Bruce Molsky & Big Hoedown

Amazon.com
Bruce Molsky and Big Hoedown, the 1997 album from the Arlington, Virginia fiddler and his trio-mates, came out at a propitious time. Thanks to the media hoopla over Rounder's reissue of the Alan Lomax recordings and the Smithsonian's reissue of Harry Smith's Anthology of American Folk Music, there's much greater interest in the music of the pre-World War II rural South than in decades. Molsky grew up in New York City, but he got his musical education in the Southern Appalachian Mountains where he studied with such homegrown masters as Tommy Jarrell. Two decades later, Molsky became one of the genre's veterans, and he plays these ancient Celtic-African-American tunes with the authority and patience of someone who is way past trying to impress anyone.

This old-timey music predates the bright tone and fast tempos of bluegrass as well as the sing-along melodies and rousing sentiments of '60s folk music. This is a slower, darker music that came out of mountain communities where death was a constant threat and Saturday night a brief respite. Molsky digs his bow into his fiddle-strings as if the resulting drones and bird cries might suggest the anxiety of that threat and the yearning for that respite. The fiddler, who also sings and plays banjo, is joined by guitarist Beverly Smith and fiddler/banjo player Rafe Stefanini. Their album includes two songs from the Harry Smith Anthology--"Wagoner's Lad" and "Train on the Island." Songs such as "Pretty Saro" and instrumentals such as "Shove the Pig's Foot a Little Bit Further into the Fire" are strange and powerful enough to have found a place. --Geoffrey Himes

Bruce Molsky & Big Hoedown,Bruce Moisky,Rounder Select,Bluegrass,Country,Pop

Average customer rating: His best album to date He's done it again A SOUNDTRACK FOR DRIVING THROUGH THE HEARTLAND One of my favorite CDs One of the best cd's to come along in years...

Soon Be Time Bruce Molsky Manufacturer: Compass Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Folk | Styles | Music Traditional Folk | Folk | Styles | Music General | Bluegrass | Country | Styles | Music Similar Items: Contented Must Be Long Steel Rail Song of the Traveling Daughter Dona Got a Ramblin Mind Hand Me Down ASIN: B000F6ZP40 Release Date: 2006-05-09

Tracks:

1. Lazy John / The Bucking Mule
2. Wandering Boy
3. Buckdancer's Choice
4. Bury Me Not On The Lone Prairie
5. The Brass Band Ruchenitsa
6. Georgia Belle
7. The Golden Willow tree
8. Come Home
9. Forked Deer
10. Fare Thee Well Blues
11. Cider
12. Cotton Eyed Joe
13. On My Street
14. John Brown's Dream
15. Three Fork's of Cheat

Album Description

Alone or with fellow musicians; guitar, fiddle, or banjo in hand, Bruce Molsky has been exploring traditional musics from an astonishingly broad range of cultures over the past two decades - synthesizing them and refracting them through his own evolving sensibilities to the point where the sources of his inspiration transform themselves into a sound that is uniquely his. While most identified with traditional American old-time music, Molsky's influences range from the Appalachian soul of Tommy Jarrell to Delta blues; from the haunting modal strains of Irish music to the rhythmically nimble music of Eastern Europe. Soon Be Time is his sixth solo album, and is his most demanding, personal statement to date. The unifying element of Soon Be Time sounds simple, yet it required an immense amount of consideration and concentration.

Customer Reviews:

His best album to date.......2006-09-04

Old-timey auteur Bruce Molsky has always been a remarkable performer, but this is his best album to date, with a soulful, relaxed feel that draws you in from the very first note and keeps you engaged for song after song. In part that's because he's loosened up a bit from the often-rigid feel favored by many old-time and bluegrass artists, in favor of a mellower style not unlike that of Norman Blake (who you should also check out if you like this album...)

This is one of my favorite country/folk releases of 2006.

