Clarence Ashley and Doc Watson

Clarence Ashley And Doc Watson: The Clarence Ashley And Doc Watson: The Original Folkways Recordings, 1960-1962

When blind singer/guitarist Arthel "Doc" Watson was "discovered" by folklorist Ralph Rinzler in 1960 he sounded as though he'd been picking for a hundred years, not to mention the fact that his huge repertoire of old songs seemed like it could go on for days. Watson had actually been playing in a honky-tonk band when Rinzler came across him in Deep Gap, North Carolina. When he asked Doc to set down his electric guitar he created one of the first--and most lasting--stars of the folk revival. Ashley was already a mountain music legend himself when he cut these front-porch sessions; picking a fine banjo and singing along on one standard--like "Shady Grove" and "Peg and Awl"--after another. --Michael Ruby

Robert Griffen

North Carolina: A State of Music

Robert spent his early years up the Neuse River in New Bern, NC. His grandfather was a singing Christian evangelist. With Robert's grandmother accompanying him on piano, Robert's father playing the violin and Robert's uncle on clarinet and trumpet, they "did the traveling minstrel bit, only it was in churches." With his young ears steeped in those traditions, fate threw this Carolina lad a curve ball: in his teens Robert began piano lessons with Arvids Snornieks, the former Latvian Minister of Culture. Those two mythic musical forces classical Europe and red dirt North Carolina are the leitmotifs of his life, and of this luminous collection of musical interpretations.

Roscoe Halcomb

The High Lonesome Sound

With a voice that could crack the same cement he worked all his adult life, Roscoe Holcomb, along with Dock Boggs, Wade Ward, and Banjo Bill Cornett, was one of the most searing singers and pickers of the Appalachian banjo style. He performed mostly in Holiness Church services and impromptu square dances, and his style was never polished by an extensive professional career. His banjo playing is distinguished by speedy, irregular meter, and seems to mimic his vocal approach (or vice versa). First released in 1965, this John Cohen edited collection includes the well-known traditional cuts "Moonshiner" and "House of the Rising Sun," and is fleshed out by the guitar playing of Mike Seeger. --Roy Francis Kasten

Lamar Lunsford

Ballads, Banjo Tunes, And Sacred Songs of Western North Carolina

This is a superb collection of 19 songs that were collected by the eminent folklorist Bascom Lamar Lunsford and recorded by him for the Library of Congress. It is a gem of a recording graced with excellent liner notes by one of Lunsford's daughters and by Loyal Jones his biographer, as well as extensive commentaries on each of the songs from Lunsford himself taken from his papers and directly from his Library of Congress recordings. For anyone even remotely interested in the folk traditions of the southern Appalachians, this disc is an unquestioned must. Kudos to the Smithsonian for issuing this CD, and please let us have more! 

 Alan Lomax

 Blue Ridge Legacy - The Alan Lomax

If you consider yourself even a passing fan of old-timey, Appalachian, blues, or bluegrass music, do not pass this one up. Hobart Smith was a distinctive and unsurpassed banjo player and fiddle player, a fine piano and guitar player, and had a much more accessible singing voice than many of the old-time banjo players. Dock Boggs, Roscoe Holcomb, etc. were fine musicians, but their voices were acquired tastes, so if you are looking for old-time music with a much more accessible voice, Hobart Smith should be right up your alley. Don't try to pigeon-hole him with Dock and Roscoe, though. Stylistically, Smith ran the gamut of American folk music through to his death in 1965, drawing equally from white and black traditions. Whatever he played, though, he played with soul and energy. As an added bonus, the liner notes are fantastic, providing information about the man, his styles of playing, and the songs themselves. Devil's Dream

From Ashe, Watauga, and Allegany Counties

Music From The Lost Provinces: Old-Time...

For whatever reason, the so-called "Lost Provinces" of North Carolina--Ashe, Watauga, and Allegany Counties--were a breeding ground for fantastic string bands in the late '20s. Maybe it was the isolated and tough nature of the region that inspired folks to turn to music. Or perhaps all those enterprising record companies were eager to sign old-time musicians. Whatever the case, the talent on this anthology of vintage 78 records is astounding and, at times, surprising. Is it possible, for instance, to listen to the Woodie Brothers sing "Likes Likker Better Than Me"--a woman's lament for her alcoholic love interest--with a straight face? Probably not. And why the heck did Jack Reedy & His Walker Mountain String Band use a Hawaiian guitar for the intro to "Chinese Breakdown"? Don't worry, there's also plenty of straightforward and memorable string band music here from the likes of Grayson & Whitter, Frank Blevins, the Smyth County Ramblers, and more. Throughout, you'll hear incredible old-time guitar, fiddle, and (thanks to Jack Reedy) banjo playing on a thoroughly engaging collection of laments, traditional tunes, and at least one presidential campaign number ("Governor Al Smith For President"). As with Old Hat's Violin, Sing the Blues for Me compilation, you'll find copious liner notes and excellent remastering in this wonderful package. --Jason Verlinde