April 30, 2017

The Not Too Bad Bluegrass Band


Running Time: 63 minutes

The Not Too Bad Bluegrass Band formed in 1987, playing local venues around Bloomington, Indiana. Original members included Jeff White, who went on to play with superstars like Alison Krauss and Vince Gill; singer-songwriter Bob Lucas; and Lisa Germano, who later played fiddle with John Mellencamp's band. The current members have their own musical history. Brian Lappin played with bluegrass legends Jimmy Martin and Earl Taylor, and the bands The Ragin' Texans and The Crawdads. His tasteful banjo playing reflects the solid influences of Earle Scruggs and J.D. Crowe. Doug Harden has played mandolin since 1969. His early years were spent at the old Bean Blossom Jamboree barn, and in the Brown County Band. Doug has also spent time in the original Kentucky Ramblers and the band Pine Mountain. Greg Norman started at a local jam session and later joined the Off the Line bluegrass band and singer-songwriter Janne Henshaw's band. Kent Todd was trained in classical violin, and was steered toward bluegrass by his father Scott, also a bluegrass musician; he has played with Bill Grant and Dehila Belle, Michael Cleveland and the Blue Hollow Band, Gary Brewer and the Kentucky Ramblers, and currently is also a member of the Troubled Waters Band. The youngest member of the NTBBB, Brady Stogdill, is a member of the original International Bluegrass Music Association's Young Acoustic All Stars; his father Dean was a great banjo player, and he has learned to play almost anything with strings on it.

April 28, 2017

Fly Through The Country: New Grass Revival

Flying Fish FF-016

Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: US
Released: 1975
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Bluegrass
[Tracklist]
A1 Skippin' In The Mississippi Dew (2:37)
A2 Good Woman's Love (3:16)
A3 Glory (3:04)
A4 All Night Train (3:12)
A5 Fly Through The Country (5:16)
B1 This Heart Of Mine (2:10)
B2 The Dancer (3:44)
B3 When She Made Laughter Easy (3:16)
B4 Doin' My Time (6:21)
B5 These Days (5:41)
[Credits]
Sam Bush (mandolin/fiddle/guitar/vocals) Curtis Burch (guitar/dobro/vocals) Courtney Johnson (banjo/vocals) John Cowan (bass/vocals) Chuck Cochran (piano)
Directer: Keith Case, Producer: Garth Fundis, Chuck Cochran & Sam Bush, Photographer: The Grease Brothers, Designer: Penny Case
[Notes]
Released in 1975, Fly Through the Country was the New Grass Revival's first album with singer John Cowan and arguably the best album recorded by this incarnation of the group (Sam Bush, Courtney Johnson, and Curtis Burch). It wasn't that the group wouldn't record other memorable albums during the '70s, only that none possessed the spontaneity of Fly Through the Country. There's a sense of everything -- the romantic material, the vocal exuberance, and instrumental dexterity -- falling into place here. The band never seems like it's going out of its way to impress the listener or trying to get things perfect in the studio, as it later would on Barren County in 1979. Instead, the pacing of a song like Steven F. Brines/Bush's "Glory" feels natural and the vocal deeply felt. It's also hard to underestimate the addition of Cowan's vocals on songs like Cy Coben's "Good Woman's Love" and Jackson Browne's "These Days." Surely Bush could've delivered good versions of both of these songs, but Cowan, with his rock & roll background, adds an emotional kick more suitable to the dreamy lyrics of both songs. While guitarist Burch and banjoist Johnson probably never received enough credit for the band's success, it's their instrumental prowess that keeps all of these great vocal performances afloat. Their harmonies were also central to buoying the Revival's high-flying choruses. If anyone was ever curious about how good the New Grass Revival really were, Fly Through the Country is an excellent place to start. (AllMusic Review by Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr.)

