February 28, 2017

As I Roved Out (Field Trip-Ireland)

Folkways Records FW-8872

Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: US
Released: 1960
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Celtic
[Tracklist]
A1 As I Roved Out: Sarah Makem (0:59)
A2 What Would You Do If You Married a Soldier?: Seamus Ennis (1:46)
A3 Jack O'Donahue: Elizabeth Cronin (2:49)
A4 The Kerry Recruit: Con Skully (3:20)
A5 The Magpie's Nest: Annie Jane Kelly (2:03)
A6 Londonderry Hornpipe and Set Dance: Johnny Hoare (4:06)
A7 With Kitty I'll Go: Dermott Barry (2:20)
A8 Barbara Allen: Sarah Makem (5:38)
B1 The Sound of the Drum: Seamus Ennis (0:47)
B2 Una Bhan: Maire O'Donohue (4:37)
B3 Cork Hornpipe: Tommy Makem (0:51)
B4 Lannigan's Ball: Johnny Hoare and Elizabeth Cronin (1:09)
B5 The Little Pack of Tailors: Elizabeth Cronin (1:05)
B6 Dilly No Douse: Máirín Ní Dhonnchadha (1:11)
B7 Wexford Mummers Song: Seán Ó'Tuoma (2:39)
B8 Monochan Fair: Frank MacPeake (2:10)
B9 The Girl I Left Behind Me / The Rakes of Mallow: Ceilidh Band (2:23)
[Credits]
Field Worker: Jean Ritchie, Recorder: George Pickow, Designer: Ronald Clyne
[Notes]
In 1952, Jean Ritchie—iconic folksinger and dulcimer player from Kentucky—received a Fulbright scholarship enabling her to travel to Great Britain and Ireland to trace the origin of her Kentucky versions of songs and compare them with British and Irish versions. During the course of her travels, Richie and husband George Pickow, with the assistance of British and Irish folk song authorities, made field recordings of local performers. This collection presents 17 of those recordings and is a companion album to Field Trip – England (FW08871).

February 26, 2017

Classic Mountain Songs From Smithsonian Folkways

Smithsonian Folkways SFW CD 40094

Format: CD, Compilation
Country: US
Released: 2002
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk, Country
[Tracklist]
01 Omie Wise: Doug Wallin (3:03)
02 Sugar Baby: Dock Boggs (2:50)
03 I Am A Poor Pilgrim Of Sorrow: Old Regular Baptists (5:24)
04 Sixteen Tons: George Davis (3:05)
05 John Henry: Lesley Riddle (2:25)
06 Lost Indian: Marion Sumner (0:51)
07 Southbound: Doc And Merle Watson (2:39)
08 High On A Mountain: Ola Belle Reed (3:02)
09 Coal Creek March: Pete Steele (1:23)
10 Coal Miner Blues: Hazel Dickens And Alice Gerrard (2:42)
11 Railroad Blues: Sam McGee (2:45)
12 Cuckoo Bird: Clarence Ashley (2:33)
13 Conversation With Death: Berzilla Wallin (5:03)
14 Lone Prairie: Wade Ward (0:52)
15 Rain And Snow: Dillard Chandler (2:23)
16 Mole In The Ground: Bascom Lamar Lunsford (3:19)
17 Moonshiner: Roscoe Holcomb (1:59)
18 Wildwood Flower: Kilby Snow (1:23)
19 Barbry Ellen: Jean Ritchie (5:01)
20 Daniel Prayed: Watson, Price, And Howard (2:54)
21 Wreck Of The Number Nine: Ernest V. Stoneman (2:48)
22 Red Jacket Mine Explosion: The Phipps Family (4:00)
23 Kingdom Come: Norman Edmonds (2:02)
24 Amazing Grace: Horton Barker (4:16)
[Credits]
Liner Notes: Jeff Place & Jacob Love, Coordinator: Mary Monseur, Mastered by: Pete Reiniger, Technician: Nathaniel Berndt
[Notes]
Riding the wave of the renewed interest in traditional American music, Classic Mountain Songs From Smithsonian Folkways Recordings showcases a handful of the greatest mountain ballads as performed by some of the most influential folk singers and songwriters of the 20th century. This collection features many classic performances from a wide variety of regional instrumental and song styles. These diverse styles and songs from the mountain communities of North Carolina, Virginia, and Tennessee include old-time fiddle and banjo pieces, early bluegrass, and traditional ballads, with a special emphasis on Appalachian vocal traditions. Doc and Merle Watson, Roscoe Holcomb, Clarence Ashley, and Dock Boggs are just a few of the revered roots artists who appear on this stellar compilation. This album is essential for both old and new fans of American mountain music. Compiled and annotated by Jeff Place.