He's done it again.......2006-06-28

The first time I heard Bruce was at a local music festival in the early eighties. I was waiting for a twin fiddle band that had played the year before and when they came on stage I was disappointed to see only one fiddler in the band. Just as I turned to a friend to express my disappointment the band started playing and I realized that in Bruce, they had twin fiddles after all.
At that time Bruce had not given up his day job and the only recordings of him were homemade tapes of parking lot jam sessions. Through these tapes and word of mouth Bruce soon became known as the most famous unknown fiddler in the country.
Since then, Bruce has done us all a favor by pursuing a career in music full time. He has released a series of CDs, and become Internationally famous. With each one I thought he had reached the top and could not possibly outdo the last one, and each time he has surprised me. He has done it again with "Soon Be Time". This is a true solo effort without overdubs or studio tricks, yet Bruce fills each track with more music then most multi piece bands. Bruce Interprets music from several different genres on this CD and makes each one his own. I would recommend this CD to anyone who likes music, and assure you that if you buy this CD you will want everything he has recorded.

A SOUNDTRACK FOR DRIVING THROUGH THE HEARTLAND.......2006-06-19

He's a genius. Honest. When you see Bruce in person, you can see it in his eyes. He's a person with a gift, and he's using it to his potential. I've seen him play 4 forty five minute sets in one evening - never repeated a tune. And not only is he a repository of authentic traditional tunes, he's an excellent teacher. And that's what makes Old Time Music the best out there - most of the people who play it, teach it too. My wife took a fiddle class from Bruce for a week a couple years ago; she says he's a wonderful teacher.
See if any popular recording artist spends a week teaching classes how to play their tunes.
Old Time music is the musical heritage of our country. It's not jazz, it's not country, it's not rap or swing. It's not a fad, it's been around since before Washington chopped the cherry. Bruce Molsky is one of the few keeping it alive.
Check out his website. Go see him if he comes near. Buy his recordings. There all good.
I especially enjoy the tunes he sings and plays fiddle at the same time, the fiddle doing the harmony part.

One of my favorite CDs.......2006-06-03

Bruce does it all (fiddle, guitar, banjo, sings)...and it is all done with a rare honesty. Pure and authentic, his music is a joy to listen to. Demonstrating a diverse talent, he includes some unique tunes like the Bulgarian "Brass Band Ruchenista"...a real treat! If you like old-timey or Appalachian tunes, or just appreciate a great musician, you're sure to be a fan.

One of the best cd's to come along in years..........2006-06-03

Bruce Molsky is a musical treasure. I first heard him at a live show in Lemont, PA and it was one of the best performances I've ever experienced. Aside from being a truly gifted musician, Bruce is also a scholar and it comes through in the way he introduces his music. This particular collection is full of catchy songs, amazing progressions, as well as real creativity. I can't stop listening to it...and I haven't been able to say that about many CD's lately. You can't go wrong here.

Average customer rating: A triumph of limitations Bruce Moisky? A great recording

Bruce Molsky & Big Hoedown Bruce Moisky Manufacturer: Rounder Select 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 Rounder Records | Specialty Stores | Music General | Country | Indie Music | Stores | Music Bluegrass | Country | Indie Music | Stores | Music Traditional Country | Country | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Contented Must Be Lost Boy Poor Man's Troubles Banging and Sawing Hand Me Down ASIN: B0000002Q7 Release Date: 1997-07-08

Tracks:

1. Sugar Babe
2. Five Miles Out of Town
3. Pretty Saro
4. Half Past Four
5. Wagoner's Lad
6. Shove the Pig's Foot a Little Bit Further into the Fire
7. John Henry
8. Rocky Mountain
9. Paddy Won't You Drink Some Good Old Cider
10. Robert's Serenade
11. Old Paint
12. We'll All Go to Heaven When the Devil Goes Blind
13. Shady Grove
14. Train on the Island/Golden Chain Tree
15. The Blue Tail Fly
16. Clyde's Hiccups

Amazon.com

Bruce Molsky and Big Hoedown, the 1997 album from the Arlington, Virginia fiddler and his trio-mates, came out at a propitious time. Thanks to the media hoopla over Rounder's reissue of the Alan Lomax recordings and the Smithsonian's reissue of Harry Smith's Anthology of American Folk Music, there's much greater interest in the music of the pre-World War II rural South than in decades. Molsky grew up in New York City, but he got his musical education in the Southern Appalachian Mountains where he studied with such homegrown masters as Tommy Jarrell. Two decades later, Molsky became one of the genre's veterans, and he plays these ancient Celtic-African-American tunes with the authority and patience of someone who is way past trying to impress anyone.

