American Tradition

Track Listings

1. Keep the Fire Burning

2. To Christ Be True

3. Tattlers Wagon

4. Homecoming

5. Bring Back the Songs

6. Sunlight, Sunlight

7. There Is Sunshine in My Soul

8. Keep on Keepin' On

9. Master, the Tempest Is Raging

10. I Know That My Redeemer Lives

11. Drifting Along

12. Sing Me a Going Home Song

13. Son Hath Made Me Free

14. Show a Little Bit of Love and Kindness

15. I'll Be List'ning

16. He Bore It All

17. I Know Somebody's Listening

18. Red, White, Blue and Grey

American Tradition, Music, Chuck Wagon Gang, Country Gospel, Gospel, Gospel/Christian Music, Pop, Southern Gospel, Traditional Country

Rivers of Delight (American Folk Hymns From the Sacred Harp Tradition)
Average customer rating:

a voice teacher and early music fan

one of the best recordings of shape note I've heard

The Shaped Note Singing is TOO Polished

Lovely and Haunting

Shape-note perfection

Rivers of Delight (American Folk Hymns From the Sacred Harp Tradition)
Word of Mouth Chorus
Manufacturer: Nonesuch
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Folk | Styles | Music
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Similar Items:

Sacred Harp Singing

The Shapenote Album

Southern Journey, Vol. 9: Harp Of A Thousand Strings - All Day Singing From The Sacred Harp

Early American Choral Music, Vol. 1

American Angels

ASIN: B000005IVY
Release Date: 1992-05-07

Tracks:

Northfield
Soar Away
Cowper
Evening Shade
Windham
White
Eternal Day
Sweet Prospect
North Port
Greenwich
Wondrous Love
Peace And Joy
Parting Friends
Weeping Mary
Alabama
Milford
New Jerusalem
The Better Land
Kedron
Idumea
Morning

Customer Reviews:

a voice teacher and early music fan.......2007-02-11

American shape-note music with its freshness and durability, is the product of circumstances different from our own. It still survives and flourishes today in a variety of styles and places across the continental United States.
Shape-note music evolved with the 'singing school', an American institution dating back to the early 18th century. In Colonial days, traveling singing masters taught part-singing to townsfolk in a community activity that combined sacred and secular values.
The singing-school music was usually sung a cappela and in 3 or 4 parts-tenor(or melody), bass, treble, and usually alto or counter.
By the early 1800's, the music of New England tunesmiths-William Billings,
Daniel Reed, Justin Morgan, and others-had spread throughout the Southern and Central states. There , together with folk hymns and camp-meeting songs, it formed the basis for a sturdy tradition of community singing and religious expression.
The 'Sacred Harp', first compiled in 1844 by two Georgians, Benjamin Franklyn White and his assistant E.J. King, is one of the richest collections of tunes; it is also one of the few shape-note books from that era still in print today.
The sound of Sacred Harp singing has several elements: The surging beat, the intonation of the singers, the minor-modal melodies, and the open harmonies. In the Sacred Harp tradition, mens's and women's voices double the tenor and treble parts, with men and women alone singing the bass and alto, respectively. Dynamics are sacrificed for a uniformly strong sound.
This disc does indeed fulfill all the requirements of shape-singing and therefore is an invaluable contribution to the historian, the teacher of many subjects especially in the arts and humanities. To sit down and listen to it in its entirety is not too enjoyable, unless you are involved with a specific activity that makes it necessary to do so. As a voice teacher, it annoys me with the type of singing it demands such as chest-tone most of the time. But, as I stated above, this is really not for entertainment purposes. The 'Word of Mouth' chorus is to be commended for keeping alive this very important segment of our Musical History and tradition.

one of the best recordings of shape note I've heard.......2006-01-31

Like many, I was first introduced to Sacred Harp music through the music on the Cold Mountain soundtrack. While those recordings are probably my favorites, Rivers of Delight has some excellent recordings of popular, as well as obscure, songs. Although the album lacks the raw energy present in Sacred Harp sings, it gives the listener a good idea of how the different parts sound (sometimes the older rural recordings just sound like caterwauling), without being extremely formal. The album also has a couple renditions of shape note classics in 2 and 4 person arrangements, rather than the larger group. All in all, this album is worthwhile, especially if you're just discovering Shape note singing and would like a good, comprehensive introduction.

