Smith/Folkways' Watson & Ashley CD

Subject: Smith/Folkways' Watson & Ashley CD
From: Abby Sale
Date: 12 Dec 99 - 12:56 PM

In a r.m.folk thread on "Rising Sun Blues"/"House of the Rising Sun" (ie, that it was older than Lomax, bawdy & likely began as a male-oriented song) I believe ralf michael thilo mentioned the Ralph Rinzler notes on Clarence Ashley's version heard on _The Original Folkways Recordings of Doc Watson and Clarence Ashley, 1960-1962_ from Smithsonian Folkways.

I finally got double CD & I can tell any what ain't got it to get it. Fantastic. Ashley still doing what he did so fine and Watson's first "commercial" recordings of his developing genius. Superbly produced & notated by Rinzler. And a few superb artists I'd no knowledge of as marvey banjist Jack Burchett & fiddler Fred Price. They may have been on THE ANTHOLOGY but I missed them if they were.

Lots of stuff never out before on vinyl or tape & many, many of the connections from Brit to Mountain to "old-timey" to pre-revival to revival both in tune & text.

I'm impressed.

Subject: RE: BS: Smith/Folkways' Watson & Ashley CD
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 12 Dec 99 - 01:22 PM

Who am I to disagree with Abby? Just thought I'd mention that it's available through the Mudcat Record Store through Camsco Music.

It's really a neat recording.

Subject: RE: BS: Smith/Folkways' Watson & Ashley CD
From: Chet W.
Date: 13 Dec 99 - 12:06 AM

I don't know if it's been reissued on CD, but a great companion to the above was a two-record set on Vanguard called "Old Timey Concert" with Doc, Clint Howard, and Fred Price. Well worth looking for.

Chet

Subject: RE: BS: Smith/Folkways' Watson & Ashley CD
From: Stewie
Date: 13 Dec 99 - 12:49 AM

Chet, the 'Old Timey Concert' is on CD - Vanguard VCD 107/8 - and, as you say, it's excellent.

Subject: RE: BS: Smith/Folkways' Watson & Ashley CD
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 13 Dec 99 - 01:19 AM

Wunnerful, wunnerful, wunnerful! (that's Laurence Welk, kids) Clint Howard singing "Maggie Walker blues". Buy IT!
Rick

Subject: RE: BS: Smith/Folkways' Watson & Ashley CD
From: Bruce O.
Date: 13 Dec 99 - 01:56 PM

Abby there's an early "Rising Sun" text in the bound copies of Robert Gordon's transcripts in The Library of Congress Folklore Archive, Vol. IV, #925. I did not note the date on it or copy the song. I trust you know how to contact them via e-mail or can find out (click on from my homepage and search from there). However, bawdy songs collected by Gordon are in a separate set that are not available to the general public, and you might ask them to look in that, too (I've never seen it, but my recollection is that they had an index to it.)

Subject: RE: BS: Smith/Folkways' Watson & Ashley CD
From: Guy Wolff
Date: 13 Dec 99 - 09:16 PM

I want them all.!!! There in my head but I hav'nt heard Mr Ashley for a long time..He is a major reason I play banjo...Thank you Raulph Rinsler if you can hear me were you are.. All my best to the rest who are here.. Guy

Subject: RE: BS: Smith/Folkways' Watson & Ashley CD
From: Abby Sale
Date: 14 Dec 99 - 09:41 AM

Bruce,

Re "Inferno" collection, far as I know there's still no online or printed index or publication. If you do a "f" search at LC on "Inferno" you get the general ref & cite numbers & general contents (all the songs in Inferno are simply outtakes from his general collections & so indicated.)

I did manage to scarf the entire "Inferno" collection, however, as xerox of the typescript. It took two years and many money but I have it. All I've actually done with it is learn a few songs and pass a few appropriate bawdy samples to sea song (Hugh Williamson) or hobo collectors.

There's a typed Contents (it should be online by now but I don't know) and I did scan it & OCR it so I can refer & sent the titles file if you like. There's no ref to "rising" or "sun" but titles are not always as they seem, are they?

Should this be a separate thread?