The Allen Brothers on this recording, three brothers, should not be confused with the Allen Brothers, a pair of brothers, who were active in the 1920s and 30s. A number of sources mididentify this recording as one by the older Allen brothers. I can find very little about the Allen Brothers on this recording, except that they released three albums: Sweet Rumors (1977), Are You Feeling It Too? (1980), and the present album, Clara's Boys (1982).
These guys make traditional country music with a dose of blugrass. I can't put my finger on it, but their choice of songs is unique and makes listening to this recording a bit of an adventure. A few of the songs are covers, including the last song, "Blue Eyed Darlin'," by Roy Acuff, but most appear to be originals. This is the kind of stuff you'd expect from Rounder Records and is a nice discovery. Too bad it's now out of print. Hope you enjoy it.
Credits:
Harley Allen Guitar, Mandolin, Lead and Tenor Vocals
Greg Allen Banjo, Lead and Baritone Vocals
Ronnie Allen Electric Bass, Lead and Baritone Vocals
Buddy Griffin Fiddle
Danny Milhoun Dobro
Rick Stacy Mandolin
Larry Nager Acoustic Bass
Allen Eiseman Fiddle on "Louise" with Rick Stacy and the Allen Brothers
Here's a little traditional country/bluegrass music recorded in the relaxed fashion of yore. I always relish finding albums like this.
Liner Notes:
Abe Horton was born in Carroll County, Virginia. on April 11, 1917. He was raised near Big Reed Island Creek and came from a musical family; his father, Denny A. Horton, played banjo and fiddle. Abe started with the fiddle at age eleven and played with his brothers often.
Many of the musicians Abe played with were on up in years when he was young. He credits these older musicians as being the source of a lot of the old songs he knows, as well as, his style of playing. A partial list would include the names of Hermon Edmonds, Glen Smith, and Orville and Preston Cox. Perhaps Abe's greatest musical influence was his wife, Annie Mae's grandfather, Friel Webb. Abe's recollections of past days in Carroll County offer a deeper understanding into the music of this region.
Following his tour of duty during World War II, Abe dropped out of music for twenty-three years. Around 1970 he started the band, the Pine River Boys and Maybelle. Heritage III and XXI feature their distinctive sound. A solo album, Heritage XIX, portrays other old one songs and tunes by Abe.
Harold Beatty Hausenfluck was born March 26. 1952, in Charlottesville, Virginia. From 1956 to 1971, he attended the Virginia School for the Deaf and Blind in Staunton. It was during those years that he first became interested in country music.
Some of the first music Harold remembers hearing were older songs his father used to sing. Around 1961, his grandmother found him a "wind up" record player and a few 78 r.p.m. records. The records were of Fiddlin' John Carson and the Virginia Reelers, and he recalls this as the first really old timey music he had heard and it "stuck right with me."
The first instrument Harold learned to play was the harmonica at age eight. Soon to follow was the "jawharp" and the guitar. With the guitar he started with an open tuning style and often used a slide. He admits playing some modern type country tunes at first and even a little rock music. Harold's back up guitar praying can be heard on some tunes on this album.
The WCKY Jamboree out of Cincinnati and the Grand Ole Opry on WSM Nashville were favorite radio shows during the 1960's. Through them, he heard the banjo styles of Grandpa Jones, Kirk McGee, Oswald, and Stringbean.
In 1968.a girlfriend brought Harold an album of the clawhammer banjo music of Wade Ward of Grayson County, Virginia. It was here that "things started clicking." The album notes mentioned the fiddlers' conventions, and in 1969, he and his dad came to the OLD FIDDLERS' Convention in Galax. Harold comes right to the point in describing it as an "eye opener” for him. One lesson he learned at these early conventions, and a good one to pass along to others is "to learn the old time way—you learn from the old timers."
From 1971 to 1973, Harold moved to Vancouver, Washington, to further his education in piano servicing. While there, he come into more contact with reissued old time music by such record labels as County and Rounder. In 1973, Harold returned to Richmond, Virginia, where he lives today.
Harold first met Abe Horton and his band, the Pine River Boys and Maybelle in 1972 at the fiddlers' convention in Saltville, Virginia. He says he was a "little sheepish" at first, but as he ran into them at other conventions a real friendship developed. Harold and Abe's first album of authentic songs and tunes is available on Heritage XXIII.
Harold credits the following musicians as having influenced his fiddling style: John Corson, Norman Edmonds, Lowe Stokes, and Eck Robertson. To a lesser extent he also credits, Tommy Jarrell, Crockett Ward, Boyd (Hick) Edmonds, Glen Smith (Hillsville). and Joseph Hurly (Slim) Smith. Another fiddling Influence of the last few yews is Joe Birchfield of Roan Mountain, Tennessee.
Harold's banjo picking, for the most part, has been influenced by Lu McRay, Glen Smith (Hillsville), and Wade Ward. He says he has listened to others, but these three are the main ones of influence.
Concerning this present album, Harold states, -if there's not enough dance tunes, gospel songs, or folksongs to suit everyone; considering I'm only thirty-one years old, and that the good die young, I've got a long, long time to live. So Lord willing, there will be more to come."
The tradition of passing the music from one generation to the next continues. Abe and Harold's deep respect for the foundations of the music is very evident. It is also more than a relic of the past to them. Old time music is still alive, and it’s played here with spirit and with discriminating good taste. Certainly, these are qualities worth continuing, and ones we should hold high.