This old-timey music predates the bright tone and fast tempos of bluegrass as well as the sing-along melodies and rousing sentiments of '60s folk music. This is a slower, darker music that came out of mountain communities where death was a constant threat and Saturday night a brief respite. Molsky digs his bow into his fiddle-strings as if the resulting drones and bird cries might suggest the anxiety of that threat and the yearning for that respite. The fiddler, who also sings and plays banjo, is joined by guitarist Beverly Smith and fiddler/banjo player Rafe Stefanini. Their album includes two songs from the Harry Smith Anthology--"Wagoner's Lad" and "Train on the Island." Songs such as "Pretty Saro" and instrumentals such as "Shove the Pig's Foot a Little Bit Further into the Fire" are strange and powerful enough to have found a place. --Geoffrey Himes

Customer Reviews:

A triumph of limitations.......2002-07-12

When I was in school, if you gave me a blank piece of paper and said, "Draw something," you'd get something stiff and uninteresting. However, if you said, "Draw something containing a rock, a rooster, cotton candy, and a lake, and make them all relate to each other," I would burst out with all kinds of ideas.

Bruce Molsky and Big Hoedown are similarly constrained by the simple tunes and repetitions of Old Time music, and these very limitations seem to propel them into wild feats of innovation, improvization and creativity. This CD is pure joy to listen to, and to sing along with, if you're so inclined. The very simplicity masks the prodigious musicianship of these three, and the difficulty and complexity of what they're actually doing.

This is one of my favorite CD's, and I listen to it all the time.

Bruce Moisky?.......2001-12-01

Bruce Molsky is a supremely talented old-time musician. Not sure about "Bruce Moisky."

A great recording.......2000-05-19

Bruce Molsky is a master of his craft. His fiddle playing is many-layered and textured, and clearly demonstrates the mix of Scottish and Irish melody influences with African-American rhythms in old-timey fiddling. With his band-mates Beverly Smith and Rafe Stefanini, they have produced an exciting album showing many facets of appalachian string band music. There is much variety of pace and rhythm to their selection of tunes and songs. Although this album has it's share of rousing fast-paced reels, some of the slower numbers have complex rhythms that are so deftly executed, it is awe-inspiring. Their singing is wonderful, as well. This is a must buy for any fan of appalachian music, or any traditional music for that matter.

Average customer rating: Fine playing, great interpretations This one really hit me today A Grammy Nominee SIMPLY THE BEST AMERICAN MUSIC OUT THERE!!!! wonderful fusion

Fiddlers 4 Fiddlers 4 , Bruce Molsky , Michael Doucet , Darol Anger , and Rushad Eggleston Manufacturer: Compass Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Blues | Styles | Music General | Folk | Styles | Music Traditional Folk | Folk | Styles | Music General | Folk | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Republic of Strings Fire & Grace Shaken by a Low Sound Diary of a Fiddler Chops & Grooves ASIN: B000060P8H Release Date: 2002-03-12

Tracks:

1. Pickin' the Devil's Eye
2. You Little Wild Thing (La Bitaille)
3. E. St. Louis Todalo
4. Hidirassirifo
5. Just a Closer Walk with Thee/I Know
6. Chez Seychelles
7. I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free
8. African Solstice
9. Man of Constant Sorrow
10. Mazurka/Acadian Two-Step
11. Greek Medley/Polly Put the Kettle On
12. Danse Caribe
13. Atchafalaya Pipeline

