16 Gems

Amazon.com
When Sony released the splendid two-disc Essential Bill Monroe & His Blue Grass Boys in 1992, they opted to use alternate takes instead of better-known classic readings in a number of cases: 16 to be exact. While the inclusion of these alternates attracted some avid collectors who didn't own them, the omission of the official takes angered them even more. Thus, in 1996, Sony sought to rectify the situation by releasing this single CD with the 16 omitted official takes. Not only did this appease completists, it also made for a worthy single-disc introduction to Monroe's landmark recordings and his high-water band with Flatt & Scruggs. These songs are the very cornerstone of the genre. --Marc Greilsamer

16 Gems,Bill Monroe,Sony,Bluegrass,Bluegrass-Gospel,Country,Country & Western,Old-Timey,Pop,Traditional Bluegrass,Traditional Country,United States of America

Average customer rating: A Short-list Artist Best Bill Monroe Single CD Collection! A great collection spanning Bill's musical diversity Even better than The Essential Bill Monroe

16 Gems Bill Monroe Manufacturer: Sony ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Country | Styles | Music Old-Time Country | Traditional Country | Country | Styles | Music General | Traditional Country | Country | Styles | Music General | Bluegrass | Country | Styles | Music Traditional | Bluegrass | Country | Styles | Music Traditional Folk | Folk | Styles | Music Country Gospel | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music Gospel | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music CDs $7 - $10 | Bluegrass | Country | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Bluegrass | Country | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music CDs $7 - $10 | Traditional Folk | Folk | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Traditional Folk | Folk | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music 4-for-3 Country | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 Pop | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: The Essential Bill Monroe & His Blue Grass Boys 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of Bill Monroe Bill Monroe - 16 Gems The Stanley Brothers and The Clinch Mountain Boys: The Complete Mercury Recordings The Complete Columbia Stanley Brothers ASIN: B00000295R Release Date: 1996-03-12

Tracks:

1. Kentucky Waltz
2. True Life Blues
3. Nobody Loves Me
4. Good-Bye Old Pal
5. Blue Grass Special
6. Heavy Traffic Ahead
7. Summertime Is Past And Gone
8. I'm Going Back To Old Kentucky
9. It's Mighty Dark To Travel
10. Blue Grass Breakdown
11. Sweetheart You Done Me Wrong
12. Old Cross Road Is Waitin'
13. Remember The Cross
14. Shine Hallelujah Shine
15. Can't You Hear Me Calling
16. Travelin' This Lonesome Road

Amazon.com

When Sony released the splendid two-disc Essential Bill Monroe & His Blue Grass Boys in 1992, they opted to use alternate takes instead of better-known classic readings in a number of cases: 16 to be exact. While the inclusion of these alternates attracted some avid collectors who didn't own them, the omission of the official takes angered them even more. Thus, in 1996, Sony sought to rectify the situation by releasing this single CD with the 16 omitted official takes. Not only did this appease completists, it also made for a worthy single-disc introduction to Monroe's landmark recordings and his high-water band with Flatt & Scruggs. These songs are the very cornerstone of the genre. --Marc Greilsamer

Customer Reviews:

A Short-list Artist.......2007-01-11

What do these artists have in common: Caruso (teens), Beiderbecke (20s),
Carter Family (30s), Benny Goodman (40s), Hank Williams, Sr.(50s) ?
Via today's technology, we can enjoy full-flavored versions of their
work decades after their deaths. And, we do it all the time. Why?
The work of truly great artists is timeless.

Bill Monroe belongs on the short list of all-time great artists.
Sometimes, it takes two to realize that - the artist and you. Being
inclined toward classical and jazz, it took years for me to begin to
really appreciate Monroe, tho I had always casually enjoyed my father's
records. I knew Bill was good, just not how good. I'm still learning
and lack the background to compare and contrast this CD's tracks with
his later re-makes or engage in nostalgic talk about band personnel.

So, why did I buy this CD? Being more familiar with Monroe's 50-60's
sound, I wanted to learn something about his musical development.
What was the "young Bill Monroe" like ? This CD provides the answer
because, though recorded in the 40s, these re-masterings are excellent.
If you're like me, not a bluegrass expert, the thing to do with this CD
is sit back and let these "gems" wash over you. This CD is a keeper.

