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Related: Culture Forums, Support ForumsOld-time music thread
For the last couple years, I've been totally absorbed with American music from the late 19th & early 20th century.
Ola Belle Reed - I've Endured
A tough lady with a wicked clawhammer stroke, and a voice with a lot of character.
Mississippi Sheiks - Sitting on Top of the World
Pretty much everybody has covered this one - Doc Watson, Howlin' Wolf, Cream, Jack White to name a few. But the original is tough to beat.
Gid Tanner & the Skillet Lickers - Soldier's Joy
The guitarist for the Skillet Lickers (Riley Puckett) had a really interesting style, with a really active bass line. Fun to play his parts.
Mike Seeger - Needle Case
This is one of my favorite banjo instrumentals, and Mike Seeger plays it better than anybody.
Who else likes music from "the Old, Weird America"?
Liberal Jesus Freak
(1,451 posts)...but I sure am now! Thanks for posting these delightful performances
sarge43
(28,946 posts)Duppers
(28,127 posts)Thx for posting Bessie.
sarge43
(28,946 posts)Before there was Aretha or Janis or Nina or Billie ....
MiltonBrown
(322 posts)Mississippi Sheiks song and were influenced by the Skillet Lickers too; the Brownies being a hybrid hillbilly, blues, jazz and swing outfit.
Love music from the same era. Been collecting 78s for years.
cemaphonic
(4,138 posts)My guitar teacher is way into Western Swing and keeps suggesting things. I like the general sound, but just haven't taken the time to really get familiar with the genre.
MiltonBrown
(322 posts)Hope you check them out sometime.
Sadly Milton died in a car accident in 1936 just as the Brownies were breaking nationally.
mia
(8,363 posts)Special Prosciuto
(731 posts)Janis Martin - All right baby - 1957
Rhiannon12866
(206,278 posts)And we kids loved to go down there and play them. This record player looks just like the one she had - complete with Thomas Edison records! This was one of our favorites, it's the same recording...
canetoad
(17,197 posts)cemaphonic
(4,138 posts)Aunt Caroline Dyer Blues
DinahMoeHum
(21,814 posts)local band "Dirty Stay-Out Skifflers". . .play a lot of old-timey, jug band music.
I saw them at this summer's Clearwater Hudson River Revival.
https://www.reverbnation.com/dirtystayoutskifflers
cemaphonic
(4,138 posts)Bet there's a lot of great bands out that way.
cemaphonic
(4,138 posts)Carter Family - Storms Are on the Ocean
One of the most important and influential American bands of all time. Folk, gospel, country and bluegrass wouldn't be the same without their arrangements, vocal harmonies, and Maybelle's innovative guitar style.
Henry Thomas - Fishin' Blues
Taj Mahal covered this, and it became one of his signature songs. But Henry Thomas' version occupies an interesting junction of ragtime and blues, and I love the quills in the instrumental breaks.
Chris Thile & Michael Daves - Richmond is a Hard Road to Travel
Contemporary musicians, but a very old song. Civil War-era lyrics to an even older minstrel tune (Jordan Am a Hard Road to Travel)
Uncle Dave Macon - Keep My Skillet Good and Greasy
One of the first huge stars of the radio era. Banjo legend and larger-than-life entertainer.
Minor Swing - Django Reinhardt & Stéphane Grappelli
Not American, but old-time and just too good to pass up. Gypsy Jazz has been huge in acoustic music circles for the last few years, and Django and Grappelli pretty much define the genre.
MiltonBrown
(322 posts)Hot string band rhythm jazz with a violin (fiddle) up front. Django's playing was out of this world.
MiltonBrown
(322 posts)I didn't even know Milton recorded it, just happened across it on youtube. They called Milton's music 'Western Swing' so I like to call Django's 'Western European Swing'
SecularMotion
(7,981 posts)Special Prosciuto
(731 posts)Bob Wills 1930s, Flying Burrito Bros 1970s