Amazon.com

Classical musicians have been pinching melodies from folk musicians since before Mozart's day, so it seems only fair that the folkies should return the favor by borrowing the idea of the string quartet from the classical world. Fiddlers 4 is a supergroup formed by Cajun legend Michael Doucet, old-time master Bruce Molsky, progressive bluegrasser Darol Anger, and Rushad Eggleston, a dazzling young cellist who was still attending the Berklee College of Music when this recording was made. As you might expect given the musicians' pedigree, the tunes include Cajun numbers like "You Little Wild Thing (La Bétaille)" and songs from the bluegrass tradition like "Man of Constant Sorrow." What's surprising is how the four musicians take these familiar melodies and create a complex harmonic and rhythmic sound that simultaneously honors the tradition while reveling in the new sonic possibilities. Doucet, Molsky, and Anger each contribute original compositions that add jazz, African, Caribbean, and blues elements to the mix. The Fiddlers 4 are perhaps unique in the world: they are a string quartet that makes you want to get up and dance. --Michael Simmons

Customer Reviews:

Fine playing, great interpretations.......2005-12-24

The musicians on this CD really work well together. They come from very different backgrounds, but created a marvelously cohesive sound. The tunes selected for this album are also from different musical traditions. Some are cajun melodies, while others are on the bluegrass side of things. These fellows brought them all together in a really wonderful, consistently enjoyable set of songs that I can listen to over and over without ever tiring of it. Great CD.

This one really hit me today.......2004-05-05

Okay, so I was getting antsy waiting for my copy of Darol Anger's American Fiddle Ensemble - Republic of Strings (his newest release) to arrive, so I revisited this one. It's been quite some time since I listened to this release and I have always thought of it as an album that is uneven, but with great moments. Well, I'm not sure what I was thinking, but I was wrong. Aside from really just two tracks, this disc is excellent! I don't know how I ever thought of this as anything less than a fantastic disc. I listened to it today and literally had to get up off the couch and dance in the living room.

Lots could be said about the three legends on this disc, but I want to also give a moment to Rushad (cello). This isn't just some young guy who got lucky and knew someone who knew someone and ended up getting a prime gig. Rushad is utterly brilliant! His cello playing changes the whole feel and movement of everything on which he plays. This could have been called Fiddlers 3 (just the legends) and it still would have been great, but it would have been a completely different album. Rushad's playing, and the sonority of the cello, just gives all these tunes a certain depth and a certain body that they could not have achieved without him.

As was said in a previous review, yes, this is the best, most emotionally powerful Man Of Constant Sorrow I have ever heard.

The number of stars to give a disc is usually the toughest part of the review. The other day I reviewed the new Garcia/Grisman album (Been All Around This World) and gave it three. I'm giving this one four, but that seems unfair to Fiddlers 4. It is head-and-shoulders better than Been All Around This World, in every possible way. I guess if I were to be more accurate, I would consider Been All Around to be a 2.7-star album, and this to be a 4.3.

This disc is a must-have classic, and just one more reason to believe that Darol Anger is still the most forward-thinking "new acoustic musician" of his generation. Thank you, Darol! Keep the classics coming!

A Grammy Nominee.......2003-01-25

I saw Darol playing with a whole crew of string players in San Francisco and had never been so entertained. That Rushad kid ROCKED! What presence, what a beat, Rythmn too! Somewhere Darol trimmed the group to this 4. They played at the Skirball center here in Los Angeles and I haven't stopped hearing great stuff about the show (also an over the top review in the LA Times). This CD is just irresistible. And although it almost doesn't say much being a Grammy nominee anymore this one stands out..

SIMPLY THE BEST AMERICAN MUSIC OUT THERE!!!!.......2002-04-29

OK. This one's a winner!!! The Fiddlers 4 are doing great things for American vernacular music. What makes this CD so outstanding is the fiddle masters themselves and the arrangements they have collectively created from (and the original compositions like Anger's "African Solstice" and Doucet's "Danse Caribe" they've added to) the wide, wonderful spectrum of our American fiddle repertoire. (American means it comes from diverse places!) The CD unfolds so nicely from the opening Mississippi sharecropper's tune, "Pickin' The Devil's Eye," to its ending Doucet-original Cajun tune. What a JOY listening to this new quatuor's vivid musical imagination, its primal groove-based string sound, and its well-placed musical jokes (listen for "Atchafalaya Pipeline"'s finale). Thanks to Darol for just being DAROL and an unassuming genius; Bruce for just being BRUCE and for his touching tribute to Dr. Billy Taylor, "I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free;" Michael for singing, composing, and playing in Cajun French (a most beautiful language); and Rushad for the host of amazing characters that climb out of his cello! This CD gets my very highest recommendation -- VIVE American vernacular music! VIVE these 4 musical musketeers!!!! (pioneers!!!!)

