Fine Times at Our House: Traditional Music of Indiana: Ballads, Fiddle Tunes, Songs

Folkways Records - FW03809

Format: Vinyl, LP, Compilation
Country: US
Released: 1964
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk
[Tracklis]
A01 Unnamed Tune: John W. Summers (2:03)
A02 The Elfin Knight - Child 2: Anna Underhill (2:37)
A03 Play Parties: Anna Underhill (0:44)
A04 Turkey in the Straw: Louis Henderson (1:11)
A05 The Cuckoo's Nest: Dan White and John W. Summers (2:02)
A06 Sherman's Retreat: John W. Summers (3:30)
A07 The Morning of 1845: Vern Smelser (2:09)
A08 The Birds' Song: Virgil Sandage (1:05)
A09 Away Out West in Kansas: Anna Underhill (1:46)
A10 The Indiana Hero: Anna Underhill (5:33)
A11 Fine Times at Our House: John W. Summers (3:12)
B01 The Young Man Who Wouldn't Hoe Corn: Vern Smelser (1:10)
B02 Rye Straw: John W. Summers (2:12)
B03 Waiting for the Lord to Come: Dan White and John W. Summers (1:36)
B04 Same Time Today as It Was Yesterday: John W. Summers (1:54)
B05 The Battle of Stone River: Oscar Parks (4:15)
B06 Lord Barnett (Child No. 68): Ella Parker (2:35)
B07 Young Charlotte: Vern Smelser (7:06)
B08 The Soldier and the Lady: Shorty and Juanita Sheehan (3:18)
[Credits]
Recorder: Pat Dunford and Art Rosenbaum
[Notes]
Collected by musician and producer Pat Dunford and musicologist Art Rosenbaum, the twenty songs and fiddle tunes on this album were chosen from a vast collection of recordings from their travels around Indiana in the early sixties. At the time, Indiana had been largely ignored by collectors and folk enthusiasts researching old-time music. Dunford and Rosenbaum wanted to present the songs and tunes remembered by Hoosier musicians, including master old-time fiddler John W. Summers, that were most characteristic of the state, fearing they might soon be all but gone.

Mike Seeger: Early Southern Guitar Sounds

Smithsonian Folkways – SFW CD 40157

Format: CD
Country: US
Released: 2007
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Country
[Tracklist]
01 Wildwood Flower (0:52)
02 Old Chisholm Trail (1:50)
03 Spanish Fandango (2:17)
04 Shakin' The Pines In The Holler (2:00)
05 Weary Lonesome Blues (2:30)
06 White Oak Mountain (3:12)
07 I'm Crazy Over You (2:16)
08 Can't Get A Letter From You (2:44)
09 Guitar Rag (3:05)
10 Smoketown Strut (2:54)
11 Big Kid's Barroom (2:46)
12 Fishing Blues (3:23)
13 After All Has Been Said And Done (2:43)
14 Joe Lee's Tune (1:56)
15 Carrol County Blues (2:31)
16 Birmingham Tickle (2:35)
17 Worried Blues (3:45)
18 Kenny Wagner's Surrender (2:48)
19 Arizona (2:21)
20 Pearly Dew (2:16)
21 Risselty Rosselty (1:44)
22 Johnny Doyle (4:06)
23 Black Jack David (2:57)
24 John Henry (3:34)
25 Buckdancer's Choice (3:19)
26 Riley And Spencer (4:24)
27 When This World Comes To An End (2:22)
28 Leaning On The Everlasting Ar (1:37)
[Credits]
Recorder and Producer: Mike Seeger, Photographer: McGuire, Designer: Sonya Cohen Cramer, Liner Notes Editor: Carla Borden, Mastering Engineer: Pete Reiniger
[Notes]
The guitar fostered great creativity in the South as it evolved from a small gut-string instrument in polite parlors to the big, loud, steel-string guitar now found in our homes and onstage. Mike sings and plays a variety of the styles that were played in the rural South from about 1850 to 1930 on 25 different types of guitars. Featured are: banjo-like styles, rags, blues, parlor and parlor-based styles, slide guitar styles, and many song accompaniment styles. The booklet includes a fresh look at the history of the guitar and its travel South, notes on songs and styles, and photographs of all the instruments used. 28 tracks, 36-page booklet, 74 minutes.

