Virginia Traditions: Western Piedmont Blues

BRI Records – BRI 003

Series: Virginia Traditions
Format: Vinyl, LP, Compilation
Country: US
Released: 1981
Genre: Blues, Folk, World, & Country
Style: Piedmont Blues
[Tracklist]
A1 My Little Woman: Clayton Horsley (3:14)
A2 Penitentiary Blues: John Tinsley (4:02)
A3 Tampa Blues: James Lowry (2:11)
A4 Who's Been Fooling You?: Marvin Foddrell (2:01)
A5 Won't You Be Kind?: Luke Jordan (3:07)
A6 Jailhouse Blues: Rabbit Muse (1:42)
A7 Peaksville Boogie: Richard Wright (2:05)
A8 Slow Drag: Turner Foddrell (3:49)
A9 Karo Street Blues: James Lowry (3:07)
B1 My Gal's Done Quit Me: Luke Jordan (3:20)
B2 Going Up to the Country: Turner Foddrell (2:54)
B3 Rabbit Stomp: Rabbit Muse (2:15)
B4 Looking for My Woman: Marvin Foddrell (2:14)
B5 Red River Blues: John Tinsley (3:14)
B6 Don't the Moon Look Pretty: Clayton Horsley (3:28)
B7 Early Morning Blues: James Lowry (3:25)
B8 Tell Me Baby: Herb Richardson (1:28)
[Credits]
Liner Notes: Kip Lornell, Brett Sutton, Dell Upton and Mike Mayo, Engineer: Charles Ellerton, Recorders: Kip Lornell and Rod Shively
[Notes]
Few states in this country can boast of more diverse folkways than Virginia. Many of the material objects—such as barns, tools, and furniture—reflect the traditions that shaped the lives of its earliest settlers and the generations of Virginians who followed. The Commonwealth’s performance traditions of songs, tunes, and tales also tell of a shared heritage involving all classes of people in every facet of life. Because traditions naturally change over time, the documentation of Virginia folk culture is an ongoing process essential to our understanding of the past, present, and future. By recording the folkways of Virginia, the Blue Ridge Institute of Ferrum College and its BRI Record label strive to foster a greater appreciation of our folk roots through an array of interpretive programs.

Classic Labor Songs from Smithsonian Folkways

Smithsonian Folkways – SFW40166

Format: CD, Compilation
Country: US
Released: 2006
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk
[Tracklist]
01 Joe Hill: Paul Robeson (3:01)
02 Bread and Roses: Bobbie McGee (2:30)
03 Casey Jones (The Union Scab): Pete Seeger and the Almanac Singers (1:55)
04 We Shall Not Be Moved / Roll the Union On: Joe Glazer (2:23)
05 Roll the Union On: John Handcox (1:07)
06 Cotton Mill Colic: Mike Seeger (2:38)
07 The Mill Was Made of Marble: Joe Glazer (3:59)
08 Aragon Mill: Peggy Seeger (3:09)
09 Talking Union: Almanac Singers (3:02)
10 1913 Massacre: Woody Guthrie (3:36)
11 The Preacher and the Slave: Utah Phillips (2:19)
12 Which Side are You On?: Florence Reece / The Almanac Singers (2:35)
13 Hold the Fort: Joe Uehlein (3:58)
14 Union Maid: New Harmony Sisterhood Band (3:06)
15 Too Old to Work: Joe Glazer (2:51)
16 Black Lung: Hazel Dickens (3:22)
17 Been Rolling So Long (Truck Driving Man): Larry Penn (4:00)
18 VDT: Tom Juravich (1:56)
19 Automation: Joe Glazer (2:34)
20 I’m Union and I’m Proud: Eddie Starr (2:57)
21 I’m a Union Card: Kenny Winfree (2:27)
22 Carpal Tunnel: John O'Connor (2:37)
23 We Just Come to Work Here, We Don’t Come to Die: Anne Feeney (2:49)
24 One Day More: Elaine Purkey (3:38)
25 We Do the Work: Jon Fromer (2:41)
26 De Colores: Baldemar Velasquez and Aguila Negra (2:59)
27 Solidarity Forever: Joe Glazer (2:28)
[Credits]
Compilers: Jeff Place and Joe Glazer, Photographer: Arthur Siegel, Engineer: Pete Reiniger
[Notes]
Songs of the American labor movement over the 20th century called for just wages, dignity, and a fair shake. They voiced grievances, affirmed the value of the worker to society, and expressed hope for life in a more just world. Classic Labor Songs from Smithsonian Folkways is a collage of these voices—champions of the movement, singing songs with a passion and love for their fellow workers that rings just as true today as it did then. Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Joe Glazer, the Almanac Singers, and more chronicle the history of the American labor movement in stirring song.

Sarah Jarosz: Blue Heron Suite

Rounder Records – 1166101274

Format: CD, Album
Country: US
Released: May 7, 2021
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk
[Tracklist]
01 Mama (2:30)
02 Morning (3:28)
03 Across The Canyon (3:17)
04 Interlude 1 (3:53)
05 Painted Blue (4:21)
06 Interlude 2 (1:14)
07 Across The Canyon (Reprise) (2:34)
08 Interlude 3 (2:10)
09 Mama (Reprise) (2:31)
10 Interlude 4 (0:55)
11 Blue Heron (4:28)
[Credits]
Sarah Jarosz (mandolin/guitar/vocals) Jefferson Hamer (guitar/vocals) Jeff Picker (bass)
Producer: Sarah Jarosz, Illustrator: Taylor Ashton, Designer: Sage LaMonica, Photographer: Gary Jarosz, Engineers: Gavin Lurssen and ason Wormer [Notes]
Blue Heron Suite was recorded in December of 2018 at Reservoir Studios in New York City and features Jeff Picker on bass and Jefferson Hamer on guitar and harmony vocals. The piece was inspired by frequent trips Jarosz and her parents made to Port Aransas, a small town on the Gulf Coast of Texas a few hours from the family's home in Wimberley.

