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The Revelers, from Louisiana, feature in an upcoming Blue Ridge Music Center concert that calls attention to the broad reach of the late Joe Wilson’s career. Wilson was a former head of the National Council for the Traditional Arts; he conceived and spearheaded the creation of the Blue Ridge Music Center in Virginia on the Blue Ridge Parkway, and ran the National Folk Festival for many years. Also on the July 21 concert, the Mountain Park Old Time Band.

Lee Celano, courtesy The Revelers

Summer listening sessions continue with a wonderful selection of classic bluegrass and crossover bluegrass honky-tonk. Hear Reno & Smiley, the Maddox Brothers & Rose and more. Plus this week, new recordings from the respected Tennessee old-time fiddler Mike Bryant (with ATBR host Paul Brown on banjo) and a trio album of great songs old and new from Cathy Fink, Marcy Marxer and Sam Gleaves. Finally, a moment with Richard Emmett of the Blue Ridge Music Center, considering upcoming shows with The Mountain Park Old Time Band, The Revelers, and Rhiannon Giddens. Great music all the way through.

Playlist

1. Way On Down The Road

Johnny Warren & Charlie Cushman

Purely Instrumental

Warren & Cushman 2. Drifting With The Tide

Reno & Smiley

16 Greatest Hits

Gusto 3. I Love You Until I'm Dizzy

Curly Seckler

Bluegrass, Don't You Know

Copper Creek 4. I Saw Your Face In The Moon

Mac Wiseman

The Best Of Mac Wiseman

Rural Rhythm 5. Help Me Understand

Wilma Lee Cooper

Big Midnight Special

K-Tel 6. Wish I Was A Single Girl Again

Maddox Brothers & Rose

Their Original Recordings 1946-51

Arhoolie 7. If You Ain't Got The Do-Re-Mi

Maddox Brothers & Rose

On The Air

Arhoolie 8. Break 1 - I Don't Love Nobody

J.C. Sutphin

American Banjo 3-Finger Style

Smithsonian Folkways 9. Sandy River

Mike Bryant & Paul Brown

Bryant & Brown

Old-Time Tiki Parlour 10. Rough & Ready Heart

Blue Yonder

Rough & Ready Heart

Blue Yonder 11. Hot Pink House Trailer

Sam Gleaves, Cathy Fink, Marcy Marxer

Shout & Shine

Community Music 12. If The Poor Don't Matter

Sam Gleaves, Cathy Fink, Marcy Marxer

Shout & Shine

Community Music 13. A Picture From Life's Other Side

Woody Guthrie

This Land Is Your Land

Smithsonian Folkways 14. Polly Put The Kettle On

Jason Cade

Hog-Eyed Man 3

Yodel-Ay-Hee 15. Break 2 - Piney Woods Gal

Frank Bode & Tommy Jarrell

Been Riding With Old Mosby

Smithsonian Folkways 16. Good Ole Mountain Dew

The Mountain Park Old Time Band

Dancing On Rocky Island

Mountain Park Old Time Band 17. A Trip To The Moon

The Revelers

Play The Swamp Pop Classics Vol. 2

The Revelers 18. Interview: Richard Emmett

Richard Emmet

ATBR recording 19. No Man's Mama

Carolina Chocolate Drops

Leaving Eden

Nonesuch 20. Soldier's Joy

Joe Thompson

Family Tradition

Rounder

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atbr #brmc #blue ridge music center #reno & smiley #the maddox brothers & rose #mike bryant #cathy fink #marcy marxer #sam gleaves #richard emmett

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Ken Perlman has extensively documented the Prince Edward Island fiddling traditions, which came near to extinction in the 1950s and 1960s before local residents launched a revival effort. On this ATBR episode, Perlman notes the cultural and musical similarities and differences between Canadian maritime communities and those of European and British Isles settlers in the Blue Ridge region. He has published a detailed book on the PEI traditions. A banjo and guitar player, he’s also adapted some of the PEI fiddle repertoire to banjo on Frails & Frolics, his new album.