April 27, 2017

Marshal-Tucker Band: Where We All Belong

Capricorn Records 2C-0145

Format: 2xVinyl, LP, Album, Promo, Gatefold
Country: US
Released: 1974
Genre: Rock, Blues, Folk, World, & Country
Style: Country Rock
[Tracklist]
A1 This Ol' Cowboy (6:42)
A2 Low Down Ways (2:57)
A3 In My Own Way (7:17)
B1 How Can I Slow Down (3:19)
B2 Where A Country Boy Belongs (4:32)
B3 Now She's Gone (4:38)
B4 Try One More Time (4:56)
C1 Ramblin' (5:35)
C2 24 Hours At A Time (13:17)
D1 Everyday (I Have The Blues) (11:30)
D2 Take The Highway (6:56)
[Credits]
Toy Caldwell (electric, acoustic, steel guitars/lead vocals) Tommy Caldwell (bass guitar/backing vocals) George McCorkle (electric, acoustic guitars/banjo) Jerry Eubanks (flute, alto, baritone and tenor saxophone/backing vocals) Doug Gray (lead vocals/percussion) Elvin Bishop (slide guitar) Earl Ford (trombone) Paul Hornsby (piano/organ/clavinet) Jerry Joseph (conga) Steve Madaio (trumpet) Sam McPhearson (harp) Andy Stein (fiddle) Johnny Vernazza (slide guitar) Billy Sanders (harmonica/rhythm guitar) Billy Sanders (rhythm guitar/harmonica) Paul Riddle (drums) Charlie Daniels (fiddle)
[Notes]
Sides A & B: Studio album, Sides C & D: Live performance. Toy Caldwell credited in the liner notes as playing Lead Guitar and Vocals on "Can't You See", a track that is unlisted in either the cover or the labels.

April 21, 2017

The New Lost City Ramblers: Remembrance Of Things To Come

Folkways Records FTS-31035

Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Stereo
Country: US
Released: 1973
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk, Bluegrass
[Tracklist]
A1 Soldier's Joy (2:06)
A2 The Titanic (2:56)
A3 Single Girl (5:56)
A4 Lord Bateman (5:35)
A5 I'm Lonesome (2:18)
A6 He Is Coming To Us Dead (3:16)
A7 The Cat's Got The Measels And The Dog's Got The Whooping Cough (2:56)
A8 Rock About My Saro Jane (3:10)
A9 Black Bottom Strut (2:07
B1 New Lost Hometown Blues (2:09)
B2 Dark And Stormy Weather (2:23)
B3 Black Jack Daisy (2:30)
B4 Never Be As Fast As I Have Been (3:02)
B5 Little Ball Of Yarn (2:18)
B6 The Sioux Indians (3:02)
B7 Parlez-Nous A Boire (3:38
B8 The Arkansas Sheik (2:57)
B9 Give The Fiddler A Dram (2:00)
[Credits]
Mike Seeger (fiddle/mandolin/mouth harp/guitar/autoharp/banjo/vocals) Tracy Schwarz (fiddle/guitar/spoons/vocals) John Cohen (banjo/guitar/triangle/vocals)
Photography: Robert Frank, Producer: Moses Asch, Recorder: Peter Bartok
[Notes]
Recorded August 1966. Cover photograph by famed photographer, Robert Frank.

April 20, 2017

George Davis: When Kentucky Had No Union Men

Folkways Records FTS-31016

Format: Vinyl, LP, Simulate Stereo
Country: US
Released: 1967
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk
[Tracklist]
A1 Little Lump Of Coal (2:26)
A2 When Kentucky Had No Union Men (1:38)
A3 The Harlan County Blues (2:51)
A4 Sixteen Tons (3:05)
A5 Callahan (1:02)
A6 Love Of Polly And Jack Monroe (3:34)
A7 Rocking Chair Money (2:15)
A8 The Wreck Of Main Line Number 4 (3:12)
A9 The Three-Day Blues (4:19)
B1 Coal Miner's Boogie (2:54)
B2 Miner's Dream Come True (2:48)
B3 Why Are You Leaving? (1:33)
B4 Jesus Appeared In A Barroom (3:57)
B5 Death Of The Blue Eagle (1:46)
B6 Glory In The Meetinghouse (1:43)
B7 Buggerman In The Bushes (2:50)
B8 A Child Of Desertion (2:04)
B9 White Shotgun (3:41)
[Credits]
George Davis (guitar/vocals)
Producer, Field Worker, Recorder, Designer, Photographer: John Cohen
[Notes]
George Davis began working in the coal mines at thirteen. After he injured his arm in a mining accident, Davis knew he'd never be a great guitarist, so he concentrated on writing songs about the problems miners and their unions faced. This album presents eighteen of his powerful songs.

