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"DOWN HOME" #30
Sunday, December 6, 1998

Hosted by Chuck Taggart (e-mail chuck)
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BR5-49 - There Goes My Love [BIG BACKYARD BEAT SHOW/BMG-Arista]
        One of my fave "new country" bands' newest; this one's
        a Buck Owens song.
BARE JR. - Patty McBride [BOO-TAY/Sony]
        This is what I get for listening to "Topsoil" over the
        net.  I had never heard of these guys until I heard Steve
        play them this morning (and had to search through back
        emails for even the barest mention of them), and then
        I had to run right out and get it.  They rock, and they
        twang.  At least half of the "guitar solos" are really
        mountain dulcimer fed through a distortion pedal.  Yeah
        you rite!
RALPH STANLEY with GILLIAN WELCH - Gold Watch and Chain [CLINCH
        MOUNTAIN COUNTRY/Rebel]
        Another of the stellar collaborations of a stellar album.

TOM, BRAD AND ALICE - Shortnin' Bread [BEEN THERE STILL/Copper Creek]
        This has been out for a few months now, and I never got a copy
        even though I asked twice, so I went out and bought it today.
        Oh well.  It was completely worth it.  Very fine American
        oldtime and traditional music from Tom Sauber, Brad Leftwich
        and Alice Gerrard.
DICKENS, JONES and HAWKER - Love Me or Leave Me Alone [HEART OF A SINGER/
        Rounder]
        Another new arrival. That's Hazel, Carol Elizabeth and Ginny,
        in case you were wondering.  I'm still working through this one,
        but I like it so far.  This one was first done by Rose Maddox.
CLARENCE ASHLEY - Dark Hollow Blues [OLD-TIME MOUNTAIN BALLADS/County]
        Recorded in October 1929, this old song has made its way in
        various versions from oodles of folks from Cordelia's Dad to
        the Grateful Dead.
DWIGHT DILLER - Shady Grove [NEW PLOWED GROUND: WEST VIRGINIA MOUNTAIN
        MUSIC/Yew Pine Mountain Music]
        Dwight's most recent, featuring members of Cordelia's Dad, though
        not on this track.

CORDELIA'S DAD - Imaginary Trouble [SPINE/Appleseed Records]
        A 200+ year old song, learned from the singing of Lena Bourne
        Fish of New Hampshire, with a new tune composed by the band.
EMMYLOU HARRIS, DOLORES KEANE and MARY BLACK - The Grey Funnel Line
        [BRINGING IT ALL BACK HOME/BBC Records]
        From the soundtrack of the legendary Irish music series.
BILLY BRAGG & WILCO - Another Man's Done Gone [MERMAID AVENUE/Reprise]
        Jeff Tweedy on lead vocals, providing a new tune to Woody
        Guthrie's lyric
PATRICK STREET - Tom Joad [NO. 2 PATRICK STREET/Green Linnet]
        Another new tune to a Woody Guthrie lyric.  Woody was and remains
        a major influence on Andy Irvine's songwriting.

DERVISH - I Courted a Wee Girl/Josefin's Waltz [LIVE IN PALMA/Kells]
        A traditional song with an absolutely gorgeous tune written
        by Röger Tallroth of the Swedish folk band Väsen.  As I was
        driving home after my shift, I heard Roz and Howard play this
        on "Folkscene" ... great minds think alike!  ;^)
DERVISH - The Killavil Jigs [LIVE IN PALMA/Kells]
        This double-CD live set is just out in a domestic release, and
        is wonderful.  Dervish will be in performance on Friday,
        December 11 at the new Performing Arts Center at Cal State
        Northridge at 8pm. For information call (626) 791-0411.  Don't
        miss it!