The Shaped Note Singing is TOO Polished.......2004-02-04

I was first introduced to shaped note or sacred harp music by listening to the music in the movie Cold Mountain. "I'm going home" recorded at the Liberty Church in Alababma is an extremely powerful song. I immediately bought Southern Journey, Vol 9 & 10- sacred harp music recored by Alan Lomax in 1959. Its almost too crude to enjoy with a lot of people singing off key but there are some really good songs on them too. I also bought "In Sweetest Union" recorded in 1999 again at the Liberty Church. THAT is a great album that has real church-goin singers, mostly on key, singing with all of their hearts. That is what is missing from Rivers of Delight. No one is off key and I just don't hear the heart that makes sacred harp music so powerful.

Lovely and Haunting.......2004-01-08

Words cannot explain the power of this recording. There is something beautiful about shapenote singing, yet it is also a little eerie and unsettling in its deliberate atonality. If you look at the tombstones in any historic cemetery and see how lovely the old carvings are on them - how they are works of art in themselves - you will appreciate that there can be beauty in the most simple of earthly things. That, to me, defines shapenote singing - it is beautiful like old tombstones are beautiful. However talented the singers, shapenote singing should never lose touch with its earthiness. It should be heavenly and yet tied to mortality. The Word of Mouth Chorus are wonderfully talented and polished, yet they sing with an emotionality and spirit that sets this recording apart from so many others. I have several shape note CDs in my collection. All of the others are either too professional, belying shapenote's roots, or too rustic. If you only buy one CD of shapenote music, it should be this one. To this day, the hairs stand up on the back of my neck every time I hear "Windham" - and that is how it should be.

Shape-note perfection.......2002-07-30

The Word of Mouth Chorus, from Vermont, started out as a "normal" choir, doing standard church choir repertoire. They started singing "shape-note" music shortly after their founding, but the performances sounded like a normal church choir. A few years later, some of the choir members were inroduced to the "real McCoy" at a singing convention in Georgia. The "performance practice", for lack of a better term, of the folks in Georgia had a profound effect on them.

The result was that they completely rethought and relearned how to perform this music. They don't sound like a normal church choir here; they sound raucous and untutored, with loud nasal voices sticking out of a group of other loud, raucous voices. The effect is exhilerating; the drive and energy are like nothing you've ever heard. Other recordings of the shape note music of the Sacred Harp tradition of the American South take the brash rough edges off the tone. Not here -- you get the real deal; raw, edgy, unabashed, and a lot of fun.

Wade In The Water, Vol.1:African American Spirituals:The Concert Tradition
Average customer rating:

Beyond the Jordan

African American Spirituals: The Concert Tradition

Better than I expected (from collegiate selections)

Excellent!

Quality recording but not true to form.

Wade In The Water, Vol.1:African American Spirituals:The Concert Tradition
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Smithsonian Folkways
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Wade In The Water, Vol. 2: African American Congregational Singing

Go Down, Moses

In Bright Mansions

Steal Away - Songs of the Underground Railroad

Afro-American Spirituals, Work Songs, And Ballads

ASIN: B000001DJE
Release Date: 1994-05-01

Tracks:

There Is a Balm in Gilead - The Florida A & M University Concert Choir
We Shall Walk through the Valley in Peace - The Princely Players
Roll, Jordan, Roll - The Princely Players
I've Been Buked and I've Been Scorned - The Florida A & M University
Swing Low, Sweet Chariot - The Princely Players
Joshua Fit de Battle - The Fisk Jubilee Singers
Wade in the Water - The Fisk Jubilee Singers
Deep River - The Howard University Chamber Choir
Listen to the Lambs - The Howard University Chamber Choir
Everytime I Feel the Spirit - The Florida A & M University Concert Choir
Oh Freedom- The Princely Players
Gospel Train - The Princely Players
I'm a-Rolling through an Unfriendly World - The Princely Players
Sometimes I Feel like a Motherless Child - Kehembe Eichelberger
Steal Away - The Princely Players
Go in the Wilderness - The Princely Players
Ezekiel Saw the Wheel - The Florida A & M University Concert Choir
Ain't Got Time to Die - The Howard University Chamber Choir
Wade in the Water - The Howard University Chamber Choir

Album Description

Combining African and European performance styles, spirituals have served to steady and exalt African Americans and enrich the wider society as well. Features The Florida A&M Concert Choir, The Howard Universtiy Chamber Choir, and The Fisk Jubilee Singers. 65 minutes.