Long Time Passing: Kronos Quartet and Friends Celebrate Pete Seeger

Smithsonian Folkways Recordings – SFW 40240

Format: CD, Album
Country: US
Released: Oct 9, 2020
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk
[Tracklist]
01 Which Side Are You On? (2:21)
02 The President Sang Amazing Grace (3:58)
03 Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram (3:40)
04 Waist Deep in the Big Muddy (3:23)
05 Jarama Valley (Live In Barcelona) (3:19)
06 Garbage (3:09)
07 Storyteller (16:29)
08 Mbube (Wimoweh/The Lion Sleeps Tonight) (2:43)
09 If I Had A Hammer (2:07)
10 Where Have All The Flowers Gone? (4:05)
11 Step By Step (3:02)
12 Anda Jaleo (Live In Barcelona) (2:08)
13 Kisses Sweeter Than Wine (3:12)
14 Turn, Turn, Turn (3:58)
15 We Shall Overcome (5:08)
[Credits]
Kronos Quartet (ensemble) David Harrington and John Sherba (violin) Hank Dutt (viola) Sunny Jang (cello)
Aoife O'Donovan, Brian Carpenter, Maria Arnal, Meklit Hadero and Sam Amidon (vocals)
Producer: Janet Cowperthwaite and Reshena Liao, Engineer: Bob Ludwig
[Notes]
On Long Time Passing, the trailblazing Kronos Quartet celebrates the music of Pete Seeger and rejoices in the spirit, inspiration, and fearlessness inherent in his life's work. Along with guests Sam Amidon, Maria Arnal, Brian Carpenter, Meklit, Lee Knight, and Aoife O'Donovan, the group examines Seeger's celebration of beauty and the pleasure of singing together. Through the power of these eternally relevant cries for unity and moral integrity, the album articulates the responsibility we have as citizens and members of a greater community to question war and injustice, and to develop the courage to raise our voices together both in word and song.

Tribute To The Stanley Brothers by Keith Whitley And Ricky Skaggs

Jalyn Records JLP-129

Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: United States
Released: 1971
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Bluegrass
[Tracklist]
A1 We'll Be Sweethearts In Heaven
A2 Mother No Longer Awaits Me At Home
A3 White Dove
A4 Our Last Goodby
A5 Lonesome River
A6 I Love No One But You
B1 The Angels Are Singing In Heaven Tonight
B2 It's Never Too Late
B3 Loving You Too Well
B4 Too Late To Cry
B5 Little Glass Of Wine
B6 I Long To See The Old Folks
[Credits]
Keith Whitley (guitar/fiddle/lead vocals) Ricky Skaggs (mandolin/tenor vocals) Roy Lee Centers (banjo) Curly Ray Cline (fiddle) Jack Cooke (bass)
Liner notes: Ralph Stanleyliner notes
[Notes]
The young duo – at the time Keith Whitley was 15 years old and Ricky Skaggs was aged 16 years old – cut a dozen of the Stanley Brothers' best-known songs, not long after Ralph Stanley discovered them singing in a bar in Ft. Gay, West Virginia. Stanley, hardly believing that he wasn’t listening to a jukebox is reputed to have remarked that they "sounded just like me and Carter in the early days".