R.Geyer, courtesy Ken Perlman

Ken Perlman has documented, and as a result helped shepherd the survival – and revival – of a fiddling tradition on Prince Edward Island in the Canadian Maritimes. That’s quite an accomplishment for a New York City-born banjo and guitar picker who doesn’t even play the fiddle. But Perlman is no ordinary musician. He’s a folklorist, a teacher who runs banjo camps around the U.S., and a doggedly devoted advocate for the banjo and traditional music in general. He’s just released an album, Frails & Frolics, including settings of Prince Edward Island (PEI) fiddle tunes for banjo. His exhaustive study of PEI fiddle music and cultural traditions unfolds in his acclaimed book, Couldn’t Have A Wedding Without The Fiddler. And he’s played a big role in providing content for the website bowingdownhome.ca, focused on PEI fiddling, in conjunction with the Canadian Museum of History and the University of Prince Edward Island.

On this Across the Blue Ridge episode, Perlman explains how the PEI fiddling and dancing traditions nearly died out unnoticed due to modernization in many forms including TV, radio, paved roads and automobiles that competed for people’s time and interest. And then, some local folks started searching for new ways to help keep fiddling and traditional dance relevant.

Today there’s a vibrant music scene on the island – though Perlman notes in our interview that despite everyone’s efforts, some of the old styles of fiddling have nevertheless been largely forgotten.

This is a fascinating story of traditions, evolution, and human interaction, supported by lots of music.

Also on this week’s show, some wonderful old-time and bluegrass songs and tunes from performers including Laurie Lewis, Tyler Hughes, Sam Gleaves, and ATBR host Paul Brown.

Playlist

1. Sally Ann

Dreadful Snakes

Snakes Alive!

Rounder 2. Remember Me

Bobby Hicks & Mark Kuykendall

Forever & A Day

Rebel 3. My Stone Mountain Home

Sam Gleaves & Tyler Hughes

Sam Gleaves & Tyler Hughes

Community Music 4. Beyond The River Bend

Laurie Lewis & Her Bluegrass Pals

Laurie Lewis & Her Bluegrass Pals

Rounder 5. Wink The Other Eye

Foghorn String Band

Weiser Sunrise

Netwerk 6. Rochester Schottische

Paul Brown & Company

Red Dog

Ryland Records 7. Break 1 - Fiddlin' Phil

Peter Chaisson (Young)

The Prince Edward Island Style of Fiddling

Rounder 8. Bonniest Lass In A' The World/Emil Gaudet's Reel/Cheticamp Reel

Ken Perlman

Frails & Frolics

Redbud 9. Londonderry Hornpipe & Southern Melody

Peter Chaisson (Young)

Island Archives, University of Prince Edward Island

Island Archives, University of Prince Edward Island 10. Interview 1 - Ken Perlman

Ken Perlman

ATBR recording 11. Doucette's Reel

Joseph Doucette

Island Archives, University of Prince Edward Island

Island Archives, University of Prince Edward Island 12. Interview 2 - Ken Perlman

Ken Perlman

ATBR recording 13. North Side Of The Grampians/Jack Webster's Reel/Souris Breakwater

Ken Perlman

Frails & Frolics

Redbud 14. Break 2 - Where The North River Flows

Ken Perlman

Frails & Frolics

Redbud 15. Souris Breakwater

Jackie & Carl Webster

The Prince Edward Island Style of Fiddling

Rounder 16. Money Musk

Joe Greene

Joe Greene's Fiddle Album

County 17. Interview 3 - Ken Perlman

Ken Perlman

ATBR recording 18. Island Boy

Dennis Pitre

The Prince Edward Island Style of Fiddling

Rounder 19. Whiskey Before Breakfast

Wayne Henderson & Clay Lunsford

Thumb To Thumb

Freedom Recording

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atbr #ken perlman #laurie lewis #tyler hughes #sam gleaves #atbr host paul brown

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Tyler Hughes (L) and Sam Gleaves (R) are two of a new generation of roots musicians whose range encompasses old time mountain ballads, banjo songs, fiddle, bluegrass, country, and new songs drawing upon the sounds of the 1960s-80s folk music revival.