wonderful fusion.......2002-04-25

Shortly after buying the CD, I saw the group perform in Somerville, MA. They are an energetic and highly entertaining ensemble (very funny on stage), and their musicianship is superb. I can highly recommend the CD, which roams around bluegrass, Cajun, jazz, African, and Caribbean with equal facility. There's so much to admire on this disc, like Bruce Molsky's riveting "Man of Constant Sorrow" (the best version I've ever heard), the gorgeous textures of "Chez Seychelles," or the hypnotic "African Solstice." It's all quite irresistible.

Average customer rating: back to the Blue Ridge Great performance

Poor Man's Troubles Bruce Molsky Manufacturer: Rounder Select ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Country | Styles | Music Old-Time Country | Traditional Country | Country | Styles | Music General | Bluegrass | Country | Styles | Music General | Folk | Styles | Music Traditional Folk | Folk | Styles | Music Rounder Records | Specialty Stores | Music Bluegrass | Country | Indie Music | Stores | Music Traditional Country | Country | Indie Music | Stores | Music General | Folk | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Contented Must Be Lost Boy Bruce Molsky & Big Hoedown Soon Be Time The Legacy Of Tommy Jarrell, Vol. 1: Sail Away Ladies ASIN: B00004RJP6 Release Date: 2000-04-25

Tracks:

1. Poor Man's Troubles
2. Rove Riley Rove
3. Old Greasy Coat
4. Fishin' Blues
5. Lonesome John
6. Peg And Awl
7. Brothers And Sisters
8. Cabin Creek
9. Bolts And Locks
10. Jeff Sturgeon
11. The Poor Cowboy
12. John Cole
13. Chinquapin Pie
14. I Truly Understand
15. Billy Joe Banes
16. Callahan
17. Terrell Texas Blues
18. Cousin Sally Brown
19. Field Holler/Piney Woods/Lost Indian
20. Grigsby's Hornpipe

Amazon.com

This Bronx-born master of the fiddle, banjo, and guitar performs an authentic blend of old-time styles born mostly in the rolling hills of the Appalachians. With more than an hour's worth of material across 20 songs, Poor Man's Troubles plays like a modern take on Alan Lomax recordings from the American South: thoughtful storytelling, solo banjo, fast-picking folk songs, bluesy renditions of Molsky's traditional favorites, and haunting fiddle work. Equally impressive are the extensive liner notes, which include Molsky's song-by-song accounts of the music's history and the inspiration he draws from the South. An example is his rendition of the 1928 instrumental "Terrell Texas Blues," first recorded by Texas barber Oscar Harper, where Molsky's fiddle drifts along on the accompaniment of his wife Audrey on guitar. --Scott Holter

Customer Reviews:

back to the Blue Ridge.......2001-02-07

If your ears don't take to scratchy reissues and field recordings of archaic mountain music, you could do a whole lot worse than to pick up on this smartly executed recreation of the sounds of Appalachia, circa a century ago. Bruce Molsky is a talented multi-instrumentalist, a decent if not outstanding singer, and a keen student with an encyclopedic knowledge of the tradition. This last has the happy consequence of introducing us to songs and tunes most listeners, including those of us who can never get enough old-time music, haven't heard before, or at least often. Only "I Truly Understand" and "Fishing Blues" could be called warhorses, and surely only the grumpiest misanthrope would object to their inclusion. My favorites are "Rove, Riley, Rove" -- one of those songs that keep playing in your head long after the CD has been put to bed -- and "The Poor Cowboy." The latter is a splendid cowboy variant of the often-recorded mining folk song "Roll on, Buddy." I had no idea such a thing existed. Revival recordings of old-time music are as often as not fairly boring, but Poor Man's Troubles is a happy exception.

Great performance.......2001-01-10

Bruce Molsky combines rhythm, intricacy, creativity, and passion into this collection of tunes. The variety ranges from old time American folk (in a variety of cross tunings, for you fiddle fanatics) to a beautiful African melody. A combination of instrumental and vocal pieces keeps the CD quite interesting. Molsky is a great musician.