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Songs of the Spanish Civil War, Vol. 2

Folkways Records – FH 5437

Format: Vinyl, LP, Compilation
Country: United States
Released: 1962
Genre: Brass & Military, Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk, Historical Song
[Tracklis]
A1 Jarama: Woody Guthrie
A2 On The Jarama Front: Ernst Busch with Chorus and Orchestra
A3 Ballad of The XI Brigade: Ernst Busch with Chorus and Orchestra
A4 Hans Beimler, Comerade (New Words): Ernst Busch with Chorus and Orchestra
A5 The Thaelmann-Column (New Words): Ernst Busch with Chorus and Orchestra
B1 Santa Espina: People of Catalonia, Spain
B2 Sevillanos: People of Seville, Spain
B3 The Road To Aviles: People of Asturias, Spain
B4 La Guardia Rossa - Song of The Garibaldi Battalion (Italian): Bart Van Der Schelling
B6 La Joven Guardia - French Song For The Spanish Youth: Bart Van Der Schelling
B7 Au Devant De La Vie (As Sung by French-Belgian Battalion): Bart Van Der Schelling
[Credits]
Recorder: Moses Asch, Designer: Ronald Clyne, Liner Notes: Milton Robinson and Moe Fishman [Notes]
The Spanish Civil War (1936–1939) was initially an armed conflict between a democratically elected government and a revolt by far right-wing Spanish military officers led by Francisco Franco, who were supported by the fascist governments of Italy and Nazi Germany. Anti-fascist supporters flocked to Spain to help the beleaguered government. This recording contains a selection of pro-democracy, anti-fascist songs from that conflict including Woody Guthrie's version of "Jarama," a song about the Americans' involvement on the Republican side. Also featured are Spanish songs the Americans remembered especially fondly, several anti-fascist songs sung in German by Ernst Busch, and songs of combatants who had been captured and interned. Extensive liner notes include a history of the conflict and song lyrics. In 2014 this release and FW05436 Songs of the Spanish Civil War, Vol. 1 were re-issued in full with new liner notes as SFW40188 Songs of the Spanish Civil War, Volumes 1 & 2.

Sea Chanties and Forecastle Songs at Mystic Seaport

Folkways Records – FTS 37300

Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: US
Released: 1978
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk, Celtic
[Tracklist]
A01 Hanging Johnny: Stuart M. Frank (0:37)
A02 John Kanaka: Stuart Gillespie (1:07)
A03 Rueben Ranzo: Stuart M. Frank (1:09)
A04 The Wild Goose: Stuart Gillespie (1:11)
A05 Roll the Cotton Down: Stuart Gillespie (1:17)
A06 Blood Red Roses: Stuart M. Frank (1:34)
A07 A Hundred Years Ago: Stuart Gillespie (1:07)
A08 Tommy's Gone to Hilo: Stuart M. Frank (1:02)
A09 Haul Away for Rosie-O: Stuart Gillespie (1:52)
A10 Billy Riley / Sally Racket: Stuart M. Frank, Stuart Gillespie (0:37)
A11 Goodbye, Fare Ye Well: Stuart M. Frank (1:54)
A12 Shenandoah: Stuart Gillespie (3:00)
A13 Santa Anna: Stuart M. Frank (1:22)
A14 Can Ye Dance the Polka: Stuart M. Frank (2:39)
A15 Sally Brown: Stuart Gillespie (1:17)
A16 One More Day: Stuart M. Frank (1:16)
A17 Paddy on the Railway: Stuart M. Frank (1:37)
B01 The Weary Whaling Grounds: Stuart M. Frank (1:42)
B02 The Balaena: Stuart M. Frank (1:02)
B03 The Handsome Cabin Boy: Stuart Gillespie (2:27)
B04 Liverpool Judies: Stuart M. Frank (1:08)
B05 Paddy and the Whale: Ellen R. Cohn (0:32)
B06 Traditional Reel: Ellen R. Cohn (0:35)
B07 Mystic River Hornpipe: Stuart M. Frank (0:56)
B08 Traditional Jig: Stuart M. Frank (1:03)
B09 The Bold Harpooner: Stuart M. Frank (2:23)
B10 The Coast of Peru: Stuart Gillespie (3:11)
B11 Blow Ye Winds Westerly: Stuart M. Frank (1:25)
B12 Maid of Amsterdam: Stuart M. Frank (0:47)
B13 Greenland Whale Fisheries: Stuart Gillespie (2:16)
B14 Ten Penny Bit: Ellen R. Cohn (1:31)
B15 Belfast Hornpipe: Ellen R. Cohn (0:41)
B16 The Forester: Ellen R. Cohn (0:43)
B17 The Bold Benjamin: Stuart M. Frank (1:41)
[Credits]
Stuart M. Frank (concertina/accordion/vocals) Stuart Gillespie (concertina/vocals) Ellen Cohn (concertina/penny whistle/ocarina)
Engineer: Kenneth Mahler, Designer: Ronald Clyne
[Notes]
This album features classic sea shanties from the 19th century, "sung in the traditional manner, accompanied on historic 19th-century instruments, and recorded aboard historic sailing ships" at the Mystic Seaport Maritime Museum. Shanties were sung to make the heavy labor aboard merchant sailing vessels more coordinated, efficient, and lighter. "To hear a good yarn, and sing out a lively, rowdy chorus, was far more pleasurable" than listening to the bosun yelling orders. Liner notes include background on chanties, song lyrics, and black-and-white photographs of sailors.