Doc Watson - Life's Work: A Retrospective

Craft Recordings

Format: 4 x CD, Compilation, Remastered
Country: US
Released: 2021
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk, Country, Bluegrass
[Disk One]
01 The Precious Jewel: Doc Watson (01:50)
02 Pharaoh: The Jack Williams Band, Doc Watson (02:56)
03 I Saw A Man At The Close Of The Day: Doc Watson (02:40)
04 Rambling Hobo: Doc Watson (01:38)
05 Darling Corey: Doc Watson (02:37)
06 Your Long Journey: Doc Watson (02:36)
07 The Cuckoo Bird: Doc Watson (03:04)
08 Everyday Dirt: Doc Watson (02:05)
09 Tickling The Strings / Black Mountain Rag: Doc Watson (03:30)
10 Storms Are On The Ocean: Doc Watson, Jean Ritchie (03:26)
11 What Would You Give In Exchange For Your Soul: Doc Watson, Bill Monroe (04:27)
12 And Am I Born To Die?: The Doc Watson Family (03:32)
13 My Little Woman, You're So Sweet: Doc Watson (02:19)
14 Little Orphan Girl: Doc Watson, Fred Price, Clint Howard (03:16)
15 Wanted Man: Doc Watson, Fred Price, Clint Howard (02:14)
16 Sittin On Top Of The World: Doc Watson (02:37)
17 Intoxicated Rat: Doc Watson (02:30)
18 Country Blues: Doc Watson (03:31)
19 Talk About Suffering: Doc Watson (02:48)
20 Little Omie Wise: Doc Watson (04:25)
21 St. James Hospital: Doc Watson (03:28)
22 Tom Dooley: Doc Watson (03:15)
23 Beaumont Rag: Doc Watson, Merle Watson (01:39)
24 Muskrat: Doc Watson, Merle Watson (02:52)
25 Weary Blues: Doc Watson, Merle Watson (02:41)
26 We Shall All Be Reunited: Doc Watson, Merle Watson (02:11)
[Disk Two]
01 Southbound: Doc Watson (02:49)
02 Blue Railroad Train: Doc Watson (02:44)
03 Walk On Boy: Doc Watson (03:23)
04 Sweet Georgia Brown: Doc Watson (01:54)
05 Alberta: Doc Watson (02:43)
06 That Was The Last Thing On My Mind: Doc Watson (02:46)
07 Windy And Warm: Doc Watson (02:14)
08 Riddle Song: Doc Watson (02:42)
09 Georgie: Doc Watson (02:46)
10 Rain Crow Bill: Doc Watson (01:46)
11 Winter's Night: Doc Watson (03:24)
12 Matty Groves: Doc Watson (06:06)
13 Dill Pickle Rag: Doc Watson (01:24)
14 Willie Moore: Doc Watson, Merle Watson (04:02)
15 Peach Picking Time In Georgia: Doc Watson (02:57)
16 Memphis Blues: Doc Watson (02:43)
17 The Train That Carried My Girl From Town: Doc Watson (03:47)
18 Lost John: Doc Watson, Merle Watson (03:28)
19 Brown's Ferry Blues: Doc Watson, Merle Watson (02:42)
20 The Clouds Are Gwine To Roll Away: Doc Watson, Merle Watson (02:50)
21 Life Gits Teejus Don't It: Doc Watson, Merle Watson (04:36)
22 Banks Of The Ohio : Doc Watson, Merle Watson (03:45)
23 Spikedriver Blues: Doc Watson, Merle Watson (03:00)
24 Deep River Blues: Doc Watson, Merle Watson (03:36)
[Disk Three]
01 Nothing To It: Lester Flatt, Earl Scruggs, Doc Watson (02:48)
02 Streamlined Cannonball: Earl Scruggs, Doc Watson (02:26)
03 Tennessee Stud: Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Doc Watson (04:51)
04 Way Downtown: Nitty Gritty Dirt Band (03:36)
05 Freight Train Boogie: Doc Watson (03:03)
06 Summertime: Doc Watson (03:27)
07 Peace In The Valley: Doc Watson (03:00)
08 That's All: Doc Watson, Merle Watson (02:57)
09 Matchbox Blues: Doc Watdon, Merle Watson (03:32)
20 Bottle Of Wine: Doc Watdon, Merle Watson (02:06)
21 Corina, Corina: Doc Watdon, Merle Watson (02:48)
22 Doc's Rag: Doc Watdon, Merle Watson (01:45)
23 Poor Boy Blues: Doc Watdon, Merle Watson (02:21)
24 Wake Up, Little Maggie: Doc Watson (02:53)
25 Peartree: Doc Watson (02:19)
26 Shady Grove: Doc Watson (02:40)
27 Miss The Mississippi And You: Doc Watson (03:40)
28 Steel Guitar Rag: Doc Watson (01:57)
29 Cypress Grove Blues: Doc Watson (03:58)
30 Wayfaring Stranger: Doc Watdon, Merle Watson (03:33)
31 Look Up Look Down That Lonesome Road: Doc Watdon, Merle Watson (04:01)
32 Minglewood Blues: Doc Watdon, Merle Watson (03:00)
33 Don't Think Twice, It's All Right: Doc Watdon, Merle Watson (02:45)
34 Let The Cocaine Be: Doc Watdon, Merle Watson (02:29)
35 Don't Monkey Round My Ridder: Chet Atkins, Doc Watson (03:30)
[Disk Four]
01 Red Rocking Chair: T. Michael Coleman, Doc Watdon, Merle Watson (02:05)
02 John Hurt: Doc Watdon, Merle Watson (02:29)
03 Below Freezing: Doc Watdon, Merle Watson (02:18)
04 Along The Road: T. Michael Coleman, Doc Watdon, Merle Watson (02:51)
05 Liza / Lady Be Good: Doc Watson, Merle Watson (02:55)
06 Going To Chicago Blues: Doc Watson, Merle Watson (04:05)
07 Guitar Polka: Doc Watson, Merle Watson (02:20)
08 Gonna Lay Down My Old Guitar: Doc Watson, Merle Watson (02:31)
09 Bright Sunny South: Doc Watdon, Merle Watson (02:35)
10 Twin Sisters: Doc Watdon, Merle Watson (01:38)
11 How Long Blues: James Cotton, Doc Watson (02:49)
12 Freight Train Blues: Doc Watdon, Merle Watson (02:44)
13 Riding That Midnight Train: Doc Watson (02:04)
14 What Does The Deep Sea Say: Doc Watson, Fred Price, Clint Howard (03:31)
15 Tough Luck Man: Doc Watson (02:31)
16 George Gudger's Overalls: Doc Watson (03:24)
17 Risin' Sun Blues: Doc Watson (04:17)
18 Salt Creek: Norman Blake, Tony Rice, Doc Watson (03:10)
19 You Must Come In At The Door: Doc Watson (02:15)
20 Your Lone Journey: Doc Watson (02:46)
21 Grandfather's Clock: Doc Watson (03:51)
22 Bird Dog: Doc Watson (03:57)
23 Turn The Lamps Down Low: Doc Watson, Richard Watson (02:48)
24 Nights In White Satin: Frosty Morn, Doc Watson (03:16)
25 Down In The River To Pray: Ricky Skaggs, Alison Krauss, Doc Watson (02:51)
26 Amazing Grace: Doc Watson (03:54)
[Creduts]
Producer: Ted Olson
[Notes]
Life's Work: A Retrospective is the brand-new career-spanning compilation album from Grammy Award winning American songwriter Doc Watson. Album includes multiple recordings with his son Merle Watson, as well as features from Allison Krauss, Ricky Skaggs and more. Includes Watson's collaborations with Bill Monroe, Chet Atkins, and others. Includes 101 songs, all new extensive liner notes by author and producer Ted Olson, and a nearly 100-page book insert featuring never before seen photos.

