old time cd recommendations?

[bflat]

i'd like to expand my old time collection, anyone have any contemporary favorite "old-time" musicians? thanks

[Scott Rucker]

Recent faves:

Reeltime Travellers - (not sure of label) festival sound, full band.

Roger Cooper - (Rounder's N Amer. Traditions Series) Cool NE Kentucky fiddling, and he seems to be a great guy as well

Freighthoppers - (Rounder, I think) Energetic band sound, similar to RT above, but more in-your-face.

Sorry, but only the RT feature any mandolin.

[doanepoole]

A good, old-timey, mandolin-heavy album I often recommend is Norman Blake "Natasha's Waltz".

[John Flynn]

My favorite old-time CD is also my favorite mando CD and also my most played CD over the last year: "Little River Stomp" by the Buckhannon Brothers. It is great, joyfull instrumental music and it expands the definition of what is old-time and what the mando can do in old-time.

You can listen to one cut from the CD on the Cafe' MP3 site. The only place you can order the CD is the following site:
http://members.i4f.net/otmando@i4f.net/

[Loren Bailey]

Gotta second the Reeltime Travelers, they are pretty darn good. #Also been listening to a band out of Portland, 0R called Foghorn Stingband #Worth the listen.

[Jim M.]

Crooked Jades are a great band, from San Francisco. There's also the Buckhannon (sp?) Brothers.

"Doc & Dawg" is a great CD with a bunch of old-time tunes. Also, "Not for kids only" by Garcia & Grisman is all old time, great stuff.

Anything by Bruce Molsky is genuine old time, but no mandos.

[A-junior]

I'll second the votes for The Crooked Jades, a really inventive, original band. #Check out their version of "Shady Grove" on "The Unfortunate Rake, Volume 2." #You can see a video of it at
http://www.strictlybluegrass.com/200.../CrookedJades/

Then there's John Hartford's tribute to Ed Haley, "Speed of the Old Long Bow." #Now, I happen to enjoy JH's talking/singing commentaries as he plays, but they're not everbody's cup of tea. #Mike Compton on mando.

Some older things too: the High Rock String Band CD, with Bertram Levy on mando and the wonderful Alan Jabbour on fiddle. #Not much mando on the classic Fuzzy Mountain String Band compliation on Rounder, but, still, it is a classic. #There's also a good Highwoods Stringband compilation: "Feed Your Babies Onions." #And the County Records series of recordings of Tommy Jarrell--there is some mando on "Rainbow Sign," although I have a hard time hearing it in the mix.

A couple of my favorites with lots of good mando playing move a little bit towards bluegrass. #"Last Night's Fun" by the Fletcher Bright Fiddle Band features old time and New England tunes played in a bluegrass ensemble style, with each player taking a lead. #But the breaks aren't really bluegrassy; they are essentially the melody with clean, very tasty embellishments. #And their mando player (sorry, I don't have the name handy) does a fine job. #Dry Branch Fire Squad's "Hand Hewn" is a great one, I think, with a selection of tunes that's a lot closer to old time than to bluegrass, fine mando and guitar playing.

So much good stuff...

Jordan

[Moose]

I like Blake & Rice - I don't have the CD in front of me, but I'm not sure what one's definition of "old timey" is...- Blake and Rice (guitar & mando only!) on this one. If you define "ole timey" as 20++ fiddlers all playin'the melody line to "Sally Goodin" for 20++ minutes.., well, that they ain't..(and I wouldn't 'o bought the CD!!##)- However, the Blake & Rice thing is straight-ahead and "plain" - and GOOD (IMHO). I really don't think you'd call it "old-timey" though, just throwin' it out cause I enjoy it - when I'm "in the mood". Anyhow, good luck - you'll find your "niche" - as I'm sure most of us did/do. May take time and lot's of listenin'.. Regards, Moose.

[Scott Rucker]

I also highly recommend both Blake and Rice CD's. I would have a hard time picking a music industry determined genre for them, but they are full of good music. Blake's tasteful and decidedly non-WSM influenced mandolin work on a few tracks is melodic and refreshing.

[MDW]

I highly recommend the Tim O'brien CD - "Songs from the Mountain". Incredible CD - not much mandolin but great old time music with a nice combination of tunes and songs. If I could only have one CD of any genre - this would be it.