February 19, 2017

Classic Appalachian Blues From Smithsonian Folkways

Smithsonian Folkways SFW CD 40198

Format: CD, Compilation
Country: US
Released: February 16, 2010
Genre: Blues, Folk, World, & Country
Style: Blues
[Tracklist]
01 My Baby's Gone: Sticks McGhee (3:45)
02 Louise Blues: Big Chief Ellis With Cephas And Wiggins (5:14)
03 Sitting On Top Of The World: Doc Watson (2:58)
04 Railroad Bill: John Jackson (3:34)
05 Don't Let Your Deal Go Down: Bill Williams (2:15)
06 You Don't Know My Mind: Pink Anderson (2:36)
07 Blues Around My Bed: J.C. Burris (2:54)
08 Hesitation Blues: Gary Davis (3:15)
09 Pawn Shop Blues: Brownie McGhee (3:01)
10 The Road Is Rough And Rocky: Archie Edwards (3:23)
11 Hoodoo Blues: Martin, Bogan And Armstrong (5:13)
12 Red River Blues : Lesley Riddle (2:04)
13 Walking Cane: Peg Leg Sam Jackson (2:31)
14 One Dime Blues: Etta Baker (3:43)
15 Mississippi Heavy Water Blues: Roscoe Holcomb (2:13)
16 Outskirts Of Town: Josh White (3:03)
17 See What You Done Done: Baby Tate (2:32)
18 I Got A Woman: Marvin And Turner Foddrell (2:50)
19 Girl Dressed In Green: John Tinsley (1:56)
20 Blues In The Morning: E.C. Ball (3:37)
21 Wine Blues (Drinkin' Wine Spo-Dee-Oh-Dee): Sticks McGhee (3:43)
[Credits]
Liner Notes: Barry Lee Pearson & Jeff Place, Design: Communication Visual, Photography: Dorothea Lange, Doug Bell, Duncan Schiedt, Jack Delano, Marion Post Wolcott, Producer: D. A. Sonneborn & Daniel E. Sheehy
[Notes]
Recordings made by Folkways Records and at the Smithsonian Festival of American Folklife 1971-1982

