West Coast rapper Kendrick Lamar is already on elevated masterwork number two, so expect his version of the sobering truth to sound like a party at points. He's aware, as Bilal sings here, that "Shit don't change 'til you get up and wash your ass," and don't it feel good? The sentiment is universal, but the viewpoint on his second LP is inner-city and African-American, as radio regulars like the Isley Brothers (sampled to perfection during the key track "I"), George Clinton (who helps make "Wesley's Theory" a cross between "Atomic Dog" and Dante's Inferno), and Dr. Dre (who literally phones his appearance in) put the listener in Lamar's era of Compton, just as well as Lou Reed took us to New York and Brecht took us to Weimar Republic Berlin. These G-funky moments are incredibly seductive, which helps usher the listener through the album's 80-minute runtime, plus its constant mutating (Pharrell productions, spoken word, soul power anthems, and sound collages all fly by, with few tracks ending as they began), much of it influenced, and sometimes assisted by, producer Flying Lotus and his frequent collaborator Thundercat. "u" sounds like an MP3 collection deteriorating, while the broken beat of the brilliant "Momma" will challenge the listener's balance, and yet, Lamar is such a prodigiously talented and seductive artist, his wit, wisdom, and wordplay knock all these stray molecules into place. Survivor's guilt, realizing one's destiny, and a Snoop Dogg performance of Doggystyle caliber are woven among it all; plus, highlights offer that Parliament-Funkadelic-styled subversion, as "The Blacker the Berry" ("The sweeter the juice") offers revolutionary slogans and dips for the hip. Free your mind, and your ass will follow, and at the end of this beautiful black berry, there's a miraculous "talk" between Kendrick and the legendary 2Pac, as the brutalist trailblazer mentors this profound populist. To Pimp a Butterfly is as dark, intense, complicated, and violent as Picasso's Guernica, and should hold the same importance for its genre and the same beauty for its intended audience. -- AllMusic Review by David Jeffries

Women Folk: Iconic Women of American Folk

Sunswept Music 063033

Format: CD, Album
Country: US
Released: August 7, 2007
Recorded: 1955 - 1961
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk
[Tracklis]
01 Sail Away Ladies: Odetta (2:23)
02 Railroad Bill: Etta Baker (2:39)
03 When I Was a Young Girl: Barbara Dane (3:42)
04 The Bashful Courtship: Jean Ritchie (2:05)
05 Go 'Way from My Window: Carolyn Hester (2:48)
06 Midnight Special: Odetta (2:37)
07 Goin' Down the Road Feeling Bad: Etta Baker (1:24)
08 Nine Hundred Miles: Barbara Dane (2:21)
09 The Old Grey Goose Is Dead: Jean Ritchie (1:27)
10 The Water Is Wide: Carolyn Hester (3:42)
11 He's Got the Whole World in His Hands: Odetta (1:54)
12 John Henry: Etta Baker (2:40)
13 The Danville Girl: Barbara Dane (3:05)
14 The Blackest Crow: Jean Ritchie (1:30)
15 House of the Rising Sun: Carolyn Hester (2:21)
16 Take This Hammer: Odetta (3:27)
17 One Dime Blues: Etta Baker (3:00)
18 Ramblin': Barbara Dane (2:57)
19 Wondrous Love: Jean Ritchie (2:46)
20 Summertime: Carolyn Hester (2:20)
[Credits]
Odetta (guitar/vocals) Etta Baker (guitar/vocals) Barbara Dane (guitar/vocals) Jean Ritchie (dulcimer/vocals) Carolyn Hester (guitar/vocals) Tom Paley (banjo/guitar)
Producer: Rama Barwick, Liner Notes: Oscar Brand and Paul Clayton, Editor: Roger Kash, Designer: Michael Lauzardo, Engineers: Liam Clancy and George Pickow
[Notes]
From Odetta considered one of the most influential artists of the 20th Century to Jean Ritchie the mother of Appalachian folk music, responsible for exposing us to a treasure trove of material passed down from her ancestors that have since become staples of the world-wide folk scene. Carolyn Hester invited Bob Dylan to play harmonica on her first Columbia record which led to him signing with the label while Barbara Dane raised the bar for all singers when she burst onto the scene in the early 1950’s and a little lady from the Southern Appalachians named Etta Baker set the standard for folk guitarists everywhere

