Label: Smithsonian Folkways Recordings.
Release Date: June, 1994.
Recording Time: 124 minutes.
Recording Date: 1960 - 1962.
Release Info: Compilation (SFW40029) Studio & Live.
Styles: Appalachian, Country Blues, Folk Blues, North American Traditions, Old-Timey, Traditional Country, Traditional Folk, String Bands.
This important release documents the rediscovery of banjoist and comedian Clarence (Tom) Ashley in the early '60s, and the simultaneous introduction of a young and then-unknown guitar picker, the astounding Doc Watson. Ashley was one of the many musicians of the '20s and '30s whose early work appeared briefly on Harry Smith's 1952 Anthology of American Folk Music, the legendary collection that provided inspiration for much of the subsequent folk revival; as well as fueling up-and-coming urban "folk-singers" with a wealth of material, Smith's anthology ultimately led to the rediscovery and re-recording of such musicians as Dock Boggs, Mississippi John Hurt, and Ashley, who himself initiated the discovery of his neighbor, Doc Watson. At the time of the earliest recordings in this two-disc set, Ashley was some 20 years out of practice, while Watson's only outlet for performance was as an electric guitar player in a nearby rockabilly band; Watson did not own an acoustic guitar, nor Ashley a banjo. Over the course of these initial field recordings and later concert performances, however, Watson and Ashley demonstrate remarkable familiarity with local traditions, repertoire, and styles, showcasing and continually sharpening their profound skills and aesthetic senses. They are joined on various performances by a handful of fine local musicians, including Clint Howard, Fred Price, and Gaither Carlton. For much of the '60s, this loose ensemble toured colleges and festivals, also producing material for the Folkways LPs Old Time Music at Clarence Ashley's, Vol. 1 and Vol. 2. This 1994 reissue includes material from those albums along with 20 additional selections from the period and excellent notes by folklorist Ralph Rinzler. Included are the very first commercially released recordings by Doc Watson, who emerges here as a formidable soloist; also featuring some of the last recordings by veteran Clarence Ashley, the set is required listening for Watson fans and for enthusiasts of old-time music, its entertainment value as strong as its historical significance. The surprising offspring of the urban revival's intersection with a traditional musical community, Watson and Ashley's Original Folkways Recordings reveals a bottomless well of tradition and a music as fresh and exciting today as it was to the college kids and festival followers of the early '60s. ~ Burgin Mathews
Credits: Clarence Ashley - arranger, banjo, composer, performer, primary artist, vocals; Gaither Carlton - arranger, banjo, fiddle, performer, primary artist; A.P. Carter - composer; Lonnie Chatmon - composer; M. Christian - composer; Eugene Earle - engineer, photographer (cover), recorder; Garley Foster - guitar, harmonica, sound effects, vocal harmony; G.B. Grayson - composer; Carol Hardy - design; Clint Howard - arranger, guitar, primary artist, vocals; Jack Johnson - banjo; Rupert Jones - composer; Miller - composer; Tommy Moore - washboard; John Newton - composer; Jeff Place - producer, compiler; Luther G. Presley - composer; Fred Price - arranger, fiddle, performer, primary artist; Public Domain - composer; Ralph Rinzler - compiler, engineer, executive producer, liner notes, recorder; Jean Ritchie - guest artist, vocal harmony; Mike Seeger - assistant engineer; G.T. "Dad" Speer - composer; Traditional - composer; Walter Vinson - composer; Doc Walsh - banjo, vocal harmony; Matt Walters - producer, compiler; Arnold Watson - harmonica, performer, primary artist, tenor (vocal); Arvel Watson - composer; Doc Watson - arranger, banjo, composer, guitar, harmonica, primary artist, vocals; Henry Whitter - composer; Alan Yoshida - mastering.
Tracklist (Disc I):
1. Crawdad Song;
2. Sitting on Top of the World;
3. Lee Highway Blues;
4. Free Little Bird;
5. The Coo-Coo Bird;
6. Rising Sun Blues;
7. Looking Towards Heaven;
8. Rambling Hobo;
9. Rambling Hobo;
10. Shady Grove;
11. Cumberland Gap;
12. Tough Luck;
13. Humpbacked Mule;
14. My Home's Across the Blue Ridge Mountains;
15. Way Down Town;
16. Banks of the Ohio;
17. Little Sadie;
18. Carroll County Blues;
19. Cluck Old Hen;
20. Chilly Winds (Lonesome Road Blues);
21. Sweet Heaven When I Die;
22. Fire on the Mountain;
23. Will the Circle Be Unbroken;
24. Daniel Prayed;
25. Amazing Grace.
Tracklist (Disc II):
1. Sally Ann;
2. Richmond Blues;
3. Old Ruben;
4. Willie Moore;
5. Walking Boss;
6. Shout Lulu;
7. Keep My Skillet Good and Greasy;
8. Pretty Little Pink;
9. Run, Jimmie Run;
10. Hick's Farewell;
11. The Old Man at the Mill;
12. A Short Life of Trouble;
13. Brown's Dream;
14. Footprints in the Snow;
15. I'm Going Back to Jericho;
16. Peg and Awl;
17. Maggie Walker;
18. God's Gonna Ease My Troublin' Mind;
19. I Saw a Man at the Close of Day;
20. Handsome Molly;
21. John Henry;
22. Honey Babe Blues;
23. Wayfaring Pilgrim.