BOURQUE, BERNARD et LEPAGE - La Suite des Trois Rubans [MATAPAT: MUSIQUE
        TRADITIONNELLE DU QUÉBEC/Borealis]
        Wonderful new Quebécois release I got in the mail this week.
        I have to say that I'm totally spoiled by La Bottine Souriante,
        but this one grew on me quickly.  This track was a traditional
        love song with three new tunes by Benoit Bourque.
ROSE PRATT - La Guignolée [I'M OLD BUT I'M AWFULLY TOUGH: TRADITIONAL
        MUSIC OF THE OZARK REGION/Missouri Friends of the Folk Arts LP]
        An unaccompanied song from the French-speaking region of
        Missouri.
THE CHIEFTAINS and LA BOTTINE SOURIANTE - Le Lys Vert [FIRE IN THE KITCHEN/
        BMG]
        This album is 4 months old, and I have no idea how I missed it.
        The Chieftains this time join forces with several Canadian
        musicians: Celtic, Maritime, Quebecois and more.  This astonishing
        track finishes the album with a bang.

TASSO - Laissez les Bons Temps Rouler (Let The Good Times Roll Waltz)
        [THE OLD TIMEY WAY/Swallow]
        Three young Cajun musicians - Randy Vidrine, Mitchell Reed and
        Philip Allemond - making old-time traditional Cajun music and
        sounding like a bunch of old men.  That's high praise, by the way.
THE BALFA BROTHERS - 'Tit Galop Pour Mamou (Little Canter to Mamou)
        [LES HARICOTS SONT PAS SALES/Cinq Planètes]
        Amazing informal sessions and field recordings from a 1972 French
        documentary on Cajun music, and only issued here this year.
        Most of the musicians within have since passed on, and this is
        an astonishing, wonderful document.
CHRIS ARDOIN and DOUBLE CLUTCHIN' - Les Barres de la Prison [TURN THE PAGE/
        Rounder]
        The latest from the fourth generation of Ardoins to make Creole
        and zydeco music.  Chris' older brother Sean takes the lead vocals
        for this version of Canray Fontenot's old song.
DR. JOHN - Sweet Home New Orleans [ANUTHA ZONE/Virgin]
        His newest, and his most low-down and funky in a long time.  This
        one made me homesick (it doesn't take much).

COREY HARRIS - God Don't Ever Change [FISH ARE BITIN'/Alligator]
        Solo acoustic blues from young Mississippi bluesman; a terrific
        record.  This one was learned from Blind Willie Johnson.
HOWARD ARMSTRONG - New State Street Rag [LOUIE BLUIE/Arhoolie]
        I had the privilege to see Howard (who's a few months short of
        90) perform at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival
        this past year, and he was wonderful - probably the last
        living musician of the black string band tradition.  May he
        live to be 100 and beyond.
MEMPHIS MINNIE - Frisco City [BEYOND THE BLUES, VOL. 3: THE EARLY AMERICAN
        BLACK MUSIC SCENE/Yazoo]
        Listener request.
LONNIE PITCHFORD - Old Dog Blue [THE HARRY SMITH CONNECTION: A LIVE TRIBUTE
        TO THE ANTHOLOGY OF AMERICAN FOLK MUSIC/Smithsonian-Folkways]
        A cover of the performance by Jim Jackson on the Anthology.  Lonnie
        was dedicated to reviving early Delta blues, but sadly passed
        away last month of complications of HIV at the age of 43.
ROBERT PETE WILLIAMS - Church on Fire #2 [I'M AS BLUE AS A MAN CAN BE/
        Arhoolie]
        Recorded at the Angola State Penitentiary in Louisiana in 1959.

WOODEN LEG - Sweet Lies [WOODEN LEG/East Side Digital]
        A 1993 spinoff roots-rock spinoff project of former Blood Orange
        Mark Spencer.
CONTINENTAL DRIFTERS - Highway of the Saints [CONTINENTAL DRIFTERS/Monkey
        Hill]
        New Orleans-based roots-rock band fronted by Peter Holsapple; debut
        release of 1993.
HONKY TONK CONFIDENTIAL - Honky Tonk 101 [HONKY TONK CONFIDENTIAL/Too Many
        Dogs Records]
        Washington, D.C.-based band who only play two kinds of music ...
        country, and Western!

 
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Chuck Taggart   (e-mail chuck)