Bluegrass Breakdown: Newport Folk Festival Various Artists (Vanguard)

£11.70

Genre:
Bluegrass
Label:
Vanguard
Format:
CD
Catalogue Id:
VCD 77006

This album was issued in 1992 as part of the Newport Folk Festival Classics set of albums that compiled and documented the highly influential festival that ran from 1959 into the sixties. The festivals coincided with, and were part of, the US folk music boom and were instrumental in introducing many examples of traditional and roots music to a new generation. The festival featured major artists on main stages, but on other stages at varying times of day workshop performances ran where the accent was very much on shared appreciation of music genres and expertise where artists and audience alike could learn from each other. Some of the tracks on this compilation come from such workshops, like the opening fusillade of fiddling from father and son Lue and Byron Berline who delivered four snappy public domain tunes during a Saturday afternoon session. Byron of course went on to be one of the most valued Nashville session players later in the sixties especially when the country rock boom needed really good fiddle players.

 

We move on to The Stanley Brothers whose career dated back into the forties. They present four of their best know tunes, including ‘ I’m A Man Of Constant Sorrow’ and the fine crowd-pleasing instrumentals ‘Big Tildy’ and ‘Orange Blossom Special’. Another well-established old-timer was Fiddling Arthur Smith plays the classic tunes ‘Leather Britches’ and ‘Blackberry Blossom’, before we get to the comparatively new chaps on the scene The Greenbriar Boys, then riding on the success of their debut album on Vanguard. The Dillards, recorded at Newport in 1963, were popular via TV shows and records to more than just pure bluegrass audiences. Here they stick close to their Ozark roots with traditional adapted tunes, their own ‘Banjo In the Hollow’ and the famed ‘Dueling Banjos’. Clayton McMichen was another older generation fiddle player whose musical activity dates back to the twenties and thirties when his group The Georgia Wildcats included a young Merle Travis on guitar. The penultimate act is The New York City Ramblers whose ranks included the young David Grisman on mandolin. They play David's composition ‘Cedar Hill’ alongside three others that include a Bill Monroe song. Monroe himself with his Bluegrass Boys is the final act here with five tracks to delight the crowd. Thought of as the 'father of bluegrass' Monroe was highly influential to the whole musical world, and one of the songs here is a strong version of his own ‘Blue Moon Of Kentucky’ which had of course been one of Elvis Presley's first recordings. We also get ‘Muleskinner Blues’, and his gospel-rooted song ‘Somebody Touched Me’ which became another song to get several covers during the sixties. The set closes with collection title ‘Bluegrass Breakdown’, a tune so suitable for the old adage of 'leave 'em wanting more', which is indeed what this whole CD does as it serves as one of many wonderful routes into the classic Newport Folk Festival CDs that are available through Ace.

Share

Track listing

Show

Side 1

  • 01 Preview New Broom - Lue And Byron Berline Accomp. By Bob Siggins And Bill Keith

  • 02 Preview Old Logan - Lue And Byron Berline Accomp. By Bob Siggins And Bill Keith

  • 03 Preview Crazy Creek - Lue And Byron Berline Accomp. By Bob Siggins And Bill Keith

  • 04 Preview Dusty Miller - Lue And Byron Berline Accomp. By Bob Siggins And Bill Keith

  • 05 Preview How Mountain Girls Can Love - The Stanley Brothers

  • 06 Preview I'm A Man Of Constant Sorrow - The Stanley Brothers

  • 07 Preview Big Tildy - The Stanley Brothers

  • 08 Preview The Orange Blossom Special - The Stanley Brothers

  • 09 Preview Leather Britches - Fiddlin' Arthur Smith

  • 10 Preview Blackberry Blossom - Fiddling Arthur Smith

  • 11 Preview Levee Breaking Blues - The Greenbriar Boys

  • 12 Preview At The End Of A Long Lonely Day - The Greenbriar Boys

  • 13 Preview Old Joe Clark - The Dillards

  • 14 Preview Ground Hog - The Dillards

  • 15 Preview Banjo In The Hollow - The Dillards

  • 16 Preview Polly Vaughan - The Dillards

  • 17 Preview Dueling Banjos - The Dillards

  • 18 Preview Alabama Jubilee - Clayton McMichen

  • 19 Preview Sourwood Mountain - Clayton McMichen

  • 20 Preview You Better Get Right, Little Darlin' - The New York City Ramblers

  • 21 Preview I'm Coming Back, But I Don't Know When - The New York City Ramblers

  • 22 Preview Cedar Hill - The New York City Ramblers

  • 23 Preview Tell It To Me - The New York City Ramblers

  • 24 Preview Mule Skinner Blues - Bill Monroe & The Bluegrass Boys

  • 25 Preview Blue Moon Of Kentucky - Bill Monroe & The Bluegrass Boys

  • 26 Preview Walls Of Time - Bill Monroe with Peter Rowan

  • 27 Preview Somebody Touched Me - Bill Monroe & The Bluegrass Boys

  • 28 Preview Bluegrass Breakdown - Bill Monroe & The Bluegrass Boys

Delivery & Returns

Show

We offer free P&P to UK addresses. For all other territories packaging is free and postage is charged on a weight basis.

We use Royal Mail First Class for UK deliveries and standard Air Mail for all other territories, very large orders will usually be sent via parcelforce. You may cancel your order at any time prior to your order being dispatched by emailing us at orders@acerecords.com ensuring that you quote your name, address and order reference number or by telephoning +44 (0) 208 453 1311 between 9am and 5pm GMT/BST, Monday to Friday. Please note: As music downloads are dispatched immediately after purchase, there is no possibility of cancelling these orders.

In the event that any products supplied to you by us are damaged or defective, we agree to replace or repair the damaged or defective products or refund the amount you paid for such goods (including postage & packaging) providing you notify us (either via post at or e-mail: orders@acerecords.com ) and return the goods within 28 days of purchase. Physical goods should be sent back to us in the same condition you received them to: “Returns” Ace Records, Such Close, Letchworth Garden City SG6 1JF, United Kingdom. Music downloads should be returned to us via the e-mail address above including a copy of your notification.

You have the right to cancel your order within seven days of purchase, or seven days of receipt of the goods (whichever is the longer). If you choose to cancel your order, full payment will be returned to you. Returned items should be sent to: “Returns” c/o Ace Records, Such Close, Letchworth Garden City SG6 1JF, United Kingdom. Music downloads should be returned to us via the email address: orders@acerecords.com including a copy of your notice of cancellation and order number.

Customer reviews

Show

Related products

Customers who bought this item also bought