Hard Times Come Again No More Vol. 2

Early American Rural Songs Of Hard Times And Hardships

Yazoo – 2037

Format: CD, Compilation
Country: US
Released: 1998
Genre: Blues, Folk, World, & Country
Style: Country Blues, Hillbilly
[Tracklist]
01 Price of Cotton Blues: Allen Brothers (02:42)
02 Keno, The Rent Man: The Cofer Brothers (03:01)
03 Bad Time Blues: Barbecue Bob (03:15)
04 Wreck of the Tennessee Gravey Train: Sam McGee (03:11)
05 The Arkansas Sheik: Clayton McMichen & Riley Puckett (03:12)
06 Away from Home: Jim Hill & Peg Leg Howell (03:00)
07 I'm Satisfied: Earl Johnson (02:59)
08 Got the Farm Land Blues: The Carolina Tar Heels (03:19)
09 Times Is Tight Like That: Bo Carter & Walter Vinson (03:15)
10 Weave Room Blues: Fisher Hendley (02:32)
11 Boll Weevil: Alvin Conder & W.A. Lindsey (03:00)
12 Providence Help the Poor People: Joe Williams (03:09)
13 The Tramp: McGee Brothers (02:49)
14 Cotton Mill Colic: David McCarn (02:34)
15 Starvation Blues: Charley Jordan (03:17)
16 Broke Down Section Hand: Ernest V. Stoneman (03:05)
17 Little Old Sod Shanty: Jules Allen (02:58)
18 Down South Blues: Ernest V. Stoneman (03:10)
19 No One's Hard up But Me: Red Brush Rowdies (02:44)
20 Cotton Mill Blues: Lee Brothers Trio (03:02)
21 No Dough Blues: Blind Blake (03:05)
22 The Northern Starvers Are Returning Home: Bob Carter & Charlie McCoy (03:27)
23 Them Good Old Times Are Coming Back Again: Jim Baird (03:30)
[Credits]
Producer: Richard Nevins, Liner Notes: Don Kent, Designer: Joan Pelosi
[Notes]
With the unlikely sound of a kazoo, the Allen Brothers kick off this fine volume of hard-time blues collected from the '20s and '30s. More tongue-in-cheek than its predecessor, this volume is not all moaning and weeping. Uncle Dave Macon & Sam McGhee create a joyful sound with dueling banjos on "Wreck of the Tennessee Gravey Train" and Earl Johnson & his Dixie Entertainers are hilarious on "I'm Satisfied." The disc proves some things never change: you have to laugh sometimes to keep from crying.-- AllMusic Review by Tim Sheridan

