Close to Home: Old Time Music From Mike Seeger's Collection (1952-1967)

by N/A

Overview

Collected by Mike Seeger from 1952 to 1967 as he roamed around the Appalachian Mountains, Close to Home is one of the better detailed sets of authentic old-time Southern American music to be found. Though mostly recorded at the musician's home on a single, hand-held microphone, the warmth and charm of the performances captured make up for any supposed lack of recording quality, as Seeger no doubt took great pains to document these archaic stylings before they died with their performers. Of the 38 tracks featured, some legends like Sara and Maybelle Carter of the Carter Family fame, Elizabeth Cotten, and fiddler Eck Robertson appear, though the majority are simply local legends or unknowns. As such, it might come as some surprise to hear the level of accomplishment reached by these common folks, as a few were even said to have been badly out of practice when recorded. A majority of the tracks are lively fiddle or banjo instrumentals, though a few harmonica workouts, gorgeous autoharp and dulcimer tunes, and a cappella tracks appear, as well. This is very honest music, without a hint of pretension, and one can only wonder how many similar talents lived and died without ever having shared their talents outside of their local community. Excellent liner notes composed by Seeger himself give a wonderfully detailed commentary on how he came about to record the featured artists, and also place the performers within their historical context. There might be more complete collections on the market, but for the single-disc price and the amount of quality music here, Close to Home is highly recommended. ~ Matt Fink

Product Details

Release Date:	06/17/1997
Label:	Smithsonian Folkways Recordings
UPC:	0093074009727
Rank:	94065

Tracks

1. In the Sweet By and By  - Elizabeth Cotten  -  Public Domain  -  Traditional  - Harry Von Tilzer  - Joseph Philbrick Webster
2. Tie Your Dog Sally Gal  - Will Adam
3. Banjo Instrumental  - J.C. "Cleve" Sutphin
4. Lost Train Blues  -  Sutphin
5. Shortening Bread  - J.C. "Cleve" Sutphin  -  Sutphin  -  Vernon & Cleve Sutphin
6. The Train That Carried My Girl from Town  - J.C. "Cleve" Sutphin  -  Sutphin  -  Vernon & Cleve Sutphin
7. Old Gambling Man  - J.J. Neece
8. John Henry  - J.J. Neece  -  Traditional
9. Shout Little Lulu  - Louise Foreacre
10. He Will Set Your Fields on Fire  - Kilby Snow
11. Gather in the Golden Grain  - Hattie Stoneman
12. Going to Lay Down My Burdens  - Elizabeth White
13. John Henry  - Lesley Riddle  -  Traditional
14. Pretty Fair Damsel  - Clarence Ashley
15. It's These Hard Times  - Pearly "Grandma" Davis
16. Old-Time Reel  - Pearly "Grandma" Davis
17. Jackson Schottische  - A.L. Hall
18. Lone Prairie  - Wade Ward
19. Molly Put the Kettle On  - Wade Ward
20. Last Gold Dollar  - Bill McElreath
21. John Henry  - Bill Davis  - Jean Davis  -  Traditional  -  Bill & Jean Davis
22. Three Nights Drunk  -  Blue Ridge Buddies
23. Jimmie Sutton  -  Blue Ridge Buddies
24. Going to Lay Down My Old Guitar  - Ira Dimmery  - Snuffy Jenkins  - Ira Dimmery
25. Black Mountain Rag  - M. Christian  - Kirk McGee  - Sam McGee  - Dennis Rowland  - Arthur "Guitar Boogie" Smith  -  Traditional
26. A Talk on the World  - Clyde Lewis
27. Red Wing  - Walt Koken  - "Lost John" Ray
28. Leather Breeches  -  New Lost City Ramblers  - Eck Robertson
29. Blackberry Blossom  - Sherman Lawson
30. Alabama Gals  - Emmett Cole
31. Old Joe Clark  - George Landers
32. Sugar Baby  - Dock Boggs  -  Traditional
33. Queen Sally  - Archie Sturgill
34. Poor Orphan Child  - Kate Peters Sturgill
35. My Virginia Rose Is Blooming  - Scott Boatright
36. I'm Leaving You  - Maybelle Carter  - Sara Carter  - Sara Carter Bayes
37. He Said, If You Love Me, Feed My Sheep  -  Stancer Quartet
38. I Would Not Live Always  - Clarence Ferrill

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Ira Dimmery   Primary Artist,Primary Artist
Vernon & Cleve Sutphin   Primary Artist
"Lost John" Ray   Primary Artist
Sara Carter Bayes   Primary Artist
Bill & Jean Davis   Primary Artist
Will Adam   Primary Artist
Jean Davis   Primary Artist
Vernon L. Sutphin   Primary Artist
Clarence Ashley   Primary Artist
Clyde Lewis   Primary Artist
Elizabeth White   Primary Artist
Hattie Stoneman   Primary Artist
Kate Peters Sturgill   Primary Artist
J.J. Neece   Primary Artist
The Stancer Quartet   Primary Artist
A.L. Hall   Primary Artist
Snuffy Jenkins   Primary Artist
Blue Ridge Buddies   Primary Artist
Pearly "Grandma" Davis   Primary Artist
Bill Davis   Primary Artist
Bill McElreath   Primary Artist
Kilby Snow   Primary Artist
Kirk McGee   Primary Artist
Emmett Cole   Primary Artist
Walt Koken   Primary Artist
Sherman Lawson   Primary Artist
J.C. "Cleve" Sutphin   Primary Artist
Sam McGee   Primary Artist
Sara Carter   Primary Artist
Scott Boatright   Primary Artist
The New Lost City Ramblers   Primary Artist
Mother Maybelle Carter   Primary Artist
Arthur "Guitar Boogie" Smith   Primary Artist
George Landers   Primary Artist
Archie Sturgill   Primary Artist
Clarence Ferrill   Primary Artist
Dock Boggs   Primary Artist
Eck Robertson   Primary Artist
Elizabeth Cotten   Primary Artist
Wade Ward   Primary Artist
Lesley Riddle   Primary Artist
Louise Foreacre   Primary Artist

Technical Credits

Mike Seeger   Producer,Liner Notes,Compilation Producer
Harry Von Tilzer   Composer
Sherman Lawson   Performer
Clarence Ashley   Performer
Elizabeth White   Performer
Traditional   Composer
Snuffy Jenkins   Performer
Bill Davis   Performer
Kirk McGee   Performer
M. Christian   Composer
Walt Koken   Performer
Dennis Rowland   Composer
J.C. "Cleve" Sutphin   Performer
Hattie Stoneman   Performer
Joseph Philbrick Webster   Composer
Sam McGee   Performer
Mother Maybelle Carter   Performer
Arthur "Guitar Boogie" Smith   Performer
Dock Boggs   Performer
Eck Robertson   Performer
Elizabeth Cotten   Performer
Wade Ward   Performer
Lesley Riddle   Performer
Public Domain   Composer
Ira Dimmery   Performer
Jean Davis   Performer