NEWSLETTER #129
Country, Bluegrass & Old Timey
Milton Brown
-> Tex Williams
|
MILTON
BROWN & HIS MUSICAL BROWNIES |
Proper BOX 59 |
Daddy Of Western Swing |
● CD $25.98 |
4 CDs, 106 tracks, essential In 1932, the seminal western
band The Light Crust Doughboys split in 2. Fiddler Bob Wills & banjo player
Sleepy Johnson eventually started the great Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys.
Singer Milton Brown & his young guitar-slinger brother Derwood formed The
Musical Brownies. Adding such future greats as banjo player Ocie Stockard,
pianist John "Papa" Calhoun (nicknamed in honor of his hero Earl "Fatha"
Hines), fiddler Cecil Brower & legendary pedal steel player Bob Dunn. The
band initially recorded for Bluebird - their 4/4/34 session is considered
the 1st real Western Swing recording session. After 2 sessions with
Bluebird, resulting in 18 recordings, the band switched to Decca for the
rest of their short life, hastened by the death of Milton in complications
from a car crash just 2 years later, 4/12/36. Derwood kept the Brownies
together for a littler while & this set ends with 4 tunes by Derwood Brown &
His Musical Brownies. Set includes such greats as Easy Ridin' Papa/
Garbage Man Blues/ Brownie's Stomp/ Get Along Cindy/ Who's Sorry Now/ You're
Bound To Look Like A Monkey, etc. With 32 page booklet. (GM)
|
| THE CALLAHAN BROTHERS |
Cattle 277 |
More Memories Of The Callahan Brothers |
● CD $18.98 |
Complementing Cattle 267 this features and other fine
collection of 20 tracks from this fine brother duo from North Carolina
recorded between 1934 and 1939. Accompanying themselves on guitars they
perform a mix of blues, sentimental songs, traditional ballads and more. Some fine music though sound quality on a number of tracks is pretty
rough.
THE CALLAHAN BROTHERS: Ashville Blues/ Don't You Remember The Time/ Drive My
Blues Away/ Gonna Quit My Rowdy Days/ I Don't Want To Hear Your Name/ I Want
To Ask The Stars/ I've Just Been A Brakeman/ Just One Little Kiss/ Katie
Dear/ Mean Mama/ My Blue Eyed Jane/ North Carolina Moon./ Seventeen Years
Ago/ She's My Curly Headed Baby/ She's My Curly Headed Baby No. 2/ The Best
Pal I Had Is Gone/ The Price I Had To Pay/ True Lover/ When A Man's
Lonesome/ Would If I Could (but I Can't)
|
| SPADE COOLEY |
Proper Pairs 127 |
Swingin' The Devil's Dream |
● CD $12.98 |
Excellent introduction to the music of this fine and
important Western Swing fiddler and bandleader. Two CDs with 52 tracks
ranging from his first recordings in 1941 as a member of Cal Shrum's Rhythm
Rangers and covers many of his best recordings through to 1952. Vocalist on
his recordings include Tex Williams, Ardith "Red" Egner, Ginny Jackson and
others including two tracks with vocals by The Sons Of The Pioneers. Sidemen
include Smokey Rogers, Joaquin Murphy, Noel Boggs, Jimmy Wyble, Milton
DeLugg and others. Includes 16 page booklet with extensive notes by Adam
Komorowski, several photos and full discographical information.
SPADE COOLEY: A Pair Of Broken Hearts/ All Aboard For Oklahoma/ Big Chief
Boogie/ Call Me Darlin' Do/ Carmen's Boogie/ Chew Tobacco Rag/ Cow Bell
Polka/ Crazy Cause I Love You/ Crazy Cause I Love You/ Detour/ Down Yonder/
Fickle Woman/ Forgive Me One More Time/ Four Fiddle Polka/ Haas Stomp/ Hide
Your Face/ Hillbilly Fever/ Hitsitty Hotsitty/ Horse Hair Boogie/ I Can't
Help The Way You Feel/ I Guess I've Been Dreaming Again/ I've Taken All I'm
Gonna Take From You/ It's Dark Outside/ Lord Nottingham's War Dance/ Minuet
In Swing/ Oklahoma Stomp/ One Sweet Letter From You/ Shame On You/ Spadella/
Steel Guitar Rag/ Sweethearts Or Strangers/ Swingin' The Devil's Dream/
Swingin' The Devil's Dream/ Tell Me Why/ Texas Steel Guitar/ The Cowboy
Waltz/ The Last Round Up/ Three Fiddle Rag/ Three Way Boogie/ Time Changes
Everything/ Topeka Polka/ Troubled Over You/ Tuesday Two Step/ Wagon Wheels/
Whistle Bait/ Worried Mind/ You Better Do It Now/ You Can't Break My Heart/
You Can't Take Texas Out Of Me/ You Never Miss The Water/ You Waited Too
Long/ You'll Rue The Day
|
| 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
|
| THE DELMORE BROTHERS |
B.A.C.M. 044 |
That Old Train |
● CD $13.98 |
Superb collection of sides by this brilliant brother duo. 17
of the 22 tracks here are from their Decca sessions of 1940 and 1941 with
the remaining five from their later King sessions. The Decca sessions
feature them performing traditional and original songs with their gentle
harmonies accompanied by their fine interlocking guitar work. The King sides
finds them in a more bluesy mood with Wayne Raney contributing harmonica on
a couple of tracks.