April 19, 2017

Songcatcher II: The Tradition That Inspired The Movie

Vanguard 79716-2

Format: CD, Various Artists, Compilation
Country: US
Released: 2002
Genre: Folk, World, & Country, Stage & Screen
Style: Bluegrass, Country
[Tracklist]
01 Babes In The Woods: Almeda Riddle (1:00)
02 Georgie: Doc Watson (2:46)
03 The Coo Coo Bird: Hobart Smith (1:45)
04 The Two Lovers: Almeda Riddle (2:24)
05 Matty Groves: Doc Watson (6:07)
06 Oh Death: Dock Boggs (3:16)
07 Gunning Girl Of Constant Sorrow: Sarah Ogan (2:07)
08 Winter's Night: Doc Watson (3:25)
09 Black Jack Davey: Almeda Riddle (2:52)
10 Sugar Baby: Dock Boggs (1:57)
11 Wish I Was A Single Girl Again: Cousin Emmy (1:55)
12 Leather Britches: Fiddlin' Arthur Smith (2:19)
13 Will The Weaver: Almeda Riddle (2:00)
14 Little Birdie: Roscoe Holcomb (1:52)
15 Pretty Saro: Doc Watson (2:45)
16 House Carpenter: Clarence Ashley (3:53)
17 Come All Ye Fair And Tender Ladies: Maybelle Carter (3:44)
[Credits]
Producer: Fred Jasper & Georgette Cartwright, Liner Notes: Sheila Adams, John Currie & Fred Jasper
[Notes]
The artists and, of course, these performances contained here are different than those in the movie. Several of these tracks were pulled from Newport Folk Festival performances in the early '60s.

April 18, 2017

A Tribute: The Songs Of Jimmie Rodgers

Columbia CK-67676

Format: CD, Album, Various Artists
Country: US
Released: 1997
Genre: Rock, Folk, World, & Country
Style: Country, Country Rock
[Tracklist]
01 Dreaming With Tears In My Eyes: Bono (3:40)
02 Any Old Time: Alison Krauss And Union Station (3:46)
03 Waiting For A Train: Dickey Betts (4:16)
04 Somewhere Down Below The Mason Dixie Line: Mary Chapin Carpenter (3:36)
05 Miss The Mississippi And You: David Ball (3:05)
06 My Blue Eyed Jane: Bob Dylan (3:16)
07 Peach Pickin' Time Down In Georgia: Willie Nelson (3:40)
08 In The Jailhouse Now: Steve Earle & The V-Roys (2:52)
09 Blue Yodel # 9 (Standin' On The Corner): Jerry Garcia, David Grisman & John Kahn (4:15)
10 Hobo Bill's Last Ride: Iris DeMent (3:06)
11 Gambling Bar Room Blues: John Mellencamp (4:01)
12 Mule Skinner Blues: Van Morrison (4:33)
13 Why Should I Be Lonely: Aaron Neville (3:11)
14 T For Texas: Dwight Yoakam (5:31)
[Credits]
Liner Notes: Bob Dylan, Design: Geoff Gans, Executive Producer: Jeff Kramer & Jeff Rosen, Production Team: Christy Epstein, Debbie Sweeney, Diane Lapson, Julia Kim & Vickie Mathis, Product Manager: Greg Linn, Mastered by: Vic Anesini
[Notes]
Sometimes tribute albums are just that, an act of homage meant to remind us of how good a set of songs are. So The Songs of Jimmie Rodgers: A Tribute stands as a 14-song reminder that Rodgers was, as Bob Dylan puts it in the liner notes to the first release on his new boutique label, ”one of the guiding lights of the 20th century.”