Hard Times Come Again No More Vol. 1

Early American Rural Songs Of Hard Times And Hardships

Yazoo – 2036

Format: CD, Compilation, Remastered
Country: US
Released: 1998
Genre: Blues, Folk, World, & Country
Style: Country Blues, Hillbilly
[Tracklist]
01 Down On Penny's Farm: The Bentley Boys (02:47)
02 How Can a Poor Man Stand Such Times and Live: Blind Alfred Reed (03:15)
03 Hard Time Blues: Lane Hardin (03:18)
04All I Got's Gone: Ernest V. Stoneman (02:53)
05 Bread Line Blues: "Slim" Smith (03:22)
06 Miss Meal Cramp Blues: Alec Johnson (02:59)
07 My Name Is John Johanna: Kelly Harrell (03:13)
08 Serves 'Em Fine: Dave McCarn (03:00)
09 It's Hard Time: J.D. Short (03:11)
10 All In Down and Out: Uncle Dave Macon (02:32)
11 Richmond Blues: Rutherford & Foster (03:02)
12 Hard Times: Elder Curry (03:17)
13 Georgia Hobo: Cofer Brothers (03:19)
14 One Dime Blues: Blind Lemon Jefferson (02:46)
15 Dixie Boll Weavil: Fiddlin' John Carson (02:56)
16 See the Black Clouds A'Breakin' Over Yonder: Chubby Parker (03:04)
17 Down and Out Blues: Scrapper Blackwell (02:55)
18 Starving To Death On A Government Claim: Edward L. Crain (02:56)
19 We Sure Got Hard Times: Barbecue Bob (03:24)
20 Georgia Blues: Samantha Bumgarner (02:58)
21 Blue Harvest Blues: Mississippi John Hurt (02:53)
22 Weaver's Life: Dixon Brothers (03:24)
23 Hard Times Come Again No More: Graham Brothers (02:50)
[Credits]
Producer: Richard Nevins, Liner Notes: Don Kent, Designer: Joan Pelosi
[Notes]
Another fine Yazoo collection of vintage American recordings of the '20s and '30s. The theme here of first-hand hardship experience makes for some amazing music, whether by white or black artists. The buoyant "Down on Penny's Farm" is beautifully offset by Blind Alfred Reed's baleful complaint "How Can a Poor Man Stand," complete with fragile fiddle work and loping guitar work. And that's just the first two tracks. It's amazing stuff: part oral history, part entertainment and all priceless, though both volumes together may make for more hard times than you want to experience.-- AllMusic Review by Tim Sheridan

Lonesome River Band: Finding The Way

Sugar Hill Records – SHCD-3884

Format: CD, Album
Country: US
Released: 1998
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Bluegrass
[Tracklist]
01 Am I A Fool (2:35)
02 Love's Come Over Me (2:13)
03 Let It Go (3:57)
04 Cardboard Mansion (2:31)
05 Perfume, Powder And Lead (3:52)
06 Baby Come Home (2:39)
07 Another By My Side (2:44)
08 Don't Worry 'Bout Daddy (2:21)
09 Finding Your Way (3:24)
10 Up On The Shelf (2:12)
11 Better Days To Come (3:11)
12 Sweet Sally Brown (2:53)
13 Devil Chased Me Around The Stump (3:14)
[Credits]
Don Rigsby (mandolin/vocals) Kenny Smith (guitar/vocals) Sammy Shelor (banjo) Ronnie Bowman (bass/vocals) Jerry Douglas (dobro) Randy Howard (fiddle) Jason Carter (fiddle)
Producer: Jerry Douglas, Photographer: Will McIntyre and Charles Reilly, Designer: Sue Meyer, Engineers: Randy LeRoy, Ben Surratt and Brent Truitt
[Notes]
Certainly, the Lonesome River Band is one of the most significant proponents of traditional bluegrass music to canoe down any river in a long while. And Finding the Way is reflective of their status as a band of integrity and purpose. In every way -- musicianship, vocals, harmonies, performance and execution -- this is a solid outing. "Love's Come Over Me," an upbeat tune that highlights Sammy Shelor's banjo and the harmony vocals of Don Rigsby and Kenny Smith, recalls the best of the Louvins and the Stanleys. In fact, "Sweet Sally Brown," penned by Wandell M. Smith and Dr. Ralph Stanley, displays the intensity and talent of the Lonesome River Band in full bloom. They could very well stand side by side with Ralph and Carter Stanley. The Tommy Morse tune "Perfume, Powder and Lead" is filled with all the dark mystery that many classic bluegrass tunes are known for. Again, Rigsby and Smith provide the harmony vocals that make this performance so haunting. Jason Carter's fiddle underscores the moaning quality of a song sung high upon a hill into a dark, unknown holler as the protagonist reaches out to eternity. "Baby Come Home," "Another by My Side," "Don't Worry 'Bout Daddy," and "Up on the Shelf" are all high steppin', while "Finding Your Way" is a nod of the head to the softer side of bluegrass music. Ending with the traditional tune "Devil Chased Me Around the Stump" places this project among the finest in the annals of bluegrass history. Produced by Jerry Douglas, Finding the Way is a fine introduction to the Lonesome River Band or to the more contemporary forms of bluegrass music.-- AllMusic Review by Jana Pendragon

Animal Folk Songs for Children

Selected from Ruth Crawford Seeger's Animal Folk Songs for Children

Folkways Records – FC 705

Format: Vinyl, LP, 10", Album
Country: US
Released: 1957
Genre: Children's, Folk, World, & Country
Style: Children's, Folk [Tracklist] A01 Little Brown Dog (2:13)
A02 Oh, Blue (1:45)
A03 The Big Sheep (The Darby Ram) (1:57)
A04 Riding Round the Cattle (2:05)
A05 The Old Cow Died (1:53)
A06 Raccoon and Possum (1:17)
A07 Cross-Eyed Gopher (0:37)
A08 Little Lap-Dog Lullaby (1:27)
A09 Jack, Can I Ride (1:52)
A10 Daddy Shot a Bear (0:55)
B01 The Deer Song (3:08)
B02 And We Hunted and We Hunted (1:55)
B03 Mister Rabbit (2:10)
B04 Peep Squirrel (1:52)
B05 A Squirrel Is a Pretty Thing (1:25)
B06 Snake Baked a Hoecake (1:06)
B07 Old Lady Goose (1:23)
B08 My Old Hen's Good Old Hen (1:05)
B09 Of All the Beast-es (1:06)
[Credits]
Peggy Seeger (banjo/guitar/vocals)
[Notes]
It could not have been an easy task for Peggy Seeger to choose the 22 tracks for this album from the 43 featured in her mother's 1950 publication, Animal Folk Songs for Children. Her mother was the influential musician, educator, and folklorist Ruth Crawford Seeger, who drew on field recordings archived in the Library of Congress for the book. A joyful album for children and adults, the music on this recording tells tales of little brown dogs, old frogs, pretty squirrels, and cross-eyed gophers, while the liner notes divulge the songs' intriguing origins and lyrics. Although many of the songs have been passed down through generations with little more than perhaps some hand-clapping and foot-tapping, Seeger provides simple guitar, banjo, and fiddle accompaniment.

