September 28, 2015

Jean Ritchie 1998 Folk Alliance International Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient


Jean Ritchie: Mountain Born

Jean Ritchie with dulcimer 1976
Jean Ritchie was known as "The Mother of Folk". As well as work songs and ballads, Ritchie knew hymns from the "Old Regular Baptist" church she attended in Jeff, Kentucky. These were sung as "lining out" songs, in a lingering soulful way. One of the songs they sang was "Amazing Grace". She wrote some songs, including one on the effects of strip mining in Kentucky. (Some of Ritchie's late 1950s/early 1960s songs on mining she published under the pseudonym "'Than Hall" to avoid troubling her non-political mother, and believing they might be better received if attributed to a man.) "My Dear Companion" appeared on the album Trio recorded by Linda Ronstadt, Dolly Parton, and Emmylou Harris. Judy Collins not only recorded some of Ritchie's traditional songs, "Tender Ladies" and "Pretty Saro", but used a photograph by George Pickow on the front of her album Golden Apples of the Sun (1962). Ritchie's 50th anniversary album was Mountain Born (1995), which features her two sons, Peter and Jonathan Pickow. In 1954 Ritchie and George Pickow released some of their UK recordings under the name Field Trip. It was re-issued in 2001 on the Greenhays label. It has recordings by Elizabeth Cronin, Seamus Ennis, and others, side by side with Ritchie family versions of the same songs. (via Folk Alliance International on YouTube)

September 23, 2015

Great Original Recordings By The Carter Family

Harmony/Columbia HL-7300

Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Mono
Country: US
Released: 1963
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Country
[Tracklist]
A1 Buddies In The Saddle
A2 Give Him One More As He Goes
A3 Meeting In The Air
A4 Heaven's Radio
A5 The Dying Mother
B1 Sea Of Galilee
B2 Kissing Is A Crime
B3 I Found You Among The Roses
B4 Bear Creek Blues
B5 It's A Long, Long Road To Travel Alone
[Credits]
Maybelle Carter (vocals/guitar) Sara Carter (vocals/guitar/autoharp) A.P. Carter (vocals)
Producer: Don Law and Frank Jones
[Notes]
Recordings originally made in 1935 and 1940

September 22, 2015

Tony Rice: California Autumn

Tony Rice: California Autumn
Seven Seas GFX-6008

Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue
Country: Japan
Released: 1976
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Bluegrass
[Tracklist]
A1 California Autumn
A2 Bullet Man
A3 Mr. Poverty
A4 Billy In The Low Ground
A5 Red Haired Boy
A6 Good Woman's Love
B1 You Don't Know My Mind
B2 Alone And Forsaken
B3 Bugle Call Rag
B4 Georgia On My Mind
B5 Scarborough Fair
B6 Beaumont Rag
[Credits]
Tony Rice (guitar/vocals) Tom Gray (bass) Mike Auldridge (dobro) Larry Rice (mandolin) Ben Eldridge (banjo) Ricky Skaggs (fiddle/viola/mandolin) John Starling (guitar) J.D. Crowe (banjo) Jerry Douglas (dobro)
[Notes]
Recorded at Track Recorders, Silver Spring, Maryland on September 1974
Licensed from Rebel Records, Manufactured by King Record Co. Ltd

September 20, 2015

Meerkerk Gardens: Bluegrass in the Gardens 2015


On Whidbey Island every year Meerkerk Gardens puts on a small Bluegrass festival. Lots of music, workshop and general get together toe tapping music being put on. This is just a little of what goes on. Hope those that didn't attend see what they are missing.

September 19, 2015

A Collection of Mountain Banjo Songs & Tunes

County Records‎ COUNTY–515

Format: Vinyl, LP, Compilation
Country: US
Released: 1968
Genre:Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk
[Tracklist]
A1 Don't Get Weary Children: Uncle Dave Macon (banjo/vocals) acc. Sam & Kirk McGee
A2 Charming Betsy: Land Norris (banjo/vocals)
A3 Coal Creek March: Marion Underwood (banjo)
A4 Railroad Bill: Riley Puckett (banjo/vocals) Gid Tanner (fiddle)
A5 American & Spanish Fandango: R. B. Smith & S. J. Allgood (banjo duet)
A6 Cheat 'Em: Red Headed Fiddlers, Wolter "Red" Graham (banjo) A. L. Steeley (fiddle)
B1 Leather Breeches: W. A. Hinton (banjo)
B2 Going Back To Jericho: Dock Walsh (banjo/vocals)
B3 Little Turtle Dove: Bascom Lamar Lunsford (banjo/vocals)
B4 Home Sweet Home: Frank Jenkins (banjo)
B5 The Orphan Girl: Buell Kazee (banjo/vocals)
B6 Shortenin' Bread: Fisher Hendley & J. Small (banjos) Henry Whitter (guitar)
[Credits]
Liner Notes: John Burke
[Notes]
Original Recordings made in 1925-1933

September 18, 2015

28th Annual Galax Old Fiddlers Convention Galax, Virginia 1963

28th Annual Galax Old Fiddlers Convention Galax, Virginia 1963
Kanawha Records ANAWHA-302

Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: US
Released: 1963
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk, Bluegrass
[Tracklist]
A1 Rules of Convention: Dale Gallimore
A2 Dog in tbe Rye Straw: Glen Smith
A3 The Little Orpban Girl: Johm Edmonds
A4 Walkin' in the Parlor: The Old Timers
A5 01d Dad: Fall Creek Ramblers
A6 Barbara Allen: Thurman Pugh
A7 Monkey on a String: Noman Edmonds
B1 Eighth of January: Fall Creek Ramblers
B2 Whitehouse Blues: Glen Neeves and Grayson County Boys
B3 Red Wing: Conrad Alexander
B4 Fisher’Hornpipe: Glen Smith
B5 Sa11y Ann: George Stoneman
B6 Arkansas Traveler: Fall Creek Rambleers
B7 Paddy on the Turnpike: Buck Mountain Band
B8 Don't Go Out Tonight, My Darlin': Blue Ridge Buddies
B9 Fortune: Old-Timers
[Credits]
Recorded and Liner Notes: Pat Dunford

September 17, 2015

Woody Guthrie Sings Folk Songs with Leadbelly, Cisco Houston, Sonny Terry and Bess Hawes

Folkways Records FA-2483

Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: US
Released: 1962
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk
[Tracklist]
A1 Hard Traveling: acc. Cisco Houston, Sonny Terry
A2 What Did The Deep Sea Say?: acc. Cisco Houston
A3 House of the Rising Sun
A4 Nine Hundred Miles: Woody Guthrie (fiddle) Cisco Houston (guitar)
A5 John Henry: acc. Cisco Houston
A6 Oregon Trail
A7 We Shall Be Free: acc. Cisco Houston, Leadbelly, Sonny Terry
B1 Dirty Overalls: acc. Cisco Houston
B2 Jack Hammer Blues: acc. Cisco Houston, Sonny Terry
B3 Springfield Mountain: acc. Bess Hawes, Cisco Houston, Sonny Terry
B4 Brown Eyes: acc. Cisco Houston
B5 Boll Weevil Blues: acc. Cisco Houston, Sonny Terry
B6 Guitar Blues: acc. Cisco Houston
B7 Will You Miss Me?: acc. Bess Hawes, Cisco Houston
[Credits]
Design: Ronald Clyne Liner, Notes: Pete Seeger, Recorded: Moses Asch
[Notes]
All material copyright (c) 1962
Stormking Music Inc. (BMI) or Guthrie Children's Trust Fund

September 13, 2015

Jean Ritchie at Home

Jean Ritchie at Home
Pacific Cascades Records LPL-7026

Format: Vinyl, LP
Country: US
Released: 1974
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk
[Tracklist]
A1 Golden Ring Around the Susan Girl
A2 I See the Moon
A3 The Darby Ram
A4 The Churning Song
A5 The Blubird Song (Bluebird Song)
A6 Oncet I Had an Old Grey Mare (Once I Had an Old Gray Mare)
A7 Wild Horses
A8 The Courting Song
A9 Moving On Down the River
B1 March Down to Old Tennessee
Peter Pickow, Jean Ritchie and Jonathan Pickow
B2 Love Somebody, Yes I Do ! (Soldier's Joy)
B3 Killy Kranky
B4 Il Me Dhu Vetrim
B5 Come Fare Away With Me
B6 May Day Day
B7 Poor Jenny
B8 The Peace Round
[Credits]
Musicians: Jean Ritchie, Peter Pickow, Jonathan Pickow and Alice Backer
Photography: George Pickow
Design: Joan-Paul Dusseault
Producer: Loan R. Lowe

September 12, 2015

Smithsonian Folkways Remembers Harry Smith


Watch this mini-documentary about Smith's influential "Anthology of American Folk Music," and read more about Smith's life and work here: http://ow.ly/NyF5q. The video footage is from a 1997 concert celebrating the CD reissue of the anthology. The content and comments posted here are subject to the Smithsonian Institution copyright and privacy policy. Smithsonian reserves the right in its sole discretion to remove any content at any time.

September 8, 2015

Old Time Music at Clarence Ashley's

Folkways Records FA-2355

Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: US
Released: 1961
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Country, Bluegrass, Folk
[Tracklist]
A1 Sally Ann
A2 Old Ruben
A3 East Tennessee Blues
A4 Claude Allen
A5 Richmond Blues
A6 Skillet Good And Greasy
A7 The Old Man At The Mill
A8 The Haunted Woods
A9 Footprints In The Snow
B1 I'm Going Back To Jericho
B2 Maggie Walker Blues
B3 God's Gonna Ease My Troublin' Mind
B4 Handsome Molly
B5 The Louisiana Earthquake
B6 Honey Babe Blues
B7 True Lovers
B8 Pretty Little Pink
[Credits]
Clarence Ashley (banjo/vocals) Doc Watson (guitar/banjo/harmonica/vocals) Clint Howard (guitar/vocals) Fred Price (fiddle/vocals) Garley Foster (harmonica/guitar/vocals) Jack Johnson (banjo) Arnold Watson (banjo/harmonica/vocals) Gaither Carlton (banjo/fiddle) "New River Jack" Burchett (banjo/vocals) Dock Walsh (banjo/vocals) Tommy Moore (washboard) Jean Ritchie (vocals) Ralph Rinzler (guitar)
Producer: Eugene Earle and Ralph Rinzler Designer: John Cohen
[Notes]
Recorded in Shouns, Tennessee, Saltville, Virginia and Deep Gap, North Carolina in September 1960. Silver on black label. Long Playing Non-Breakable Microgroove. Issued with twelve page booklet containing bios of the performers plus lyrics. Booklet is separated from album by cardboard insert.

