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John Lilly of West Virginia is our featured artist this week. He’s an instrumentalist and songster whose latest album features a dozen songs about U.S. states. His range of styles and subjects reflects his experience in old time, bluegrass, and classic country music.

Hobart Jones, courtesy John Lilly

This week we take a trip down memory lane to a few of the earliest mountain and classic country music recordings. And our journey back brings us to West Virginia’s John Lilly, an artist who spans categories. He started with old time songs and tunes, was a member of the famed Green Grass Cloggers dance troupe, and all the while reveled in the sounds of Jimmie Rodgers, Hank Williams and other classic country performers. He says his years making music with Tennessee fiddle Ralph Blizard were crucial to his development as an instrumentalist, singer, and songwriter. We find out more about that in our interview. And we hear songs from John Lilly’s recording output, somewhat modest in number but very impressive in style and quality.

Playlist

1. Ida Red

Galax Bogtrotters

Old Time Jubilation 2. Lover's Return

Galax Bogtrotters

Old Time Jubilation 3. Little Darling Pal Of Mine

Carter Family

Anchored In Love 4. The Coo Coo Bird

Clarence Ashley

Greenback Dollar 5. In The Jailhouse Now

Jimmie Rodgers

Essential Jimmie Rodgers 6. In The Jailhouse Now

Webb Pierce & Willie Nelson

In The Jailhouse Now 7. Break 1 - Buck Dancer's Choice

McGee Brothers

Sam & Kirk McGee Live 1955-67 8. Pan American

Hank Williams

The Complete Hank Williams 9. Short and Sweet

John Lilly

Cold Comfort 10. Interview - John Lilly

John Lilly

ATBR recording 11. Peach Pickin' Time In Georgia

John Lilly & Ralph Blizard

Blue Highway 12. Sally Ann

Benton Flippen & The Smokey Valley Boys

Old Time, New Times 13. M-I-S-S-I-S-S-I-P-P-I

John Lilly

State Songs 14. Midnight On The Water

John Lilly & Ralph Blizard

Blue Highway 15. Break 2 - Plunkin' Rag

Hubert Davis

Jim Eanes & The Shenandoah Valley Boys 16. The West Virginia Hills

John Lilly

State Songs 17. They Tore The Cabin Down

John Lilly

Thinking About The Weather 18. Interview - John Lilly 19. New Lost John

Ralph Blizard & The New Southern Ramblers

Southern Ramble 20. Dear Old Sunny South By The Sea

John Lilly & Ralph Blizard

Blue Highway

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atbr #john lilly #jimmie rodgers #hank williams #ralph blizard

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Harry and Jeanie West of Statesville, NC are just two of the many artists on this week’s Across the Blue Ridge, as our summer listening party continues.

harryandjeaniewest.com

Our summer listening party continues this week with a tremendous selection of classic and new music from the mountains and beyond. From Kentucky, old time fiddler Snake Chapman plays his beautiful “Old Joe” and bluegrass crooner Red Allen starts things off with “I’m On My Way Back To The Old Home”. Virginia guitarist and singer Fields Ward provides a haunting rendition of “The Train That Carried My Girl From Town” while North Carolina’s Tommy Jarrell chimes in with a jaunty love song, “Kittie Clyde”. From newer generations we hear Zoe and Cloyd with their sparkling rendition of “Be Careful Girls”. And The Skylighters, a new band composed of hot bluegrass stars, sing “See What Love Can Do” and “Carolina Star”. There’s more … from West Virginia honky tonk singer John Lilly to Alan Jabbour with an antique fiddle tune from his mentor Henry Reed.

Episode 34 Playlist

1. I'm On My Way Back To The Old Home

Red Allen

Lonesome & Blue: The Complete Country Recordings 2. Old Joe

Snake Chapman

Walnut Gap 3. I'll Love You 'Til The Day I Die

Longview

High Lonesome 4. Be Carefulf Girls

Zoe & Cloyd

Equinox 5. I Don't Care (If Tomorrow Never Comes)

Hank Williams

I Ain't Got Nothin' But Time 6. The Train That Carried My Girl From Town

Fields Ward

Bury Me Not On The Lonesome Prairie 7. Kittie Clyde

Tommy Jarrell

June Apple 8. Coal Creek March

Dock Boggs

Folkways Years 1963-68 9. Break 1 - Great Big Taters In The Sandy Land

A. Robic & The Exertions

Old Time Music Dance Party 10. Louisville Breakdown

Kenny Baker & Bobby Hicks

Darkness On The Delta 11. Lazy River

Byron Berline

Jammin' With Byron 12. Carolina Star

The Skylghters

The Skylighters 13. See What Love Can Do

The Skylighters

The Skylighters 14. Cold Comfort

John Lilly

Cold Comfort 15. Blindsided

Karen Collins & The Backroads Band

Karen Collins & The Backroads Band 16. Break 2 - Boatin' Up Sandy

The Hill Billies

The Hill Billies Volume 2 17. Salt River

Benton Flippen & The Smokey Valley Boys

Old Times New Times 18. Free State Hornpipe (Hornpipe In A)

John Ashby

John Ashby 19. Careless Love

Harry & Jeanie West

Good Old Mountain Dew 20. Shoes & Stockings

Alan Jabbour, Bery Levy, James Reed

A Henery Reed Reunion 21. The Fun's All Over

Charlie Higgins

Field Recording

atbr #snake chapman #red allen #fields ward #tommy jarrell #zoe and cloyd #the skylighters #john lilly #alan jabbour #henry reed

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