Average customer rating: Old Time Molsky Bruce Molsky is my favorite old-time fiddler!!!!

Lost Boy Bruce Molsky Manufacturer: Rounder Select ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Country | Styles | Music Old-Time Country | Traditional Country | Country | Styles | Music General | Bluegrass | Country | Styles | Music General | Folk | Styles | Music Traditional Folk | Folk | Styles | Music Rounder Records | Specialty Stores | Music Bluegrass | Country | Indie Music | Stores | Music Traditional Country | Country | Indie Music | Stores | Music General | Folk | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Contented Must Be Poor Man's Troubles Bruce Molsky & Big Hoedown Hand Me Down If I Go Ten Thousand Miles ASIN: B0000002NY Release Date: 1996-01-16

Tracks:

1. Woves a-Howling
2. Sally Cooper
3. Wild Bill Jones
4. Bill Brown
5. Lost Boy
6. Sail Away Ladies
7. Fortune
8. Salt River
9. Yellow Barber
10. Buck Hoard
11. Fox Hunt
12. 8th of January
13. The Cuban Two-Step Rag
14. The Drunkard's Hiccups
15. Buffalo Girls
16. Masanga Njia
17. The Blackest Crow
18. Indian Squaw
19. Arkansas Traveler
20. Brushy Fork

Customer Reviews:

Old Time Molsky.......2001-02-22

As a tyro fiddle player I can really appreciate Bruce Molsky's style. Wonderful old-timey fiddling, singing and backup. He doesn't play "competition" fiddle on every tune -- his tunes are in appropriate meter, and the ornamentation isn't overdone. If your are new to fiddling, Bruce's style will give you something to shoot for! Just terrific!

Bruce Molsky is my favorite old-time fiddler!!!!.......1998-07-13

Welcome to the wonderfully sonorous, rhythmic world of Bruce Molsky! Good times reign supreme on this CD, where the fiddle playing, which originally drew me to Bruce, is marvelous and inspirational across the boards. Prepare to settle in for a delightful ride when he and his friends kick into high gear with "Lost Boy". There are so many fantastic tracks on this CD, it's hard to name all my favorites. On the gentle side, he and Carla bring warmth and sway to "Sail Away Ladies"; and "Masange Njia" is a welcome easy pleasure. You don't rest for long though, when he comes back with more high octane tunes to transport you with his driving fiddle power. In so many of these tunes his fiddle rings and keeps on ringing in your heart, mind and ear long after the tracks are done. Other highlights for me on this CD include a heart-pounding rendition of "Arkansas Traveler" and some great banjo with "Fortune" and "8th of January". Hard to imagine anyone who likes any kind of good fiddle music will be disappointed here. And if you like LOST BOY, you would love BIG HOEDOWN, my other all-time favorite CD.

Average customer rating: A true delight Contented Must Be

Contented Must Be Bruce Molsky Manufacturer: Rounder Select ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Country | Styles | Music Old-Time Country | Traditional Country | Country | Styles | Music General | Bluegrass | Country | Styles | Music General | Folk | Styles | Music Traditional Folk | Folk | Styles | Music Rounder Records | Specialty Stores | Music Similar Items: Soon Be Time Poor Man's Troubles Lost Boy Bruce Molsky & Big Hoedown Banging and Sawing ASIN: B0001HAIT0 Release Date: 2004-03-23

Tracks:

1. Ways Of The World
2. Brushy Run
3. Hills Of Mexico
4. Wake Up Susan & Duragn's Hornpipe
5. Green Grows The Laurel
6. Grey Owl & Victor's No.39
7. Knoxville Blues
8. Someone I Love
9. Diamond Joe & Green River
10. Johnson City Rag
11. Let's Go Huntin'
12. Blackberry Blossom
13. Harveland Waltz
14. Richmond
15. Charmin' Betsy
16. Glory In The Meeting House
17. Winder Slide