Protobilly: The Minstrel & Tin Pan Alley DNA of Country Music 1892-2017

JSP Records JSP5202

Format: 3xCD, Compilation, Limited Edition, Stereo, Mono
Country: UK
Released: October 25, 2019
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Old Time, Country, Bluegrass
[Tracklist]
Disc One
101 Casey Jones: Billy Murray
102 Casey Jones: Fiddlin' John Carson
103 Southern Casey Jones: Jesse James
104 Steamboat Bill: Arthur Collins
105 Casey and Bill: Earl McDonald's Original Louisville Jug Band
106 Steamboat Bill Boogie: Delmore Bros.
107 Red Wing: Frank C Stanley & Henry Burr
108 Red Wing: Doc Williams & the Border Riders
109 Just Break the News to Mother: George J Gaskin
110 Take the News to Mother: Louvin Bros.
111 In the Shadow of the Pines: Royal Fish & Vernon Archibald
112 In the Shadow of the Pine: Kelly Harrell
113 Are You From Dixie?: Billy Murray & Irving Kaufman
114 Are You From Dixie: Grandpa Jones
115 Home, Sweet Home: Eleanora de Cisneros
116 Home, Sweet Home: Don Reno
117 The Party That Wrote Home Sweet Home, Never Was a Married Man: Ed Morton
118 The Man Who Wrote Home Sweet Home, Never Was a Married Man: Mack Woolbridge & Charlie Parker
119 I'm Alabama Bound: Prince's Orchestra
120 Alabama Bound: Papa Charlie Jackson
121 Unter dem Doppleadler: Olbrig's Zither Trio
122 Under the Double Eagle: Bill Boyd's Cowboy Ramblers
123 Blue Bell: Harry Macdonough
124 Blue Bell: Merle Travis
125 Virginia Bluebell: Eddie Adcock
126 The Foolish Frog: May Irwin
127 The Foolish Frog: Frank Corso
Disc Two
201 Haul The Woodpile Down: Charles A Asbury
202 Hold That Wood-Pile Down: Uncle Dave Macon
203 Darling Nellie Gray: The American Quartet
204 Darling Nellie Gray: Roland Cauly & Lake Howard
205 Darling Nellie Gray: Louis Armstrong & the Mills Brothers
206 I Got Mine: Arthur Collins & Joseph Natus
207 I Got Mine: Frank Stokes
208 Go Easy Mabel: Edward Meeker
209 Go Easy Mabel: Delmore Bros
210 Smoke Goes Up the Chimney: Dan W Quinn
211 Smoke Goes Up the Chimney: Fiddlin' John Carson
212 When the Bees Are In the Hive: Peerless Quartet
213 When the Bees Are In the Hive: Bill Monroe
214 Don't You Leave Me Here: Charles Johnson's Original Paradise Ten
215 I'm Alabamy Bound: Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five
216 Don't Go Down In the Mine, Dad: Stanley Kirkby
217 Dream Of a Miner's Child: Keith Whitley
218 I Loved You Better Than You: Byron G Harlan & Frank C Stanley
219 I Loved You Better Than You: The Carter Family
220 I Loved You Better Than You: Johnnie and Jack
221 By The Watermelon Vine: Edison Male Quartet
222 Lindy: Proximity String Quartet
223 Who Broke The Lock: Cousins and DeMoss
224 Who Stole De Lock: The Georgia Browns
225 Who Stole The Lock: Jack Bland & his Rhythmmakers
226 Lovesick Blues: Emmett Miller
227 Lovesick Blues: Hank Williams
228 I'm the Father of a Little Black Coon: Charles A Asbury
Disc Three
301 May Irwin's Bully Song: May Irwin
302 Bully Of the Town: Gid Tanner & the Skillet Lickers
303 Fille de la Fille: Vin Bruce
304 Turkey in the Straw: Billy Golden
305 Turkey Buzzard Blues: Peg Leg Howell & Eddie Anthony
306 Old Dan Tucker: Harry C Browne
307 Old Dan Tucker: Gid Tanner & the Skillet Lickers
308 The Arkansas Traveler: Len Spencer
309 The Arkansaw Traveler: Jilson Setters (J.W Day)
310 Arkansas Traveler: Clayton McMichen & his Georgia Wildcats
311 The Girl I Loved in Sunny Tennessee: S.H Dudley & Harry Macdonough
312 Sunny Tennessee: Floyd County Ramblers
313 Nigger Blues: George O'Connor
314 The Blues Ain't Nothing But: Georgia White
315 I'se Gwine Back to Dixie: Brilliant Quartet
316 I'se Gwine Back to Dixie: Uncle Dave Macon
317 Baby Mine: Elizabeth Spencer
318 Going Around This World: Leslie Keith
319 All Night Long: Anna Chandler
320 All Night Long: Roy Acuff & his Crazy Tennesseeans
321 Laughing Rag: Sam Moore & Horace Davis
322 Mexican Rag: Darby & Tarlton
323 I Don't Care If I Never Wake Up: Silas Leachman
324 My Money Never Gives Out: Arthur Collins
325 My Money Never Runs Out: Banjo Joe (Gus Cannon)
326 My Money Never Gives Out: Dom Flemons & Guy Davis
[Notes]
This 3 CD reissue anthology is the first to track 20th century American vernacular music of old time country, bluegrass, jazz and blues by tracing their beginnings in 19th century blackface minstrelsy and Tin Pan Alley. The set includes a 76 page booklet with song annotations, sheet music covers, photographs and period graphics, biographies and discographies Driven by songwriting and publishing songs are refashioned again and again showcasing stylistic as well as lyrical changes over the past 100 years The foundation of the American popular songbook traces its beginnings to the Vaudeville, Circus, Minstrel, Music Hall and Theatre stages of the mid-late 1800s The songs spread throughout the country and world creating a new musical tapestry that included both black and white performers of all backgrounds By aligning performances from the earliest cylinder recordings with later 78 rpm, LP and CD versions, PROTOBILLY brings to life 81 historic recordings more than half never before reissued all brilliantly remastered to vividly demonstrate the checkered and enormously powerful elasticity of American music.