Customer Reviews:

Beyond the Jordan.......2006-01-04

This collection beautifully and powerfully captures the experiential essence of the African American Spirituals. They are sung just as they were composed--with spontaneous power, group harmony, and personal authenticity.

Reviewer: Bob Kellemen, Ph.D., is the author of "Beyond the Suffering: Embracing the Legacy of African American Soul Care and Spiritual Direction," "Soul Physicians," "Spiritual Friends," and the forthcoming "Sacred Friendships: Listening to the Voices of Women Soul Care-Givers and Spiritual Directors."

African American Spirituals: The Concert Tradition.......2005-08-13

This is an excellent presentation of glorious music which helped to save the sanity and physical being of slaves.

Better than I expected (from collegiate selections).......2004-01-22

I listen to the last two songs (Ain't Got Time to Die & Wade in the Water) over and over and over again. Selections 5, 7, 10, 16, and 17 are great for sing-along. Seven more still have appeal. 14 of 19 - a better than average CD!

Excellent!.......2002-01-24

Spirituals as presented in the concert tradition, such as were performed by the Jubilee Singers after the Civil War. As such, they are not intended to sound like "field recordings" (as one reviewer here had apparantly expected) but rather, polished concert performances. The documentation (liner notes, bibliography, etc) is outstanding...one could teach a workshop just using the CD and notes.

If you're seeking a field recording sound, I suggest "I Believe in Angels Singing: Songs from the Underground Railroad Era (Cassette)
Order from Highlander Center 1959 Highlander Way
New Market, TN 37820 Tel: (423) 933-3443

Quality recording but not true to form........2000-12-28

This is a nice recording and it is well done. The quality of the music is very good but I was disappointed. All of the pieces are performed by choirs and as such are not true to the spiritual in its purest form. These are songs intended to be sung by people that are weary and heavy laden looking for rest. These are very personal songs which should be sung from the heart by a single voice. If not a single voice, a small group. If you are looking for spirituals sung by a large choir in a tightly controlled environment, this is for you. If you are looking for songs which are sung from the heart and soul, this is not it.

Average customer rating:

5 Stars Is Not Enough
The Borders of Heaven
Dances with Wolves
Beautiful Renditions of Traditional American Songs
Connie's renditions set a standard which is hard to match.

The Border of Heaven
Connie Dover
Manufacturer: Taylor Park
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Celtic Folk | Traditional British & Celtic Folk | Folk | Styles | Music

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If Ever I Return
Wishing Well
Somebody
Daughter Of Lir
Heart Of The Celts: Songs Of Love

ASIN: B00004SUM0
Release Date: 2000-03-28

Tracks:

The Blessing
Sweet Betsy From Pike
I Am Going To The West
The Streets Of Laredo (The Sailor Cut Down In His Prime)
Lord Franklin
An Spailpin Fanach
Last Night By The River
The Water Is Wide
Wondrous Love
Winter's Night
My Dearest Dear
Brother Green

Customer Reviews:

5 Stars Is Not Enough.......2005-11-15

I have exposed a number of people to Connie Dover, young and old, and have yet to find anyone who doesn't immediately fall in love with her. Let's put it in a nutshell: If you listen to Connie and don't become instantly hooked, by all means have your head examined!
However if I have already conviced you and you want to know which of her titles to purchase, sorry, I can't recommend just one. Stick a crowbar in your wallet and get all 4! It will be the best $60+/- you've ever spent. Now stop reading these reviews and place your order!

The Borders of Heaven.......2005-08-12

Connie Dover's latest, "The Borders of Heaven", is an apt this for this CD. Her vocals are crisp and clear as ever.
The accompanying musicians are the cream of the crop. They include Phil Cunningham and John Hartford. It's another production triumph for Phil Cunningham. All in all a beautiful set of tunes.
I have all of Connie's recordings and I believe that this is the best to date.