40 Years Of Concerts Performances: The New Lost City Ramblers

Rounder 82161-0481-2

Format: 2×CD, HDCD, Compilation
Country: US
Released: 2001
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk
[Tracklist]
1-01 Soldier's Joy (1:36)
1-02 Down In The Willow (3:15)
1-03 Brown's Ferry Blues (3:16)
1-04 Too Tight Rag (1:34)
1-05 Little Birdie (2:28)
1-06 Darling Corey (3:06 1-07 The Democratic Donkey (Is In His Stall Again) (2:30)
1-08 Poor Ellen Smith (2:17)
1-09 On Some Foggy Mountain Top (3:22)
1-10 Cackling Hen (2:05)
1-11 The Battleship Of Maine (3:31)
1-12 Worried Man Blues (3:02)
1-13 The Unquiet Grave (3:51)
1-14 Lady Of Carlisle (4:17)
1-15 Groundhog (3:00)
1-16 Orange Blossom Special (3:33)
1-17 East Virginia Blues (2:44)
1-18 Country Blue (3:36)
1-19 Little Maggie (2:22)
1-20 The Little Girl And The Dreadful Snake (3:26)
1-21 Keep Moving (3:11)
1-22 Fortune (1:49)
1-23 She Tickles Me (3:52)
1-24 The Arkansas Traveller (3:43)
1-25 Saddle Up The Grey (2:55)
2-01 Sally Goodin (1:43)
2-02 The Old Bell Cow (3:55 2-03 It's Hard To Leave You, Sweet Love (3:12)
2-04 Dark Holler Blues (2:56)
2-05 Locks And Bolts (2:38)
2-06 Wildwood Weed (3:09 2-07 Milk 'Em In The Evening Blues (3:06)
2-08 Madeleine (3:50)
2-09 Sourwood Mountain (1:11)
2-10 Black Bottom Strut (2:12)
2-11 Jordan Is A Hard Road To Travel (3:14)
2-12 The Old Man At The Mill (3:01)
2-13 Tom Sherman's Barroom (4:14)
2-14 Turkey In The Straw (Introduction) (1:34)
2-15 Turkey In The Straw (2:06)
2-16 Old Joe Clark (1:54)
2-17 Rabbit Chase (3:38)
2-18 Poor Old Dirt Farmer (4:41)
2-19 Tennessee Blues (2:45)
2-20 Gonna Lay Down My Old Guitar (3:06)
2-21 I've Always Been A Rambler (4:02)
2-22 Baltimore Fire (3:42)
2-23 Three Men Went A-Hunting (2:33)
[Credits]
Mike Seeger (fiddle/banjo/autoharp/mandolin/harmonica) Tom Paley (banjo/guitar/kazoo) Tracy Schwarz (fiddle/guitar/banjo/accordion) John Cohen (guitar/ banjo/autoharp/kazoo)
[Notes]
Unlike many bands, the history of the New Lost City Ramblers is fairly easy to trace. John Cohen and Mike Seeger joined with Tom Paley between '58 and '62, reviving string-band music from the '20s and '30s. In '62, Tracy Schwarz' replaced a departing Paley, adding new material to the band's repertoire. 40 Years of Concert Recordings proves as straightforward, offering nearly 50 live songs from "Soldier's Joy" in 1958, capturing the band's first performance, to the "Tennessee Blues" recorded in 1999. These live performances, quality wise, vary little from the group's studio work. The difference, however, lies in the Ramblers' sense of humor and interaction with audiences. Whether offering an earnest introduction or just having a little fun, the group leaves the impression of a bunch of nice guys having a good time doing what they love. Their repertoire is broad and diverse: the anti-war "The Battleship of Maine" makes way for the hoary "Poor Ellen Smith" which moves aside for the joyful "Too Tight Rag." A version of "Sourwood Mountain" finds the Ramblers jamming with the Stanley Brothers, while Seeger offers a superb take on "Little Maggie." With such variety, the band takes on the persona of a walking folksong encyclopedia. The Ramblers also proved amenable to changing times. A particularly odd and enjoyable "Wildwood Weed" turns tradition on its head, crossing the Carter Family with the counter-culture to sing the praises of the weed cannabis. Though many of these recordings have been available before, 16 are new to this collection. This two-CD set provides a detailed portrait of one of the premiere revival bands, searching for new directions over the years, while remaining firmly planted in yesteryear. 40 Years of Concert Recordings will please long-time fans and work as a grand introduction to those unfamiliar. -- AllMusic Review by Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr.