April 17, 2017

Nitty Gritty Dirt Band: All The Good Times

Liberty LLP-80460

Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Gatefold
Country: Japan
Released: 1971
Genre: Rock, Folk, World, & Country
Style: Country Rock, Classic Rock
[Tracklist]
A1 Sixteen Tracks (5:22)
A2 Fish Song (4:28)
A3 Jambalaya (On The Bayou) (3:20)
A4 Down In Texas 2:20
A5 Creepin' Round Your Back Door (2:52)
A6 Daisy (2:50)
B1 Slim Carter (3:02)
B2 Hoping To Say (3:20)
B3 Baltimore (3:44)
B4 Jamaica, Say You Will (3:29)
B5 Do You Feel It Too (3:15)
B6 Civil War Trilogy (1:53)
B7 Diggy Liggy Lo (2:20)
[Credits]
Jeff Hanna (guitar/vocals) Jimmie Fadden (guitar/drums/harmonica/vocals) John McEuen (guitar) Jimmy Ibbotson (guitar/drums/keyboards/vocals) Les Thompson (guitar/bass/vocals) Randy Scruggs (guitar) Norman Blake (dobro) Ellis Padgett (bass)
Producer, Photography: William E. McEuen, Design: Dean O. Torrence, Engineer: Dino Lappas
[Notes]
Manufactured byToshiba Musical Industries Ltd. Audience recorded during performance at the Golden Bear, Huntington Beach, California.

April 16, 2017

One-armed fiddler Marshall Claiborne


One-armed fiddler Marshall Claiborne of Hartsville, Tennessee, ca.1926. Claiborne placed second in the 1926 old-time fiddlers' contest at Nashville, utilizing an unusual technique of holding the bow between his knees and moving the fiddle against it with his left arm.

April 15, 2017

Nitty Gritty Dirt Band: Uncle Charlie & His Dog Teddy

Liberty LP-80126

Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Stereo
Country: Japan
Released: 1970
Genre: Rock, Folk, World, & Country
Style: Country Rock, Bluegrass
[Tracklist]
A01 Some Of Shelly's Blues (3:12)
A02 Prodigal's Return (3:16)
A03 The Cure (2:11)
A04 Travelin' Mood (2:35)
A05 Chicken Reel (0:59)
A06 Yukon Railroad (2:20)
A07 Livin' Without You (1:58)
A08 Clinch Mountain Backstep (2:16)
A09 Rave On (2:50)
A10 Billy In The Low Ground (1:14)
B01 Jesse James (0:49)
B02 Uncle Charlie Interview (2:27)
B03 Mr. Bojangles (3:34)
B04 Opus (1:37)
B05 Santa Rosa (2:21)
B06 Propinquity (2:18)
B07 Uncle Charlie (1:45)
B08 Randy Lynn Rag (1:17)
B09 House At Pooh Corner (2:37)
B10 Swanee River (0:36)
B11 Uncle Charlie Interview #2 The End / Spanish Fandango (2:34)
[Credits]
Jimmie Fadden (guitar/harmonica/bass/vocals) Jeff Hanna (guitar/drums/washboard/vocals) Jimmy Ibbotson (guitar/piano/drums/accordion/vocals) John McEuen (banjo/mandolin/guitar) Les Thompson ( bass/mandolin/guitar/vocals)
Producer, Photograph: William E. McEuen, Art Direction: Woody Woodward, Album Design: Dean O. Torrence, Engineer: Bruce Kennedy / Dino Lappas / Ken Deane / Mike Denecke
[Notes]
Manufactured byToshiba Musical Industries Ltd. Cover photo and interview was recorded at Uncle Charlie's home in Springville, California, April, 1964.s

April 12, 2017

Rhiannon Giddens: Freedom Highway

Nonesuch 558805-2

Format: CD, Album
Country: US
Released: Feb 24, 2017
Genre: Jazz, Blues, Folk, World, & Country
Style: Bluegrass, Gospel, Folk, Celtic
[Tracklist]
01 At The Purchaser's Option (4:16)
02 The Angels Laid Him Away (2:31)
03 Julie (4:28)
04 Birmingham Sunday (6:13)
05 Better Get It Right The First Time (3:23)
06 We Could Fly (4:53)
07 Hey Bébé (3:19)
08 Come Love Come (5:20)
09 The Love We Almost Had (4:17)
10 Baby Boy (4:29)
11 Following The North Star (1:56)
12 Freedom Highway (4:47)
[Credits]
Design: Jeri Heiden, Executive Producer: David Bither, Co-producer: Rhiannon Giddens and Dirk Powell, Management: John Peets, Recorded by: Eric Adcock and Nolan Thies, Mastered by: Bob Ludwig and Robert C. Ludwig
[Notes]
Freedom Highway, Grammy Award–winner Rhiannon Giddens' follow-up to her highly praised debut album Tomorrow Is My Turn, is out today on Nonesuch Records.