February 16, 2017

Songcatcher

Run Time: 109 minutes

Format: DVD, Color, NTSC
Country: US
DVD Released: February 19, 2004
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Soundtrack, Country
[Tracklist]
01 Fair And Tender Ladies: Rosanne Cash (2:54)
02 Pretty Saro: Iris DeMent (2:52)
03 When Love Is New: Dolly Parton & Emmy Rossum (5:16)
04 Barbara Allen: Emmy Rossum (0:43)
05 Barbara Allen: Emmylou Harris (4:33)
06 Moonshiner: Allison Moorer (3:32)
07 Sounds Of Loneliness: Patty Loveless (3:41)
08 All My Tears: Julie Miller (3:08)
09 Wayfarin' Stranger: Maria McKee (3:49)
10 Mary Of The Wild Moor: Sara Evans (3:20
11 Wind And Rain: Gillian Welch, David Rawlings & David Steele (3:20)
12 The Cuckoo Bird: Deana Carter (3:30)
13 Score Suite #1: David Mansfield (4:59)
14 Conversation With Death: Hazel Dickens, David Patrick Kelly & Bobby McMillen (2:57)
15 Score Suite #2: David Mansfield (4:58)
16 Single Girl: Pat Carroll (1:04)
[Cast]
Janet McTeer, Michael Davis, Michael Goodwin, Gregory Russell Cook, Jane Adams
[Credits]
Director: Maggie Greenwald, Writer: Maggie Greenwald, Producers: Caroline Kaplan, Elizabeth Finkelstein, Ellen Rigas-Venetis, Jennifer Roth, Jonathan Sehring
[Notes]
After being denied a promotion at the university where she teaches, Doctor Lily Penleric, a brilliant musicologist, impulsively visits her sister, who runs a struggling rural school in Appalachia. There she stumbles upon the discovery of her life - a treasure trove of ancient Scots-Irish ballads, songs that have been handed down from generation to generation, preserved intact by the seclusion of the mountains. With the goal of securing her promotion, Lily ventures into the most isolated areas of the mountains to collect the songs and finds herself increasingly enchanted - not only by the rugged purity of the music, but also by the raw courage and endurance of the local people as they carve out meaningful lives against the harshest conditions. It is not, however, until she meets Tom - a handsome, hardened war veteran and talented musician - that she's forced to examine her motivations. Is the "Songcatcher," as Tom insists, no better than the men who exploit the people and extort their land? —Sujit R. Varma

February 14, 2017

Appalachian Journey: Yo-Yo Ma • Edgar Meyer • Mark O'Connor

Sony Classical SK-66782

Format: CD, Album
Country: US
Released: Mar 21, 2000
Genre: Classical, Folk, World, & Country
Style: Classical Crossover
[Tracklist]
01 1B: Edgar Meyer/Yo-Yo Ma/Mark O'Connor (4:02)
02 Misty Moonlight Waltz: Mark O'Connor/Yo-Yo Ma/Edgar Meyer (4:46)
03 Hard Times Come Again No More: James Taylor/Yo-Yo Ma/Edgar Meyer/Mark O'Connor (3:43)
04 Indecision:  Edgar Meyer/Yo-Yo Ma/Mark O'Connor (4:28)
05 Limerock: Mark O'Connor/Yo-Yo Ma (2:28)
06 Benjamin: James Taylor/Yo-Yo Ma/Edgar Meyer/Mark O'Connor (3:31)
07 Fisher's Hornpipe: Yo-Yo Ma/Mark O'Connor/Edgar Meyer/Alison Krauss (3:44)
08 Duet for Cello and Bass: Edgar Meyer/Yo-Yo Ma (5:53)
09 Emily's Reel: Mark O'Connor/Edgar Meyer/Yo-Yo Ma (2:48)
10 Cloverfoot Reel: Edgar Meyer/Yo-Yo Ma/Mark O'Connor (4:24)
11 Poem for Carlita: Mark O'Connor/Yo-Yo Ma/Edgar Meyer (7:33)
12 Caprice for Three: Mark O'Connor/Yo-Yo Ma/Edgar Meyer (3:47)
13 Second Time Around: Edgar Meyer/Yo-Yo Ma/Mark O'Connor (4:31)
14 Slumber My Darling: Alison Krauss/Edgar Meyer/Yo-Yo Ma/Mark O'Connor (4:52)
15 Vistas: Mark O'Connor/Yo-Yo Ma/Edgar Meyer (9:57)
[Credits]
Yo-Yo Ma (cello) Edgar Meyer (bass) Mark O'Connor (violin) James Taylor (guitar/vocals) Alison Krauss ((violin/vocals)
A&R: Mia Bongiovanni, Liner Notes: John Schaefer, Art Direction: Allen Weinberg & Laura Torres, Photography: Merri Cyr & Michael Lutch
[Notes]
Appalachian Journey is the second album from the string trio of bassist and composer Edgar Meyer, fiddler and composer Mark O'Connor, and cellist Yo-Yo Ma. James Taylor and Alison Krauss join the trio individually on two Stephen Foster songs arranged for the trio. Sony Classical released the disc in 2000. The album joined a number of other recordings released since Appalachia Waltz that continue a new kind of classical music tinged with and influenced by the sounds and structures of America's own musical traditions. It is possible that the titles of these albums imply a continuity of the American classical tradition begun by Aaron Copland in Appalachian Spring. Unlike their first album, the three virtuosos spent several months on the compositions and arrangements, from July 19 to September 10, 1999.

