is a slightly strange looking man. He does, however, have one of the most extensive collection of American folk music recorded prior to 1940 stored on 78’s in his basement. And he shares the fruits of this lifelong obsession with sad individual like myself through albums such as ‘Down in the basement’, released on Old Hat Records, Raleigh, North Carolina.
It is one of the most incredible CDs I have ever listened to. As the website says, it encompasses the whole range of pre-war American folk, through jug band, banjos, spirituals, jazz, blues and gospel. And the sound quality and remastering is simply magnificent – there is background hiss, as one would expect from recording made from 78’s, but it is far less noticeable than on any other release I have covering a comparable period.
I noticed the link to Ceolas in your sidebar. Are you interested in Scottish trad. music at all?
Well, I have a kind of love-hate relationship with it. I try to listen without prejudice, but memories of the Corries and other favourites from the White Heather Club that my mother used to play on Hogmanay force me to stand in the corner and shake uncontrollably. One day. Hopefully.
Ooh, I’m with you on the Corries and the White Heather Club. I’d add the Alexander Brothers as well. But there is a lot of great, recent music and loads of young musicians about these days. I’ll track down some links for you.
I thought you might like to try this site:
http://www.scotloads.co.uk/
Artists/albums I’d recommend are:
Daimh: The Pirates of Puirt
Peatbog Faeries: Croftwork
Alasdair Fraser & Tony McManus: Return to Kintail
Session A9: What Road?
Blazin’ Fiddles
Salsa Celtica
Flook
Shooglenifty