THE DELMORE BROTHERS: Baby Girl/ Gathering Flowers From The Hillside/ Gospel
Cannonball/ Honey I'm Ramblin' Away/ I Found An Angel/ I Needed You/ I Now
Have A Bugle To Play/ I Wonder Where My Darling Is Tonight/ I'm Leaving You/
I'm Sorry I Caused You To Cry/ In The Blue Hills Of Virginia/ Last Night I
Was Your Only Darling/ Make Room In The Lifeboat For Me/ Old Mountain Dew/
Precious Jewel/ She Won't Be My Little Darling/ Silver Dollar/ That Old
Train/ There's Something ’bout Love/ There's Trouble On My Mind Today/ When
It's Time For The Whip-poor-wills To Sing/ Will You Be Lonesome Too
|
|
RED FOLEY
& THE MOUNTAIN RANGERS |
Cattle 280 |
Judy Martin Presents Red Foley & The
Mountain Rangers |
● CD $18.98 |
24 tracks from extremely rare radio transcriptions including
several duets with his wife Judy Martin who comitted suicide in 1951.
RED FOLEY: Ain't Gonna Study War No Name/ Billy Boy/ Bluebonnet Girl/ Don't
Say A Word/ Down Hoosier Way/ Headin' Back To Old Wyoming/ Headin' Back To
Texas/ Hit The Trail/ Just Come On Back/ Little Darlin' Let Me Pin A Rose On
You/ Melody Of The Plains/ Methodist Pie/ Nobody's Darlin'/ Old Shep/ Play
Me An Old Fashioned Waltz/ Poor Little Me/ Roamin' Around The Range/ Rollin'
Along/ Running After Rainbows/ Shortenin' Bread/ Swing Low, Sweet Chariot/
The Last Letter/ There's An Empty Cot In The Bunkhouse Tonight/ Whatcha
Gonna Do
|
| 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)
|
| FERLIN HUSKY AS
TERRY PRESTON |
B.A.C.M. 045 |
Tennessee Hillbilly Ghost |
● CD $13.98 |
24 tracks, 62 mins, recommended A fine collection of some of
Ferlin's earliest recordings from the early 50s before he achieved
pop-country fame and is straight honky tonk country with few of the vocal
mannerisms that would mar some of his later recordings. Ferlin is
accompanied by a fine band including Speedy West on guitar. This set
includes his first recording from 1952 of Smokey Rogers' fine song Gone
which went nowhere at the time but became a number one country hit when he
re-recorded it in 1957. (FS)
FERLIN HUSKY: Cotton Pickin' Heart/ Counting My Heartaches/ Cross Eyed Gal
From The Ozarks/ Crying Heart Blues/ Deadly Weapon/ Echoes In My Heart/
Flowers Speak Louder Than Words/ Gone/ Hard Hearted/ Heart Of Stone/ I Love
You/ I Want You So/ I Wished A Thousand Times/ I've Got A Woman's Love/
Jezebel/ Lose Your Blues/ Now And Then/ Put Me In Your Pocket/ Road To
Heaven/ Say When/ Tennessee Hillbilly Ghost/ The Letter You Promised To
Write/ Time/ Watch The Company You Keep
|
| STONEWALL JACKSON |
Collector's Choice 346 |
The Best Of Stonewall Jackson |
● CD $15.98 |
24 tracks, 62 tracks, highly recommended. The first decent CD
retrospective of this superb honky tonk singer from Georgia. He is probably
best remembered for his catchy crossover novelty song Waterloo but he
also recorded some of the best honky tonk ballads of the late 50s through
early 70s. Every track here was a country chart hit and includes such great
songs as Life To Go/ Smoke Along The Track/ A Wound Time Can't Erase/
Don't Be Angry/ Wild Wild Wind/ I Washed My Hands In Muddy Water and
others. Great sound and informative notes by Colin Escott. (FS)
|
|
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
|
| 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
|
| 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
|
| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Indigo 2535 |
Going Back To Old Kentucky |
● CD $15.98 |
A very nice compilation of early bluesgrass covering the
period 1940 to 1951. Two CDs with with 54 tracks it features mostly familiar
favorites like Bill Monroe, The Stanley Brothers, Flatt & Scruggs, Carl
Story, etc. along with some lesser known artists like Hobo Jack Adkins, The
King Sacred Quartet, Tommy Magness & His Tennessee Buddies and others. Most
of it's been out before but this is a particularly well chosen selection
with excellent sound and informative notes by Colin Escott.