Best Bill Monroe Single CD Collection!.......2002-11-17

This mid-line priced CD features 16 cuts by Bill Monroe & his Blue Grass Boys recorded for Columbia between 1945 and 1949. This CD has a solid selection of songs and is as good a place as any to listen closely to Monroe, the "Father of Bluegrass." Recordings made in September of 1946 with Monroe, Lester Flatt, Earl Scruggs, Chubby Wise, and Howard Watts (Cedric Rainwater) are considered by many to be the first true bluegrass recordings. It was Scruggs' banjo playing in these 1946 sessions that set this band apart from earlier versions of the Blue Grass Boys. This CD ends with a couple of sides from 1949 featuring the incomparable Mac Wiseman on lead vocals and the great Rudy Lyle on banjo. This is a handsome CD with good notes by Mark A. Humphrey.

A great collection spanning Bill's musical diversity.......1999-02-19

16 Gems is just that. 16 of the father of bluegrass music's finest. A wide variety of bluebrass stylings, from the beautiful Kentucky Waltz to the pounding Bluegrass Breakdown to Bill's heartfelt Gospel tunes, this one has it ALL! Highly recommended!!!!

Even better than The Essential Bill Monroe.......1999-01-30

Whether you're a bluegrass fan from "way back" or whether you're just discovered this great music, 16 Gems is a must for your collection. Bill Monroe is the Father of Bluegrass, and as far as I'm concerned, he's also the King. When this collection starts out with "Kentucky Waltz", you'll be hooked. This album is probably the best spent music money you'll ever spend.

Average customer rating: 16 of the Best Bluegrass Gems Call This 'O Brother' II Credit where it's due... Need More stars * * * Better than O' Brother CD

Blue Trail of Sorrow: 16 Top Bluegrass Gems Various Artists Manufacturer: Rounder / Umgd ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Country | Styles | Music Old-Time Country | Traditional Country | Country | Styles | Music General | Traditional Country | Country | Styles | Music Bluegrass | Compilations | Country | Styles | Music General | Bluegrass | Country | Styles | Music Contemporary | Bluegrass | Country | Styles | Music Traditional | Bluegrass | Country | Styles | Music New Traditionalist | Contemporary Country | Country | Styles | Music General | Contemporary Folk | Folk | Styles | Music General | Folk | Styles | Music Traditional Folk | Folk | Styles | Music Country Gospel | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music Gospel | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music Singer-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music Rounder Records | Specialty Stores | Music Similar Items: True Bluegrass Bluegrass Mountain Style Hand-Picked: 25 Years Of Bluegrass On Rounder Records Songs From the Mountain Appalachian Stomp: Bluegrass Classics ASIN: B00005PJBQ Release Date: 2001-10-02

Tracks:

1. I'll Remember You, Love, In My Prayers - Alison Krauss & Union Station
2. You Don't Love God If You Don't Love Your Neighbor - Rhonda Vincent
3. Man Of Constant Sorrow - Tony Furtado
4. Cruel Willie - Connie And Babe
5. Bringing In The Georgia Mail - Norman Blake
6. Owl Feather - John Hartford
7. Cotton Eyed Joe - The Freight Hoppers
8. Time Is Winding Up - Ginny Hawker
9. Blue Trail Of Sorrow - Alison Krauss & Union Station
10. Wild Bill Jones - Dirk Powell
11. Meet Me In The Moonlight - The Stanley Brothers
12. When I Went Down In The Valley To Pray - Dry Branch Fire Squad
13. Everybody Wants To Go To Heaven - The Cox Family
14. A Conversation With Death - Lloyd Chandler
15. Crazy Heart - James King
16. Hills Of Home - Hazel Dickens

Customer Reviews:

16 of the Best Bluegrass Gems.......2003-01-19

Since the release of 'O Brother, Where Art Thou?' It has opened up a can of old stew still vibrant and magical as it has been for decades in American tradition. Blue Trail of Sorrow on the Rounder label CD features all the burnished mountain soul of West Virginia native Hazel Dickens' "Hills of Home." The spirited, lowsome sound of Rhonda Vincent's "You Don't Love God, If You Don't Love Your Neighbor."

Legends like John Hartford grace the album. Who brought himself fame as the writer for "Gentle on my Mind" sung many times by Glenn Campbell on his one time TV shoe and hit album. Many other bluegrass greats like the Stanley Brothers and The Cox Family spiritual accompanied by Alison Krauss, "Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven." The Irish American trubadour with his Appal-Irish flair Tim O'Brien with Tony Furtado does his rendition of "Man of Constant Sorrow." The Freight Hoppers sing the traditional oldie "Cotton Eyed Joe." A song popularized by the Swedish group the Rednecks on the pop charts in the early 1990's.

