Bluegrass Master Class
July 25, 2010
Rebroadcast On: 08/01/2010
Special treats this week include early gospel numbers from Bill Monroe, Flatt & Scruggs, the Stanley Brothers, Reno & Smiley, the Lewis Family, Mac Wiseman, Carl Story, Margie Sullivan, and a Curly Seckler/Marty Stuart duet. The Osborne Brothers travel light years from “Cotton Fields” (1964) and I’ll Be Alright Tomorrow” (1965) to “Rocky Top Championship Mix” (1997). A production of the International Bluegrass Music Museum, hosted by Fred Bartenstein.
Program: Bluegrass Master Class
Description
1. The Walls Of Time: Sources Of Songs And Styles
| Artist | Title | Label | Date | Comment | Time | |
| 1 | BG Gentlemen
(not in radio version) |
Banks of the Ohio | Liberty | 1962 | H,N&FBray, RCravens | fragment |
| 2 | Country Gentlemen | Oh Susanna (quickie session for Japan, pd $300) | Second | 1965 | b EAdcock, JDuffey, CWaller, EFerris. | 1:52 |
| 3 | Second South Carolina String Band | Oh! Susanna
(SFoster, 1847) |
Second | 2001 | 1st composition, age 20, Pittsburgh | fragment |
| 4 | Ohio Sacred Harp Singing Convention | Babylon Is Fallen (WEChute, 1878, The Sacred Harp) | fasola.org | 2004 | Brookville, OH, Vic Whisman, ldr | fragment |
| 5 | Lawson, Doyle & Quicksilver | Babylon’s Falling | Sugar Hill | 1986 | (ac) DLawson, RMoore, S&CVestal | 2:02 |
| 6 | Grayson & Whitter | Handsome Molly (year they met fiddle conv., MtCty,TN) | County (Victor) | 1927 | (Atlanta) GBG(f,v), HW(g) | fragment |
| 7 | Rigsby, John (Shelton, Jms Alan) | Handsome Molly | Rebel | 2004 | (Trad) SSparkman, RSII TMeade(f), BDunham, | 2:34 |
| 8 | Gross, Clifford (b. Butler Co, KY 1898, moved TX in 30s) | Leather Breeches | Yazoo (ARC uniss) | 1937 | f (Dallas) replaced BWills in Light Crust Doughboys. MuryelCampbell(g) | fragment |
| 9 | Young, Adrienne | Leather Britches | Addiebelle | 2004 | g CCampbell, TGrant(lg), AY, AKowalski, SSandifer | 2:38 |
| 10 | Horton, Johnny (rrd East TX & So. CA, died later that yr) | Sleepy-Eyed John
(Sleepy John, KY fiddle tune) |
Columbia | 1960 | (TAtchison PrRam McHen-ry, KY, 10 m from Rosine, b. ‘12, lrnd from AShultz) | fragment |
| 11 | Jim & Jesse | Sleepy Eyed John | Bear (Epic) | 1964 | JBrock, AShelton, MFields REdenton, LChance | 2:15 |
| 12 | Lead Belly (HLedbetter, ‘88-49) | Cotton Fields | Smiths Folkways | 1947 | abt chldhd nr Shreveport, hit for Highwaymen ‘62 | fragment |
| 13 | Osborne Brothers | Cotton Fields (also BMonroe, F&S) | Bear (MGM) | 1964 | BBirchfield, REdenton, LChance, WAckerman | 2:30 |
| 14 | Withers, Bill (b. Slab Fork, WV ‘38) | Ain’t No Sunshine | Stax | 1971 | (BW) #3 pop, Grammy best R&B | fragment |
| 15 | Grass Cats | Ain’t No Sunshine | New Time | 2002 | RJohnson KGardner GMil-ler CHill RCrabtree | 2:44 |
2. Dawn of the Bluegrass Era: 1940-1954
| Artist | Title | Label | Date | Comment | Time | |