HOBO JACK ADKINS: Going Back To Old Kentucky/ THE BAILEY BROTHERS: Happy
Valley Special/ WILMA LEE & STONEY COOPER: Sunny Side Of The Mountain/ JIM
EANES & THE SHENANDOAH VALLEY BOYS: Florida Blues (instr.)/ Little Brown
Hand/ FLATT & SCRUGGS & THE FOGGY MOUNTAIN BOY: Come Back To Me, Darling/
Earl's Breakdown/ Foggy Mountain Breakdown (instr.)/ I'll Be Going To Heaven
Sometime/ My Cabin In Caroline/ Old Salty Dog Blues/ Roll In My Sweet Baby's
Arms/ SHANNON GRAYSON & HIS GOLDEN VALLEY BOYS: I Like The Old Time Way/ THE
KING SACRED QUARTET (FEAT JOHNNIE & JACK): I Heard My Name On The Radio/ THE
LONESOME PINE FIDDLERS: Pain In My Heart/ TOMMY MAGNESS & HIS TENNESSEE
BUDDIES: Little Country Preacher/ When I Safely Reach That Other Shore/ WADE
MAINER & TRIO: Little Birdie/ The Girl I Left In Sunny Tennessee/ J.E
MAINER'S MOUNTAINEERS: Lonely Tombs/ JIMMY MARTIN & THE OSBORNE BROTHERS:
Blue Eyed Darling/ She's Just A Cute Thing/ BILL MONROE & HIS BLUE GRASS
BOYS: Blue Grass Breakdown/ Blue Moon Of Kentucky/ Can't You Hear Me Callin'/
I'm On My Way To The Old Home/ It's Mighty Dark To Travel/ Raw Hide (instr.)/
Rocky Road Blues/ Uncle Pen/ You're Drifting Away/ Get Down On Your Knees
And Pray/ Heavy Traffic Ahead/ I'm Blue, I'm Lonesome/ Mule Skinner Blues/
Orange Blossom Special/ Will You Be Loving Another Man/ CHARLIE MONROE & HIS
KENTUCKY PARDNERS: Mother's Not Dead/CARL SAUCEMAN & HIS HILLBILLY RAMBLERS:
Your Trouble Ways Keep Us Apart/ THE STANLEY BROTHERS: Gathering Flowers For
The Master's Bouquet/ I'm A Man Of Constant Sorrow/ Little Maggie/ Molly And
Tennbrook (the Horse Race Song)/ The Angels Are Singing (in Heaven Tonight)/
The Drunkard's Hell/ The Fields Have Turned Brown/ White Dove/ CARL STORY &
HIS RAMBLING MOUNTAINEERS: He Will Set Your Fields On Fire/ My Lord Keeps A
Record/ CARL STORY & THE RAMBLING MOUNTAINEERS: Will There Be A Traffic
Light/ MAC WISEMAN: Four Walls Around Me/ Going Like Wildfire/ Little White
Church/ 'tis Sweet To Be Remembered
|
| 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)
|
| TEX WILLIAMS |
B.A.C.M. 046 |
Hey Mr. Cotton Picker |
● CD $13.98 |
22 tracks from the 40s by this popular western performers -
includes guest appearance by Smokey Rogers and Jo Stafford.
TEX WILLIAMS: Big Bars Polka/ Blackstrap Molasses/ Bronco Busters Ball/
Castle Of My Dreams/ Chickashay Gal/ Cowboy Polka/ Don't Make Love To Mary/
Good Night Cincinnati, Good Morning Tennesse/ Hey Mr. Cotton Picker/ I Want
To Be Near You/ Johnstown Polka/ Just A Pair Of Blue Eyes/ Never Trust A
Travelling Salesman/ Only Politickin'/ Rose Of The Alamo/ Shame On You/ She
Didn't Even Kiss Me Goodbye/ Sweet Little Boogalie/ The Urn On The Mantle/
Three Little Girls Dressed In Blue/ Tulsa Trot/ With Men Who Know Tobacco
Best
|
Back To New Release Index
|
