Label: Bear Family Records.
Release Date: March 1, 2011.
Recording Time: 384 minutes.
Release Info: Box Set (BCD-16094-EK) Compilation.
Recording Date: July 25, 1927 - August 5, 1927.
Styles: Country, Country Blues, Folk, Traditional Country.
In 1927, Victor Records, under the direction of producer Ralph Peer, headed to Bristol, Tennessee to record local musicians. Peer had been on similar journeys before, and he would be since, but those Bristol Sessions were pivotal, the epicenter of modern country music establishing the sound and style of the genre. Legendary as they are, they've never been collected in a single place prior to Bear Family's remarkable 2011 box set The Bristol Sessions 1927-1928, a five-disc set that collects all of Victor's Bristol recordings of those two years. Among the artists Peer and Victor captured during their session were Jimmie Rodgers and the Carter Family, an event of such historical significance it tends to overshadow the wealth of other recordings. By its very scope, Bear Family illustrates that there was much, much more to the Bristol Sessions than these two artists, no matter how legendary they wound up to be. Peer recorded almost any artist that crossed his path on the Tennessee/Virginia border, and a couple of these appeared far more often than the Carters or Rodgers. Ernest Stoneman and his family and Ernest Phipps fronted more sessions than their more famous peers, the former solicited by Peer before he headed down to Bristol, to ensure that there was something to capture once he was there. Peer recorded quite a bit in 1927, then headed down to the town again in 1928 to see if he could draw more gems from the mine. He did: he recorded several acts he'd already captured in 1927, but there was enough new material from the old artists and the new to add to the legacy. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Credits: Alcoa Quartet - primary prtist; R.A. Andreas - illustrations, photography; A.G. Baker - vocal group, vocals; Ethel Baker - piano; Flora Baker - autoharp, vocals; J.W. Baker - composer; Dave Barnes - illustrations, photography; J.R. Baxter Jr. - composer; Fred Belcher - guitar; Clarice Blackard - piano, vocal harmony; Joe Blackard - banjo, vocals; The Blue Ridge Corn Shuckers - primary prtist; Edna Brewer - vocal group; Kahle Brewer - fiddle, primary prtist, speech/speaker/speaking part, trio, vocal group, vocals; Dwight M. Brock - piano; Tim Buchanan - illustrations, photography; Nora Byrley - vocal group; Carolina Twins - primary prtist; The Carter Family - primary prtist; A.P. Carter - composer, vocals; Mother Maybelle Carter - guitar, vocals; R. Kelso Carter - composer; Sara Carter - autoharp, vocals; Johnny Cash - quotation author; Fanny Crosby - composer; Carl Cruise - guitar, vocals; Dad Blackard's Moonshiners - featured artist; Bill Deane - vocals; Dion DeMarbelle - composer; W.H. Doane - composer; Uncle Eck Dunford - composer, dialogue, fiddle, guitar, primary prtist, speech/speaker/speaking part, vocals; Norman Edmonds - fiddle; Iver Edwards - harmonica, speech/speaker/speaking part, ukulele; David O. Fletcher - composer, guitar, vocals; Gwen Foster - composer; Gwin Foster - guitar, harmonica, vocals; David Freeman - original recordings; Bolen Frost - banjo, speech/speaker/speaking part; Irma Frost - duet, organ, vocal group, vocals; Harry Gay - composer, guitar; Daniel Gersdorf - photo restoration; Mychael Gerstenberger - artwork; Claude Grant - composer, guitar, vocals; Jack Grant - banjo, mandolin; Howard Green - guitar; J.E. Green - fiddle; Clarence Greene - composer, guitar, primary prtist, vocals; Charlie Greer - guitar; Bill Hartley - illustrations, photography; W.B. Hitch - bass (vocal); Roy Hobbs - vocals; Howard & Peak - primary prtist; James Howard - composer, fiddle, vocals; The Johnson Brothers - primary prtist; Charles Johnson - composer, guitar; Eula Johnson - banjo; Paul Johnson - banjo, composer, guitar (steel), vocals; Roland Johnson - fiddle; Shirley Jones - guitar; Alfred G. Karnes - composer, handclapping, harp guitar, primary prtist, vocals; Gregg Kimball - illustrations, photography; Christopher C. King - illustrations, original recordings, photography, photo scanning, reissue producer, transfers; Joanna Kinkel - composer; Bill Kornrich - photo scanning; Tom Leonard - vocal group; John F. Lilly - illustrations, photography; Robert Lowry - composer; Frank Mare - illustrations, original recordings, photography; Wayne Martin - illustrations, photography; Randall Mays - illustrations, photography; Raymond McLain - photo scanning; Charles McReynolds - fiddle; William McReynolds - banjo; Ancil McVay - mandolin; Darrel Meadows - illustrations, photography; Andreas Merck - photo scanning; Walter Mooney - primary prtist, trio, vocal group, vocals; Bull Mountain Moonshiners - primary prtist; J.C. Moore - composer; Mr. & Mrs. J.W. Baker - primary prtist; J. P. Nester - composer, primary prtist; James Preston Nester - banjo, vocals; Richard Nevins - illustrations, original recordings, photography; Mike O'Byrne - bass (vocal); Ted Olson - biographical notes, illustrations, liner notes, photography, reissue producer; Palmer Sisters - primary prtist; Alice Palmer - tenor (vocal); Huetokah Palmer - soprano (vocal); Susie Belle Palmer - alto (vocals); Charles Peak - composer, guitar, vocals; Ralph Peer - producer; Bud Phillips - illustrations, photography; Ernest Phipps - composer, fiddle, vocals; Ernest Phipps & His Holiness Quartet - primary prtist; Ernest Phipps & His Holiness Singers - primary prtist; Minnie Phipps - vocal group; Jack Pierce - composer, fiddle, vocals; Thomas Ramsey - composer; Blind Alfred Reed - composer, fiddle, primary prtist, vocals; Jack Reedy - banjo; George Roark, Jr. - composer, trio, vocals; George Roark, Sr. - banjo, vocals; Oda Roark - trio, vocals; Robert Roark - trio, vocals; Jimmie Rodgers - composer, guitar, primary prtist, vocals, yodeling; Gary Rose - illustrations, photography; James Rowe - composer; Tony Russell - biographical notes, discographical information, illustrations, liner notes, photography; Mark Sanderford - illustrations, photography; The Shelor Family - primary prtist; Jesse T. Shelor - fiddle; Pyrhus Shelor - fiddle; B.F. Shelton - banjo, composer, primary prtist, vocals; Shortbuckle Roark & Family - primary prtist; Claude Slagle - banjo; The Smith Brothers - primary prtist; Roosevelt Smith - autoharp, composer, vocals; William Smith - guitar, vocals; Smyth County Ramblers - primary prtist; Stamps Quartet - primary prtist; Frank Stamps - bass (vocal); V.O. Stamps - composer; Joe Stephens - banjo; The Stoneman Family - primary prtist; Ernest V. Stoneman & His Dixie Mountaineers - primary prtist; Ernest V. Stoneman - composer, dialogue, duet, guitar, harmonica, primary prtist, speech/speaker/speaking part, trio, vocal group, vocals; George Stoneman - banjo, speech/speaker/speaking part; Hattie Stoneman - fiddle, mandolin, primary prtist, vocal group, vocals; Brandon Story - illustrations, photography; Tarter & Gay - primary prtist; Stephen Tarter - composer, guitar, vocals; Tennessee Mountaineers - primary prtist; Tennessee Wildcats - featured artist; The Tenneva Ramblers - primary prtist; Ralph Tinsman - composer; Jamie Verillion - photo scanning; Vernal Vest - banjo-ukelele; Malcolm Vidrine - illustrations, photography, photo scanning, transfers; Malcolm Warley - guitar, vocals; Georgia Warren - vocals; El Watson - composer, harmonica, primary prtist; George Webster - composer; Steven Weiss - illustrations, photography; Richard Weize - discographical information; J.L. Wells - baritone (vocal); Phil Wells - lyric transcription; West Virginia Coonhunters - primary prtist; Palmer Wheeler - tenor (vocal); Ray Wheeler - baritone (vocal); Henry Whitter - composer, harmonica, primary prtist; Morgan Williams - composer; Joe Wilson - photo scanning; Charles K. Wolfe - tributee; Stacey Wolfe - illustrations, photography; Marshall Wyatt - illustrations, photography; Arthur Wyrick - guitar; Christian Zwarg - mastering.