February 12, 2017

Folks, He Sure Do Pull Some Bow! Vintage Fiddle Music 1927-1935

Old Hat Records CD-1003

Format: CD, Compilation
Country: US
Released: 2001
Genre: Blues, Folk, World
Style: Blues, Jazz
[Tracklist]
01 Ruckus Juice And Chittlin: Memphis Jug Band
02 The Jazz Fiddler: Walter Jacobs And Lonnie Carter
03 Moanin’And Groanin’Blues: Peg Leg Howell & His Gang
04 Dance Hall Shuffle: Clifford Hayes' Louisville Stompers
05 My Four Reasons: "Banjo Ikey" Robinson And His Bull Fiddle Band
06 Wild Cow Blues: Joe Williams' Washboard Blues Singers
07 Knox County Stomp: Tennessee Chocolate Drops
08 Rustlin’Man: State Street Boys
09 Sister Maud Mule: Alec Johnson
10 G Rag: Georgia Yellow Hammers
11 Throw Me In The Alley: Peetie Wheatstraw And His Blue Blowers
12 If You Can’t Make It Easy, Sweet Mama: Dixieland Jug Blowers
13 Bunker Hill: Frank Stokes
14 I Got A Gal: James Cole's String Band
15 Sweet To Mama: State Street Boys
16 Doctor Medicine: South Memphis Jug Band
17 Cabo Verdranos Peça Nove: Abrew's Portuguese Instrumental Trio
18 Worried Man Blues: Joe Williams' Washboard Blues Singers
19 Georgia Crawl: Henry Williams And Eddie Anthony
20 Good Old Turnip Greens: Bo Chatman
21 Memphis Stomp: Blue Boys
22 Get Up Off That Jazzophone: The Bubbling Over Five
23 Rukus Juice Shuffle: Alabama Rascals
24 Lazy Lazy River: Mississippi Sheiks
[Credits]
Produce and Liner Notes: Marshall Wyatt, Design: Davd Linch Graphic Design, Remastering: Christopher King, Digital Mastering: Robert Vosgien

February 6, 2017

So Long Of A Journey: Hot Rize

Sugar Hill Records SUG-CD-3943

Format: CD, Album
Country: US
Released: 2002
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Bluegrass
[Tracklist]
01 Blue Night 2:28
02 Keep Your Lamp Trimmed And Burning (2:45)
03 Empty Pocket Blues (2:40)
04 Introductions (1:42)
05 Radio Boogie (2:36)
06 Just Like You (3:46)
07 Climbing Up A Mountain (3:41)
08 Walkin' The Dog (2:52)
09 Frank's Blues (2:49)
10 A Voice On The Wind (3:51)
11 Shadows In My Room (3:01)
12 Nellie Kane (3:01)
13 The Butcher's Dog (2:58)
14 Working On A Building (4:09)
15 Walk The Way The Wind Blows (3:42)
16 Foggy Mt. Breakdown (1:25)
17 High On A Mountain (3:18)
18 Colleen Malone (3:09)
19 Life's Too Short (3:30)
20 Won't You Come And Sing For Me (3:43)
[Credites]
Tim O'Brien (mandolin/fiddle/vocals) Nick Forster (bass/vocals) Pete Wernick (banjo/vocals) Charles Sawtelle (guitar/vocals)
Art Direction: William C. Matthews, Booking: Keith Case, Design: Rich Ikegami, Editer: Bob Burnham & David Glasser, Engineer: Kevin Clock, Mastered by: David Glasser, Photography: Steven Stone, Producer: Nick Forster & Pete Wernick
[Notes]
Recorded by Mike Grace and Mickey Houlihan, Boulder Theater, Boulder, Colorado, March 6 and 7, 1996.

