In July 1955 Sam and Kirk joined Grandpa Jones in a concert at the famed New River Ranch near Rising Sun, Maryland, and attracted the attention of several young old-time music fans (including Tom Paley and Mike Seeger) who were amazed to be able to hear some of the pioneer recording stars they had been listening to on old 78s. They pressed the McGees to do some of their old numbers like “Railroad Blues” and “Milk Cow Blues” – ones they had not done on the Opry for years. To their surprise, the McGees did them in a way that showed that they still had their chops; the audience loved it, and the word soon spread among the folk music movement. The McGees began a comeback that would take them to folk festivals at Newport, Chicago, New York, and Washington. Outstanding in Their Field, the first collection to feature the McGee Brothers live on stage, celebrates this comeback by featuring selections from three such concerts.