Dances with Wolves.......2004-11-30

This is a great CD, I love Connie Dover, and anything she sings is always beautiful. I am writing this particular review for any of those folks who are looking for the name of the song (or the song itself) that Kevin Costner sings in the wonderful movie Dances with Wolves. Connie actually sings this old folk song here, it is track #10, "Winter's Night". Why it is called that is beyond me, but there ya go. Song titles....go figure. Connie sings many wonderful old folk songs on this CD, but she makes them her own, and that is her talent. This is a great CD. Period.

Beautiful Renditions of Traditional American Songs.......2004-06-26

It's hard not to fall in love with Connie Dover, who looks and sings like an angel. She has cited Steeleye Span and its lead singer, Maddy Pryor, as an early influence. That makes sense, because she is perhaps the purest soprano folk singer I have heard since Maddy Pryor. Before I acquired this CD, my only exposure to Ms. Dover was several songs here and there on various Celtic music collections, but on each and every one, her voice always stopped me in my tracks. So when I saw this collection of early American folk tunes (and the songs that inspired them), I thought it was a bit of a departure for her. But these arrangements strikingly emphasize the Scots-Irish influence on American folk music. Even old chestnuts like "Sweet Betsy from Pike" and "Streets of Laredo" can be heard in a new light. Ms. Dover gets expert assistance, too, from familiar names like Phil Cunningham (who also produced), Jerry Douglas and John Hartford. This is an impressive effort from one of the most beautiful voices in traditional music.

Connie's renditions set a standard which is hard to match........2002-05-25

'The Border of Heaven' is aptly named, for many of the songs on this - Connie Dover's fourth solo CD - have a dreamy, angelic feel to them. Of course there are more upbeat numbers too, but then that is typical of this singer's records - a bold but effective mix of gentle Celtic ballads, 18th and 19th century American folk songs, a spiritual piece or two, and a smattering of Connie Dover's own compositions, which on this CD include the intriguingly original 'Last Night by the River', complete with the sound of an eagle wing-bone whistle!

As is usual with this artist, all the songs are very very good. Several of the tracks may be familiar to lovers of traditional music, but Connie Dover's versions invariably set a standard which is hard to match. Her rendition of the sad but true story of 'LORD FRANKLIN' and his ill-fated crew of adventurers is simply the best I have heard. 'THE WATER IS WIDE' is also performed beautifully. And as for 'THE SAILOR CUT DOWN IN HIS PRIME', I think Connie's version of this familiar melody is perfection itself, although the style in which guest artist Skip Gorman sings the companion piece 'The Streets of Laredo', is not to my own personal taste. The up-tempo songs include the jolly 'SWEET BETSY FROM PIKE' and 'WINTERS NIGHT', whilst 'I AM GOING TO THE WEST' is another of Connie Dover's own compositions - and yet it sounds just as 'traditional', and every bit as good, as the old, tried and tested standards. The spiritual song on this CD is the hymn 'WONDROUS LOVE' - wondrous indeed! The CD closes with two more lovely tracks, the achingly sentimental 'MY DEAREST DEAR', and finally 'BROTHER GREEN', a melody, not so much from the border, as from the very heart, of Heaven.

The standard of this artist has been well maintained in this, her most recent CD to date - happily Connie Dover is seemingly still singing, and writing, the most charming of songs. Less happily, Connie Dover CDs seem to come out rather sparsely, at three year intervals - so here's hoping we don't have to wait yet another three years for the next one. It pains me to say this as a Brit living in the land where so much of Connie's inspiration comes from, but there's nobody better in the world at singing this kind of material than this American. Certainly nobody I know of in my country. And there's still a huge wealth of beautiful material out there just awaiting her attention; so come on Connie - get recording again! In the meantime, just enjoy this, her latest contribution to the world of tradional folk. She is, as I say, the best in the business.