February 5, 2017

Classic Bluegrass From Smithsonian Folkways

Smithsonian Folkways SFW CD 40092

Format: CD, Compilation
Country: US
Released: 2002
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Bluegrass
[Tracklist]
01 Whitehouse Blues: Earl Taylor And The Stoney Mountain Boys (1:58)
02 Our Last Goodbye: The Johnson Mountain Boys (2:32)
03 When He Reached Down His Hand For Me: Bill Monroe And His Bluegrass Boys (2:44)
04 Tiny Broken Heart: Hazel Dickens And Alice Gerrard (3:01)
05 New Camptown Races: Red Allen, Frank Wakefield , And The Kentuckians (2:31)
06 Suzanne: Harley Allen-Mike Lilly Band (2:37)
07 I Heard My Mother Call My Name In Prayer: The Nashville Grass (3:07)
08 Teardrops In My Eyes: The Friendly City Playboys (2:26)
09 Cumberland Gap: Snuffy Jenkins (1:31)
10 Live And Let Live: Red Allen And The Kentuckians (2:44)
11 The World Is Waiting For The Sunrise: Roger Sprung And Doc Watson (2:37)
12 Hello City Limits: Hugh Moore (2:19)
13 (Legend Of The) Brown Mountain Light: The Country Gentlemen (2:32)
14 Lonesome Road Blues: Roni Stoneman (1:10)
15 The Train That Carried My Girl From Town: Doc Watson (2:16)
16 The Little Girl And The Dreadful Snake: The New Lost City Ramblers (3:29)
17 Little Birdie: The Stanley Brothers (2:37)
18 Rabbit In A Log: The Stanley Brothers (2:20)
19 Grey Eagle: David And Billie Ray Johnson (2:47)
20 Wayfaring Stranger: Cullen Gaylean And The Virginia Mountain Boys (5:07)
21 Billy In The Lowground: The Lonesome Strangers (1:00)
22 The Rebel Girl: Hazel Dickens (2:57)
23 Train 45: Smiley Hobbs (2:19)
24 'Neath That Cold Gray Tomb Of Stone: The Lilly Brothers And Don Stover (3:03)
25 Get Up John: Bill Monroe And His Bluegrass Boys (2:36)
[Credits]
Coordinator: Mary Monseur, Liner Notes: Carla Borden, Frank Proschan, Jeff Place & Lee Michael Demsey, Mastering: Pete Reiniger, Photography: John Cohen & Phil Zimmerman
[Notes]
It all began in 1956 with the release of the historic Folkways album American Banjo: Three-Finger and Scruggs Style (SFW 40037), the first-ever full-length bluegrass LP. From that point on, Folkways Records was synonymous with great bluegrass music. Folkways founder Moses Asch released scores of bluegrass albums, and this collection comprises the cream of the crop from these recordings, including works from giants of the genre such as Red Allen & Frank Wakefield, Bill Monroe, Doc Watson, the Stanley Brothers, and The Country Gentlemen. It serves as an outstanding introduction to the wealth of great bluegrass Smithsonian Folkways has to offer. Extensive notes, photos, 62 minutes. Compiled and annotated by Lee Michael Demsey and Jeff Place.

