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.
Roy Acuff has always been my favorite country singer. This is one of several of his LPs from the 60s. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do. They don't make country music like this anymore.
Liner Notes:
Roy Acuff comes to this great treasury of hymns in the most natural of ways. This is honest music, the expression of devotion and faith in the Lord, and it is the kind of music Roy Acuff has lived with since he was a child.
Acuff's father was a preacher in the town of Maynardsville, Tennessee, a small town in the Smokey Mountain foothills. Songs such as the ones included in this album were always a part of everyday life in the Acuff household, which was also a favorite gathering-place for the people of Maynardsville. It was at these gatherings, during Sunday services conducted by his father, and at the evening hymn-fests his family held, that young Roy learned the songs you hear him sing in this album.
It was through this music, in fact, that the young Roy realized he had God-given singing talent and acquired the confidence to pursue a career in this direction.
Acuff is one of the true founders of the country and western movement in the United States. He has had, and continues to have, a fabulous career in this field. He and his Smokey Mountain Boys have been country music stalwarts since he first made a casual appearance (while in Nashville visiting friends) on WSM's Grand Ole Opry.
It was his love of singing that first made Roy Acuff aware of his possibilities as an entertainer. It is only natural and fitting then, that he should return to the source material to which he first gave voice—the great hymns of devotion and faith.
