The Lilly Brothers - Live At The Hillbilly Ranch

(Globe SJET-8325) 1971

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This is a hard to find live album which was recorded on 20 Dec 1960 at the Hillybilly Ranch in Boston, Ma. Chubby Anthony plays fiddle on the LP, although he is only credited as "Chubby" during the on-stage banter. The Japanese liner notes confirm that it is him however, and the timeline fits as he'd reportedly left the Stanley Brothers around March/April 1960.^[1]

Hank Edenborn recalls: "The story I had from Don and the Lillys was that the recording was made by the Tainaka brothers, and it was a simulated show in the Hillbilly Ranch just for the recording. Humorously, Don would tell me that he didn't play hard on that recording because he was suspicious that they would use the recording and that the band wouldn't get anything out of it!"

The fact that it was a 'simulated show' without an much of an audience, means that the sound is clearer than the 1967 recording featured on the 'Live At Hillbilly Ranch' CD (Hay Holler HH-CD-1333) 1996.

The Lilly Brothers have quite a distinctive sound which is influenced by the clear vocal harmony of the brother duets of the 1930s, particularly the Monroe Brothers. Add to that Don Stover's inventive banjo and you have one of finest 1st generation bluegrass acts.

Chubby is only featured prominently on the LP on the fiddle tune Katie Hill, but also plays short breaks on all the other tracks except Everett's solo clawhammer banjo song Yum Yum, and the 33 sec Cripple Creek closing theme.^[2]

The material featured on the LP includes Row Us Over The Tide & Picture On The Wall which had been recorded by the Blue Sky Boys; and Ramshackle Shack In Caroline was was originally recorded as Sparkling Brown Eyes by Bill Cox and Cliff Hobbs in 1937^[3]

Chubby had also previously worked with Bea Lilly and Don Stover around 1958/59, with four tracks included on the Various Artists LP Mountain Music Bluegrass Style. (Everett was working in Flatt & Scruggs at the time.)

Although this LP is mentioned here on the basis of Chubby Anthony's involvement, other releases by The Lilly Brothers are well worth checking out. The CDs: 'Early Recordings' (Rebel REB-CD-1688) 1991; 'Bluegrass At The Roots 1961' (Smithsonian Folkways SFW-CD-40158) 2005; and 'On The Radio 1952-53' (Rounder 82161-1109-2) 2002 are highly recommended.

• Chubby Anthony: fiddle
• Mitchell 'Bea' Lilly: guitar, vocal
• Everett Lilly: mandolin, vocal (*)
• Don Stover: banjo

NB: (*) probably banjo on Yum Yum.

Other artwork / related images:

[1] Chubby can be heard on some of Jim Walter radio shows which were released as On Radio, Vol. 1 and Vol.2.
[2] The clawhammer song Yum Yum probably features Everett Lilly on banjo, as per the version on 'Holiday In Japan, Part 3' LP (Towa TWA-103) 1974.
[3] https://youtu.be/sQwhbPmFUPY