Recording Review of Charlie Poole with the Highlanders: Complete Recordings Ted Olson East Tennessee State University, [email protected]

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1-1-2013 Recording Review of Charlie Poole with The Highlanders: Complete Recordings Ted Olson East Tennessee State University, [email protected]

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Citation Information Olson, Ted. 2013. Recording Review of Charlie Poole with The iH ghlanders: Complete Recordings. The Old-Time Herald. Vol.13(7). 39-40. ISSN: 1040-3582

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This review is available at Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University: https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu-works/1165 Reviews time orchestra"). So as to evade atten­ tion from Walker and Columbia, Poole Charlie Poole with the Highlanders and his band recorded as The Highland­ The Complete Paramount & ers (for Paramount) and The Allegheny Brunswick Recordin s 1929 Highlanders (for Brunswick). Only three of the aforementioned 12 recordings ("Lynchburg Town," "Flop Eared Mule," and "A Trip to New York, Part I") were included on Sony's ac­ claimed three-CD set You Ain't Ta/kin ' to Me: Charlie Poole and the Roots of Country A CCORDIONS Music. For that reason alone this Tomp­ and kins Square release is long overdue. The CONCERTINAS Paramount and Brunswick sides can Expert tuning and repairs on all types of accordions and conce1tinas. Tompkins Square TSQ2875 be characterized by an emphatic, even New and used instruments bought. aggressive rhythm (punctuated by the sold, and traded. Extensive selection Lynchburg Town / San Antonio / Rich­ pow1ding of a piano). The pianist on of books, recordings, videos, straps, mond Square / May I Sleep in Your Barn these recordings, Lucy Terry, was the sis­ cases, and microphones in stock. Tonight Mister / Trip to New York Part I ter of band guitarist Roy Harvey, and ac­ Maker of R. Morse & Co. / Trip to New York Part II / Trip to New cording to Rorrer Harvey grew disgrun­ + Concertinas •r York Part III / Trip to ew York Part IV tled with the band's inclusion of a piano Visit our complete / Flop Eared Mule / Te1messee Blues / because his sister's playing overpowered online catalogue at www.buttonbox.com Under the Double Eagle / What is Home his own acoustic guitar. THE BUTTON BOX Without Babies Several of the recordings on this release 42 Amherst Road For the commercial genre of "hillbilly" betray the comparatively poor sound of PO Box 372 Sunderland MA 013 75 music, 1929 was a year of significant tl1e original 78s. (Paramount was notori­ (41 3) 665-7793 change (though perhaps not cataclysmic ous for the inferior quality of its releases; change; that came shortly thereafter). not surprisingly, the Brunswick sides The Wall Street crash during the fall of on this CD are sonically more dynamic RIDING AND REELS: that year was the begimung of the end than those from Paramount.) Chris Kii1g, Old-Time Jam Workshop & Adventure Vacation for the recording careers of most "hillbil­ the sound engineer for the project and a · ;January 5 - 12, 2014· ly" musicians. Nevertheless, many mu­ Grammy Award-winning producer of ~ horn Ranch, Ari~ sicians, including Charlie Poole, made historical releases, did a remarkable job ~ical Inspiration and Jn-;m,i~ remarkable records that year. rendering quite listenable some rough­ by Rory MacLeod and Sandal Astrausky A new CD from Tompkins Square com­ sounding 78 RPM recordings. (The fact piles 12 lesser-known sides from Poole's that the original 78s did not sell well !I' An Elkhorn Ranch vacation is a relaxi ng adven~ short yet brilliant, and otherwise well­ meant that King and fellow producer turous retreat where you park your car, lose your documented, career. The recordings on Josh Rosenthal had comparatively few keys in the bottom of your bag, and let fri endly capable horses, grand and intimately beautiful this CD all date, not coincidentally, from surviving records from which to choose country and the simple joy of time with good 1929, the year when Poole had grown so when selecting copies for remastering.) fri ends fill your day. disgrw1tled with the approach to mak­ Arguably the most interesting recordings Elkhorn 's Old-Time music jam workshop ing records of his longtime company on The Complete Paramount & Brunswick is decided ly not an intense play dawn to dusk workshop experi ence, rather a week closer to (Columbia Records) that he decided to Recordings, 1929 are four sides Poole and the ori gi ns of Old-Time music, where friends record for competitor labels, albeit with the band recorded for Brunswick, "A Trip simply gathered with their fiddl es, guitars, ban­ pseudonyms because he remained under to New York, Parts I-IV." On these record­ jos, mandolins and the like around the fire, on contract to Columbia. ings, a narrative composed by Roy Harvey the porch and into the wee hours to make music The North Carolina Ramblers had long describes a fictional band's trip by train together. This workshop is fo r enthusiasts of all levels of eiq,erience, who simply wa ne to enjoy been a trio-with Poole on banjo and from the South to New York City in order a great vacation and music together. O ld-time vocals alongside a fiddler and a guitar­ to make records. The "acting" throughout musicians Sando] and Rory wi ll provide indi­ ist. As the decade drew to a close, Poole this narrative is spirited, perfectly timed, vidual and small group lessons during the after­ was eager to expand his band's sound by and frequently fwmy. For instance, when noon and lead a jam session for everyone after supper in the ranch Long H ouse. adding other instruments (specifically, the New York-based record producer asks Workshop leaders Sando! Astra usky and Rory an additional fiddler and a pianist). Pro­ the band "have you ever made any records Macl eod have been playing since the late ducer Frarik B. Walker, who had overseen before," one bandmember replies "only jail 1970's. They teach string-band class at Brown Poole's recordings for Columbia, was records." Over the £om sides, Poole and University and have taught instrumental class­ es at the Mars Hill College O ld-time Week. adamantly against such musical experi­ his bandmates regularly (and spontane­ Sando! plays and teaches fiddle. Rory plays and mentation during Columbia sessions. ously) break into playing short renditions ..,teaches guitar, banj o, bass and uke. ,. In defiance, Poole arranged recording of old-time selections. For more information contac t: sessions with the Paramount and Bruns­ In 1930 Poole made additional record­ Music: Rory Macl eod les@notaol. com or wick labels for his newly expanded band ings for Columbia as part of a trio, and Bob Smith [email protected] (which Kii.mey Rorrer, the album notes died in May 1931. In documenting Elkhorn: Ma1y Miller [email protected], writer for this CD, calls Poole's "old- Poole's doomed efforts to realize his con- www.elkhornranch.com , 520-822-1040