First Blues: Rags, Ballads and Harmonium Songs - Allen Ginsberg

Folkways Records‎– FSS 37560

Format: Vinyl, LP
Country: US
Released: 1981
Genre: Pop, Folk, World, & Country
Style: Field Recording, Spoken Word, Ballad
[Tracklist]
A1 4 A.M. Blues / New York Blues / New York Youth Call Annunciation (10:02)
A2 Come Back Christmas; MacDougal Street Blues (6:52)
A3 CIa Dope Calypso (4:59)
A4 Put Down Yr Cigarette Rag (3:42)
B1 Slack Key Guitar; Siratoka Beach Croon (7:03)
B2 Bus Ride Ballad To Suva (4:16)
B3 Prayer Blues (10:25)
B4 Dope Fiend Blues (4:30)
[Credits]
Allen Ginsberg (harmonium/vocals)
Designer: Ronald Clyne, Producer: Ann Charters, Recorder: Harry Smith
[Notes]
Legendary Beat poet Allen Ginsberg explores the fusion of poetry and music in this rare 1970s recording. Called a "venerated bard of resistance" Ginsberg sought "how the raw mind actually works" through poetry. This collection of fun ditties spouts against capitalism, among other things, and is an amusing and enjoyable listen. Ginsberg accompanies himself with a small hand-pumped harmonium from India, occasionally adding his own guttural rhythms reminiscent of Dadaist sound-poetry (see for example "Put Down Your Cigarette Rag" and "Prayer Blues"), while other songs, such as "Bus Ride Ballad Road to Suva", echo folk ballads from yesteryear. Ginsberg prefaces each song himself. Liner notes include an introduction from Ginsberg.

