I had not heard Nat Reese and I agree that his singing is Appalachian music, beautiful Appalachian music. I also believe that people who want to preserve our singing heritage should be trying to save all sorts of heritage music: blues, bluegrass, cowboy songs,jazz, spirituals, barbershop quartets and many more forms of traditional singing. I admit that I am especially fond of the sort of songs that Sharp collected, because that is the sort of songs my friends and family sang, and which I sing. The crooked road does support this type of song, but it seems to me more by bringing in outsiders rather than presenting or preserving what's here. I know that last remark is liable to attack as insular. I'm delighted to here the Sharp songs from outsiders; I just wish the crooked road would do more to preserve the insiders' songs. It seems only fair, given that, as you say, everyone talks up old-time songs in order to get the tourists and their money.
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