THE OLD-TIME HERALD WWW.OLDTIMEHERALD.ORG VOLUME 13, NUMBER 6 39 cept of an "old-time orchestra," Tompkins Shall I Be / Promise in the Book of Life / owner, tenant, millhand, boss; farmhouse, Square's release of Poole's Paramount Broken Hearted Girl / Woman's Answer millhouse, jailhouse, church. This envi­ and Brunswick recordings on a single to 'What is Home Without Love' ronment-combined with the deep-seat­ CD both completes and complicates our ed South Carolinian tendency not simply understanding of this legendary, and Disc 3 to believe, not even to believe one knows, consistently innovative, musician. Hobo Jack the Rambler / More Pretty but to know one knows-has long created TED O LSON Girls Than One Part 3 / There's a Place people whose sense of purpose inclines to To order: tompkinssquare.com in My Home for Mother / Bootlegger's fervor. That's a recipe for trouble when it Story / Wonder Who's Kissing Her Part comes to, say, preservation of the federal The Dixon Brothers 2 / Prisoner's Plea / Faithless Husband union; but when the expression is music, A Blessing to People: Complete Recordings, 1936 - 1938, Plus More / Down With the Old Canoe / I Didn't we are blessed with the Dixon Brothers. Hear Anybody Pray / Glorious Light is The Bear Family's box set A Blessing to Dawning / Have Courage to Only Say People brings together the brothers' com­ No / A Mother, A Father, A Baby / A plete recordings from 1936 - 1938, along Church at the Foot of the Hill / By Him­ with recordings that Dorsey Dixon made self / Tempted and Tried / Time for Me for the folklorist Archie Green in the 1960s. to Go / Beyond Black Smoke / When Accompanying the discs is an abundantly Gabriel Blows His Trumpet for Me / illustrated hardback book containing bio­ Speak Evil of No Man / Jimmie and Sal­ graphical writings by Patrick Huber and lie / The Story of George Collins / The Dorsey Dixon, and a discography by Tony Light of Homer Rogers / After the Ball / Russell and Richard Weize. Bear Family BCD 1681 7 'Twas Only a Dream / Answer to Broken Dorsey Dixon grew up certain that he Engagement / By the Old Oaken Bucket, had a mission in life. Not breathing when Disc 1 Louise / Honey Baby Mine / My Trundle he was born, a "blue baby," Dorsey was Weave Room Blues / Two Little Rose­ Bed / New Trouble resuscitated, and managed to survive a buds / Sales Tax on the Women / Intoxi­ precarious infancy. Ever after, his parents' cated Rat / Not Turning Back / White Disc 4 refrain was that he had been spared "for a Flower for You / Answer to Maple On Babies in the Mill / The Factory Girl / purpose." He grew up to be an intensely the Hill Part 1 / Answer to Maple On the Hard Times in Here / Weave Room Blues driven poet. His compositions told of his Hill Part 3 / Greenback Dollar Part 2 / / Twister Room Blues / When Weav­ religious and moral beliefs, the everyday Spinning Room Blues / My Girl in Sunny ing Time is Over/ Wreck of the Old 97 lives of the Southern working poor (es­ Tennessee / A Wonderful Day / Are You / The Cleveland School House Fire / pecially his and Howard's fellow cotton Sure? / That Old Vacant Chair / I'm Just Wreck on the Highway / Naomi Wise / millworkers), and the extraordinary and Here to Get My Baby Out of Jail / Never Our Johnny / Mommy, Will My