Contact
Music From The Lost Provinces: Old-Time Stringbands From Ashe County, North Carolina & Vicinity 1927-1931
|
Product Description In North Carolina's northwest corner there's a rolling plateau separated from the rest of the state by the Blue Ridge Mountains, and out of those "Lost Provinces" came a mother lode of old-time string band music in the late '20s, most of it never before compiled! Includes Old Aunt Betsy Frank Blevins & His Tar Heel Rattlers; Train 45 Grayson & Whittier; Governor Al Smith for President Carolina Night Hawks; The Fatal Courtship Ephraim Woodie & the Henpecked Husbands; Cluck Old Hen Hill Billies; My Name Is Ticklish Reuben Smyth County Ramblers, and more. 22 tunes, all documented in detail inside a 28-page booklet! Amazon.com For whatever reason, the so-called "Lost Provinces" of North Carolina--Ashe, Watauga, and Alleghany Counties--were a breeding ground for fantastic string bands in the late '20s. Maybe it was the isolated and tough nature of the region that inspired folks to turn to music. Or perhaps all those enterprising record companies were eager to sign old-time musicians. Whatever the case, the talent on this anthology of vintage 78 records is astounding and, at times, surprising. Is it possible, for instance, to listen to the Woodie Brothers sing "Likes Likker Better Than Me"--a woman's lament for her alcoholic love interest--with a straight face? Probably not. And why the heck did Jack Reedy & His Walker Mountain String Band use a Hawaiian guitar for the intro to "Chinese Breakdown"? Don't worry, there's also plenty of straightforward and memorable string band music here from the likes of Grayson & Whitter, Frank Blevins, the Smyth County Ramblers, and more. Throughout, you'll hear incredible old-time guitar, fiddle, and (thanks to Jack Reedy) banjo playing on a thoroughly engaging collection of laments, traditional tunes, and at least one presidential campaign number ("Governor Al Smith For President"). As with Old Hat's Violin, Sing the Blues for Me compilation, you'll find copious liner notes and excellent remastering in this wonderful package. --Jason Verlinde [ ^Top ] Discs and Tracks Disc 1 [ ^Top ] |