Classic Appalachian Blues from Smithsonian Folkways
Various Artists SFW40198
The “mountain cousin” of the Delta blues, Appalachian blues bears the stamp of a distinctive regional blend of European and African styles and sounds born at the cultural crossroads of railroad camps, mines, and rural settlements. Drawn from deep within the Folkways collection and from historic live recordings at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, the music of bedrock blues performers such as Pink Anderson, Lesley Riddle, Etta Baker, John Jackson, and Doc Watson shines bright, claiming Appalachia as a key cradle of American acoustic blues. 21 tracks, 66 minutes, 40-page booklet.
And a review from NPR:
New Collection Explores ‘Classic Appalachian Blues’
by NPR STAFF
May 15, 2010
Josh White
Blues fans have long looked to the Mississippi Delta or Chicago for a taste of authentic Americana, but a new compilation draws attention to another region: Appalachia. Classic Appalachian Blues, from Smithsonian Folkways, features acoustic finger-style blues assembled by music professor Barry Lee Pearson and archivist Jeff Place.
Place says that Appalachian blues is distinct from Mississippi blues because it’s more melodic. It’s dominated by fingerstyle guitar, rather than the percussive playing of Delta blues, and is heavily influenced by ragtime. Also notable is Appalachian music’s mixed racial influences: In mining towns, black and white workers lived in segregated housing, but they played music together.
“You could listen to some 78s of music from there and not know if it was a white or black [musician] playing it,” (to read more click here).
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