It's a COUNTRY SUNDAY IN GEORGIA and The Lewis Family is right at home for Lincolnton, Georgia, claims these warm personalities as its very own. Their warm Southern hospitality exudes with courtesy, sincerity and joviality. With gracious handshakes and genuine smiles, they welcome you into their lovely homes and great hearts. You easily sense the spontaneous love for one another and their folksy affection for you.
Theirs is a heritage of gospel music for they have been traveling, picking and singing for many years. Highly respected in country gospel and bluegrass circles, they are greatly in demand for concerts, festivals and personal appearances. Hearing them, you reminisce about the old sawdust brush arbor sing-alongs and they renew for you the old songs of faith you remember hearing and loving as a child.
Seeing this close-knit family on the platform or happily circulating through the eager audience during intermission, it's quite easy to imagine Mom and Pop Lewis dressing and herding their little brood of children toward Sunday school and the little white clapboard, steepled church down a Georgia lane. Wallace wrote "Those Happy Days" as a tribute to their childhood training.
One popular facet of all Lewis Family albums is the inclusion of at least one A. E. Brumley song and this time they chose the great number "I Walk In The New Jerusalem Way." The Lewis Family records and uses gospel songs written by several of their close friends, Herman Harper, Paul Craft, Bill Sky and Randall Hylton. Their albums also include contemporary gospel songs and there is a great flexibility in the presentations. Miggie, Polly and Janis form a girls trio and add their talents to the group, mixed quartet, quintet and solos which vary their programs.
One command performance at every concert for the past twenty years is the hilarious "Honey In The Rock," featuring Little Roy with Polly and Janis assisting him. To describe Little Roy's "orchestral instruments" boggles the mind for the closest thing would be an old-time sweet potato whistle, a slide trombone, a bazooka or a kazoo. Take your pick, your guess is as good as anyone's. It's just great entertainment and a crowd pleaser everywhere.
The Lewis Family uses several musical instruments and all are outstanding but Little Roy is a master of the five string banjo and the guitar. He's the comic of the group and keeps the crowd laughing. He has no "routine" or prepared script, he just happens to people and they love it. And the more tired he is, the funnier he becomes.
Traveling the countless miles in a brand new Challenger bus, especially designed to their needs, The Lewis Family will be coming your way—watch for them! In the meantime, add COUNTRY SUNDAY IN GEORGIA to your record library and enjoy these captivating, beguiling Christians in your home.
Reno and Smiley were a musical duo composed of two highly talented musicians, Don Reno and Red Smiley. They were one of the greatest duos in country (now bluegrass) music of the 1950s and early '60s.
Later in 1951, Don and Red left Magnus to play with Toby Stroud in Wheeling, West Virginia on radio station WWVA (AM). Soon after this, Don and Red reformed a band that Don had started some years before: The Tennessee Cut-Ups.
In 1952, Reno and Smiley and the Tennessee Cut-Ups made their first recordings for King Records. Among this session was one of the band's most famous gospel songs, "I'm Using My Bible for a Roadmap" which was written by Don Reno in 1950. The sales of this record reportedly saved King Records from bankruptcy. Don Reno, Red Smiley and the Tennessee Cut-Ups continued recording for King Records but did no live performances until the mid '50s which is now known to most Reno and Smiley fans as the beginning of their "Glory Years" which lasted until they disbanded in 1964.
At this time, Don began traveling with Benny Martin and Red formed a band called the Bluegrass Cut-Ups which continued to perform on a television program that Don and Red did together for many years. When Red retired in the late 1960's, Jim Eanes acquired the band renaming it "The Shenandoah Cutups". It wasn't until 1970 or '71 that Don and Red began performing together again, and that time was short-lived as Red died in 1972 at the age of 46 due to complications with diabetes. Don continued to perform with his sons Don Wayne and Dale along with Bill Harrell until his death in 1984 at the age of 58. In 1992, Don Reno and Red Smiley were inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Honor.
Banjo Special is wonderful instrumental bluegrass album that showcases Don Reno's banjo picking. This is certainly one of the best bluegrass instrumental albums never re-issued on CD. I have been unable to find out the names of the other performers on the recording, but the fiddle player does a fine job as well. The tunes are so smoothly done that it sounds like they aren't even working hard. I place this album among my top bluegrass favorites.
Andy Statman is a noted Klezmer clarinetist and bluegrass/newgrass mandolinist.
Andy Statman first gained acclaim as a mandolinist in pioneering bluegrass bands Country Cookin' and Breakfast Special. Statman, a Jew, began to be of the mind that bluegrass was not his music. He turned to Klezmer music, traditional Jewish folk music. Now playing clarinet, he recorded various Klezmer albums that were influential in the Klezmer revival that began in the late 70s. In the 90s, he began playing Chassidic melodies, fusing bluegrass, klezmer, and jazz along the way.
Statman learned Klezmer clarinet from legendary Klezmer clarinetist Dave Tarras, who bequeathed his clarinets to him. Statman produced Dave Tarras's last recordings. Between this apprenticeship and his practice of teaching in addition to performing, Statman has become the dean of living Klezmer clarinetists.
The Andy Statman Trio, which includes bassist Jim Whitney and percussionist Larry Eagle, plays regularly at Derech Amuno Synagogue in Greenwich Village in New York City, and tours nationally as schedules allow.
Nashville Mornings New York Nights is more than just Statman. He is joined by Bela Fleck, Tony Trischka, Jerry Douglas, Vassar Clements, Russ Barenberg, and Kenny Kosek. This is a wonderful recording if you like progressive bluegrass and there is a lot of virtuosity displayed. Out of print, but still sometimes avialable used here and there.
