The German Bear Family label continues to put out amazing box sets of CDs that fill in our understanding of early Country music. This is a followup to their wonderful boxed set of the BRISTOL SESSIONS, which documented the early field recording efforts of Ralph Peer and the Victor record company in 1927 and gave us the first recordings of Jimmie Rodgers and The Carter Family. This new 4-CD set covers a project of the Columbia label, and while it produced no Carter Families or Jimmie Rodgers's, it did bring out a lot of good music from the hills of Tennessee and neighboring states. Some of the outstanding artists to be recorded here include Clarence "Tom" Ashley, the great Roane County Ramblers, The Bentley Boys, The Grant Brothers, Roy Harvey & Leonard Copeland, George Roark, the Moatsville String Tickers, Charlie Bowman, Clarence Greene, Byrd Moore and Ephraim Woodie, among others all arranged in chronologic order. Much credit should be given to the researchers who put this package together: Tony Russell and Ted Olson. In a magnificent 136-page hardbound book that accompanies the CDs, they provide excellent notes on the artists, a discography, and photos of just about every artist and group in the set, a truly remarkable feat in itself. 4-CDs & book.
DISC 1:
SHELL CREEK QUARTET
- MY BOYHOOD DAYS
- BACK WHERE THE OLD HOME STANDS
GRANT BROTHERS & THEIR MUSIC
- WHEN A MAN IS MARRIED
- GOODBYE MY HONEY - I'M GONE
- TELL IT TO ME
- JOHNSON BOY
ROANE COUNTY RAMBLERS
- HOME TOWN BLUES
- SOUTHERN NO. 111
- STEP HIGH WALTZ
- TENNESSEE WALTZ
RENUS RICH & CARL BRADSHAW
- GOODBYE SWEETHEART
- SLEEP BABY SLEEP
CLARENCE GREENE & WISE BROTHERS
- PRIDE OF THE BALL
- KITTY WALTZ
CLARENCE GREENE
- JOHNSON CITY BLUES
- NINETY-NINE YEARS IN JAIL
PROXIMITY STRING QUARTET
GREENSORO BOYS QUARTET
- SING ME A SONG OF THE SUNNY SOUTH
- SWEET LITTLE GIRL OF MINE
RICHARD HAROLD
- THE BATTLESHIP MAINE
- THE FISHER'S MAID
- SWEET BIRD
- MARY DEAR
DISC 2:
BOWMAN SISTERS
- MY OLD KENTUCKY HOME
- SWANEE RIVER
CHARLIE BOWMAN & HIS BROTHERS
- ROLL ON BUDDY
- GONNA RAISE THE RUCKUS TONIGHT
BILL & BELLE REED
- YOU SHALL BE FREE
- OLD LADY AND THE DEVIL
THE REED CHILDREN
- I'LL BE ALL SMILES TONIGHT
- I ONCE DID HAVE A SWEETHEART
MCVAY & JOHNSON
- AIN'T GOING TO LAY MY ARMOR DOWN
- I'LL BE READY WHEN THE BRIDEGROOM COMES
EARL SHIRKEY & ROY HARPER
- STEAMBOAT MAN
- WHEN THE ROSES BLOOM FOR THE BOOTLEGGER
- POOR LITTLE JOE
- WE PARTED AT THE GATE
GEORGE ROARK
- I AIN'T A BIT DRUNK
- MY OLD COON DOG
ED HELTON SINGERS
- A STORM ON THE SEA (THE SINKING OF THE STEAMSHIP VESTRIS)
- MY OLD COTTAGE HOME
GARLAND BROTHERS & GRINSTEAD
- JUST OVER THE RIVER
- BEAUTIFUL
MCCARTT BROTHERS & PATTERSON
- GREEN VALLEY WALTZ
- OVER THE SEA WALTZ
BLALOCK & YATES
- MORNING STAR WALTZ
- PRIDE OF THE BALL
JACK JACKSON
- FLAT TIRE BLUES
- MY ALABAMA HOME
DISC 3:
GEORGE WADE & FRANCUM BRASWELL
- THINK A LITTLE
- WHEN WE GO A COURTIN'
JACK JACKSON
- IN OUR LITTLE HOME SWEET HOME
- I'M JUST A BLACK SHEEP
ROANE COUNTY RAMBLERS
- FREE A LITTLE BIRD - 1930 MODEL
- JOHNSON CITY RAG
- CALLAHAN RAG
- ALABAMA TROT
WYATT & BRANDON
ROY HARVEY & LEONARD COPELAND
- JUST PICKIN'
- BECKLEY RAG
- UNDERNEATH THE SUGAR MOON
- LONESOME WEARY BLUES
THE SPINDALE QUARTET
- SWEET PEACE THE GIFT OF GOD'S LOVE
- GOD WILL TAKE CARE OF YOU
- FACE TO FACE
- LIFT HIM UP
EARL SHIRKEY & ROY HARPER
- THE VIRGINIAN STRIKE OF '23
- THE POLICEMAN'S LITTLE CHILD
- MY YODELING SWEETHEART
- I'M LONGING TO BELONG TO SOMEONE
- WE HAVE MOONSHINE IN THE WEST VIRGINIA HILLS
- A HOBO'S PAL
MOATSVILLE STRING TICKLERS
- THE WEST VIRGINIA HILLS
- MOATSVILLE BLUES
DISC 4:
WEAVER BROTHERS
- YOU CAME BACK TO ME
- PRISON SORROWS
BYRD MOORE & HIS HOT SHOTS
- FRANKIE SILVERS
- THE HILLS OF TENNESSEE
- CARELESS LOVE
- THREE MEN WENT A HUNTING
BATEMAN SACRED QUARTET
- NOTHING LIKE OLD TIME RELIGION
- SOME DAY
FRED RICHARDS
CLARENCE ASHLEY
- DARK HOLLER BLUES
- THE COO-COO-BIRD
- LITTLE SADIE
- NAOMI WISE
THE BENTLEY BOYS
- DOWN ON PENNY'S FARM
- HENHOUSE BLUES
BOWMAN SISTERS
- RAILROAD TAKE ME BACK
- OLD LONESOME BLUES
EPHRAIM WOODIE & THE HENPECKED HUSBANDS
- LAST GOLD DOLLAR
- THE FATAL COURTSHIP
IRA & EUGENE YATES
- POWDER AND PAINT
- SARAH JANE
ELLIS WILLIAMS
- BUTTERMILK BLUES
- SMOKEY BLUES