O'Connor Band: Coming Home

Rounder Records – 1166100003

Format: CD, Album
Country: US
Released: 2016
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk, Bluegrass, Country
[Tracklist]
01 Always Do (3:13)
02 Coming Home (3:23)
03 I Haven't Said I Love You In A While (3:53)
04 Ruby, Are You Mad At Your Man? (3:02)
05 What Have I Been Saying? (3:48)
06 Jerusalem Ridge (3:40)
07 The Sweet Ones (3:09)
08 Blacktop Boy (3:42)
09 You Too (3:44)
10 Fishers Hornpipe (3:42)
11 Old Black Creek (3:39)
12 Fiddler Going Home (5:00)
[Credits]
Mark O'Connor (fiddle/vocals) Kate Lee (vocals) Forrest O'Connor (mandolin/vocals) Maggie O'Connor (fiddle/vocals) Geoff Saunders (banjo/bass/vocals) Joe Smart (guitar/vocals)
Producers: Forrest O'Connor, Gregg Field and Mark O'Connor, Designer: Jimmy Hole, Photographer: John David Pittman, Engineers: Neal Cappellino, Jorge Velasco, Owen Lewis and Gregg Field
[Notes]
If there's a gold standard for fiddling in American music, it's Mark O'Connor, an artist who has earned his stripes as one of the finest instrumentalists in bluegrass, country, jazz, and classical. Given how far he's pushed the boundaries of his music and his instrument, it's just a bit surprising that he's opted to dip his toes into one of the most traditional formats in bluegrass, the family band, but you can't argue much with the results. Released in 2016, Coming Home is the first album from the O'Connor Band, which along with Mark features his wife Maggie O'Connor on violin, his son Forrest O'Connor on mandolin and vocals, and his daughter-in-law Kate Lee on violin and vocals. (Friends of the family Joe Smart on guitar and Geoff Saunders on bass fill out the arrangements.) While three fiddlers might seem like overkill, this group manages to merge them seamlessly, sounding like a tiny orchestra on "Fishers Hornpipe," weaving gracefully through the title track, and bringing their voices together in sweet sorrow on "Fiddler Going Home." The guitar and mandolin lend the melodies a fine rhythmic counterpoint, and the group's harmonies are excellent. Mark O'Connor is clearly the star of this show, but his bandmates are more than capable, and Forrest O'Connor and Kate Lee are fine lead vocalists who season the group's instrumental blend with impressive skill. While some of Lee's songwriting leans a bit hard on pop-country tropes, the musicians more than compensate, and the material moves back and forth between traditionalism and contemporary bluegrass styles with easy authority. Coming Home is a splendid set of modern-day bluegrass with deep Appalachian soul, and proof that there's a lot of talent in the O'Connor household besides the guy with the hat. -- AllMusic Review by Mark Deming

The Hammons Family: A Study of a West Virginia Family's Traditions

Library of Congress – AFS L65-L66

Format: 2 x Vinyl, LP
Country: US
Released: 1973
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk
[Disk One]
A1 Old Sledge
A2 Camp Chase
A3 Three Forks Of Cheat
A4 The Yankee And Marcum
A5 Sugar Grove Blues
A6 Turkey In The Straw
B1 The Route
B2 Fine Times At Our House
B3 Jimmy Johnson
B4 Parson's Rock
B5 In Scotland Town
B6 Little Omie
[Disk Two]
A1 Yount Henerly
A2 Muddy Roads
A3 Bringing Back The sheep
A4 The Sandy Boys
A5 Wilson's Clog
A6 Sugar Babe
B1 We're Marching Around The Levees
B2 Riddles
B3 Mercian Tittery-Ary-A
B4 Jay Legg
B5 When This World Comes To An End
[Credits]
Burl Hammons (fiddle/narration) Maggie Hammons Parker (vocals/sticks/narration) Sherman Hammons (banjo)
Editors: Carl Fleischhauer and Alan Jabbour, Recorder: Alan Jabbour, Carl Fleischhauer and Dwight Diller
[Notes]
This double album looks in on a rural West Virginia family in the early '70s and examines how they assimilated assorted country and folk forms into their back-porch playing and their lives. These anachronistic recordings could have been made four decades earlier, yet the narration and comments are strictly modern. Recorded in Marlinton, West Virginia, 1970-72.

