Bluegrass Master Class
February 7, 2010
This week we feature five lesser-known recordings by Charlie Waller, demonstrating his versatility over a nearly half-century career with the Country Gentlemen. We also visit Harlan County, playing eight tunes dealing with that legendary corner of Eastern Kentucky. And in the last half hour, don’t miss the oddest record Don Reno ever made -- program host Fred Bartenstein thinks it may have been written by aliens. A production of the International Bluegrass Music Museum.
Program: Bluegrass Master Class
Description
The Walls Of Time: Sources Of Songs And Styles
| Artist | Title | Label | Date | Comment | Time | |
| 1 | Crowe, J.D.
(not in radio version) |
Banks of the Ohio | Trio | 1975 | (live, Japan) Skaggs intro, TRice, Crowe, Douglas, | fragment |
| 2 | Allen, Harley
(Allen, Red) |
Going Back to Harlan | Folkways | 1980 | CSeckler MStuart TTate K Ingram GWooten PCorum | |
| 3 | Ritchie, Jean | Shady Grove | Riverside | 1957 | solo w. mtn. dulcimer | fragment |
| 4 | Jackson, Tommy | Cherokee Shuffle (from Square Dance Tonight) | Sugar Hill | 1957 | f (TJ-REdenton) TJ, RE, HGarland | fragment |
| 5 | Haynie, Aubrey | Cherokee Shuffle | Sugar Hill | 1997 | f BSutton, RHuskey AO’Bryant, MCompton, | 2:42 |
| 6 | Reagon, Bernice Johnson | What Are They Doing in Heaven Today | SmithsFolkways | 1993 | (ChasAlbTindley, 1901) TReagon, sung at funerals | fragment |
| 7 | Lilly Brothers | What Are They Doing in Heaven Today | JSP (Page) | 1948 | (CTindley) (Johnstown, PA) Bea, Ev | 2:39 |
| 8 | Chuck Wagon Gang | God Put a Rainbow in the Clouds | MME (Columbia | 1954 | (Spain) | fragment |
| 9 | Story, Carl | God Put a Rainbow in the Clouds | Stetson (Mercury) | 1956 | RRector, CBoone, RAtkins | 2:15 |
| 10 | Cooley, Spade | Detour (dominated charts 1st half of ’46) | Columbia | 1946 | (Westmoreland) Oakie, Arkie, Tex. | fragment |
| 11 | Country Gentlemen | Detour | Sugar Hill | 1983 | CWaller(lv), BYates, JGaudreau, DSmith, JArnold SWilson CNelson | 2:46 |
| 12 | Stewart, Wynn | Waltz of the Angels (hit #14) | Capitol | 1956 | (DReynolds) 1st Capitol | fragment |
| 13 | Grant, Bill & Delia Bell | Waltz of the Angels | OldHome-stead | 1995 | KShiflett, JJenkins, MGraham, APhelp | 3:29 |
| 14 | Grateful Dead | Ship of Fools (from “Mars Hotel”) | Grateful
Dead |
1974 | (Garcia-Hunt) | fragment |
| 15 | Thom, David | Ship of Fools | thedtb.com | 2004 | AShaw, MTatar, JMask, JAsh | 5:17 |
Dawn of the Bluegrass Era: 1940-1954
| Artist | Title | Label | Date | Comment | Time | |
| 1 | Monroe Brothers | Dreamed I Searched Heaven For You | Bear (Bluebird) | 1936 | (Charlotte) | fragment |
| 2 | Monroe, Bill | Get Up John (Sleepy John, KY Tune from Uncle Pen) | Bear (Decca) | 1953 | (BM) JMartin, RLyle, ENewton, ChCline, | 2:10 |
| 3 | Allen, Red | Mansions for Me
(BM ’46) |
Col Class (Kentucky | 1954 | (BM) JMcKee, Cl Stewart NCrase, STinkerson | 2:15 |
