Label: Bear Family Records.
Release Date: August 6, 2013.
Recording Time: 301 minutes.
Release Info: Studio Recording (BCD-16083).
Recording Date: October 15, 1928 - October 18, 1929.
Styles: Country Blues, Traditional Country, Appalachian, North American Traditions.
Recorded in the two years following The Bristol Sessions of 1927, The Johnson City Sessions are considered one of the founding documents of country music, and they've never been documented the way they are on this four-disc 2013 set from Bear Family. Like the label's exhaustive box chronicling The Bristol Sessions, this four-disc set is designed as a definitive document of these field recording sessions shepherded by Columbia Records. Indeed, a fair chunk of this material has never been reissued, either on disc or vinyl, but it has echoed over the years, with three of the cuts showing up on Harry Smith's Anthology of American Folk Music and the entire collection of Appalachian folk, providing a foundation for the old, weird America that has been celebrated in the years since Smith. This, naturally, digs much deeper into this particular section of Appalachia, as discovered and recorded by Frank B. Walker. Some of the names are familiar -- Charlie Bowman, the Roane County Ramblers, Clarence (Tom) Ashley -- but this music is not about the singer so much as the song, songs that were often sung in the years before the Great Depression; songs that capture a wild, mythical America. By preserving every one of the surviving 100 recordings, The Johnson City Sessions provides an important historical document nearly the equal of The Bristol Sessions. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Credits: Rob Allingham - illustrations, photography; Clarence Ashley - banjo, guitar, primary artist, vocals; Reno Bailey - illustrations, photography; Bateman Sacred Quartet - primary artist; The Bently Boys - primary artist; Blalock & Yates - primary artist; Brad Blalock - illustrations, photography; Sam W. Blalock - fiddle; Bowman Sisters - primary artist; Argil Bowman - guitar, vocals; Charlie Bowman - fiddle, vocals; Charlie Bowman & His Brothers - primary artist; Elbert Bowman - guitar, vocals; Jennie Bowman - vocals; Pauline Bowman - vocals; Walter Bowman - banjo, vocals; Carl Bradshaw - primary artist, vocals, yodeling; Luke Brandon - guitar, vocals; Francum Braswell - guitar, harmonica, primary artist, vocals; Alan Bridwell - illustrations, photography; John Burton - illustrations, photography; Buck Butler - mandolin, vocals; John F. Butler - guitar, vocals; Kenneth Butler - illustrations, photography; Judy Carson - illustrations, photography; Jack Caudle - guitar, vocals; Norm Cohen - illustrations, photography; Dee Cole - tenor (vocal); Amy Collins - illustrations, photography; Leonard Copeland - guitar, primary artist, speech/speaker/speaking part; Bob Cox - illustrations, photography; Dawson - composer; Joyce Isaacs Denton - illustrations, photography; Ephraim Woodie & The Henpecked Husbands - primary artist; Curly Fox - guitar; Cecil Frye - fiddle; Floyd Frye - guitar; Gordon Frye - fiddle; Zel Frye - tenor banjo; Garland Brothers & Grinstead - primary artist; Ashley Garland - baritone (vocal); Hanford Garland - tenor (vocal); Mychael Gerstenberger - artwork; Grant Brothers & Their Music - primary artist; Claude Grant - guitar, vocals; Jack Grant - vocals; Clarence Green - guitar, vocals; Clarence Greene - fiddle, primary artist, vocals; Greensboro Boys Quartet - primary artist, vocals; Charley Grinstead - bowed bass, fiddle; Richard Harold - guitar, primary artist, vocals; Roy Harper - primary artist; Roy Harvey - guitar, primary artist, speech/speaker/speaking part, vocals; Ed Helton Singers - primary artist, vocals; Frank Holden - baritone (vocal); Levin Holden - bass (vocal); William Frank Holden - illustrations, photography; Guy Howard - vocals; Rebekah Yates Hunt - illustrations, photography; Roy Isaacs - vocals; Jack Jackson - guitar, primary artist, vocals, yodeling; Roland Johnson - fiddle, vocals; John Kelly - mandolin; John Lilly - illustrations, photography; Tom Lockamy - illustrations, photography; Sam Malbuch - photo restoration; Kathy McBee - illustrations, photography; Jimmy McCarroll - fiddle; Tammie McCarroll-Burroughs - illustrations, photography; McCartt Brothers - primary artist; Barney McCartt - mandolin, yodeling; Luther McCartt - fiddle, yodeling; Charlotte McConaha - illustrations, photography; Rosemary Williams McKinney - illustrations, photography; McVay & Johnson - primary artist; Ancil McVay - guitar, vocals; Moatsville String Ticklers - primary artist; Byrd Moore - guitar, vocals; Byrd Moore & His Hot Shots - primary artist; Okel "Evans" Moore - mandolin, vocals; Edison Nuckolls - banjo; Victoria O'Connell - illustrations, photography; Ted Olson - illustrations, liner notes, photography, reissue producer; Patterson - primary artist; Andy Patterson - guitar, vocals, yodeling; Jack Pierce - fiddle, vocals; Proximity String Quartet - primary artist; Carl Queen - illustrations, photography; The Reed Children - primary artist; Belle Reed - primary artist, vocals; Bill Reed - primary artist, vocals; Clay Reed - fiddle; Renus Rich - primary artist, vocals, yodeling; Fred Richards - guitar, primary artist, vocals, yodeling; Brooks Ritter - banjo; Harold Ritter - bass, fiddle; The Roane County Ramblers - primary artist; George Roark, Sr. - banjo, primary artist, vocals; Kinney Rorrer - illustrations, photography; Gary Rose - illustrations, photography; Tony Russell - discography, editing, illustrations, liner notes, photography, reissue producer; Doyle Shaffer - guitar; Shell Creek Quartet - primary artist; Josephine Holden Shelton - illustrations, photography; Earl Shirkey - primary artist, speech/speaker/speaking part, vocals, yodeling; Claude Slagle - banjo; Ethal Garland Slusher - illustrations, photography; Odell Smith - fiddle; Aaron Smithers - illustrations, photography; The Spindale Quartet - primary artist; John Starnes - vocals; Elizabeth Strauss - illustrations, photography; Marshall Summers - guitar, vocals; Flora Sutton - alto (vocals); Fran Trappe - accordion; Malcolm Vidrine - transfers; George Wade - mandolin, primary artist, vocals; Frank Walker - Producer; Weaver Brothers and Elviry and Elviry, The - primary artist; Vance Weaver - banjo, vocals; Wiley Weaver - guitar, vocals; Vaughan Webb - illustrations, photography; Steve Weiss - illustrations, photography; Phil Wells - lyric transcription; Gary White - illustrations, photography; Ellis Williams - harmonica, primary artist; Wise Brothers - primary artist; Bee Wise - banjo; Omer Wise Sr. - guitar; Charles K. Wolfe - illustrations, photography; Ephraim Woodie - guitar, vocals; Wyatt & Brandon - primary artist; Howard Wyatt - banjo, vocals; Marshall Wyatt - illustrations, photography; Ancel Yates - guitar, vocals; Eugene Yates - primary artist, vocals; Ira Yates - guitar, primary artist, vocals; Chris Zwarg - mastering.
Tracks, Disc 1: 1. My Boyhood Days - Shell Creek Quartet; 2. Back Where the Old Home Stands - Shell Creek Quartet; 3. When a Man Is Married - Grant Brothers & Their Music; 4. Goodbye My Honey, I'm Gone - Grant Brothers & Their Music; 5. Tell It to Me - Grant Brothers & Their Music; 6. Johnson Boy - Grant Brothers & Their Music; 7. Home Town Blues - The Roane County Ramblers; 8. Southern No. 111 - The Roane County Ramblers; 9. Step High Waltz - The Roane County Ramblers; 10. Tennessee Waltz - The Roane County Ramblers; 11. Goodbye Sweetheart - Carl Bradshaw / Renus Rich; 12. Sleep Baby Sleep - Carl Bradshaw / Renus Rich; 13. Pride of the Ball - Wise Brothers / Clarence Greene; 14. Kitty Waltz - Wise Brothers / Clarence Greene; 15. Johnson City Blues - Clarence Greene; 16. Ninety-Nine Years in Jail - Clarence Greene; 17. Lindy - Proximity String Quartet; 18. Louise - Proximity String Quartet; 19. Sing Me a Song of the Sunny South - Greensboro Boys Quartet; 20. Sweet Little Girl of Mine - Greensboro Boys Quartet; 21. The Battleship Maine - Richard Harold; 22. The Fisher's Maid - Richard Harold; 23. Sweet Bird - Richard Harold; 24. Mary Dear - Richard Harold.