Vari-colored Songs (A Tribute To Langston Hughes) Leyla McCalla

Music Maker Relief Foundation – MMCD142

Format: CD, Album
Country: US
Released: 2013
Genre: Blues, Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk
[Tracklist]
01 Heart Of Gold (2:59)
02 When I Can See The Valley (2:10)
03 Mesi Bondye (2:25)
04 Girl (2:52)
05 Kamèn Sa W Fè (2:19)
06 Too Blue (2:27)
07 Manman Mwen (3:18)
08 Song For A Dark Girl (2:51)
09 Love Again Blues (2:39)
10 Rose Marie (2:57)
11 Latibonit (3:47)
12 Search (3:19)
13 Lonely House (3:25)
14 Changing Tide (3:03)
[Credits]
Leyla McCalla (tenor banjo/guitar/cello/vocals) Rhiannon Giddens (shaker/vocals) Matt Rhody (fiddle) Hubby Jenkins and Luke Winslow-King (guitar) Tom Pryor (pedal steel guitar) Don Vappie (tenor banjo) Hubby Jenkins (bones) Cassidy Holden and Joseph DeJarnette (bass)
Liner Notes: Jean-Pierre Bruneau, Artwork: Bruno Boussard, Producer: Joseph Dejarnette, Photographers: Langston Hughes, Tim Duffy and Rowland Scherman Engneers: Earl Sciouneaux III, Joseph DeJarnette and Joseph Dejarnette
[Notes]
Leyla McCalla's Vari-Colored Songs is a celebration of the complexity of Black culture and identity, and a tribute to the legacy of poet and thinker Langston Hughes. A songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, McCalla sets Hughes’ poems to her own spare yet profound compositions. She juxtaposes these with arrangements of folk songs from Haiti, the first independent Black nation and the homeland of her parents, tapping into the nuances of Black experience. McCalla’s music elegantly weaves Haitian influences together with American folk music, just as Hughes incorporated Black vernacular into his remarkable poetry, and the way the Haitian Kreyòl is a beacon for the survival of African identity through the brutal legacy of colonialism. This is music of reclamation, imbued with a quiet power that grapples with the immense weight of history.

Vari-Colored Songs had a limited release in 2013, with the New York Times proclaiming that "McCalla's magnificently transparent music holds tidings of family, memory, solitude and the inexorability of time: weighty thoughts handled with the lightest touch imaginable." The recording is being brought to a wider audience by Smithsonian Folkways at a time when the history McCalla explores is more relevant than ever. As she states in the album’s liner notes, "The wisdom and truth that Langston Hughes continues to provide us through his prolific output inspires us to celebrate the assumedly mundane and stigmatized parts of our society. The future has always been uncertain, and it has always been up to us to push for the changes that we want to see in the world."

Charlie Poole With The Highlanders – The Complete Paramount & Brunswick Recordings, 1929

Tompkins Square – TSQ 2875

Format: CD, Compilation
Country: US
Released: 2013
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Country, Old Time
[Tracklist]
01 Lynchburg Town (3:04)
02 San Antonio (2:52)
03 Richmond Square (3:03
04 May I Sleep In Your Barn Tonight Mister (3:13)
05 A Trip To New York, Part I (3:10)
06 A Trip To New York, Part II (3:00)
07 A Trip To New York, Part III (2:50)
08 A Trip To New York, Part IV (2:59)
9 Flop Eared Mule (3:02)
10 Tennessee Blues (3:05)
11 Under The Double Eagle (3:00)
12 What Is Home Without Babies (3.02)
[Notes]
From 1926 to 1930 one of the most popular rural string bands on record was Charlie Poole and The North Carolina Ramblers. Through their 78 RPM discs and their various performances, Charlie Poole was second only to Gid Tanner and His Skillet Lickers. Poole’s uniquely syncopated three finger banjo picking style coupled with his Piedmont vocal inflections eventually colored and defined much of what we consider "old-time" music. The classic configuration of banjo, fiddle and guitar with vocals was encouraged by the main label that promoted Poole but he also wanted to record instrumentals featuring twin-fiddle and piano. As renaming his group The Highlanders, Poole was able to actualize this musical vision. This collection contains all of the sides that Poole made with Roy Harvey, Lucy Terry, and twin-fiddlers Lonnie Austin & Odell Smith. Remastered in beautiful sound by Christopher King and with notes written by old-time musician and scholar Kinney Rorrer.