[PhilGE]

Check out The Volo Bogtrotters, The Ill-Mo Boys (and other Vigortone artists), and lots of stuff at County Sales. Though there's no mando content, Bruce Molsky's recently re-released Warring Cats is a wonderful old-time recording full of tunes I'm itching to learn. Blake and Ostroushko have Meeting on Southern Soil. There's tons more, but this will keep you plenty busy...

-Phil

[bflat]

Thanks everyone! I appreciate your responses.

[Crowder]

A couple of my favorites with lots of good mando playing move a little bit towards bluegrass. #"Last Night's Fun" by the Fletcher Bright Fiddle Band features old time and New England tunes played in a bluegrass ensemble style, with each player taking a lead. #But the breaks aren't really bluegrassy; they are essentially the melody with clean, very tasty embellishments. #And their mando player (sorry, I don't have the name handy) does a fine job. #So much good stuff...

Jordan

Nice to see this recommended. These guys are locals here in Chattanooga, TN. They're mostly "day job" guys who have very successful in their chosen fields. That mandolin player is Sam Currin, a local doctor. Sam is an exceptionally clean and always tasteful picker.

[WV Mike]

I also recommend the Reeltime Travelers (they have website) and the Foghorn Stringband (I have Rattlesnake Tidlewave).

[John Rosett]

the original red clay ramblers. maybe the best band in any style of all time. jim watson is a great mandolin player.
also, check out the duhks. no mandolin, but a great band with an original take on the old time sound.
john

[jlb]

If you can get past the dated and blatant racism in the lyrics, the Skillet Lickers are good for some antique old time string band recordings.

[doanepoole]

The Fuzzy Mountain String Band album is real good...tons and tons of standards on that one.

I think in the 70's this album came out as an attempt to recreate old time field recordings from who-knows-where.

How close they got to the original who knows, but it is a good album with a great old time "barn dance" feel to it.

[Moose]

jlb: Yeah.., them "ol' timers" was really "racist" wasn't they?? ... I'm so glad things are Sooo much better now!!. They wasn't very politically correct was they.... I don't listen to that kinda' stuff.... just 'cause of that aweful language... Don't want my kids to hear it either..., know what I mean...

[Rod Freeland]

For years now I've been hoping to find a copy of - SAM BUSH & ALAN MUNDE: "Together again for the first time" (vinyl only) (Ridge Runner 0007). #This is a legendary classic collection, done in an old-time style. #The tunes: Stymied/Banjalin/Forked deer/Small change/Clear skies/Old Widder woman/Cattle in the cane/Counterblast rag/Town and country fiddler/Foster's reel/Panhandle country/Howdy in Hickman county/Eleanor Rigby (!). #Other players on the disk: Roland White, Curtis Burch & John Cowan.
Anybody got it and want to loan/sell it to fellow M-Cafe'r?

[clopez]

I have two favorite modern OT recordings:

Rayna Gellert's Ways of the World

John Hartford's Wild Hog in the Red Brush

[jim simpson]

I recently picked up "Times Ain't Like They Used To Be" Early American Rural Music Classic Recordings Of The 1920's and 30's -Vol 8. on Yazoo 2068. I like it but some of cut's noise can be a little distracting in the car's cd player. The noise isn't as noticable when played on the home stereo. I remember buying the Robert Johnson box set and they presented the scratchy recordings as well as the cleaned up versions. I had though of running it through a program on my computer that can remove static, clicks and scratched from records. The program is great if you want to transfer an old album to cd and you can't find a clean copy.

[A-junior]

If you're interested in the real old stuff, scratches and all, check out the cassette of Old Time Country Mandolin, one of the prerecorded collections available at Joe Bussard's Vintage 78 site: http://www.vintage78.com/siteCF.

No connection, financial interest, etc.

[A-junior]

Sorry, I don't think that link works. Try www.vintage78.com.

[Jim M.]

This weekend I just picked up a re-release of "Kenny Hall and the Sweets Mill String Band", originally recorded in 1972. The album was full of old time, and it's great to have it available again on CD. It features Kenny Hall's unique style of mandolin picking. After you hear it, you may want to run out and buy an old 'tater bug to pick on. Available from Bay Records:
Bay Records

[JGWoods]

I have two favorite modern OT recordings:

Rayna Gellert's # Ways of the World

John Hartford's #Wild Hog in the Red Brush

I second Rayna Gellert's Ways of the World- BUT- there's no mandolin in it that I can hear. If you love fiddle, and especially fiddle/banjo together, playing OT music then this is a treasure.
best
gw