April 11, 2017

Troublesome Creek String Band: Fast as Time Can Take Me

County CO-CD-2738

Format: CD, Album
Country: US
Released: 2005
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk, Country
[Tracklist]
01 Yell in the Shoats/Piney Ridge (2:45)
02 River of Jordan (3:29)
03 Walk Along John to Kansas (2:59)
04 I'm Going to the West (2:51)
05 Dinah (2:58)
06 Gypsy Davy (2:31)
07 Ten Steps/Little Mary Marshall (3:15)
08 I've Got a Bulldog (3:25)
09 Cousin Sally Brown (2:35)
10 Midnight on the Stormy Deep (3:45)
11 Gospel Plow (3:12)
12 The Three Babes (3:42)
13 Danville Girl (3:14)
14 Paddy on the Handcar/Georgia Horseshoe (4:15)
15 Adieu False Heart (2:59)
16 Rockbridge Blues/Brushy Fork of John's Creek (3:28)
17 When First Unto This Country (3:02)
18 Lost Indian (3:01)
19 Little Sadie (2:33)
20 Lonesome Pine Special (2:47)
21 Possum Up a 'Simmon Tree/Troublesome Creek (4:16)
22 The Ballad of Cole Younger (3:25)
23 Sweet Marie (2:47)
[Credits]
Rick Martin (fiddle/vocals) Dick Harrington (guitar/vocals) Lorie Lichtenwalner (bass/vocals) Steve Arkin (banjo)
Production Coordination: Christopher C. King, Producer and Audio Engineer: Bobby Read, Assistant Producer: Charlie Barnett, Engineer: Tim Fulford Brown, Mastering: David Glasser, Photographers: Dan Gellert, Bruce Greene, Brad Leftwich and Mike Seeger
[Notes]
County has developed a reputation as one of the best independent record labels when it comes to issuing old-time music from an earlier era. They've become so good at it, in fact, that an album like Fast as Time Can Take Me by the Troublesome Creek String Band will take some CD buyers by surprise. The Troublesome Creek String Band, featuring vocalist/fiddler Rick Martin, banjoist Steve Arkin, guitarist/vocalist Dick Harrington, and bassist/vocalist Lorie Lichtenwalner, aren't an unearthed string band from yesteryear, after all, but contemporary performers. The irony of all contemporary old-time string bands, however, is that they work real hard to develop their style within the limits of a very simple, pre-bluegrass format. Fast as Time Can Take Me's set list, for example, borrows from old-time performers including the Carter Family ("River of Jordan"), Texas Gladden ("The Three Babes"), and Dock Boggs ("Danville Girl"), and the songs are performed with simple, fiddle/guitar/banjo/bass arrangements. The only discernible difference here, and one that gives the Troublesome Creek String Band an interesting edge, is the band's ability to remain -- even with a simple setup -- quite eclectic. With three vocalists, it's easy for the band to alternate lead singers and mix up the harmony vocals, and the band also eagerly tackles a number of instrumental tracks. For those who love old-time music and can get over the idea of owning a non-scratchy recording, Fast as Time Can Take Me is the real deal. (AllMusic Review by Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr.)