Tracklist, Disc 1:
1. Dying Girl's Farewell - Ernest V. Stoneman, E. Kahle Brewer & Walter Mooney;
2. Tell Mother I Will Meet Her - Ernest V. Stoneman, E. Kahle Brewer & Walter Mooney;
3. Mountaineer's Courtship - Ernest V. Stoneman, Miss Irma Frost & Uncle Eck Dunford;
4. Midnight On The Stormy Deep - Ernest V. Stoneman & Miss Irma Frost;
5. Sweeping Through The Gates - Ernest V. Stoneman & His Dixie Mountaineers;
6. I Know My Name Is There - Ernest V. Stoneman & His Dixie Mountaineers;
7. Are You Washed In The Blood? - Ernest V. Stoneman & His Dixie Mountaineers;
8. No More Good-Byes - Ernest V. Stoneman & His Dixie Mountaineers;
9. The Resurrection (Take 1) - Ernest V. Stoneman & His Dixie Mountaineers;
10. The Resurrection (Take 2) - Ernest V. Stoneman & His Dixie Mountaineers;
11. I Am Resolved (Take 1) - Ernest V. Stoneman & His Dixie Mountaineers;
12. I Am Resolved (Take 2) - Ernest V. Stoneman & His Dixie Mountaineers;
13. I Want To Go Where Jesus IsErnest Phipps And His Holiness Singers;
14. Do, Lord, Remember MeErnest Phipps And His Holiness Singers;
15. Old Ship Of ZionErnest Phipps And His Holiness Singers;
16. Jesus Getting Us Ready For That Great Day - Ernest Phipps And His Holiness Singers;
17. Happy In Prison - Ernest Phipps And His Holiness Singers;
18. Don't Grieve After Me - Ernest Phipps And His Holiness Singers;
19. What Will I Do, For Money's All Gone - Uncle Eck Dunford & Hattie Stoneman;
20. The Whip-poor-will's Song - Uncle Eck Dunford;
21. Skip To Ma Lou, My Darling - Uncle Eck Dunford;
22. Barney McCoy - Uncle Eck Dunford & Ernest Stoneman;
23. Old Time Corn Shuckin', Part 1 - Blue Ridge Corn Shuckers;
24. Old Time Corn Shuckin', Part 2 - Blue Ridge Corn Shuckers.
Tracklist, Disc 2:
1. The Jealous Sweetheart (Take 1) - Johnson Brothers;
2. The Jealous Sweetheart (Take 2) - Johnson Brothers;
3. A Passing Policeman - Johnson Brothers;
4. Just A Message From Carolina - Johnson Brothers;
5. The Wreck Of The Virginian (Take 1) - Blind Alfred Reed;
6. The Wreck Of The Virginian (Take 2) - Blind Alfred Reed;
7. I Mean To Live For Jesus - Blind Alfred Reed;
8. You Must Unload - Blind Alfred Reed;
9. Walking In The Way With Jesus (Take 1) - Blind Alfred Reed;
10. Walking In The Way With Jesus (Take 2) - Blind Alfred Reed;
11. Two Brothers Are We - Johnson Brothers With Tennessee Wildcats;
12. The Soldier's Poor Little Boy - Johnson Brothers With Tennessee Wildcats;
13. I Want To See My Mother (Ten Thousand Miles Away) - Johnson Brothers;
14. Pot Licker Blues - El Watson;
15. Narrow Gauge Blues - El Watson;
16. Cold Penitentiary Blues - B.F. Shelton;
17. Oh Molly Dear - B.F. Shelton;
18. Pretty Polly - B.F. Shelton;
19. Darling Cora - B.F. Shelton;
20. Called To The Foreign Field - Alfred G. Karnes;
21. I Am Bound For The Promised Land - Alfred G. Karnes;
22. Where We'll Never Grown Old - Alfred G. Karnes;
23. When They Ring The Golden Bells - Alfred G. Karnes;
24. To The Work - Alfred G. Karnes;
25. Train On The Island - J.P. Nester;
26. Black-Eyes Susie - J.P. Nester;
27. Johnny Goodwin - Bull Mountain Moonshiners.
Tracklist, Disc 3:
1. Bury Me Under The Weeping Willow - The Carter Family;
2. Little Log Cabin By The Sea - The Carter Family;
3. The Poor Orphan Child - The Carter Family;
4. The Storms Are On The Ocean - The Carter Family;
5. Single Girl, Married Girl - The Carter Family;
6. The Wandering Boy - The Carter Family;
7. Remember Me, O Mighty One - Alcoa Quartet;
8. I'm Redeemed - Alcoa Quartet;
9. Henry Whitter's Fox Chase - Henry Whitter;
10. Rain Crow Bill - Henry Whitter;
11. Big Bend Gal - The Shelor Family;
12. Suzanna Gal - The Shelor Family;
13. Sandy River Belle (Take 1) - The Shelor Family;
14. Sandy River Belle (Take 2) - The Shelor Family;
15. Billy Grimes, The Rover - The Shelor Family;
16. The Newmarket Wreck - Mr. & Mrs. J.W. Baker;
17. On The Banks Of The Sunny Tennessee - Mr. & Mrs. J.W. Baker;
18. The Soldier's SweetheartJimmie Rodgers;
19. Sleep Baby SleepJimmie Rodgers;
20. The Longest Train I Ever Saw - Tenneva Ramblers;
21. Sweet Heaven When I Die - Tenneva Ramblers;
22. Miss 'Liza, Poor Gal - Tenneva Ramblers;
23. Greasy String - West Virginia Coon Hunters;
24. Your Blue Eyes Run Me Crazy - West Virginia Coon Hunters;
25. Standing On The Promises - Tennessee Mountaineers;
26. At The River - Tennessee Mountaineers.
Tracklist, Disc 4:
1. My Name Is Ticklish Rueben - Smyth County Ramblers;
2. Way Down In Alabama - Smyth County Ramblers;
3. Do Not Wait 'Till I'm Laid 'Neath The Clay - Alfred G. Karnes;
4. The Days Of My Childhood Plays - Alfred G. Karnes;
5. We Shall All Be Reunited - Alfred G. Karnes;
6. If The Light Has Gone Out In Your Soul - Earnest Phipps And His Holiness Singers;
7. Went Up In The Clouds Of Heaven - Earnest Phipps And His Holiness Singers;
8. I Know That Jesus Set Me Free - Earnest Phipps And His Holiness Singers;
9. Shine On Me - Earnest Phipps And His Holiness Singers;
10. Bright Tomorrow - Earnest Phipps And His Holiness Singers;
11. A Little Talk With Jesus - Earnest Phipps And His Holiness Singers;
12. I Cannot Be Your Sweetheart - Howard-Peak (The Blind Musicians);
13. Three Black Sheep - Howard-Peak (The Blind Musicians);
14. Good-Night Darling - Clarence Greene;
15. Little Bunch Of Roses - Clarence Greene;
16. The Broken-Hearted Lover - The Stoneman Family;
17. Angeline, The Baker - Uncle Eck Dunford;
18. Old Shoes And Leggin's - Uncle Eck Dunford;
19. We Parted By The River Side - The Stoneman Family;
20. Down To Jordan And Be Saved - Ernest Stoneman's Dixie Mountaineers;
21. There's A Light Lit Up In Galilee - The Stoneman Family;
22. Going Up The Mountain After Liquor, Part 1 - The Stoneman Family;
23. Going Up The Mountain After Liquor, Part 2 - The Stoneman Family;
24. The Spanish Merchant's Daughter - The Stoneman Family;
25. Too Late - The Stoneman Family.
Tracklist, Disc 5:
1. I'll Be Happy - The Stamps Quartet;
2. Like The Rainbow - The Stamps Quartet;
3. Because I Love Him - The Stamps Quartet;
4. Come To The Savior - The Stamps Quartet;
5. Do Your Best, Then Wear A Smile - The Stamps Quartet;
6. We Shall Reach Home - The Stamps Quartet;
7. My Mother Is Waiting For Me In Heaven Above - The Smith Brothers;
8. She Has Climbed The Golden Stair - The Smith Brothers;
9. We'll Sing On That Shore - The Palmer Sisters;
10. Singing The Story Of Grace - The Palmer Sisters;
11. Help Me To Find The Way - The Palmer Sisters;
12. He'll Be With Me - The Palmer Sisters;
13. Brownie Blues - Tarter & Gay;
14. Unknown Blues - Tarter & Gay;
15. Where Is My Mamma?Carolina Twins;
16. When You Go A' Courtin' Carolina Twins;
17. I Sat Upon The River Bank - Carolina Twins;
18. New Orleans Is The Town I Like Best - Carolina Twins;
19. She Tells Me That I Am Sweet - Carolina Twins;
20. Mr. Brown, Here I Come - Carolina Twins;
21. I Truly Understand, You Love Another Man - Shortbuckle Roark & Family;
22. My Mother's Hands - Shortbuckle Roark & Family.