Paul Brown

This week’s Across the Blue Ridge features a concert set and a visit with Sam Gleaves and Tyler Hughes, two of a new generation of roots musicians steeped in tradition and seeking new expressive paths. Sam and Tyler were born and raised in southwest Virginia. Each became aware of old time music in his early teens. They were so smitten that they are devoting big parts of their lives to it. But it doesn’t end there, with rehashing of traditional material. Both of these young men are coming up with new arrangements and new songs. They’re eager to share their love of old time, gospel, bluegrass, and modern folk music, as their touring schedules reveal. Sam Gleaves is writing incisive and memorable songs of social awareness and activism. We’ll hear selections from Sam’s and Tyler’s recordings and from a 2016 performance at Muddy Creek Music Hall in Winston-Salem, NC. On this week’s show as well: fiddle tunes from North Carolina master Marcus Martin and from the Red Squirrel Chasers; a moment with the tune Money Musk, its history, and two very different regional peformances.

Episode 32 Playlist

1. Durang’s Hornpipe – The Red Squirrel Chasers

Shakin’ Down The Acorns

Vigortone 2015 2. Sandy River – Marcus Martin

When I Get My New House Done

Southern Folklife Collection 2007 3. Silver Threads Among The Gold – Blue Sky Boys

On Radio Vol 4

Copper Creek 2006 4. I’m Working On A Road – Flatt & Scruggs

Flatt & Scruggs 1948-59 Vol . 2

Bear Family 1994 5. The Girl I Left In Sunny Tennessee – Wade & Julia Mainer

In The Land Of Melody

June Appal 1992 6. Money Musk – Joe Greene

Joe Greene’s Fiddle Album

County 2007 7. Money Musk – Rodney & Randy Miller

New England Chestnuts

CD Baby 2001 8. BREAK 1

Cattle In The Corn – Joe Greene

Joe Greene’s Fiddle Album

County 2007 9. I’m Just Her To Get My Baby Out Of Jail – Tyler Hughes & Empty Bottle String Band

Travelin’ Man

Independent Release 2015 10. Don’t Let Your Deal Go Down – Sam Gleaves

A Little While In The Wilderness

Sam Gleaves 2012 11. Working Shoes – Sam Gleaves

Ain’t We Brothers

Community Music 2015 12. Little Hot Pink House Trailer – Sam Gleaves & Tyler Hughes

Concert Recording

Fiddle & Bow/Muddy Creek Music Hall 2016 13. Angel In The Ashes – Sam Gleaves & Tyler Hughes

Concert Recording

Fiddle & Bow/Muddy Creek Music Hall 2016 14. My Dixie Darlin’ – Sam Gleaves & Tyler Hughes

Ain’t We Brothers

Community Music 2015 15. BREAK 2

Snake Chapman’s Tune – Will Keys

A Banjo Original

County 1997 16. Ain’t We Brothers

Ain’t We Brothers

Community Music 2015 17. Interview – Sam Gleaves

Across the Blue Ridge recording 2016 18. My Singing Bird – Sam Gleaves

Ain’t We Brothers

Community Music 2015 19. Muskrat – Tyler Hughes & Sam Gleaves

Concert Recording

Fiddle & Bow/Muddy Creek Music Hall 2016 20. Interview – Tyler Hughes

Across the Blue Ridge recording 2016 21. Creek’s Froze Up/Callahan – Sam Gleaves & Cathy Fink

Ain’t We Brothers

Community Music 2015

sam gleaves #tyler hughes #marcus martin #red squirrel chasers #money musk

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