Plus a double header with the best loved of any contemporary and traditional bluegrass of Alison Krauss & Union Station with a cut from the title track. I also recommend the Roots Music: An American Journey album, an odyssey of traditional American music done in 68 tracks. If you like collecting vintage sounds in new formats I'd suggest giving the two a try and adding them to your collection of old-timey favorites.

Call This 'O Brother' II.......2002-10-07

To say that the this collection of bluegrass music from the Rounder stable of artists wouldn't exist were it not for the "O Brother" phenomenon would be to overstate the obvious. Not only does it feature some of the same artists (Alison Krauss, Dan Tyminski, Norman Blake, the Cox Family), it also features two of the same songs: Lloyd Chandler's a capella "A conversation with Death" (retitled and reworked as "O Death" by Ralph Stanley on the "O Brother" soundtrack) and banjo whiz Tony Furtado and vocalist/madolin player extraordinaire Tim O'Brien's "Man of Constant Sorrow." Both of these versions are certainly the equal of the "O Brother" soundtrack recordings.

However, to mistake this collection as a mere knock-off in a crass attempt to sell a few albums would be a mistake. This is a thoroughly enjoyable anthology from start to finish. While most of the material has been pulled from the artists' nineties output, Hazel Dickens' mournful "Hills of Home" is from 1986, Norman Blake's "Bringing in the Georgia Mail" is from his 1972 debut, and the Stanley Brothers' "Meet Me in the Moonlight" is from a 1959 radio broadcast. Overall, this is a terrific overview of a handful of the numerous gifted artists on the Rounder label dedicated to carrying bluegrass into the 21st Century. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Credit where it's due..........2002-04-09

This is a great collection of contemporary Bluegrass/Americana musicians performing great traditional songs, but three of the best performances would not be recognized only from the track listings. The title song "Blue Trail of Sorrow" is given a performance so strong and vibrant you'd be sorrowful as well if you weren't also so exhilirated by the power of the performance. As listed, the song is performed by Alison Krauss and Union Station, but that is only half of the story. Dan Tyminski - Alison Krauss' right-hand man, singing voice of George Clooney in "O Brother" and all around good guy provides that hair-raising lead vocal on "Blue Trail". Dan ALSO gives an equally scintillating performance on the opening track "I'll Remember You, Love, In My Prayers". (Both of these are from AKUS' "So Long, So Wrong" Disc - HIGHLY recommented)The wonderful tune "Man of Constant Sorrow" made famous by Tyminski (singing for Clooney) in the movie is here from a recording from Banjo Wizard Tony Furtado, but the vocal is by the incomparable Tim O'Brien - on pretty much ANYONE's SHORT list of "best Bluegrass or Americana vocalists." (And anyone wanting to complete their "Man of Constant Sorrow" collections would do well to get Ralph Stanley's original version, Blue Highway's - with Shawn Lane's lead vocal, and "The Pizza Tapes" with David Grisman, Tony Rice and Jerry Garcia's lead vocal.)

So - the rest of the album is great too, but tip your hats to Tim O'Brien and Dan Tyminski.

Need More stars * * *.......2002-02-22

More hillbilly chic. A number of popular musicians in the American Roots Revival genre turn in excellent performances on this wonderful companion CD to 'Down From the Mountain' and 'Oh Brother Where Art Thou?'
I like to put all three of those CDs in the tray and hit "random play" for a seamless collection of bluegrass gems.

Supper's on! Don't y'all be trackin no mud on the kitchen linoleum now, ya hear? ...Is there gas in the TransAm? Gotta run up to Riddlesburg for a half rack and some smokes afer supper, you boys wanna come?

Better than O' Brother CD.......2001-12-03

We love this CD. It is a great collection and has numerous songs. Not a one is a lemon. We like it better than the soundtrack CD to the movie "O' Brother..." No regrets on this purchase.

