Search - Various Artists :: Mountain Music Of Kentucky [2-CD Set]

The hills were alive!

Pharoah S. Wail | Inner Space | 03/16/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Having just reviewed another of John Cohen's excellent collections (High Atmosphere) yesterday, this seemed like a natural choice for today. This was recorded in 1959. Obviously the biggest "star" here is Roscoe Holcomb. He is the one person on this 2-disc set who is the most well-known to the largest number of people, but this is by no means a one-man collection. In fact, I don't even consider Roscoe to be the best musician present here. For the life of me I still cannot figure out why Bill Cornett's name isn't thrown around as "one of the greats". His voice and banjo playing, particularly on Pretty Polly, Old Reuben, Born In Kentucky, Sweet Willie, etc... just knock me out. Born In Kentucky being a variant of the more well-known tune, Dark Holler. J.D. Cornett has a fine solo-vocal version of Spring of '65, and you do indeed get some fine stuff from Roscoe here in case he is your main focus. From bits of Jack-A-Roe to one of his "I made it myself" tunes where he then lifts an entire lyric from a Blind Lemon Jefferson tune, though neither he nor the liner-notes make mention of this. Plus, I will take Roscoe's Wayfaring Stranger over Bill Monroe's any day of the week. All in all, it's good stuff! Moving on, I personally am not too much for the sets of church tunes, aside from Clap & Shout on disc two. However, there are alot of jewels in the sand of disc two. The highlights of disc two, for me, come in the form of Granville Bowlin's segment, Mrs. Sams solo-vocal Wagoners Lad, James Crase's various fiddle tunes, and Lee Sexton's solo banjo St. Louis Blues and his Pretty Polly that is rather closely related to Bill Cornett's but not as powerful. I just love Mrs. Sams' voice. Everyone has their own aesthetic of what is good and what isn't, and for me, Mrs. Sams is just exactly what a wise old female mountain singer should sound like. There is such a richness and rugged individuality to all these performances that it just breaks your heart to know that for the most part, these traditions are gone. At least we were lucky enough to have someone like John Cohen roaming the hills and making these priceless recordings for all of us."

Ground Zero for Folk and the Nashville Sound

Jean Durney | Land O Lakes, Florida United States | 05/25/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is the "real" folk music of America. It is simple, honest and speaks to the heart. It isn't remaster, amplified or mixed but made by people singing and playing at home, at church and at play. The songs are about life, love, work, war, good times and bad times.You can hear the sound that trained the Carters, Jimmie Rogers and every "American folk song and singer" from Guthrie, Ives and the Weavers on. These songs are done by people singing from the enjoyment of life not for money! Listen for "Amazing Grace" from the Old Baptist Church and "Ruby" by Grigsby & Young or sit with the Sams. Close your eyes and it could be any date from the 1880s on.If you like folk, blue grass, the old SUN Records sound or are just "interested" this is ground zero where it all started."

This is excellent

Dylan C. Bright | Tampa, FL | 05/10/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This CD set takes you into a world of simple but hard labor, soul crushing poverty and soul liberating music. Its historically and musically important. A must for banjo players who have an interest in the evolution of how the instrument is played."