East Virginia Blues (When the Sun Goes Down Series)

East Virginia Blues (When the Sun Goes Down Series)

Editorial Reviews
<"b00022uov64999"> Album Description
EAST VIRGINIA BLUES unearths a treasure trove of American classics from the heart of Depression-era Appalachia, birthplace of the honky tonk blues. Annotated by Grammy-winner Colin Escott, virtually every track on EAST VIRGINIA BLUES is a touchstone that brings to mind later versions as well as revealing the foundations of country music as well as rock ‘n’ roll.

There’s the Carter Family’s "East Virginia Blues" of 1937 and "Wildwood Flower" of 1929 (both popularized by Joan Baez on her debut album) and Bill and Charlie Monroe’s "Will the Circle Be Unbroken" from 1936 (the lynchpin of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s all-star commemorative album of the ’70s), to 1938’s previously unissued "Constant Sorrow" by the Hall Brothers (precursor to Dr. Ralph Stanley’s performance on the O Brother, Where Art Thou? Soundtrack; also cut by Bob Dylan for his first LP). Vernon Dalhart;s 1924 single, "Wreck Of The Old ’97" was country music’s first million-seller and proved there was a market for the genre.

Then there’s Bud Billings & Carson Robison’s 1928 "Birmingham Jail" (to the tune of Down In The Valley") to Gene Autry’s "Do Right Daddy Blues" of 1931 (a staple for Hank Snow in the ’50s). A couple of moody 1937 sides by Wade Mainer & Zeke Morris prove their appeal for such archetypes as Jerry Garcia and Nick Cave ("Down In The Willow" aka "Rose Connelly") and the late John Hartford ("Short Life And It's Trouble").

Jimmie Rodgers is tastefully remembered here on 1929’s "Frankie And Johnny," a song that has been recorded in hundreds of versions from Louis Armstrong to Elvis Presley, and Stevie Wonder. Rodgers, "the original kid with a guitar," Escott characterizes him, played a key role in "bringing the sound of black and white America together, [and] quite literally prefigured rock and roll."

East Virginia Blues (When the Sun Goes Down Series), Music, Various Artists, Appalachian Folk, Blues, Blues Collections, Close Harmony, Country Blues, Folksongs, Old-Timey, Pop, Traditional Bluegrass, Traditional Folk, V/A Compilations

East Virginia Blues (When the Sun Goes Down Series)

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