| 1 | Stanley Brothers | I Can Tell You the Time | JSP (Rch-R-Tone) | 1947 | (AMPace) (WOPI, Bristol) PLambert, RLambert | 2:08 |
| 2 | Monroe, Bill | You’re Drifting Away (BM)) | Bear (Dec | 1951 | CStanley RLyle GTerry | 2:37 |
| 3 | Flatt & Scruggs | The Family Who Prays | Radio Gems CD | 1954 | (WSM) (I&CLouvin, ‘52) CSeckler, BMartin | 2:49 |
| 4 | Church Brothers & Blue Rdge Ramblers | We’ll Meet Up There | Rounder (BlueRdg) | 1951 | (DAdams-BChurch) Bill, Edwin, Ralph. NWilksboro | 2:35 |
| 5 | Williams, Hank | (I’m) Going Home (unreleased demo) | Mercury | 1949 | (HW) (Montgomery?) RRector? RAtkins? | 1:28 |
| 6 | Story, Carl | I’m Heaven Bound | SCR (Mer | 1951 | RRector, LBell | 2:36 |
| 7 | Reno & Smiley | He’s Coming Back To Earth Again | King | 1953 | (DR) (WBT) RRector (wCS JLunsford TFaile(wAS) | 2:28 |
| 8 | Lewis Family | Over in Gloryland | Starday (Bibletone | 1953 | (WJAT, Swainsboro, GA) Roy(11,b) | 2:37 |
| 9 | Maddox Brothers & Rose | Garden in the Sky | Arhoolie (4 Star) | 1950 | (CA) (“LA Lou” Greenwood 1st BSB ‘47) dt Cal, Rose | 2:10 |
| 10 | Wiseman, Mac | Paradise Valley (unreleased) | Bear (Dot) | 1953 | (Stamps-White)AShelton T Jackson CCollier ENewton | 2:16 |
3. Starving Out: 1955-1964
| Artist | Title | Label | Date | Comment | Time | |
| 1 | Jackson, Leon, Johnny Bryant & White Oak Mtn. Boys | Go Find Another Man (unissued) | King | 1956 | (Detroit) born AL LJ(b) JB (gv), KWright, RRamsey, VEEdney, RPuckett, FCatlette | 2:15 |
| 2 | Eanes, Jim | Road of No Return | Starday | 1959 | (WHEE) AShelton, RRus-sell, CMcGee, CHoward, FBurroughs, ATerry | 2:37 |
| 3 | Clifton, Bill | Are You Alone | Bear (Starday) | 1958 | (BC) RStanley, BMartin, TJackson, CLambert, JDuffey, RHuskey, JSelph | 2:26 |
| 4 | Sullivan, Margie | The Stone Was Rolled Away | Loyal | 1960 | from No. LA | 3:02 |
| 5 | Bluegrass Playboys | Nagging Wife Blues | Briar | 1961 | WAdams, EBurchett, PMullins, TEndicott, JThompson | 2:11 |
| 6 | Connie & Joe (Conniie & Babe) | Barbara Allen | JSP (Starday) | 1960 | JDrumright, TWasher.
JBridges BJones |
4:18 |
| 7 | Lilly Brothers & Don Stover | John Hardy | Smiths Folkways | 1961 | Ev(lv), Bea, DonS(b&chb), HHooven, MSeeger | 3:36 |
| 8 | Stoneman, Scott | Arkansas Traveler (unrlsd) | OldHmstd | 1962 | f Donna, Roni, Van, Jimmy | 2:08 |
| 9 | Monroe, Bill & Watson, Doc | Feast Here Tonight | FBN Music Club | 1964 | (live) learned from Prairie Ramblers Chic ‘33, Monroes ‘38 |
4. The Festival Era: 1970-1983
| Artist | Title | Label | Date | Comment | Time | |
| 1 | Allen, Red | Close By | Rebel | 1965 | (BMonroe-RVanWinkle) W&BYates, SStoneman, PChurch | 2:52 |
| 2 | Osborne Brothers | I’ll Be Alright Tomorrow | Bear (Decca) | 1965 | (BO-PGoble) GCash, BMartin, REdenton, LChance, WAckerman | 2:20 |
| 3 | Reno & Martin | Too Bad That You’re No Good For Me | Monument | 1966 | (F&RECarter) BM(lv) | 2:17 |
| 4 | Emerson & Waldron | Spanish Grass | Rebel | 1971 | d (MAuldridge) MA, JDuf-fey, BPoffinberger, EFerris | 2:41 |