Family Strings: Billy Strings and His Dad Terry Barber

Live at City Opera House in Traverse City, MI. on February 28, 2020

A re-edited/remastered version of Billy Strings and Terry Barber's incredible performance at City Opera House in Traverse City, Michigan. This broadcast was brought to you by a dedicated group of volunteers. To find out more, visit: Traverse Area Community Media

1. Brown’s Ferry Blues
2. Windy and Warm
3. Tall Pines
4. Big Sandy River
5. Mother’s Not Dead
6. Way Downtown
7. Bye Bye Blues
8. Portrait of the Blues
9. Summertime
10. Pear Tree
11. Little White Church in the Valley
12. Fiddler’s Dram
13. Long Journey Home
14. The Preacher and the Bear
15. Miss the Mississippi
16. Dig a Little Deeper in the Well
17. Georgia Buck
18. Letter Edged in Black
19. Beaumont Rag
20. Willie Roy
21. Salt Creek
22. Don’t Let Your Deal Go Down
23. Cocaine Blues
24. Here Comes the Sun
25. Streamlined Cannonball
26. Bringing Mary Home
27. Blue Ridge Cabin Home
28. Rank Stranger

Produced by Traverse Area Community Media, Billy Strings (guitar/banjo/vocals) Terry Barber (guitar/vocals)

Songs of Our Native Daughters

Smithsonian Folkways SFW40232

Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: US
Released: 22 Feb 2019
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk
[Tracklist]
A1 Black Myself (3:56)
A2 Moon Meets The Sun (4:08)
A3 Barbados (5:52)
A4 Quasheba, Quasheba (4:43)
A5 I Knew I Could Fly (3:42)
A6 Mama's Cryin' Long (2:11)
B1 Slave Driver (4:42)
B2 Polly Ann's Hammer (3:00)
B3 Lavi Difisil (2:30)
B4 Blood And Bones (4:45)
B5 Music And Joy (3:19)
B6 You're Not Alone (5:36)
[Credits]
Rhiannon Giddens (banjo/handclaps/vocals) Amythyst Kiah (guitar/banjo/vocals) Leyla McCalla (guitar/banjo/cello/vocals) Allison Russell (guitar/banjo/vocals) Dirk Powell (guitar/banjo/fiddle)
[Notes]
Songs of Our Native Daughters shines new light on African-American women's stories of struggle, resistance, and hope. Pulling from and inspired by 17th-, 18th-, and 19th-century sources, including slave narratives and early minstrelsy, kindred banjo players Rhiannon Giddens, Amythyst Kiah, Leyla McCalla, and Allison Russell reinterpret and create new works from old ones. With unflinching, razor-sharp honesty, they confront sanitized views about America’s history of slavery, racism, and misogyny from a powerful, black female perspective. These songs call on the persistent spirits of the daughters, mothers, and grandmothers who have fought for justice – in large, public ways – only now being recognized, and in countless domestic ways that will most likely never be acknowledged. 52 minutes, 36-page booklet with lyrics. Note: LP versions omit the track "Better Git Yer Learnin."

