NEWSLETTER #129
Country, Bluegrass & Old Timey
Milton Brown -> Tex Williams
| JOHN HARTFORD FERLIN HUSKY AS TERRY PRESTON JUDY MARTIN & HER MOUNTAIN RANGERS SMOKEY ROGERS VARIOUS ARTISTS TEX WILLIAMS |
| THE DEAN BROTHERS | Cattle 278 | Country & Western Solos And Duets | ● CD $18.98 |
| 24 tracks featuring Eddie Dean and his brother JImmie (not
the same Jimmie who recorded Big Bad John and promotes breakfast
sausage). This set includes early duets by the brothers from the 30s, a
radio show from the 30s by the brothers, tracks from the 40s by Jimmie & his
Trail Riders and tracks from the 50s by Eddie Dean with Speedy West, Harold
Hensley & Jerry Byrd. EDDIE DEAN: All That I'm Asking Is Sympathy/ Call Of The Outlaw/ Devil's Desert Land/ I Asked A Dream/ If I Should Come Back/ My Life With You/ When It's Harvest Time In Peaceful Valley/ Will They Open Up That Door/ You Want To Divorce Me/ JIMMIE DEAN & TRIO: Live And Let Live/ San Antonio Rose/ THE DEAN BROS.: (there's) No Disappointment In Heaven/ At The Close Of A Long, Long Day/ Red Sails In The Sunset/ Roll Along Prairie Moon/ Shine On Harvest Moon/ Shine On Harvest Moon/ Tell Mother I'll Be There/ The Oregon Trail/ When It's Harvest Time, Sweet Angeline/ Wonder Valley/ JIMMIE DEAN TRIO: Boogie Woogie Cowboy/ Cimarron (roll On)/ Tumbling Tumble-Weeds |
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| JOHN HARTFORD | Rounder 0480 | Steam Powered Aereo-Takes | ● CD $15.98 |
| 18 tracks, 52 mins., recommended. Whether or not you've heard
Hartford's legendary 1971 "Aero-Plain" this CD of outtakes from those
wonderful long-ago sessions will delight any Hartford or bluegrass fan. What
a band: Hartford on banjo and guitar, Norman Blake on guitar and mandolin,
Vassar Clements on fiddle, Tut Taylor on dobro, and Randy Scruggs on bass.
And it's all in service of Hartford's dry-as-dust, hilarious angle on the
world, with songs like the almost Pythonesque Blame it on Joanne/ Bad
Music is Better than No Music At All, and Howard Hughes Blues.
Some of the mixes could have benefited from a little vocal compression (some
of the lyrics can be hard to catch), but the whole thing rolls along with
the relaxed feel of a roomful of bluegrass masters just chatting musically
among themselves for their own profound amusement. It's a joy to sit there
with them and a reminder how acutely Hartford will be missed.
(DC) |
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| JUDY MARTIN & HER MOUNTAIN RANGERS | Cattle 279 | Judy Martin & Her Mountain Rangers | ● CD $18.98 |
| 24 tracks from radio transcriptions in the 40s by this fine
singer and her band. Includes some cuts with her husband Red Foley. JUDY MARTIN: By A Window At The End Of The Lane/ Charlie Brooks/ Don' Think Any More About Me/ Don't Leave The Farm (don't Be In A Hurry To Go)/ Down By The Ripplin' Stream/ Down In The Valley/ I Haven't Changed/ I Wish I'd Never Learned To Love You/ I'll Keep Smilin'/ I'm Lookin' For A Sweetheart/ If You'll Let Me Be Your Little Sweetheart, I'll Be Much Obliged To You/ Little Rose Of The Prairie/ Lonesome And Blue/ My Little Cow Pony And I/ My Old Pal Of Yesterday/ Old Buckaroo/ Sundown Tonight In Laredo/ Sweet Kitty Wells/ Tell Him I'm Blue/ Texas Rose/ The Letter That Broke My Heart/ Tonight On The Range/ Wait For The Wagon/ You Took Away My Sunshine |
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| SMOKEY ROGERS | Cattle 281 | Western Swing And Country Things | ● CD $18.98 |
| 25 track varied compilation featuring sides recorded between