September 5, 2015

Wherever Rivers Flow: One Vision / Many Voices - AppIndie


A video by filmmaker Mike Snyder of Independent Pictures showcasing the original song, "Wherever Rivers Flow," (co-written by Magpie and members of the Mountain Maryland community) wraps up a year-long community visioning and art project produced by the Appalachian Independent, based out of Frostburg, Maryland . With support from the Maryland Humanities Council, Allegany Arts Council, the Appalachian Regional Commission's Teaching Project, Allegany College of Maryland and Frostburg State University, the "One Vision / Many Voices" project encouraged area residents to consider the question, "What do we most value in the region and how can we retain those values while moving toward a more sustainable future?" Outcomes of the project include two large quilts depicting resident's responses, the song and video. Taken together, those pieces are the culmination of the efforts of hundreds; tangible markers of a community's One Vision / Many Voices.

September 3, 2015

Cisco Houston Sings the Songs of Woody Guthrie

Cisco Houston Sings the Songs of Woody Guthrie
Vanguard VSD-2131

Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: US
Released: 1960
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk
[Tracklist]
This Land
A1 Pastures Of Plenty (3:07)
A2 Ship In The Sky (1:48)
A3 Deportees (4:37)
A4 Grand Coulee Dam (2:39)
A5 Sinking Of The Reuben James (3:56)
Curly Headed Babies
A6 Curly Headed Baby (3:05)
A7 Ladies Auxiliary (0:31)
A8 Taking It Easy (1:47)
A9 Hard, Ain't It Hard (1:50)
Big Men
B1 Jesus Christ (2:25)
B2 Buffalo Skinners (3:30)
B3 Pretty Boy Floyd (3:24)
B4 Philadelphia Lawyer (2:52)
Lone Wolves
B5 Old Lone Wolf (1:07)
B6 Talking Fishing Blues (2:23)
B7 Ranger's Command (2:20)
B8 Do Re Mi (2:32)
B9 Blowing Down That Old Dusty Road (1:43)
[Credits]
Cisco Houston (guitar/vocals) Eric Weissberg (banjo/mandolin/fiddle)
Design: Jules Halfant, Drawing: Anton Refregier, Producer: Harold Leventhal, Lee Hays

September 2, 2015

Appalachian Dulcimer: Amy Fabbri


Amy Fabbri:  Dulcimer Player
From the mountains of Western Maryland and West Virginia comes a series of short films about Appalachian traditions in our changing world. Shot over several months in the summer of 2011, the films follow the stories of a mountain dulcimer player, a metalworker, a quilter, a hammer dulcimer maker, a group of homesteaders and a group of kayakers. The music for the films was composed and performed by Appalachian musicians. The Mountain Traditions Project is a collaboration between Appalachian Independent Newspaper, Mountain City Traditional Arts and Interdependent Pictures. More information on the ongoing film project can be found at http://www.appindie.org.

September 1, 2015

Ramblin' Jack Elliott Sings Woody Guthrie and Jimmie Rodgers

Ramblin' Jack Elliott
Monitor Records MF-380

Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Stereo
Country: US
Released: 1962
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk, Country
[Tracklist]
A1 Do-Re-Mi (2:29)
A2 Dead Or Alive (3:22)
A3 Grand Coulee Dam (2:40)
A4 Dust Storm Disaster (3:27)
A5 I Ain't Got No Home (2:17)
A6 So Long It's Been Good To Know You (3:51)
B1 "T" For Texas (Blue Yodel No.1) (3:37)
B2 Waitin' For A Train (2:27)
B3 Jimmie The Kid (2:30)
B4 Mother, The Queen Of My Heart (3:04)
B5 In The Jailhouse Now (2:33)
B6 Whippin' The Old T. B. (3:40)
[Credits]
Ramblin' Jack Elliott (guitar/vocals)
A1-A6: Songs by Woody Guthrie, B1-B6: Songs by Jimmie Rodgers
[Notes]
Ramblin' Jack Elliott (born 1931) was interested in cowboys from a young age; he ran away from his home in Brooklyn, New York, to join a rodeo at age 14. But he was also inspired by Woody Guthrie--he lived with the Guthrie family for a time, mastering Woody's vocal and guitar style so completely that Woody supposedly xclaimed, "Jack sounds more like me than I do!" Jimmie Rodgers (1897–1933), of Meridian Mississippi, was one of the first country music icons, but only after his worsening tuberculosis made it too difficult for him to continue as a railroad worker.