Roscoe Holcomb - High Lonesome Sound

Thank Roxy for suggesting this, this album is toooooooooooooo good.

The first time I heard of Roscoe was through an anecdote told to me by a trembling old man in the music section of Half Priced Books in Houston.  "...and so his little girl went ahead and got married, and Roscoe played and played throughout the night till every body went to sleep exhausted, only to wake up to a gopher-a-plenty awaiting them."  

I don't really know if that's true or not, but I hope it is.  Roscoe Holcomb, discovered by Library of Congress's Folkways Productions, picked up the banjo when the Depression came on.  That's Depression with a capital "d."  Making a little money was all he originally wanted to do but he found he could play tunes upon tunes, and time tells that he truly is an American MAAAAAAAAAAAASTER musician.

Be ready for treble

Tracklist

01 - Moonshiner
02 - Old Smoky
03 - Little Birdie
04 - House in New Orleans
05 - Trouble in Mind
06 - The Wandering Boy
07 - Hook and Line
08 - Married Life Blues
09 - Omie Wise
10 - Willow Tree
11 - Boat's Up the River
12 - In the Pines
13 - Fox Chase
14 - Little Gray Mule
15 - I'm a Free Little Bird
16 - Little Bessie
17 - Motherless Children
18 - Darlin' Corey
19 - Roll On Buddy
20 - A Village Churchyard
21 - Walk Around My Bedside

http://www.mediafire.com/?qzmmzzyyzfh

Thanks Roxy : )

Bill Monroe - I Saw the Light 1958

Bill Monroe is one of my favorite Bluegrass musicians.  I have a weird affinity for gospel music from anywhere in the world.  It's interesting how many of the musical elements are extremely similar, most notably the 1-4-5 (G C D for example).  Out of the plethora of folk gospel music from the United States, though, the reason why I am particularly attracted to Monroe, other than the fact that he is a sexy bastard, is probably because they just have such strong and tight vocal harmonies AND the man invented the term Bluegrass.

The name hails from his band's name, Bill Monroe and his Blue Grass Boys.  Bill Monroe himself came from a Baptist family and was the youngest child in a family full of musicians.  His older brothers played the guitar and fiddle respectively, so Bill was resigned to the mandolin.  They formed groups in Indiana where they were workers in oil fields and formed many groups, most notably the Monroe Boys while they were there.    

Tracklist:

1 - I Saw the Light
2 - Life's Railway to Heaven
3 - Lord, Lead Me On
4 - Wayfaring Stranger
5 - A Beautiful Life
6 - Precious Memories
7 - House of Gold
8 - I've Found a Hiding Place
9 - Jesus Hold My Hand
10 - I Am a Pilgrim
11 - Lord, Build Me a Cabin in Glory

http://www.mediafire.com/?nydzntamz2j