February 4, 2017

The Bristol Sessions

Country Music Foundation Records CMF-011-D

Format: 2 × CD, Compilation
Country: US
Released: 1991
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Country, Gospel, Folk
[Tracklist]
1-01 Skip To Ma Lou, My Darling: Uncle Eck Dunford
1-02 O Molly Dear: B.F. Shelton
1-03 Walking In The Way With Jesus: Blind Alfred Reed
1-04 The Newmarket Wreck: Mr. & Mrs. J.W. Baker
1-05 The Soldier's Sweetheart: Jimmie Rodgers
1-06 Greasy String: West Virginia Coon Hunters
1-07 Are You Washed In The Blood: Ernest V. Stoneman & His Dixie Mountaineers
1-08 Henry Whitter's Fox Chase: Henry Whitter
1-09 Bury Me Under The Weeping Willow: The Carter Family
1-10 The Jealous Sweetheart: Johnson Brothers
1-11 When They Ring The Golden Bells: Alfred G. Karnes
1-12 Sandy River Bell: Dad Blackard's Moonshiners
1-13 Sleep Baby Sleep: Jimmie Rodgers
1-14 Johnny Goodwin: Bull Mountain Moonshiners
1-15 I'm Redeemed: Alcoa Quartet
1-16 Little Log Cabin By The Sea: The Carter Family
1-17 Old Time Corn Shuckin' Parts 1 & 2 : Blue Ridge Corn Shuckers
2-01 I Want To Go Where Jesus Is: Earnest Phipps And His Holiness Quartet
2-02 On The Stormy Deep: Ernest Stoneman, Irma Frost & Eck Dunford
2-03 The Wandering Boy: The Carter Family
2-04 To The Work: Alfred G. Karnes
2-05 Black-eyed Susie: J.P. Nester
2-06 A Passing Policeman: Johnson Brothers
2-07 Tell Mother I Will Meet Her: Ernest V. Stoneman, K. Brewer & M. Mooney
2-08 Single Girl, Married Girl: The Carter Family
2-09 Pot Licker Blues: El Watson
2-10 The Longest Train I Ever Saw: Tenneva Ramblers
2-11 The Resurrection: Ernest V. Stoneman & His Dixie Mountaineers
2-12 The Storms Are On The Ocean: The Carter Family
2-13 The Wreck Of The Virginian: Blind Alfred Reed
2-14 Billy Grimes The Rover: Shelor Family
2-15 Standing On The Promises: Tennessee Mountaineers
2-16 The Mountaineer's Courtship: Ernest V. Stoneman, Irma Frost & Eck Dunford
2-17 The Poor Orphan Child: The Carter Family
2-18 I'm Bound For The Promised Land: Alfred G. Karnes
[Credits]
Art Direction: Virginia Team, Compiled: Bob Pinson, Coordinator: Chick Crumpacker, Design: Andy Engel & Virginia Team, Illustration: Andy Engel, Liner Notes: Charles K. Wolfe, Mastered: H. Ward Marston, Recorded: Ralph Peer
[Notes]
In the summer of 1927, talent scout Ralph Peer set up portable recording equipment in the mountain town of Bristol on the Tennessee-Virginia border. When his two-week marathon recording session was over he had discovered the likes of Jimmie Rodgers and the Carter Family and had produced 76 landmark recordings, which would pave the way for the commercialization of modern country music. These historic sessions showcase the diversity of early country music including gospel, blues, ballads, and mountain fiddle tunes. When tracing the roots of country music, old-timers, historians, and young fans will all note that the Bristol Sessions is a great place to start. http://bristolsessions.com

February 2, 2017

The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan

Columbia CL-1986

Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Mono
Country: US
Released: May 27, 1963
Genre: Folk, World, & Country
Style: Folk
[Tracklist]
A1 Blowin' In The Wind (2:47)
A2 Girl From The North Country (3:18)
A3 Masters Of War (4:29)
A4 Down The Highway (3:19)
A5 Bob Dylan's Blues (2:19)
A6 A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall (6:47)
B1 Don't Think Twice, It's All Right (3:37)
B2 Bob Dylan's Dream (4:58)
B3 Oxford Town (1:47)
B4 Talking World War III Blues (6:23)
B5 Corrina, Corrina (2:40)
B6 Honey, Just Allow Me One More Chance (1:57)
B7 I Shall Be Free (4:45)
[Credits]
Bob Dylan (guitar/harmonica/vocals)
Howie Collins (guitar) Bruce Langhorne (guitar) Leonard Gaskin (bass) Herb Lovelle (drums) Dick Wellstood (piano) on "Corrina, Corrina"
Liner Notes: Nat Hentoff, Photograph: Don Hunstein, Producer: John Hammond & Tom Wilson
[Notes]
Recorded April 24–25, July 9, October 26, November 1 and 15, December 6, 1962, and April 24, 1963 at Columbia Records Studio A, 799 Seventh Avenue, New York City