Doggie tragic events (schoolhouse fires, auto ac­ to Be Sweethearts Again / Bonnie Blue Understand? / Bill Dodson's Last Run / cidents) that are wont to take communi­ Eyes Part 2 / Ocean of Life / Rambling The Great Convoy / Jesse James / Give ties by sorrowful surprise. It seems that Gambler / Dark Eyes / Easter Day / That Me My Flowers While I'm Living / Be throughout much of his life the words Old True Love / Answer to Maple On the At Home Soon Tonight, Dear Boy / To­ came pouring out of him-his ministry Hill Part 4 / Beautiful Stars / I Will Meet morrow / The Worried Bum (I Saw the and mission to be, as the title echoes, "a My Precious Mother / Weaver's Life / Wood) / She Tickles Me / If I Knock the blessing to people." Even so, we learn Darling Do You Miss Me / Little Bessie / "L" Out of Timothy Kelly / The Burglar in Huber's biography, in his later years How Can a Broke Man Be Happy Man / The Christmas Cake / The Hun­ Dorsey was tormented with doubts as to gry Hash House / I'm Not Turning Back­ whether he had fulfilled his potential. I Disc 2 ward / Somebody Touched Me/ Across think that if he could have seen this set, How Can a Broke Man Be Happy / the Shining River / My Name in the Book his doubts would have vanished. The School House Fire / She Tickles Me / When that Beautiful City Comes Down Dorsey set many of his verses to familiar / Fisherman's Luck / At Twilight Old / Will the Circle Be Unbroken / I Shall tunes, and later in life also contributed po­ Pal of Yesterday / Call Me Pal of Mine Not Be Moved / I Didn't Have a Friend / ems to his local newspaper. That Dorsey / I Won't Accept Anything For My Soul The Church At the Foot of the Hill valued message over musical novelty is / What Can I Give in Exchange / What evidenced by the frequency with which the Would You Give in Exchange Part 5 / The Pee Dee region of South Carolina, in Dixons recycled familiar hmes. They made The Girl I Left in Danville / Two Little the northeast corner of the state, is a land­ prodigious use of answer-songs, responses Boys / The Lonely Prisoner / The Old scape of stark fundamentals: pineywoods, to popular recordings by other groups. Home Brew / Always Waiting for You / blackwater creeks, and deep swamps, But almost as striking as their fondness for When Jesus Appears / Satisfied At Last vast cottonfields and peach orchards, and answer-songs is their use of other familiar / Shining City Over the River / Honey a soil so sandy that one has no trouble pic­ melodies as vehicles for Dorsey's poetry. It's Just Because / Back to My Wyoming turing the whole area underwater in the Some of his best-known songs, for exam­ Home / I Can't Tell You Why I Love You days of Noah. Howard and Dorsey Dixon ple, were set to the tune of "Life is Like a / Under the Old Cherry Tree / Blessed were native sons of the Pee Dee, from the Mountain Railroad." You'll notice other Promise in Store / Anywhere is Home / textile town of Darlington. They grew up melodic chestnuts throughout. Beneath an Old Maple / Fields on Fire in a society as sharply delineated as the Dorsey was the evangelist and the bard, / The Blood of Jesus Saved Me / Where landscape: black, white, Indian; land- but Howard Dixon was no less of an art-

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