Average customer rating: Wonderful Collection - Well Worth the Price Great!! touching, soulful, moving, gorgeous intonation

Sherry Kloss Plays Forgotten Gems Manufacturer: Protone ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Fauré, Gabriel | ( F ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Herbert | Herbert, Victor | ( H ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Juon, Paul | ( J ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Kreisler | Kreisler, Fritz | ( K ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Milhaud | Milhaud, Darius | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Strauss | Strauss, Richard | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Shostakovich | Shostakovich, Dmitri | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Debussy | Debussy, Claude | ( D ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Rachmaninov | Rachmaninov, Sergei | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Concertos | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Incidental Music | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Keyboard | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music Violin | Strings | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Similar Items: Lost & Found-Treasures of the Heifetz Legacy ASIN: B000003BON Release Date: 1997-02-18

Tracks:

1. Daisies
2. A La Valse
3. II Pleure Dans Mon Coeur
4. Zephyr
5. Songs My Mother Taught Me
6. Hurdy-Gurdy (Etchings)
7. Stimmungen Op.32, No.1
8. Perpetual Motion Op.21, No.4
9. Canzonetta Op.6
10. Humoresque
11. Berceuse Op.28, No.3
12. Cortege
13. Levee Dance Op.26, No.2
14. Sumare
15. El Campielo
16. A Song Son
17. Der Burger Als Edelmann
18. Valse Trieste
19. Berceuse
20. Sicilienne And Rigaudon
21. Prld Op.34, No.10
22. Prld Op.34, No.15
23. Banjo And Fiddle
24. Estrellita

Album Description

A charming CD of mostly overlooked miniatures, with a few Kreisler "familiar" vignettes to balance things out.

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful Collection - Well Worth the Price.......2003-04-30

This is a wonderful collection of the sort of little pieces that used to form the latter part of many violinists' recitals in the early part of the 20th century. They aren't often heard today, and that's a shame. This is a great collection for anyone who loves violin music and likes to hear the violin smile (although it contains a few teary pieces as well). My personal favorite piece on this CD is Jeno Hubay's Zephyr (although I loved many of the others also) and I felt that hearing this one piece was worth the price of the CD.

Sherry Kloss does well to express the feeling in each of these little pieces. They aren't all played in the same style -- she brings out the individual character of each one. Ayke Agus does a fantastic job of accompanying Ms. Kloss at the piano, no doubt due to her familiarity with the pieces. The two of them play as one.

Great!!.......2003-03-19

An excellent CD of mostly overlooked miniatures,
with a few Kreisler "familiar" vignettes to balance
things out. Like several great violinist-teachers
from the Heifetz class, Sherry Kloss has not really
found her own voice on the fiddle. Consequently,
the playing is technically brilliant but the style
is a near carbon-copy of Heifetz's. This doesn't
detract greatly from Kloss's fine musicality and
the excellent support of Ayke Agus at the piano.
This is a great CD to add to any violinst's collection...
forgotten gems such as these deserve to be resurrected.
And fine fiddlers generally unknown to concert audiences
(such as Kloss) certainly deserve to be heard on CD.

For those who desire to look into more pieces that
have undeservedly dropped far out of sight, Aaron Rosand has
pretty well established himself as the king in that
department. He has a few albums out with the
concerti of Hubay, Godard, Joachim, Ernst, and
it's fantastic.

touching, soulful, moving, gorgeous intonation.......1999-11-18

sherry has the sound of Heifetz. While listening to this CD, I had chills up and down my spine. I had to listen to it again. It is rare these days to find an artist who has a uniquely identifiable sound---not just another great talent. She is a keeper.

Average customer rating:

Fly Away Brian Acosta Manufacturer: Rockinetics Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Indie Music | Stores | Music ASIN: B0002KIQ4U Release Date: 2004-06-04

Tracks:

1. Window Pane
2. Fly Away
3. The Girl Uptown
4. The Lonely One
5. When I'm With You
6. Something I Said
7. Why, Oh Why?
8. I Need To Know
9. She's Got Wings
10. Moonshine
11. You Didn't Work To Keep It
12. Matilda
13. Can I Take You Home?
14. The Girl Is Mine
15. Only One Right One Left
16. Let You Go

Album Description

"Fly Away" is the debut of up-and-coming pop/rock vocal talent Brian Acosta. Brian shows his versatility in an array of radio-ready songs that cover the spectrum from guitar-dominated rockers to acoustic ballads to fully orchestrated pop/rock gems. These sixteen fresh new songs all feature the genuine article - nothing sampled, artificial, or synthetic - just flesh and blood musicians playing real instruments, behind a soulful and sincere singer. Isn't that how music should be?

Music Album:

1. A Joyful Noise
2. A Taste of Yesterday's Wine
3. A Tribute to Tradition
4. Always Never the Same
5. American Flyer/Spirit of a Woman [Import]
6. American IV: The Man Comes Around [Enhanced] [Extra tracks] [Import]
7. American Roots Music [Box set]
8. Away Out on the Mountain
9. Back Home in Sulphur Springs
10. Back with a Heart

Music Album