Tracks, Disc 2: 1. My Old Kentucky Home - Bowman Sisters; 2. Swanee River - Bowman Sisters; 3. Roll On Buddy - Charlie Bowman & His Brothers; 4. Gonna Raise the Ruckus Tonight - Charlie Bowman & His Brothers; 5. You Shall Be Free - Belle Reed / Bill Reed; 6. Old Lady and the Devil - Belle Reed / Bill Reed; 7. I'll Be All Smiles Tonight - The Reed Children / Bill Reed; 8. I Once Did Have a Sweetheart - The Reed Children / Bill Reed; 9. Ain't Going to Lay My Armor Down - McVay & Johnson; 10. I'll Be Ready When the Bridegroom Comes - McVay & Johnson; 11. Steamboat Man - Roy Harper / Earl Shirkey; 12. When the Roses Bloom for the Bootlegger - Roy Harper / Earl Shirkey; 13. Poor Little Joe - Roy Harper / Earl Shirkey; 14. We Parted at the Gate - Roy Harper / Earl Shirkey; 15. I Ain't a Bit Drunk - George Roark, Sr.; 16. My Old Coon Dog - George Roark, Sr.; 17. A Storm on the Sea (The Sinking of the Steamship Vestris) - Ed Helton Singers; 18. My Old Cottage Home - Ed Helton Singers; 19. Just Over the River - Garland Brothers & Grinstead; 20. Beautiful - Garland Brothers & Grinstead; 21. Green Valley Waltz - McCartt Brothers / Patterson; 22. Over the Sea Waltz - McCartt Brothers / Patterson; 23. Morning Star Waltz - Blalock & Yates; 24. Pride of the Ball - Blalock & Yates; 25. Flat Tire Blues - Jack Jackson; 26. My Alabama Home - Jack Jackson.
Tracks, Disc 3: 1. Think a Little - Francum Braswell / George Wade; 2. When We Go a Courtin' - Francum Braswell / George Wade; 3. In Our Little Home Sweet Home - Jack Jackson; 4. I'm Just a Black Sheep - Jack Jackson; 5. Free a Little Bird [1930 Model] - The Roane County Ramblers; 6. Johnson City Rag - The Roane County Ramblers; 7. Callahan Rag - The Roane County Ramblers; 8. Alabama Trot - The Roane County Ramblers; 9. Evalina - Wyatt & Brandon; 10. Lover's Farewell - Wyatt & Brandon; 11. Just Pickin' - Leonard Copeland / Roy Harvey; 12. Beckley Rag - Leonard Copeland / Roy Harvey; 13. Underneath the Sugar Moon - Leonard Copeland / Roy Harvey; 14. Lonesome Weary Blues - Leonard Copeland / Roy Harvey; 15. Sweet Peace the Gift of God's Love - The Spindale Quartet; 16. God Will Take Care of You - The Spindale Quartet; 17. Face to Face - The Spindale Quartet; 18. Life Him Up - The Spindale Quartet; 19. The Virginian Strike of '23 - Roy Harper / Earl Shirkey; 20. The Policeman's Little Child - Roy Harper / Earl Shirkey; 21. My Yodeling Sweetheart - Roy Harper / Earl Shirkey; 22. I'm Longing to Belong to Someone - Roy Harper / Earl Shirkey; 23. We Have Moonshine in the West Virginia Hills - Roy Harper / Earl Shirkey; 24. A Hobo's Pal - Roy Harper / Earl Shirkey; 25. The West Virginia Hills - Moatsville String Ticklers; 26. Moatsville Blues - Moatsville String Ticklers.
Tracks, Disc 4: 1. You Came Back to Me - The Weaver Brothers & Elviry; 2. Prison Sorrows - The Weaver Brothers & Elviry; 3. Frankie Silvers - Byrd Moore & His Hot Shots; 4. The Hills of Tennessee - Byrd Moore & His Hot Shots; 5. Careless Love - Byrd Moore & His Hot Shots; 6. Three Men Went a Hunting - Byrd Moore & His Hot Shots; 7. Nothing Like Old Time Religion - Bateman Sacred Quartet; 8. Some Day - Bateman Sacred Quartet; 9. My Katie - Fred Richards; 10. Danville Blues - Fred Richards; 11. Dark Holler Blues - Clarence Ashley; 12. The Coo-Coo Bird - Clarence Ashley; 13. Little Sadie - Clarence Ashley; 14. Naomi Wise - Clarence Ashley; 15. Down on Penny's Farm - The Bently Boys; 16. Henhouse Blues - The Bently Boys; 17. Railroad Take Me Back - Bowman Sisters; 18. Old Lonesome Blues - Bowman Sisters; 19. Last Gold Dollar - Ephraim Woodie & The Henpecked Husbands; 20. The Fatal Courtship - Ephraim Woodie & The Henpecked Husbands; 21. Powder and Paint - Eugene Yates / Ira Yates; 22. Sarah Jane - Eugene Yates / Ira Yates; 23. Buttermilk Blues - Ellis Williams; 24. Smokey Blues - Ellis Williams.