Classic American Ballads from Smithsonian Folkways

Smithsonian Folkways – SFW40215

Series: Smithsonian Folkways Classic Series
Format: CD, Compilation
Country: US
Released: 2015
Genre: Blues, Folk, World, & Country Style: Folk, Country [Tracklist}
01 Banks of the Ohio: Doc Watson and Bill Monroe (3:32)
02 Blue Mountain Lake: Pete Seeger (2:47)
03 Claude Allen: Hobart Smith (3:50)
04 Cole Younger: Dock Boggs (1:50)
05 Cowboy’s Lament (Streets of Laredo): Buck Ramsey (3:21)
06 Boll Weevil: Sam Hinton (2:12)
07 Duncan and Brady: Lead Belly (1:08)
08 Floyd Collins: Paul Clayton (3:27)
09 Frankie and Johnny: Rolf Cahn and Eric Von Schmidt (6:39)
10 John Henry: John Jackson (3:22)
11 Jesse James: Sis Cunningham, Mike Millius, and Wes Houston (3:51)
12 Billy the Kid: Woody Guthrie (2:04)
13 The Death of the Lawson Family: Glen Neaves (1:54)
14 Naomi Wise: Doug Wallin (3:06)
15 Pearl Bryan: Bruce Buckley (2:54)
16 Sam Bass: Hermes Nye (1:59)
17 Springfield Mountain: Bascom Lamar Lunsford (2:31)
18 Tom Dooley: Glen Neaves, Roscoe Russell, Ivor Melton, Warren Brown, Ted Lundy (2:11)
19 Tying a Knot in the Devil's Tail: Cisco Houston (2:14)
20 Young Charlotte: Pete Seeger (4:05)
21 Wasn't That a Mighty Storm?: The Tex-i-an Boys (2:41)
22 Zebra Dun: Joan O'Bryant (2:32)
23 The Titanic: Pink Anderson (2:52)
24 The Louisville Burglar: The Iron Mountain String Band (3:09)
25 The F.F.V. (Engine 143): Annie Watson (3:56)
[Credits]
Compilers: Jeff Place, Katie Ortiz and Max Smith, Editor: Carla Borden, Designer: Joe Parisi
[Notes]
Born of the British ballad, its American offspring was the blank canvas for all type of tale, the more calami­tous or scandalous, the better. Jesse James and Billy the Kid, train wrecks and hurricanes, the Titanic and Tom Dooley, fatal lovers' quarrels and foiling the devil, all and more were normal fare, served up in a song. Classic American Balla

Robert Nighthawk & Forrest City Joe

Orbis – BLU NC 063

Series: The Blues Collection – 63
Format: CD, Compilation, Remastered
Country: UK
Released: 1996
Genre: Blues, Folk, World, & Country
Style: Chicago Blues
[Tracklist]
01 My Sweet Lovin' Mama (2:50)
02 Down The Line (2:47)
03 Sweet Black Angel (3:03)
04 Handsome Lover (2:55)
05 She Knows How To Love A Man (3:07)
06 Annie Lee Blues (3:14)
07 Sugar Papa (2:50)
08 Return Mail Blues (3:15)
09 Good News (3:14)
10 Six Three 0 (2:53)
11 Jackson Town Gal (2:51)
12 Sorry My Angel (3:33)
13 Someday (3:04)
14 Special Delivery Man (2:19)
15 Shady Lane Woman (2:59)
16 A Woman On Every Street (2:47)
17 Sawdust Bottom (2:50)
18 Ash Street Boogie (2:49)
19 Mean Mistreatin' Woman (2:48)
20 Lonesome Day Blues (2:47)
[Credits]
Robert Nighthawk (guitar/vocals) Forrest City Joe (harmonica/vocals) Ethel Mae (vocals) Walter Horton (harmonica) Buddy Guy (guitar) J.C. Cole (guitar) Ernest Lane (piano) Pinetop Perkins (piano) Jack Meyers (bass) Willie Dixon (bass) Clifton James (drums)

Norman Blake: Home In Sulphur Springs

Rounder Records – 0012

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

The New Lost City Ramblers: The Early Years, 1958-1962

Smithsonian Folkways – CD SF 40036

Format: CD, Compilation
Country: US
Released: 1991
Genre: Blues, Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk, Country, & Old Time
[Tracklist]
01 Colored Aristocracy (2:08)
02 Hopalong Peter (2:07)
03 Don't Let Your Deal Go Down (2:29)
04 When First Into this Country (2:48)
05 Sales Tax on the Women (3:16)
06 Rabbit Chase (2:33)
07 Leaving Home (Frankie and Johnny) (3:08)
08 How Can a Poor Man Stand Such Times and Live? (3:36)
09 Franklin D. Roosevelt's Back Again (2:22)
10 I Truly Understand You Love Another Man (2:32)
11 The Old Fish Song (4:55)
12 The Battleship of Maine (3:08)
13 No Depression in Heaven (2:59)
14 Dallas Rag (2:05)
15 Bill Morgan and His Gal (My Name is Morgan But it Ain't J.P. ) (2:58)
16 Fly Around My Pretty Little Miss (Pretty Little Miss) (2:32)
17 The Lady of Carlisle (3:34)
18 Brown's Ferry Blues (2:49)
19 My Long Journey Home (2:39)
20 Talking Hard Luck (2:42)
21 The Teetotals (1:02)
22 Sal Got a Meatskin (3:27)
23 Railroad Blues (2:44)
24 On Some Foggy Mountain Top (2:28)
25 My Sweet Farm Girl (2:25)
26 Crow Black Chicken (2:37)
[Credits]
Mike Seeger (fiddle/mandolin/autoharp/guitar/banjo/vocals) Tom Paley (banjo/guitar/vocals) John Cohen (guitar/banjo/vocals)
Producer: Jon Pankake, Photographer: Robert Frank, Designer: Carol Hardy, Recorders: Moses Asch, Peter Bartok and Mike Seeger
[Notes]
Moses Asch had a unique method of recording artists back in the '40s and '50s. Someone like Woody Guthrie, for instance, would just drop by Folkways when he had an idea and record. Asch might pay him five dollars for the session, and in this way he accumulated a vault full of material. Perhaps this explains the incredible fact that the New Lost City Ramblers recorded 12 albums between 1958-1962. The Early Years (1958-1962) collects 26 songs, over 70 minutes of music, from these dozen discs, creating an excellent document of the band's years with Tom Paley. John Cohen, and Mike Seeger formed the New Lost City Ramblers in 1958 with the idea of playing old-time music recorded between the late '20s and 1940. While it has often been stated that the trio intended to copy -- phrase for phrase, lick for lick -- the old 78s, Jon Pankake points out in the liner notes that this wasn't the case. Instead, the New Lost City Ramblers wanted to insert the same vim and vigor into "The Battleship of Maine" and "Fly Around My Pretty Little Miss" as the original players. What stands out now, some 60 years after these recordings, is the band's versatility. Whether cutting loose on an instrumental like "Colored Aristocracy" or singing tight harmony on "Brown's Ferry Blues," the three comrades form a tight unit. While the arrangements never outgrow the number of persons in the band, each player's ability to play multiple instruments lends diversity to the material. The Early Years (1958-1962) offers a very good introduction to an innovative and influential band. -- AllMusic Review by Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr.