Home: Billy Strings

Rounder Records 1166100637

Format: 2×Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: US
Released: 27 Sep 2019
Genre: Jazz, Blues, Folk, World, & Country
Style: Bluegrass
[Tracklist]
A1 Taking Water (4:08)
A2 Must Be Seven (3:28)
A3 Running (2:57)
A4 Away From the Mire (7:43)
B1 Home (7:36)
B2 Watch It Fall (4:37)
B3 Long Forgotten Dream (4:29)
C1 Highway Hypnosis (5:08)
C2 Enough to Leave (3:45)
C3 Hollow Heart (2:35)
C4 Love Like Me (2:53)
D1 Everything's the Same (2:54)
D2 Guitar Peace (4:16)
D3 Freedom (2:34)
[Credits]
Billy Strings (guitar/banjo/vocals) Billy Failing (banjo/vocals) Royal Masat (bass/vocals) Jarrod Walker (mandolin/vocals) Molly Tuttle (vocals)
Cover Artist: Sean Williams, Designer: Bill Orner, Photographer: Jesse Faatz
[Notes]
Home begins with 30 seconds of down-tempo guitar arpeggio and fiddle birdsong. It ends with the full quartet — Billy Strings (guitar), Billy Failing (banjo), Royal Massat (upright bass), and Jarrod Walker (mandolin) — crashing through a cover of Bill Monroe's "Big Sandy River." In between, there’s an hour of bluegrass played with a 27-year-old's intensity, a hearty dose of psychedelia, and undeniable star appeal. Born William Apostol, Strings has it all: incomparable chops, powerful vocals, and songwriting smarts.

Memories And Moments: Tim O'Brien And Darrell Scott

Full Skies Records

Format: CD, Album
Country: US
Released: 2013
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk, Country
[Tracklist]
01 Time To Talk To Joseph (4:13)
02 It All Comes Down To Love (3:29)
03 Keep Your Dirty Lights On (3:26)
04 Brother Wind (5:00)
05 Memories And Moments (3:36)
06 Paradise (4:52)
07 Just One More (2:16)
08 Fiddler Jones (5:01)
09 The Well (3:23)
10 Alone And Forsaken (4:05)
11 You Don't Own Me (3:48)
12 Angel's Blue Eyes (3:31)
13 Free Again (4:30)
14 On Life's Other Side (4:01)
[Notes]
Tim O'Brien and Darrell Scott have teamed up again for their first collaboration since Real Time (2000). And what good news that is, because their new album, Memories and Moments, oozes class. It is country/bluegrass/Americana – file it as you like – of the finest order, and the pair contribute five original songs. They also offer some stimulating covers, not least of Hank Williams's Alone and Forsaken. Scott (from Kentucky) and O'Brien (from West Virginia) are both skillful multi-instrumentalists and their voices and playing gel naturally, with nuance and feeling. The album sounds fresh – it was recorded in only three days – and includes the powerful environmental song Keep Your Dirty Lights On, the album's sole joint composition. To complement that track, they also offer a moving version of Paradise, John Prine's magnificent song about strip-mining ("the coal company come with the world's largest shovel") which features the peerless Prine on vocals and guitar. They also cover Just One More, the mournful drinking song by George Jones, who was himself an alcoholic.

Songs of the Suffragettes: Elizabeth Knight

Folkways Records‎– FH 5281

Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: US
Released: 1958
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk
[Tracklist]
A1 Columbia's Daughters (2:31)
A2 Uncle Sam's Wedding (1:24)
A3 Keep Woman in Her Sphere (2:17)
A4 Let Us All Speak Our Minds (1:35)
A5 The Taxation Tyranny (1:46)
A6 The Promised Land (2:45)
A7 The Suffrage Flag (1:49)
A8 Winning The Vote (2:56)
B1 Give the Ballot to the Mothers (1:13)
B2 Song of Wyoming (2:25)
B3 Going to the Polls (0:55)
B4 Where Are Your Boys Today! (4:38)
B5 The Yellow Ribbon (1:32)
B6 Hallelujah Song (2:24)
B7 Oh, Dear, What Can the Matter Be! (1:58)
B8 The New America (1:50)
[Credits]
Elizabeth Knight (piano/vocals) Sol Julty (guitar)
Artwork: Ronald Clyne, Liner Notes: Irwin Silber
[Notes]
It is hard to believe in modern times that the issue of women's suffrage once wracked the nation. Riots, demonstrations, and indignant editorials highlight the history of this long battle that finally ended in 1920 with the 19th Amendment. Liner notes by Irwin Silber include a brief history of the suffrage movement, lyrics and background on the 16 tracks, and black-and-white political cartoons.

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.