Album Description

"Bruce Molsky has tapped in to a mystical awareness of how to bring about the new in something that is old, while still being a 100% traditionalist. That is why to me he is very much a modern musician who just happens to play in the old manner, and so his music always feels like a new experience. Thank you Bruce for this wonderful collection of performances." -Mark O'Connor

Customer Reviews:

A true delight.......2006-10-03

Bruce Molsky is one of a group of artists, including Dirk Powell, Tim O'Brien, and others, who plays old-timey music with great sensitivity and skill. Some of the old dissonances and rhythms are preserved, but in a way that is somewhat less jarring than the kind of playing and singing you hear on old 78s, or on Harry Smith's Anthology. But this "polishing" is not in any way a taming or commodifying of the work. Rather, it brings out the strange loveliness that is already there.

Contented Must Be.......2004-08-10

Contented Must Be is a wonderfully organic recording of traditional music, the material drawn from historic archives. The musicianship is excellent, both vocally and instrumentally, yet what stands out even more is the heart and soul the work is filled with - very special.

Average customer rating:

Take Me As I Am Bruce Molsky And Bob Carlin ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD ASIN: B000PHEMU2

Product Description

1 Maybelle Rag 2 Say Darling Say 3 Durang's Hornpipe/Forked Deer 4 Dolly 5 Tempie/Dance Boatman Dance 6 Rockingham Cindy 7 Cumberland Gap 8 Old Blue Sow 9 Corrinne 10 Christmas Eve 11 John Sharp Medley 12 L&N Rag 13 Altamont 14 Take Me As I Am

Average customer rating:

Banjo Gathering: 100% Pure Old Time Banjo Mike Seeger, Brad Leftwich, Cathy Fink Bruce Molsky ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Traditional Country | Country | Styles | Music ASIN: B000S1JRPA

Product Description

This is a collection of 50 unaccompanied old time banjo tunes recorded by 23 of the best old time players on the scene. A very rare source of music for all who are interested in old time music and particularly in old time banjo styles. 100% pure old time. DOUBLE CD WITH 50 OLD TIME BANJO TUNES AND EXTENSIVE LINER NOTES (20 PAGE BOOKLET). In the Fall of 2006, 23 of the best old time banjo players in the country each recorded 2 to 3 old time banjo solos and contributed them to this project, which seeks to document the state of old time banjo music at the beginning of the 21st century. This is a very unique double CD set that contains 50 tunes, some well-known and some very obscure. Eleven of the tracks contain singing by the banjo player, but there is no accompaniment whatsoever, just banjo. The old time banjo, "the heartbeat of the band," tends to get lost in jams and it is rarely featured as a solo instrument. So we peeled away all the guitars, fiddles, basses and washboards to let you hear what 23 players do with their banjos when nobody else is around. Nothing like this has been done since County Records released their Clawhammer Banjo series decades ago. This is a similar project, but with contemporary players, all of whom are still alive and kicking. The project contains a wide variety of banjos, fretted, fretless, gourd, 13" large-pot Spratt, nylon string, gut strings, some slick and some funky, and several banjos made by the players themselves. And although most of the tunes are played clawhammer style, there is a wide variety of styles employed. (Mike Seeger actually goes back and forth between picking, strumming and clawhammer on his two tunes.)

Average customer rating:

Warring Cats Bruce Molsky ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD ASIN: B000PHFYOK

Product Description

1 Apple Blossom 2 Inching Along 3 Last of Harris 4 Flannery's Dream 5 Old Sledge 6 Roscoe's Waltz 7 Step Back Cindy 8 I Truly Understand 9 Bonaparte's Retreat/Y 10 Muddy Creek 11 Fall on My Knees 12 Scott's No. 2 13 The Trip to Durrow 14 Roll On Buddy 15 Pickin' the Devil's Eye 16 Warring Cats

Music Album:

1. Can't Run from Yourself
2. Can You Hear Me When I Talk to You/I'm the Girl [CD-single]
3. Classic Country: 1965-1969
4. Clinch Mountain Gospel
5. Collection [Import]
6. Come on Down to My World
7. Country Got Soul, Vol. 2 [Import]
8. Craftsman
9. Czechmate
10. Dance Hall Dreams

Music Album