The Tradition Years: I Wonder as I Wander
Average customer rating:

The Voice

Essential folk artist

Oh, Very, Very Good

true American folk original

The Tradition Years: I Wonder as I Wander
John Jacob Niles
Manufacturer: Empire Musicwerks
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Tradition Years: An Evening with John Jacob Niles

My Precarious Life in the Public Domain

The Essential Odetta

Tradition Masters

Sings Ballads and Blues

ASIN: B000CCBC58
Release Date: 2006-01-10

Tracks:

Waken, Little Sheperd
Jesus, Jesus, Rest Your Head
Frog Went A-Courtin'
Little Mohee
The Sea Witch
The Irish Girl
Go 'Way From My Window
In That Lovely Far-Off City
Look Down That Lonesome Road
I Wonder As I Wander
When Jesus Lived In Galilee
Lulle Lullay
Black Is The Color Of My True Love's Hair
Venezuela
I Had A Cat
The Lass From The Low Country
John Henry
I'm Goin' Away

Customer Reviews:

The Voice .......2007-02-08

I got involved with JJ Niles by watching Scorseses Movie about Bob Dylan.
Dylan himself got influenced by Niles and his aproach to folk music.So I
bought this Disc without hesitation.First of all it is music for listeners which haven't lost their abiltiy for music so deep and rich,as it can be.Niles's voice is like this of an angel.But be warned there is no music to dance or snap or listen while driving on the highway.Take your time and get moved forever.Highly Recommended.

Essential folk artist.......2007-02-01

John Jacob Niles, "The Dean Of American Balladeers," influenced many who came after him. He was both a musical preservationist and one of the most unique performers of all time. During the 1920s, Niles collected and published Appalachian mountain songs such as "Barbara Allen" and "Pretty Polly." He also wrote "I Wonder As I Wander" and "Black Is The Color Of My True Love's Hair." "Go Way From My Window" was penned by him at age 16, yet Niles never performed it until 22 years later. These three compositions are some of the many highlights on: THE TRADITION YEARS * I WONDER AS I WANDER.

Around 1960, John Niles performed on NBC's TODAY Show-- I saw him that morning. Although a very little child, this man's lovely counter-tenor voice and unusual dulcimer really registered with me. About a decade later, I found a scratchy LP copy of this very same album in a thrift shop and it immediately became a favorite.

This high quality CD reissue brings back memories and is a joy to listen to. Recommended for all lovers of traditional folk music.

Oh, Very, Very Good.......2006-03-10

I am so happy to see this reissued. I had a two record collection by Niles on vinyl but lost it over the years. Now so great to hear him sing again. I'm hoping someone will release his ballads in one set so I can once again enjoy his rendition of these great songs. The reviewer who described his voice as "fallen angel" was oh, so right.

true American folk original.......2006-03-05

Rare American folk connoisseurs rejoice! Finally re-issued on CD are the long awaited Tradition label recordings of John Jacob Niles. If you saw the recent Dylan documentary by Martin Scorsese, you won't forget the clip of Niles singing Go Away From My Window. This is a CD of Carols and Love Songs recorded in 1957 (Rev-Ola will be re-issuing My Life in the Public Domain, ballads culled from older 78 rpm recordings later this month, which we'll list when we get it).

Niles, old beyond his years, accompanied by handmade dulcimer, had an intense other-worldly fallen angel like voice that perfectly captures the hauntingly lonely and creepy hill country feel where the bulk of his catalog of songs originated. Niles, like Jean Ritchie, was a folk musicologist and performer from Kentucky who spent his time wandering through isolated American mountain communities collecting folk songs, or scraps of melodies and lyrics, embellishing them with his own inventive arrangements and often fleshing them out by writing additional verses. For example, his version of "Black Is the Colour of My True Love's Hair" has become the definitive arrangement for all versions following (from Nina Simone to Patty Waters), because while he loved the verse he disliked the original tune. This is why folk historians have had a famously difficult time classifying which songs in Niles repertoire are originals or reinventions of songs in the public domain. Some people may be turned off by Niles high-alto voice (At times he can look and sound like the evil preacher man in Poltergeist II), but don't let that hinder you from exploring the work of a true American folk original whose recordings have finally been made available to folks who cannot afford the hundreds of dollars his albums go for on eBay. Fans of Devendra Banhart, Joanna Newsom, and Anthony & the Johnsons take note!

Anthology of American Folk Songs: Tradition Years

Average customer rating:

the real deal.
What a nice discovery!