April 8, 2017

Rhiannon Giddens: Wayfaring Stranger


Wayfaring Stranger has been performed by many including Eva Cassidy, Jack White ,Johnny Cash and even Ed Sheeran. Here are Rhiannon Giddens & Phil Cunningham with their take. Now available on the BBC iPlayer; http://bbc.in/2o4e2Cn

April 7, 2017

J.E. Mainer's Mountaineers Vol.2

Old Timey Records OT-107

Format: Vinyl, LP, Compilation
Country: US
Released: 1969
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Country
[Tracklist]
A1 Concord Rag
A2 In A Little Village Churchyard
A3 Country Blues
A4 Drunkard's Hiccoughs
A5 New Lost Train Blues
A6 Fatal Wreck Of The Bus
A7 Don't Go Out
B1 Going Back West In The Fall
B2 I Once Loved A Young Man
B3 Train No. 11
B4 Broken Hearted Blues
B5 Blue Ridge Mountain Blues
B6 Back To Johnson City
B7 When I Reach My Home Eternal
[Credits]
Daddy John Love (guitar/vocals) J.E. Mainer (fiddle) Wade Mainer (banjo/vocals) Zeke Morris (guitar/vocals)
Artwork: Wayne Pope, iner Notes & Photography: J.E. Mainer, Photography: Edited by Chris Strachwitz
[Notes]
Recorded 1930's, USA.

April 6, 2017

J.E. Mainer's Crazy Mountaineers

Old Timey Records LP-106

Format: Vinyl, LP, Compilation
Country: US
Released: 1969
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Country
[Tracklist]
A1 Don't Get Trouble In Your Mind
A2 Answer To Greenback Dollar
A3 Sparkling Blue Eyes
A4 Kiss Me Cindy
A5 Why Do You Bob Your Hair, Girls
A6 We Will Miss Him
A7 Just Over In The Gloryland
B1 Seven And A Half
B2 Searching For A Pair Of Blue Eyes
B3 Write A Letter To Mother
B4 Sparkling Blue Eyes #2
B5 A Change All Around
B6 Maple On The Hill #2
B7 Let Her Go, God Bless Her
[Credits]
Daddy John Love (guitar/vocals) J.E. Mainer (fiddle/vocals) Wade Mainer (banjo/vocals) Zeke Morris (guitar/vocals) George Morris (guitar/vocals) Leonald Stokes (mandolin/vocals)
Liner Notes & Photography: J.E. Mainer, Edited by Chris Strachwitz
[Notes]
Recorded: 1930's, USA.

April 3, 2017

Burnett & Rutherford: Complete Recorded Works In Chronological Order

Document Records DOCD-8025

Format: CD, Compilation, Remastered
Country: Austria
Released: 1998
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk, Country
[Tracklist]
01 Lost John (2:59
02 Little Stream Of Whiskey (2:55)
03 Weeping Willow Tree (3:05)
04 I'll Be With You When The Roses Bloom Again (3:00)
05 A Short Life Of Trouble (3:05)
06 Pearl Bryan (3:01)
07 My Sweetheart In Tennessee (2:55)
08 Are You Happy Or Lonesome (2:52)
09 Curley-Headed Woman (3:04)
10 Ramblin' Reckless Hobo (3:27)
11 Willie Moore (3:14)
12 All Night Long Blues (3:07)
13 Ladies On The Steamboat (3:10)
14 Billy In The Low Ground (3:05)
15 She Is A Flower From The Fields Of Alabama (2:49)
16 Under The Pale Moonlight (3:08)
17 Knoxville Rag (3:09)
18 Grandma's Rag (3:10)
19 Cumberland Gap (2:50)
20 Going Around The World (2:58)
21 Going Across The Sea (3:03)
22 Bonnie Blue Waltz (3:03)
23 Sleeping Lulu (3:04)
24 Blackberry Blossoms (3:10)
[Credits]
Richard Burnett (banjo/vocals) Leonard Rutherford (fiddle/vocals) Byrd Moore (guitar) Leonard Rutherford (flute/vocals) Dick Taylor (flute) Lynn Woodward (guitar)
Liner Notes: Charles K. Wolfe, Discography: Tony Russell, Producer: Johnny Parth
[Notes]
Recording places and dates:
Tracks 1-6: Atlanta, GA, November 6, 1926
Tracks 7-8: Atlanta, GA, April 2, 1927
Tracks 9-14: Atlanta, GA, November 3, 1927
Tracks 15-19: Richmond, IN, c. October 29, 1928
Tracks 20-22: Richmond, IN, c.January 5, 1929
Tracks 23-24: Atlanta, GA, April 19, 1930