Just got a newly issued boxed set titled You Ain't Talkin' To Me: Charlie Poole and the Roots of Country Music. I already have most of Charlie's music on CD, but this was a rare instance when the packaging and inclusion of additional artists made it well worth the expense. The set includes versions of Poole's songs recorded by his contemporaries, and versions of songs by his contemporaries that were the original recordings which served as a source for Poole's. That means, for example, that there are additional lyrics to songs like Moving Day on the Arthur Collins recording. There are also the original recordings of some of my very favorite Poole recordings, like Come Take A Trip In My Airship by Billy Murray and Goodbye Liza Jane by the Peerless Quartet.

The collection was put together by Hank Sapoznik... a name from the past. Hank was a member of an old-time band, the Retched Refuse String Band who I booked many years ago. The packaging of the set is marvelous, in itself. It is done in the form of a cigar box, with an R. Crumb illustration of Charlie on the lid.

Even has two Fred Van Epps recordings on it. Fred Van Epps was the finest plectrum banjo player on his era and recorded many wonderful ragtime tunes with full orchestra. Almost nothing is available of his work on CD, so the two tracks are a treasure in themselves. Fred's son George is one of my favorite jazz guitar players, who plays finger-picked 7 string guitar. George was part of Pete Kelly's band in the movie Pete Kelly's Blues.

All fine stuff.

Jerry