Personnel: Sam McGee (vocals, guitar, banjo); Glen Ohrlin, Asa Martin, Beverly Smith (vocals, guitar); Dink Roberts, Dorothy Rorick, Nathan Frazier, Ola Belle Reed, Uncle Dave Macon (vocals, banjo); Joe & Odell Thompson, Odell Thompson, Bruce Molsky & Big Hoedown (vocals, fiddle); Fields Ward, Lloyd Chandler, Almeda Riddle (vocals); Haywood Blevins (spoken vocals, piano); David Reed, Doc Watson, Gene Meade, Pat Dunford, Eugene Wright, Bud Reed, Gordon McCann, Beth Hartness, Stan Jackson, Larry Flippen, Annadeene Fraley, Phil Jamison, Alan Reed, Norman Blake, Paul Sutphin, Buddy Thomas (guitar); Dent Wimmer, Gilmer Woodruff, Earl Barnes, Speedy Tolliver, Gordy Hinners, Marvin Gaster, Paul Smith , Rafe Stefanini, Art Rosenbaum, Bob Carlin, Oscar Wright (banjo); Hoyle Jones (mandolin); John Miller , Clark Kessinger, Gaither Carlton, Mose Coffman, Jim Gaskin, James Bryan , John Summers, Owen Chapman, Perry Riley, Ralph Blizard, Sam Connor, Art Galbraith, Wilson Douglas, Benton Flippen, Charlie Kinney (fiddle).
Liner Note Author: Kerry Blech.
Recording information: Asheville, NC (12/17/1930-07/16/1998); Bel Air, MD (12/17/1930-07/16/1998); Boston, MA (12/17/1930-07/16/1998); Canada, KY (12/17/1930-07/16/1998); Charlotte, NC (12/17/1930-07/16/1998); Copper Hill, NC (12/17/1930-07/16/1998); Deep Gap, NC (12/17/1930-07/16/1998); Devault, PA (12/17/1930-07/16/1998); Dugspur, VA (12/17/1930-07/16/1998); Durham, NC (12/17/1930-07/16/1998); Ennice, NC (12/17/1930-07/16/1998); Foxport, KY (12/17/1930-07/16/1998); Haw River, NC (12/17/1930-07/16/1998); Hayes Crossing, KY (12/17/1930-07/16/1998); Irvine, KY (12/17/1930-07/16/1998); Jackson, MI (12/17/1930-07/16/1998); Jackson, MS (12/17/1930-07/16/1998); La Jolla, CA (12/17/1930-07/16/1998); Marion Indiana (12/17/1930-07/16/1998); Marion, IN (12/17/1930-07/16/1998); Nashville, TN (12/17/1930-07/16/1998); Pine Ridge, NC (12/17/1930-07/16/1998); Princeton, WV (12/17/1930-07/16/1998); Silver Spring, MD (12/17/1930-07/16/1998); Sodom, NC (12/17/1930-07/16/1998); Sunnyside, WA (12/17/1930-07/16/1998); VA (12/17/1930-07/16/1998); Vance Motor Inn, Statesville, NC (12/17/1930-07/16/1998).
Introduction by: Doc Watson.
Photographers: Kerry Blech; Bill Nowlin.
Unknown Contributor Role: Gaither Carlton.
Northwestern fiddler Kerry Blech selected this 28-track compilation from the Rounder label's voluminous catalog of studio and field recordings of old-time music. The term "old-time" usually denotes a style of country music that is non-commercial and which predates bluegrass. The fiddle is often prominent, and while the five-string banjo is often involved, it is usually played in the older "clawhammer" style rather than the more ornate three-finger bluegrass or Scruggs style. But this album takes the listener far beyond the standard fiddle-guitar-and-banjo instrumentation, and even beyond the Appalachian region, to include unaccompanied singing (Almeda Riddle's "I'm a Long Time Traveling Here Below" is a gorgeous example), cowboy song (Glenn Ohrlin's hilarious "High Toned Dance"), and even one piano solo (Haywood Blevins' arrangement of the old-time standard "Old Molly Hare" that opens the program). There are also a couple of fine examples of the African-American banjo and fiddle traditions from Joe & Odell Thompson and Dink Roberts and, of course, plenty of the kind of old-time fiddling that most listeners will recognize as typical of the genre. Blech's annotations are extensive and insightful. Highly recommended. ~ Rick Anderson
