Release Date: 1988.
Recording Time: 45 minutes.
Release Info: Vinyl, LP, Compilation (BRI 008).
Recording Date: June 22, 1928 - September 9, 1984.
Styles: Appalachian, East Coast Blues, North American Traditions, Old-Timey, Regional Blues, Acoustic Blues, Country Blues, Field Recordings, Harmonica Blues, Piedmont Blues.
Another disc in the fine Virginia Traditions series assembled by the Blue Ridge Institute for Appalachian Studies at Ferrum College in Ferrum, Virginia, Southwest Virginia Blues brings together 1920s commercial 78s with field recordings done in the 1930s and '40s, plus more recent field material from the '70s and '80s, to create an interesting portrait of blues and early country from the region. Most of the blues presented here is in the so-called Piedmont style, but some of the selections show a more generic approach, while pieces by the Carter Family and Bobby Buford catch country right at the cusp of what was then called hillbilly, and still retain much of their Appalachian flavor. Among the highlights are Dock Boggs' odd banjo piece, "False-Hearted Lover's Blues," recorded in the summer of 1929, and featuring acoustic guitar from Emry Arthur, James Henry Diggs' gentle and emotionally nuanced guitar version of "Poor Boy Long Way From Home," and Josh Thomas' sloppy, halting (and ultimately charming) banjo take on "Mississippi Heavy Water Blues," previously a Delta staple. The variety on display here, both in terms of a timeline and the types of music presented, make Southwest Virginia Blues an interesting listen, and while it will appeal most to scholars and music historians, the gentle, flowing sequence makes it more than just an archival release. ~ Steve Leggett
Credits: Emry Arthur - Guitar, Primary Artist; Dock Boggs - Banjo, Primary Artist, Vocals; Bobby Buford - Primary Artist; Cowboy T. Burks - Primary Artist; The Carter Family - Performer, Primary Artist; A.P. Carter - Composer; Mother Maybelle Carter - Guitar, Primary Artist; Sara Carter - Autoharp, Primary Artist, Vocals; Dave Dickerson - Guitar, Primary Artist, Vocals; James Henry Diggs - Primary Artist; Fred Galliher - Primary Artist; Harry Gay - Guitar, Primary Artist; Earl Gilmore - Primary Artist; Malcolm Johnson - Guitar, Primary Artist, Vocals; David Mann - Composer; Carl Martin - Composer, Guitar, Primary Artist, Vocals; Byrd Moore - Guitar, Primary Artist, Vocals; Spencer Moore - Guitar, Primary Artist, Vocals; Keith Rogers - Harmonica, Primary Artist; King Edward Smith IV - Guitar, Primary Artist; Steve Tartar - Primary Artist; Josh Thomas - Banjo, Primary Artist, Vocals; Howard Twine - Primary Artist.
Tracklist:
A1. Brownie Blues - Steve Tarter & Harry Gay
A2. Pan American Blues - Fred Galliher
A3. Poor Boy Long Way From Home - James Henry Diggs
A4. I Went Down In Virginia - Earl Gilmore
A5. King Edward's Blues - King Edward Smith
A6. Bear Creek Blues - Carter Family
A7. Mississippi Heavy Water Blues - Josh Thomas
A8. Old Time Blues - Carl Martin
B1. Take Care My Wife And My Baby - Howard Twine
B2. Chattanooga Blues - Malcolm Johnson
B3. False-Hearted Lover's Blues - Dock Boggs
B4. The War Is Over - Dave Dickerson
B5. Going Down That Road Feeling Bad - "Cowboy" T. Burks
B6. Bed Bugs Making Their Last Go 'Round - Byrd Moore
B7. Black Snake Moan - Spencer Moore
B8. Long Gone Lonesome Blues - Bobby Buford & Keith Rogers
Personnel: Harry Gay - Guitar; Steve Tarter - Vocals, Lead Guitar; Fred Galliher - Vocals, Harmonica; James Henry Diggs - Vocals, Guitar; Earl Gilmore - Vocals, Piano; King Edward Smith - Guitar; Maybelle Carter - Guitar; Sara Carter - Vocals, Autoharp; Josh Thomas - Vocals, Banjo; Carl Martin - Vocals, Guitar; Howard Twine - Vocals, Guitar; Malcolm Johnson - Vocals, Guitar; Emry Arthur - Guitar; Dock Boggs - Vocals, Banjo; Dave Dickerson - Vocals, Guitar; "Cowboy" T. Burks - Vocals, Guitar; Byrd Moore - Vocals, Guitar; Spencer Moore - Vocals, Guitar; Keith Rogers - Harmonica; Bobby Buford - Vocals, Guitar.
A1: Recorded in Bristol, Tennesse, November 2, 1928 for release on Victor label (V38017).
A2: Recorded in Chilhowie (Smyth County), Virginia, August 13, 1968.
A3: Recorded in Roanoke (Roanoke County), Virginia, November 22, 1962.
A4: Recorded in Roanoke (Roanoke County), Virginia, September 9, 1984.
A5: Recorded in Saltville (Smyth County), Virginia, March 28, 1977.
A6: Recorded in Chicago, Illinois, October 4, 1940 for release on the Conqueror label (9574).
A7: Recorded in Hollins (Roanoke County), Virginia, Spring, 1970.
A8: Recorded in Chicago, Illinois, July 27, 1935 for release on the Bluebird label (B6139).
B1: Recorded in Elliston (Montgomery County), Virginia, January 8, 1978.
B2: Recorded in Big Stone Gap (Wise Co.), Virginia, Fall, 1973.
B3: Recorded in Chicago, Illinois, Summer, 1929 for release on the Lonesome Ace label (21403).
B4: Recorded in Blacksburg (Montgomery County), Virginia, April, 1965 by the staff of Books, Strings and Things (retail bookstore).
B5: Recorded in Lowmore (Alleghany Co.), Virginia, April 20, 1977.
B6: Recorded in Richmond, Indiana, June 22, 1928.
B7: Recorded in Smyth County, Virginia, August 16, 1983.
B8: Recorded in Pulaski (Pulaski County), Virginia, March 27, 1984.