| 4 | Lambert, Pee Wee & Curley Parker | Just a Memory | JSP (Rch-R-Tone) | 1951 | PWright, SHatfield | 2:17 |
| 5 | Wells, Kitty | I’ll Be All Smiles Tonight (CF’34, next was HTAngels, to tune of Thinking Tonight) | Bear (RCA) | 1950 | (APCarter) JWright, JAnglin, RAtkins, EMartin, ENewton, PWarren. | 2:40 |
| 6 | Hall, Roy & Blue Ridge Entertainers | Wabash Cannonball
(CF’29 , RA’36) |
JSP (Vocalion) | 1938 | (Columbia, SC) Roy(v), TaltonAldridge(tv) | 2:29 |
| 7 | Eanes, Jim | Gloomy Tomorrow | Bear (Decca) | 1952 | (AQSmith+) CAtkins, Dn Slayman JShook DnDavis | 2:32 |
| 8 | Buchanan Brothers & Georgia Catamounts | When You See Those Flying Saucers (2 weeks after “Roswell Incident”) | Old Timey (Columbia | 1947 | (CCoben-CGrean) Chester & Lester from Trenton, N.GA, | 2:15 |
| 9 | Lonesome Pine Fiddlers | I’m Left Alone | JSP (RCA) | 1952 | (PW-CRC) PWilliams, R Goins CParker E&CRCline | 2:13 |
| 10 | Church Bros & Blue Ridge Ramblers | Broken Vows and a Broken Heart | Rounder (Blu Ridg) | 1953 | (DAdams-BC) Bill, Edwin, Ralph from NC | 2:22 |
Starving Out: 1955-1964
| Artist | Title | Label | Date | Comment | Time | |
| 1 | Wiseman, Mac | Danger! Heartbreak Ahead | Bear (Dot) | 1955 | DBryant(b), GMartin, E Newton, TJackson, DPot-ter (back of “DCrockett”) | 2:28 |
| 2 | Flatt & Scruggs | Let Those Brown Eyes Smile at Me | Bear (Columbia | 1957 | (RNail) JGraves, CSeckler PWarren, HBrown | 2:14 |
| 3 | Stanley Brothers | Think of What You’ve Done | King | 1958 | (CS) BNapier, RMayo, AElliott | 2:05 |
| 4 | Jim & Jesse | Have You Lost Your Love for Me? | Starday | 1959 | (Jcksnvil) VClements, BThompson, DMcHan | 2:53 |
| 5 | Maddox, Rose | Blue Moon of Kentucky | Bear (Capitol) | 1962 | (BMonroe) BM, DReno, R Smiley, MMagaha, TJack-son, JPalmer, WGailey | 2:14 |
| 6 | Watson, Doc | Down in the Valley to Pray | Vanguard | 1965 | ac solo | 2:02 |
| 7 | Shady Valley Boys | New Sally Ann | Rebel | 1962 | f CTomlinson, BBaker, Hobbs, JCooke, RHooper | 2:02 |
| 8 | Country Gentlemen | Blue Ridge Mountain Blues (Novelty) | Smithsonian Folkways | 1963 | (live, Sacred Mushroom, Columbus) CWaller(lv), EAdcock, JDuffey, TGray | 3:00 |
| 9 | Dillards | Katie Cline | Varese | 1962 | (WashU1st conc) MJayne, D&RDillard, DWebb | 2:21 |
| 10 | Cumberland Mountain Boys | Your Love Is Off Limits | Stomper (Do-Ra-Me) | 1963 | (Earl White) JMaynard, BWeathers, BThomas, JMontgomery | 1:47 |
The Festival Era: 1965-1982
| Artist | Title | Label | Date | Comment | Time | |
| 1 | Country Gentlemen | Intro/Pallet on Your Floor (live Stuart, VA) | thespps.org | 1978 | CWaller, BYates, DLawson, JBailey, JDouglas | 3:45 |
| 2 | Flatt & Scruggs | I Walk The Line (last Col session 8/21/69) | Bear (Columbia | 1969 | (JCash) JGraves, PWarren, CDaniels, JJohnson, RScruggs, HStrzelecki, KButtrey | 2:34 |
| 3 | Stonemans | Early Morning Rain (prev: GHamiltonIV, Kingston Trio, JCollins, PeterPaul&Mary) | MGM | 1967 | (GLightfoot) Jim(lv), Donna, Ronnie, Van | 2:24 |