Harry and Jeanie West: Smoky Mountain Ballads

Counterpoint / Esoteric Records

Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue
Country: US
Released: 1956
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk
[Tracklist]
A1 Sing Along Kitty (1:54)
A2 Rambling Boy (2:45)
A3 Watermelon On The Vine (3:24)
A4 The Little Rosewood Casket (3:19)
A5 Black Jack Davie (2:37)
A6 Mother's Only Sleeping (4:21)
A7 I'm Troubled, I'm Troubled (2:25)
A8 Goodbye Maggie (3:23)
A9 Handsome Molly (1:51)
B1 Bringing In The Georgia Mail (2:41)
B2 Little Red Shoes (2:27)
B3 Pretty Polly (4:28)
B4 Working On A Building (2:19)
B5 Lonesome Dove (3:09)
B6 Where The Soul Never Dies (4:18)
B7 Barbara Allen (4:01)
B8 Where Are You Going, Alice (3:48)
[Credits]
Harry West (banjo/mandolin/guitar/vocals) Jeanie West (guitar/vocals) Artie Rose (steel guitar)
[Notes]
No book on the history of American roots music, particularly bluegrass and old-time music would be complete without an entry on the contributions of Harry and Jeanie West. The Wests have been performing as a duo since the late 1940's continuing through to today where they are featured guest performers at the annual Mountain Dance and Folk Festival in Asheville, North Carolina. Harry and Jeanie's music is featured on "The High Lonesome Sound of Bluegrass" - the life story of Bill Monroe and the history of bluegrass and old-time music. Their music has also been selected by the Smithsonian Institute as representative of the traditional sound of bluegrass, old-time music and mountain ballads. They have recorded hundreds of songs for various imprints including Prestige, Riverside, Stinson, Folkways and Counterpoint / Esoteric, most of which are out of print and remain highly valued collector's items, including the incredible collection of songs featured here, for the first time on CD.

Bill Monroe with Del McCoury and Bill Keith

July 1963 · Two Days At Newport

And More Bears – ACD 25001 AA

Format: CD, Album
Country: Germany
Released: 2003
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Bluegrass
[Tracklist]
01 July 26, 1963 - Intro (1:18)
02 Mule Skinner Blues (2:27)
03 Uncle Pen (3:07)
04 Devil's Dream (2:39)
05 Molly And Tenbrooks (2:26)
06 I Am A Pilgrim (3:03)
07 Rawhide (Instrumental) (2:19)
08 July 27, 1963 - Intro (0:53)
09 Paddy On The Turnpike (Instrumental) (2:12)
10 Pike Country Breakdown (3:02)
11 Rawhide (Instrumental) (3:07)
12 Get Up John (Instrumental) (2:28)
13 Will You Be Loving Another Man (2:26)
14 Conversation With Ralph Rinzler (4:51)
15 Pretty Fair Maiden In The Garden (3:29)
16 Salt Creek (Instrumental) (2:27)
17 Lonesome Road Blues (1:59)
[Credits]
Bill Monroe (mandolin/vocals) Del McCoury (guitar/vocals) Bill Keith (banjo) Billy Baker (fiddle) Bessie Lee Mauldin (bass)
Producers: Ralph Rinzler and Richard Weize, Liner Notes: Charles K. Wolfe, Artwork: Ina Taubenauer, Photographers: David Gahr and John Byrne Cooke, Engineer: Jürgen Crasser
[Notes]
This amazing disc records the Father of Bluegrass's first appearance at the Newport Folk Festival. Adding to the historical significance of the performance is the fact that this particular configuration of the Bluegrass Boys never recorded together in the studio. There are fine versions of several Monroe standards here, and great vocals with the always wonderful Del McCoury. The sound quality is excellent and there are good notes by Charles Wolfe discussing the recording's importance. Essential for bluegrass lovers. Recorded live July 26 - 27, 1963 at the Newport folk festival.

