Clinch Mountain Echo

CMB Birthdays this month:

04 Feb 1972 - Steve Sparkman. Harlan, Kentucky.

04 Feb 1906 - Art Wooten. Born 'Arthur James Wooten' in Alleghany, North Carolina.

11 Feb 1960 - Junior Blankenship. Born at the old Grundy Hospital, Grundy, Va.

25 Feb 1927 - Ralph Stanley. Born 'Ralph Edmund Stanley' in Big Spraddle Creek, near Stratton, McClure, Virginia.

29 Feb 1932 - Jim Williams. Born 'James Lee Williams' in Wythe County, Virginia.


In Memoriam:

05 Feb 1980 - Chubby Anthony. Gainesville, Alachua, Florida.

08 Feb 2003 - Ralph 'Joe' Meadows. Silver Spring, Montgomery County, Maryland.

08 Feb 1987 - Harold 'Red' Stanley. Fentress, Tennessee.


For the Official Ralph Stanley II and the Clinch Mountain Boys site, visit:

Ralph II ralph2.com

Spotlight on:-

John's Gospel Quartet
(Wango LP-103)


CME Recommends...

A Life Of Constant Sorrow
alifeofsorrow.com

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Ralph Stanley Museum
ralphstanleymuseum.com

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Hills Of Home Festival
drralphstanleyfestival.com

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Rebel Records
rebelrecords.com

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Bluegrass Unlimited
Bluegrass Unlimited
Clinch Mountain Echo

The Keen Brothers - Bluegrass From The Mountain

(Old Homestead OHS-80053) 1983


The Keen Brothers - Bluegrass From The Mountain

Average Album Rating: 3
(Total votes 1)

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This is the second of two 'Stanley' influenced albums by The Keen Brothers. The first, 'Grassy Mountain Sound' (Old Homestead OHS-80047), came out in 1982 and contains 11 covers from the Stanley's repertoire, plus the old-time Red Apple Rag. Both feature a sound which is definitely patterned after the Clinch Mountain Boys, and although not in the same calibre, they're worth hearing.

On the second LP, there is the added bonus of former CMB, Troy 'Renfro' Profitt who provides excellent lead guitar work. This one also includes five orignals, written by Carnice and Remus Keen, which are again in the Stanley style.

From the liner notes to their albums, it transpires that The Keen Brothers grew up in the Grimselyville and Whitewood areas of Southwest Virginia and that they were part of a family of seven boys and three girls born to Harry and Callie Keen. By the time of their debut, they'd been playing bluegrass together for 20 years and performed on a radio show from W.R.I.C. in Richlands Virginia.

Considering how close the band are patterned after the Stanley's, one might have expected to have seen them on the bill at Ralph's festivals... but as far as I can tell they never played at the 'Hills Of Home'.

Today the albums are not easy to find, but they have been uploaded to the net and can be found on the Bluegrass Music Spoken Here blogsite. One track, Laurel Creek is however unfortunately missing from the MP3 download.

  • Carnice Keen: guitar, lead vocal
  • Remus Keen: banjo, tenor vocal
  • Philip Keen: baritone vocal
  • Herb Bowman: fiddle
  • Levi Dewey Long: bass
  • Troy 'Renfro' Profitt: lead guitar

 

Track:
Title:
Time:
Date:
Original Release:
A-1
Virginia Gal
02:21
c1983
Bluegrass From The Mountain

Carnice Keen
A-2
A Lonely Old Home
02:40
c1983
Bluegrass From The Mountain

Carnice Keen
A-3
Darling, Who Let You Down
02:08
c1983
Bluegrass From The Mountain

Carnice Keen
A-4
Don't Cheat In Our Home Town
02:30
c1983
Bluegrass From The Mountain

Ray Pennington / Roy E. Marcum
A-5
Laurel Creek
01:40
c1983
Bluegrass From The Mountain

Remus Keen
A-6
Friend Take Gods Hand
02:15
c1983
Bluegrass From The Mountain

Carnice Keen
B-1
I'll Just Go Away
02:09
c1983
Bluegrass From The Mountain

C. Stanley
B-2
Keep A Memory
02:20
c1983
Bluegrass From The Mountain

C. Stanley
B-3
All I Ever Loved Was You
02:34
c1983
Bluegrass From The Mountain

Dorothy Skaggs
B-4
Stairway To Heaven
02:47
c1983
Bluegrass From The Mountain

Bill Grant
B-5
Darling Nellie Gray
02:35
c1983
Bluegrass From The Mountain

Benny Hanby
B-6
Mothers Not Dead
03:28
c1983
Bluegrass From The Mountain

Maynard Spencer / Lance Spencer
Other artwork / related images:
Rear Cover

For the Official Ralph Stanley II and the Clinch Mountain Boys site, visit:

Ralph II ralph2.com

Spotlight on:-

Blue Grass Evergreen
(Old Homestead OHS-90072)


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A Life Of Constant Sorrow
alifeofsorrow.com

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Ralph Stanley Museum
ralphstanleymuseum.com

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Hills Of Home Festival
drralphstanleyfestival.com

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Rebel Records
rebelrecords.com

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Bluegrass Unlimited
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