Anthology of American Folk Songs: Tradition Years
Barbara Dane
Manufacturer: Empire Musicwerks
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Sometimes I Believe She Loves Me
Barbara Dane & the Chambers Brothers
Classic Scots Ballads: Tradition Years

ASIN: B000FCUYBI
Release Date: 2006-05-09

Tracks:

When I Was A Young Girl
Little Maggie
Nine Hundred Miles
Turkey Reveille
Who's Gonna Shoe Your Pretty Little Foot
Ramblin'
Girl Of Constant Sorrow
Gypsy Davy
Single Girl
I Know Where I'm Going
The Danville Girl
Stung Right
Greensleeves
La Le Too Dum
Don't Sing Love Songs

Album Description

When Barbara Dane first burst upon the scene in the late fifties, she was described as "a voice as rare as a twenty carat diamond" by Time Magazine, and "Bessie Smith in stereo" by the late, great music historian Leonard Feather. Blues writer Lee Hildebrand calls her "perhaps the finest living interpreter of the classic blues of the 20's" and Louis Armstrong invited her to appear with him on national television. Primarily known as a blues singer, TRADITION issued her only pure folk LP entitled "When I Was A Young Girl" in 1959. The LP garnered considerable attention and led to a seven page article in Ebony magazine that same year - the first feature story about a white woman (Nov. 1959) to grace the magazine. Artists from Janis Joplin to Tracy Chapman have cited Barbara as a main influence. This classic Tradition recording features liner notes written by the grand diva herself and is finally available again on CD.

Customer Reviews:

the real deal........2007-04-13

you could look at the cover of this album, see a white woman with blonde hair and an acoustic guitar, and think, "from 1959, huh? this has a high probablity of being hokey." you could think that. but i want to chase such thoughts from your mind. this is the real deal. powerful, down to earth folk music, sung by a woman with an amazing voice that's rich in tone and full of confidence. tom paley, from the new lost city ramblers, is the lone accompaniment here, playing acoustic guitar on all but two tracks ("little maggie" and "the danville girl" are decorated by wonderful banjo work from mr paley). these are stark and beautifully done recordings. "greensleeves," in particular, is rendered here in a glorious heartfelt performance. anyone with an interest in folk music should pick up a copy of this fantastic recording from 1959.

What a nice discovery!.......2007-01-21

Sometimes one person's tragedy is another's good fortune. Don't know if any of you scored any good deals from Tower Records sad going out of business sale, but we were surprised at some of the finds still available on the second to last day. Of course the Rock and the Hip Hop sections were long plundered, but if you ventured into the Folk, World, and 20th century composer section, you could still find a $35 import for just 4 bucks of some obscure koto avant-jazz or take a chance on an old folkie that we had never heard of which is the case with this gem.

Who is Barbara Dane? Well we thought she would be some songbird like Carolyn Hester or Texas Gladden, but Dane's voice is truly a force to be reckoned with, not a collegiate howler, like Judy Henske or Dorris Henderson but husky, low and tainted with regret. Here on her first recording on the Tradition label (home of John Jacob Niles) she delivers some of the loneliest sounding interpretations of songs from the folk cannon including the Carter Family's "Single Girl", "Girl of Constant Sorrow", and Woody Gutherie's "Ramblin'". Moonshinin', the painful bedevilment of men and standing tall on one's own are consistent themes in these songs, accompanied by guitar and banjo. Dane, who is still alive and still singing is now known for being more of a Blues singer, but she entered that particular world through these amazing folk interpretations. What a nice discovery! Fans of John Jacob Niles, Cat Power, and Karen Dalton will find lots to love here. Since not everybody was as lucky as one of us happened to be to find this at the Tower sale, we thought we'd order 'em in -- even at full price, it's well worth it!!