The Nashville Bluegrass Band

Sugar Hill Records – SUG-CD-4036

Format: CD, Album, Compilation
Country: US
Released: 2007
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Bluegrass
[Tracklist]
01 Rock Bottom Blues (2:54)
02 The Boys Are Back In Town (2:15)
03 Don't Let Our Love Die (3:06)
04 Biggest Liars In Town (2:36)
05 The Fool (2:30)
06 Blue Train (2:49)
07 Waitin' For The Hard Times To Go (3:15)
08 When I Get Where I'm Goin' (2:52)
09 Backtrackin' (2:58)
10 Tear My Stillhouse Down (2:32)
11 Red Clay Halo (2:51)
12 Blue Cadillac (3:15)
13 Fiddlin' Bill (2:51)
14 Travelin' Raliroad Man Blues (3:08)
15 There's A Better Way (3:11)
16 Rockin' Chair Money (2:38)
[Credits]
Alan O'Bryant (banjo/vocals) Pat Enright (guitar/vocals) Stuart Duncan (fiddle/vocals) Gene Libbea (bass/vocals) Dennis Crouch (bass) Mike Compton (mandolin) Roland White (mandolin) Jerry Douglas (dobro)
Compilation Producer: Fred Jasper
[Notes]
Formed in 1984, the Nashville Bluegrass Band filled a slot somewhere between the new and the old, similar, in a number of ways, to Hot Rize. With smooth harmony and a folk sound, NBB blunts many of bluegrass' sharper, more rustic edges; at the same time, one would never confuse NBB with the '70s incarnation of the New Grass Revival or even the eclectically conservative Seldom Scene. While elements of the Nashville Bluegrass Band have changed over the years, all of the 16 selections on Best of the Sugar Hill Years feature vocalist/guitarist Pat Enright, banjoist/vocalist Alan O'Bryant, and fiddler Stuart Duncan. The mandolin spot, over the years, has changed between Mike Compton and Roland White, while the bass players featured on this collection include Gene Libbea and Dennis Crouch. For anyone familiar with the roots music field, this is an impressive roster, and one that works very well as a unit (thus, the emphasis on the "band" in Nashville Bluegrass Band). There's a lot of good stuff here, including the propulsive "Blue Train" and a fine take on Gillian Welch's "Tear My Stillhouse Down." Best of the Sugar Hill Years is a solid introduction to a fine contemporary bluegrass band. -- AllMusic Review by Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr.

Down In A Coal Mine: Joe Glazer Sings ･ Charlie Byrd on Guitar

Collector Records – COLL01923

Format: Vinyl, LP
Country: US
Released: 1974
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk
[Tracklist]
A1 Down In A Coal Mine (3:46)
A2 My Sweetheart's The Mule in the Mines (0:45)
A3 The Young Lady Who Married A Mule Driver (1:31)
A4 When The Breaker Starts Up Full Time (2:27)
A5 Jolly Wee Miner Men (1:27)
A6 The Death of Mother Jones (2:03)
A7 The Old Miner's Refrain (4:17)
B1 A Miner's Life (3:31)
B2 The Ludlow Massacre (3:04)
B3 Company Store (0:23)
B4 Sixteen Tons (2:50)
B5 Which Side Are You On? (2:37)
B6 Union Man (2:33)
B7 Drill Man Blues (1:38)
B8 Coal Miner's Heaven (3:31)
[Credits]
Joe Glazer (vocals) Charlie Byrd (guitar)
Liner Noted: Joe Glazer
[Notes]
Joe Glazer's (1918–2006) musical efforts on behalf of workers and union struggles earned him the nickname "Labor's Troubadour." In 1970, he founded Collector Records, primarily to produce records supportive of the struggles of working men and women. The majority of the songs on this recording were originally collected from miners by the preeminent folklorist of the coal mines, George Korson, to whom this recording is dedicated. The first half of the recording was made in 1962, with Charlie Byrd playing lead guitar. The second half was recorded before a live audience at the 1964 United Mine Workers of America Convention, held in Miami, Florida.

John Hartford – The Rare & Unreleased John Hartford: Backroads, Rivers & Memories

Real Gone Music – RGM-0848

Format: CD, Compilation
Country: US
Released: 2019
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Bluegrass
[Tracklist]
01 Towboat River (02:01)
02 Tall Tall Grass (02:12)
03 Front Porch (02:35)
04 Eve of My Multiplication (01:50)
05 California Earthquake (02:16)
06 Left Handed Woman (01:55)
07 George (02:50)
08 Run (01:55)
09 This Eve of Parting (02:34)
10 Self Made Man (02:44)
11 Minus the Woman (03:09)
12 Like Unto a Mockingbird (02:54)
13 Grownup Man (01:49)
14 Gentle on My Mind (03:02)
15 Steam Powered Aereo Plain (00:37)
16 Station Break (01:51)
17 Ice Cold Love (02:11)
18 Matthew 24 (03:12)
19 Greensleeves (02:29)
20 Corrina (02:05)
21 Greenback Dollar (02:51)
22 Jesus Loves Everybody (02:23)
23 I Forgot to Forget (02:58)
24 The Way Is Narrow (02:36)
25 Short Life of Trouble (02:30)
26 That Great Day Is Coming (02:37)
27 When I Feel the Hand of My Saviour (01:28)
[Credits]
John Hartford (banjo/fiddle/vocals)
Producer: Gordon Anderson and Skip Heller, Designer: John Sellards, Engineer: Kevin Chubirka
[Notes]
Though he was a prolific recording artist, songwriter, sideman, and producer, Grammy-winner John Hartford's career can't be summed up on a single disc; it would take a multi-volume box set to accomplish that. Initial and lasting fame was granted him for penning "Gentle on My Mind," resulting in his placement as Glen Campbell's banjo-playing sidekick on the singer's weekly television program for four years. But Hartford's founding role in the creation of "newgrass" on 1971's brilliant Aereo-Plain a few years later won him notice because the album subsequently influenced three generations of musicians. Then there are his dozens of session appearances on seminal recordings by the Byrds, James Taylor, Delaney and Bonnie, Rhonda Vincent, Guthrie Thomas, Benny Martin, David Bromberg, Nanci Griffith, Johnny Cash, and David Allan Coe, to name a few, that also ensure his place in musical history. Much of his wonderfully eclectic catalog has been reissued, including an album of rare Aereo-Plain outtakes entitled Steam Powered Aereo-Takes. All said, though, there hasn't yet been a document that delved deeply into Hartford's early career for the sole purpose of revealing that, although an artist in constant evolution, his music remained rooted in the folk music, river songs, and primal bluegrass he discovered as a youth. Until now, that is. -- AllMusic Review by Thom Jurek