| 4 | Lewis Family | Purple Robe | Federal (Starday) | 1965 | (OMcLeod) Janis(lv) | 3:00 |
| 5 | Baker, Kenny | Cross-Eyed Fiddler | County | 1970 | f SBush, JKaparakis, BRobins, EWalker | 2:18 |
| 6 | Red & Fred | I’ll Never Let You Worry My Mind Anymore | County | 1969 | (Knoxville) RRector, FSmith, KBaker, BChambers | |
| 7 | Sparks, Larry | No One Will Ever Know | Rebel | 1977 | TBoyd, RSkaggs, CWise | 3:01 |
| 8 | Seldom Scene | Leaving Harlan | Sugar Hill | 1979 | (PRosenthal) PR, JDuffey, MAuldridge, BEldridge, TGray | 3:00 |
| 9 | Johnson Mountain Boys | Iron Curtain | Rounder | 1981 | (H. Howard) | 2:39 |
1983-Now: Modern Roots
| Artist | Title | Label | Date | Comment | Time | |
| 1 | Country Gentlemen | There’s a Star Spangled Banner Waving Somewhere | Pinecastle | 2004 | CWaller(lv), RWaller, GCorbett, DAldridge | 3:07 |
| 2 | Sparkman, Steve | Harlan County Five String | Copper Creek | 1997 | b SS(Harlan Co.,b), JPrice RStanleyII JRigsby JAShelton, JCooke, | 2:22 |
| 3 | Nixon, Michelle & Drive | Harlan | Pinecastle | 2003 | (TT&DHall) VHughes, JGreen, JDavis, EShifflett, JHaynes | 2:51 |
| 4 | Crary, Dan & Hoppers, Lonnie | Nine Pound Hammer | Pinecastle | 2000 | JnMoore(lv) JmHaage, MCollins | 3:12 |
| 5 | Stuart, Marty | Harlan County (from “The Pilgrim”) | MCA | 1999 | (MS) RStanley, JCooke, JAShelton, SSparkman, JPrice | 1:32 |
| 6 | Rigsby, Don | Ravishing Ruby | Golden Ring | 2002 | (TT Hall) | 3:29 |
| 7 | McCoury, Del | Eli Renfro | Rebel | 1984 | (DHumphries) HSizemore, DSmith, SMiller, JMcCoury | 3:29 |
| 8 | Cash, June Carter | Will You Miss Me? | Dualtone | 2003 | (APC) NoBlake, LauraCash. JCash | 3:52 |
| 9 | Lost & Found | One Teardrop & One Step Away | Rebel | 1989 | (HSaul) AMills(lv), DYoung, RBowman, JKing | 2:57 |
The Walls Of Time To Come: Modern Branches
| Artist | Title | Label | Date | Comment | Time | |
| 1 | Country Gentlemen (Chuck and the Country Cats) | Honey Don’t | Sugar Hill | 1981 | (CPerkins) CWaller(lv) KDowell, RAllred, BYates, EFerris | 1:50 |
| 2 | Loveless, Patty | You’ll Never Leave Harlan Alive | Epic | 2001 | (D Scott) | fragment |
| 3 | Acoustic Syndicate (NC) | Better For This | Sugar Hill | 2003 | (BryMcMurry) StevM(g,m), FitzM(dr,v), JaySanders(bs,sx), BM(b), | 4:55 |
| 4 | Lara, Sergio
(Mexico) |
Cielito Lindo (Pretty Cielito) (from “Entre Guitarras y Mandolinas”) | sergiolara.com | 2003 | m&g b.Mexico City | 3:25 |
| 5 | Uncle Earl
(MI) |
Snow White Dove | Detroit Radio | 2002 | JoSerrapere(g,v), KCGroves(hv), SVanMeter(d) | 3:35 |
| 6 | O’Brien, Tim
(Brown, Alison) |
Everybody’s Talkin’ (Mid-night Cowboy theme: Nilsson) | Compass | 2000 | (FNeil) DAnger, MMarshall, TPhillips, | 3:45 |
| 7 | Reno & Smiley | Walking With Jesus (from “Songs for My Many”) | Grassound | 1963 | (Ashley-Manupelli) MMagaha, JPalmer | 2:30 |
| 8 | Hurst & Raines | Cincinnati at Night | Pinecastle | 2003 | bs (TRRitchie) | fragment |
