Classic Bluegrass From Smithsonian Folkways

Various Artists (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 23, 2002)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Smithsonian Folkways
• ASIN: B000063NDJ
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,337 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #9 in Music > Indie Music > Country > Bluegrass
  • #29 in Music > Indie Music > Folk > General

Editorial Reviews

It all began in 1956 with the release of the historic Folkways album American Banjo: Three-Finger and Scruggs Style (SFW 40037), the first-ever full-length bluegrass LP. From that point on, Folkways Records was synonymous with great bluegrass music. Folkways founder Moses Asch released scores of bluegrass albums, and this collection comprises the cream of the crop from these recordings, including works from giants of the genre such as Red Allen & Frank Wakefield, Bill Monroe, Doc Watson, the Stanley Brothers, and The Country Gentlemen. It serves as an outstanding introduction to the wealth of great bluegrass Smithsonian Folkways has to offer. Extensive notes, photos, 62 minutes. Compiled and annotated by Lee Michael Demsey and Jeff Place.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you can't afford this sell your pop discs., October 13, 2002

By 

6XERVANTES (Dortmund, Ruhr Valley, Germany) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Classic Bluegrass From Smithsonian Folkways (Audio CD)

With 25 tracks from the FOLKWAYS archives this is the most generous helping of bluegrass music that one might
hope for. An incredible roller-coaster ride through the most diverse styles. If you aren't a fan of bluegrass music, just pick track 21, 'Billy in the Lowground' (an instrumental that clocks in at exactly o n e minute) and you'll see the light.
The sleeve notes, packaging and sound quality are superb, as you might expect from a record from the prestigious FOLKWAYS label. As a German, I must admit that in European folk music nothing that I know comes close to the sheer exuberant energy of bluegrass. It's the perfect antidote to the whole MTV catalogue with its 100 %predictability. Doc Watson's two tracks on this CD, 'The world is waiting for the sunrise' (track 11, together with the excellent Roger Sprung) and 'The train that carried my girl from town'(track 15) fill me with awe about the incredible wealth of material that this pivotal figure of American folk music has produced. Quite definitely one of my records of 2002.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Classic, April 8, 2004

By 

James E. Bagley "Jim Bagley" (Sanatoga, PA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Classic Bluegrass From Smithsonian Folkways (Audio CD)

The plethora of worthy collections riding on the coattails of O Brother, Where Art Thou? continues with Classic Bluegrass From Smithsonian Folkways, 25 tracks of serious bluegrass untarnished by rock, pop or other outside influences. Recorded between 1956 and 1992, it includes three numbers from what's purportedly the first bluegrass LP ever, Folkways' American Banjo: Three-Finger And Scruggs Style. Dashing mandolin runs by Earl Taylor (and his Stoney Mountain Boys) and bluegrass's patriarch Bill Monroe (with Peter Rowan) open and close this crisp disc while Ralph Stanley, singing with older brother Carter, offers clawhammer banjo picking.

Many of the performers - Red Allen, Doc Watson and Hazel Dickens, for example - grew up with the music. The Harley Allen-Mike Lilly Band (Harley being Red's son) shows how the genre's trademark tight harmonies can turn smooth (in an Osborne Brothers style) rather than sharp, without sacrificing the essence of true bluegrass. The New Lost City Ramblers' "The Little Girl And The Dreadful Snake" as well as The Lilly Brothers And Don Stover's "'Neath That Cold Grey Tomb Of Stone" evoke mountain music's darkness, but then a wildfire fiddle breakdown such as David and Billy Ray Johnson's "Grey Eagle" comes along to show its fun side. It's a sumptuous buffett of bluegrass.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great selections from a great catalog, July 3, 2006

By 

Bomojaz (South Central PA, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Classic Bluegrass From Smithsonian Folkways (Audio CD)

This anthology digs deep into the Smithsonian-Folkways catalog of bluegrass albums (1956-1992), with virtually each track representing a different group/performer. The Stanley Brothers, Bill Monroe, The Country Gentlemen, Doc Watson, Snuffy Jenkins, and Red Allen are all included, and they are just the best-known artists here. Highlights for me include OUR LAST GOODBYE by the Johnson Mountain Boys, THE LITTLE GIRL AND THE DREADFUL SNAKE by The New Lost City Ramblers, TRAIN 45 by Smiley Hobbs, and HELLO CITY LIMITS by Hugh Moore, not to mention sides by the list of performers mentioned earlier. What's truly amazing is the realization that this CD anthology is only the tip of the iceberg of S-F holdings, which I believe are all still available in their original form - scores of albums. Hardcore bluegrass fans know all about those albums; CDs such as this do a great service for those just learning about the music or the S-F catalog, or for those just wanting to dip their toes into the music. It's a solid CD filled with terrific bluegrass offerings, with a 30-page, fact-filled booklet included, all for a great price. Definitely worth acquiring.