1945 and '52. Includes both Western Swing and straight country. SMOKEY ROGERS: (without Your) Wedding Ring/ A Kiss To Remember/ A Little Bird Told Me/ Are You Somebody's Darlin'?/ Baby Me, Baby/ Ball Of Fire/ Blue Bonnet Polka/ Carry Me Back To Tucumcari/ Dimples Or Dumplin's/ Don't Come Cryin' To Me/ Double Trouble/ Goin' Down The Road (vocal Plus Texie Holle)/ Hair Of Gold, Eyes Of Blue (with The Mccall Twins)/ How Lonely Can You Get? (vocal Texie Holle)/ Irma Is The Name Of My Baby (with Vocal Trio)/ New Panhandle Rag/ Nine-Tenths Of The Tennessee River/ No She Don't-yes She Does/ Please Give Me One More Chance/ Seven Come Eleven/ Shame On You/ Steel Guitar Jubilee/ The Spelling Song (i L-o-v-e You)/ Tulsa Trot/ Wear My Ribbon |
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS | County 3527 | Hard Times In The Country | ● CD $15.98 |
| 18 tracks, 54 mins, essential A wonderful collection of old
time songs recorded between 1927 and 1938. Although the subtitle is "Down
And Out In the Rural South" this is not so much a collection of songs about
poverty but rather about the ways life was changing in the South for those
less fortunate - in part at least by the increase in industrialization. The
songs here are rarely self pitying and comment on the times with skill and
wry wit. Although it has been reissued several times before there are few
songs with as potent a message as Blind Alfred Reed's monumental How Can
A Poor Man Stand Such Times And Live whose message still rings true more
than 70 years after it was recorded. There are three songs by the great
Uncle Dave Macon whose perception and intellect belie the stereotype of
"country hick". Other fine artists here includeThe Lee Brothers Trio, Frank
Hutchison, Lowe Stokes & His North Georgians, Kelly Harrell, Dutch Coleman,
The Georgia Crackers, Ashley & Foster, Dave & Howard and others. Sound
quality is superb and the 16 page booklet has perceptive notes from Bill
Malone. My only complaint is that they could have easily fitted another half
a dozen tracks on this CD. (FS) ASHLEY & FOSTER: Bay Rum Blues/ BENTLEY BOYS: Down On Penny's Farm/ LEE BROTHERS TRIO: Cotton Mill Blues/ CAROLINA TARHEELS: Got The Farmland Blues/ DUTCH COLEMAN: Gonna Raise Some Bacon At Home/ DAVE & HOWARD: Serves 'em Fine/ DIXON BROTHERS: Sales Tax On Women/ OSCAR FORD: Farmer's Dream/ GEORGIA CRACKERS: Riley The Furniture Man/ KELLY HARRELL: My Name Is John Johanna/ FISHER HENDLEY: Weave Room Blues/ FRANK HUTCHISON: Miner's Blues/ UNCLE DAVE MACON: Farm Relief/ From Earth To Heaven/ Wreck Of The Tennessee Gravy Train/ NORTH GEORGIANS: Prohibition Is A Failure/ Wish I Had Stayed In Wagon Yard/ BLIND ALFRED REED: How Can A Poor Man Stand Such Times |
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| VARIOUS ARTISTS | Trikont 310 | Flowers In The Wildwood - Women In Early Country Music | ● CD $21.98 |
| 25 tracks, 70 mins, highly recommended. Wonderful collection
of country recordings made between 1923 and 1939. Most of these tracks are
making their first appearance on CD. Among the artists featured a Lulu Belle
& Scotty, The Dezurik Sisters (some of the most amazing yodelling you'll
ever hear), The Aaron Sisters (a fascinating acapella trio recorded by
Columbia in 1932), The Girls Of The Golden West, Moonshine Kate (fine Jimmie
Rodgers style blues by Fiddlin' John Carson's daughter), Joe & Alma, Fred &
Gertrude Gossett (a fine version of All The Good Times Are Past & Gone),
The Leatherman Sisters (fine duet vocals and guitars on the gospel song
Home-Coming Week), Mr. & Mrs J.W. Baker (fine group with guitar, fiddle,
banjo & autoharp), The Carter Family ( a couple of their less familiar
tracks), The Coon Creek Girls, The Wisdom Sisters and others. Sound quality
is a bit rough on some cuts but is mostly excellent. Set comes with 28 page
illustrated booklet with extensive notes in German and English including an
interview with Carolyn Dezurik and biographical profiles of all the
performers. (FS) |
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