| 5 | McCoury, Del | Rain Please Go Away | Rebel | 1974 | (DM) DEldreth, BRunkle, BPoffinberger, DRenfro | 2:41 |
| 6 | Stecher, Jody | O the Wind and Rain | ACD (Bay) | 1977 | (trad) HankBradley(f) (most requested) | 3:55 |
| 7 | Williams, Vern | Field of Flowers | Rounder | 1981 | (British hit for Vernon Oxford, 70s) DelbertW(g), KLittle(b), ENeff(f), KvTHompson(bs) | 2:42 |
| 8 | Hotmud Family | Old Songs | Vetco | 1974 | (RGood) SThomas, DEd-mondson, RG, RMurphy | 3:33 |
| 9 | Flatt, Lester | What Would You Give In Exchange For Your Soul? | CMH CD | 1977 | (live) MStuart(lv), CSeckler(tv), TTate, KIngram, PCorum, CNixon | 3:08 |
5. 1984-Now: Modern Roots
| Artist | Title | Label | Date | Comment | Time | |
| 1 | Blake, Norman & Rice, Tony | Last Train from Poor Valley | Rounder | 1987 | (NB) TR(lv) | 3:32 |
| 2 | Reischman, John & Jaybirds (Vancouver) | Winter’s Come and Gone | Copper Creek | 2003 | (DRawlings/GWelch) TGagnon, GShelton, JNunally, GSpatz | 3:09 |
| 3 | Longview | The Lost Cave | Rebel | 2002 | f (GDuncan) GD, JMills, DRigsby, DConnell, MWilborn, JKing | 4:32 |
| 4 | Lonesome River Band | Katie Daley | Sugar Hill | 1996 | (PMullins-EO’Shea) DRigsby, RBowman(lv), KSmith, SShelor | 2:22 |
| 5 | King, Tony | White Freightliner (longhaulmusic.com) | Golden Ring | 2002 | (TVanZandt) KSmith(lg), APoindexter, DRigsby, TCrouch, AHaynes | 3:05 |
| 6 | Third Tyme Out | What True Love Is | Chateau | 2004 | (RMoore) RM(lv), RDeaton, WBenson, SDilling, GLuck | 2:59 |
| 7 | Lynch, Claire | Who Do You Know | Rounder (Brentwood) | 1998 | (MHicks,SandMtn,AL) TBresh(lg), RHuskey, LL, SDuncan, KLittle, TEldredge, SFeazell | 2:38 |
| 8 | Skaggs, Ricky | Lonesome and Dry as a Bone | Skaggs | 2004 | (SCamp) MFain, CKilby, A Leftwich, JMills, PBrewster | 2:38 |
| 9 | Mountain Heart | The Old Hometown | Skaggs | 2004 | (LFlatt) SGulley(lv), BAbernathy ASteffey JVan Cleve JMoore CJones | 2:58 |
6. The Walls Of Time To Come: Modern Branches
| Artist | Title | Label | Date | Comment | Time | |
| 1 | Hartford, John | Steam Powered Aereoplane | Rounder (WB) | 1971 | (JH) VClements, NBlake, TTaylor, RScruggs | 3:43 |
| 2 | Dillards | Forget Me Not | Anthem | 1972 | (BMartin) RDillard(lv), BRLathum, DWebb, MJayne, PYork | 3:25 |
| 3 | Osborne Brothers | Rocky Top Championship Mix | Decca | 1997 | Scott Rouse (prod) B&SOsborne, JGraves | 4:48 |
| 4 | Iron Horse (AL) | Ocean Breathes Salty | CMH | 2004 | (IBrock,JGreen,EJudy, Modest Mouse) VHenry, ARichardson, TRobertson, RRogers | 4:19 |
| 5 | Thile, Chris | On Ice | Sugar Hill | 2004 | (CT) solo | 3:52 |
| 6 | Fleck, Bela | Keyboard Sonata in C Major K. 159 | Sony Classical | 2001 | b (DScarlatti) CThile(m) | 2:19 |
| 7 | Cox Family | Just When We’re Thinking It’s Over | Asylum | 1996 | (Sid&SuzCox) Evelyn(lv), Sidney, Suzanne, PMcGrath, AKrauss, ASteffey, BBales, RIckes, PtMcGrath, KMalone | 4:20 |
