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

• LINDY
• LOUISE

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

• EVALINA
• LOVER'S FAREWELL

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

• MY KATIE
• DANVILLE BLUES

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