Lonesome Valley [Manteca]

Lonesome Valley [Manteca]

Overview

Although traditional country, old-timey music, and Appalachian folk are all distinct musical genres with as many differences as similarities, in recent years they have all been increasingly lumped together in the public's perception as bluegrass, itself a distinct genre, and a relative newcomer to the dance at that. As frustrating as this trend is in some quarters, there's little doubt that albums like the T-Bone Burnett-produced O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack benefited from bending and blurring the boundaries in the various forms of what might be called mountain music (Burnett's soundtrack tossed in some blues and gospel, as well, making it a slick primer for American roots music), and that mix went down easy with the public, who called it all bluegrass and bought the album in droves, making it a surprise hit. This collection aims for a similar synthesis (leaving out the blues and gospel), opening and closing with tracks from the Carter Family, who are literally square one for country, and tossing in bits and pieces of traditional fare, some straight bluegrass, and some contemporary songs that sound ancient but actually aren't (Gillian Welch's "Acony Bell"). The end result means Lonesome Valley works with the same sort of easy grace that characterized the Burnett production, and should appeal to the same listeners. Some of it is bluegrass, some of it isn't, but filed under bluegrass is where you're going to find it in the box stores. Perception of reality and reality aren't the same thing, but if Doc Watson is bluegrass, then damn, bluegrass is something special indeed.

Product Details

Release Date: 03/05/2002
Label: Manteca
UPC: 0698458203021
catalogNumber: 30
Rank: 88754

Tracks

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Eddie Adcock   Banjo,Vocals
Country Gentlemen   Track Performer
Jerry Douglas   Dobro
Lester Flatt   Guitar,Vocals
Flatt & Scruggs   Track Performer
Kentucky Colonels   Track Performer
Alison Krauss   Vocals
Del McCoury   Guitar,Tenor (Vocal)
Old & In the Way   Track Performer
Tony Rice   Acoustic Guitar,Vocals
Peter Rowan   Guitar,Vocals
Earl Scruggs   Banjo
Ricky Skaggs   Mandolin,Vocals
Ralph Stanley   Banjo,Vocals
Carter Family   Track Performer
Emmylou Harris   Vocals
Doc Watson   Guitar,Vocals
Hazel Dickens   Track Performer
Jerry Garcia   Banjo,Vocals
Chubby Wise   Fiddle
Cox Family   Track Performer
Joseph Allen   Acoustic Bass
Ron Block   Guitar
Vassar Clements   Fiddle
Dudley Connell   Guitar,Vocals
Jack Cooke   Bass
Evelyn Cox   Baritone (Vocal)
Jim Cox   Bass,Vocals
Suzanne Cox   Tenor (Vocal)
Alice Gerrard   Track Performer
David Grisman   Mandolin,Vocals
Bobby Hicks   Fiddle
John Kahn   Acoustic Bass
Viktor Krauss   Acoustic Bass
David McLaughlin   Fiddle,Mandolin,Vocals
Marc Pruett   Banjo
Dewey Renfro   Bass
Russ Savakus   Bass
Eddie Stubbs   Fiddle,Vocals
Richard Underwood   Banjo,Vocals
Merle Watson   Guitar
Howard Watts   Bass
Charles Whitstein   Mandolin,Vocals,Guitar (Tenor)
Robert Whitstein   Guitar,Vocals
John Duffey   Mandolin,Vocals
Larry Robbins   Bass
Gillian Welch   Track Performer
Roy Lee Centers   Guitar
Bill Monroe & His Bluegrass Boys   Track Performer
Del McCoury & The Dixie Pals   Track Performer
Donnie Eldreth   Fiddle,Mandolin
Bill Poffinberger   Fiddle
Jody Rainwater   Bass
Bill Runkle   Banjo,Vocals
Ralph Stanley & the Clinch Mountain Boys   Track Performer
Earl Scruggs & The Foggy Mountain Boys   Track Performer

Technical Credits

Johnson Mountain Boys   Producer
Alison Krauss   Arranger,Producer
Ricky Skaggs   Producer
Whitstein Brothers   Producer
T Bone Burnett   Producer
Charles R. Freeland   Producer
Ken Irwin   Producer
Owsley Stanley   Engineer
Barry Poss   Producer

Customer Reviews