Dark Ships in the Forest: Ballads of the Supernatural

Folk-Legacy Records CD-65

Format: CD, Album, Reissue
Country: US
Released: 1997
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk
[Tracklis]
01 Oak, Ash And Thorn (2:36)
02 The Broomfield Wager [Child 43] (4:11)
03 The Wife Of The Usher's Well [Child 79] (2:43)
04 Tom Of Bedlam (3:57)
05 The Dreadful Ghost (4:18)
06 The Foggy Dew (5:09)
07 The Derby Ram (3:27)
08 The Maid On The Shore [cf. Child 43] (3:41)
09 Reynardine (3:01)
10 The False Lady [Child 68] (3:21)
11 Polly Vaughn (3:18)
12 The Two Magicians [Child 44] (5:19)
[Credits]
John Roberts (vocals) Tony Barrand (vocals) Fred Breunig (accordion/fiddle) Steve Woodruff (accordion/fiddle)
Liner Notes: John Roberts , Recorder, Designer & Photographer: Sandy Paton, Designer: Lani Herrmann
[Notes]
This disc is a reissue of an LP that originally came out who-knows-when (Folk Legacy's insert copy is typically reticent on that score), and consists of one well-known old ballad ("The Foggy Dew"), several songs from the Child collection, and a number of other, more obscure tunes, all chosen for their supernatural themes (though, as the artists acknowledge in the liner notes, "The Foggy Dew" is something of a stretch in that regard). Roberts and Barrand are accompanied by Fred Breunig and Steve Woodruff, both of whom play fiddle and button accordion. As one might imagine, the resulting sound is stark and, it must be said, haunting; the subject matter of the songs, all of which deal with such topics as magical flora, woodland enchanters, and the ghosts of dead children and lovers, only adds to the eerie tone of the proceedings. These two really are remarkable singers; tenor Barrand has a sound that cuts like a reed whizzing through the air, while baritone Roberts moans with a plaintive, almost nasal sound. Description doesn't work, obviously these two must be heard to be appreciated. --AllMusic Review by Rick Anderson

Merle Travis: Walkin' The Strings

Capitol Records T1391

Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Mono
Country: US
Released: 1960
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Country
[Tracklist]
A01 Walkin' The Strings (1:38)
A02 Little David Play On Your Harp (2:18)
A03 Saturday Night Shuffle (2:07)
A04 Thumbing The Bass (0:53)
A05 Cane Break Blues (1:15)
A06 Darby's Ram (2:29)
A07 Everly Rag (0:38)
A08 Rose Time (1:36)
A09 Old Aunt Dinah (1:10)
A10 Old Kentucky Home (1:12)
A11 Pigmeat Stomp (1:15)
B01 Blue Smoke (1:59)
B02 Dry Bread (2:43)
B03 Louisville Clog (1:09)
B04 On A Bicycle Built For Two (1:23)
B05 Green Bay Polka (0:53)
B06 Jordan Am A Hard Road To Travel (2:31)
B07 Travis Trot (0:29)
B08 Cannon Ball Stomp (1:22)
B09 Fuller Blues (0:47)
B10 Blue Bell (1:43
B11 Take My Hand, Precious Lord (1:55)
[Credits]
Merle Travis (guitar/vocals)
[Notes]
Walkin' the Strings was the first solo acoustic guitar album by Merle Travis, released in 1960 but recorded in the late 1940s and early 1950s, when Travis was at the peak of his performing abilities. It is widely regarded as one of Travis's finest musical achievements.

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

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

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.

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.

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.