V/A - Mountain Music Bluegrass Style

(Folkways FA-2318) 1959

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This seminal album is often credited with introducing bluegrass to the folk-revivalists of the 1960s, and with identifying the link between bluegrass and Appalachian music and culture. David Grisman, for example recalled "(It) was the first bluegrass I ever heard. It had extensive liner notes, a booklet with pictures, and the whole story of bluegrass at the time. I used to read those notes over and over."^[1] ... and talking about Earl Taylor's version of White House Blues:- "I was just floored... It was the fastest thing I'd ever heard".^[2]

The album, which was very much the brainchild of Mike Seeger, features intimate recordings of Chubby Anthony on several cuts. On Katy Cline, Bile 'em Cabbage Down and There Ain't Nobody Gonna Miss Me When I'm Gone, Anthony accompanies Don Stover and Bea Lilly from The Lilly Brothers (his brother Everett was with Flatt & Scruggs at the time); On Cricket On The Hearth Anthony plays some exquisite fiddle accompanied by Don Stover on banjo; and on New River Train Anthony sings lead and plays 5-string guitar alongside Mike Seeger and Bob Yellin. Mike: "On 'New River Train' he modified a full size gibson guitar by putting a set of banjo strings on it, tuning it approximately F#DGBD and playing it three finger banjo picking style. I believe it's capoed up one or two frets."^[3]

Also featured on the album are Earl Taylor and The Stoney Mountain Boys, Tex Logan, Bob Baker and The Pike County Boys.

The album was reissued on CD (Smithsonian Folkways CD SF 40038) 1991, remastered and with four previously unreleased tracks. Most of the original liner notes are also included on an insert. You can also hear previews of the tracks, and download a pdf of the artwork from Smithsonian Folkways website.

NB: (*) Previously unreleased.

Other artwork / related images:

[1] Bill C. Malone's biography of Mike Seeger 'Music From The True Vine' (p.72)
[2] Tim Newby's 'Bluegrass In Baltimore' (p.55)
[3] 'Mountain Music Bluegrass Style' liner notes.