Barbershop's Best! The New Generation of a Great American Tradition

Average customer rating:

Good Quality Acapella Music
It has its uses
Truly the best of the best
Great Mix of Great songs by Great Quartets

Barbershop's Best! The New Generation of a Great American Tradition
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Primarily Acapella
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Old Mill Stream: The 1991 Top Twenty Barbershop Quartets
Coney Island Baby
Best of Barbershop
Barbershop Harmony Time
Hallmark of Harmony

ASIN: B00004UAT7
Release Date: 2000-08-29

Tracks:

This Is the Moment - Acoustix
Caroline
Foggy Day
Long Ago (And Far Away)
Sentimental Gentleman from Georgia
Royal Garden Blues
When October Goes
Jungle Book
Five-Oh-Two, Where Are You
Jeepers Creepers
What'll I Do
I Got a Gal in Kalamazoo
Feels Like Home
Eine Kleine Not Music
I Will Never Pass This Way Again
Excerpts from "Rhapsody in Blue" - Ambiance

Customer Reviews:

Good Quality Acapella Music.......2007-01-10

Music has nice variety of conventional barbershop and entertaining acapella music, mixed male and female groups. Overall a good buy and I'm pleased with the purchase.

It has its uses.......2001-09-28

If you're new to Barbershop, this is a decent intro. You get some good tunes by some good groups, including the gals (a few Sweet Adeline groups).

If you're already into Barbershop, you'll probably be disappointed. The mix is too eclectic; there are too many so-so cuts; and on top of it, the production of the CD is suspect (a couple of the tracks are so close together you barely have time to breath).

A well-chosen half-dozen CDs, each done by a different group, would be a better way to start a Barbershop collection. Too bad Amazon doesn't carry much of this stuff....

Truly the best of the best.......2001-09-22

I am a barbershopper, and I know several of the performers on this CD, and I just can't get enough of it! These artists are true masters of barbershop style. They are what I aspire to be! No one yet that I have played this for has not gotten shivers when Ambiance sings the "Rhapsody of New York". Even my five year old daughter (also an aspiring barbershopper) said "Wow, Mommy!" This also a great CD for those not familiar with female barbershoppers (Sweet Adelines). Check out "Jeepers Creepers" by Rumors for a song you'll be singing for days! I have gotten copies for nearly all my family and friends, and you will want to do the same!

Great Mix of Great songs by Great Quartets.......2000-11-07

If you're new to the barbershop style of a cappella singing, this is the perfect way to be introduced. This compilation has wide variety of songs performed by some of the best groups in the Barbershop Society's 60+ year history. It demonstrates how much amazing music can be created by four people without the aid of a single instrument. It's a must have for any fan of a cappella music!

The Tradition Years: An Evening with John Jacob Niles

Average customer rating:

looked for a long time...
From Another Sweet World

The Tradition Years: An Evening with John Jacob Niles
John Jacob Niles
Manufacturer: Empire Musicwerks
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Folk | Styles | Music

Traditional Folk | Folk | Styles | Music

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The Tradition Years: I Wonder as I Wander
My Precarious Life in the Public Domain
The Essential Odetta
Classic Scots Ballads: Tradition Years
The Ballads

ASIN: B000FDEUPS
Release Date: 2006-05-23

Tracks:

The Carol Of The Birds
Jack ODiamonds
The Turtle Dove
Im In The Notion Now
Sing We The Virgin Mary
Lulle Lullay
The Black Dress
The Cuckoo
O Waly, O Waly
When I Gets Up Into Heaven
The Frog In The Spring
The Seven Joys Of Mary
The Roving Gambler
You Got To Cross That Lonesome Valley

Album Description

As seen in the recent Martin Scorcese directed Bob Dylan documentary "No Direction Home", John Jacob Niles was a major influence and key progenitor of the 1950's folk resurgence in America. Historian, musicologist, performance artist - Niles was one of the first American folk artists to take traditional material and completely make it his own, years before a young Bob Dylan started channeling Woody Guthrie. Today the late, great John Jacob Niles is admired by a new generation of folk enthusiasts and will no doubt inspire generations to come. "An Evening With John Jacob Niles" was originally released in 1959 and was Niles second album for the Tradition label. Our first Niles release, "I Wonder As I Wander" has received numerous accolades from the music press and the many folk enthusiasts who purchased the CD. Like our previous Niles release, to the delight of folk fans everywhere, "An Evening With" appears for the first time on CD.

Customer Reviews:

looked for a long time..........2007-01-21

a number of years ago a taped a track from KDVS and the announcer noted the artist, John Jacob Niles. I did not know the name of the track. After many years, and facilitated by the Internet, i finally found the Carol of the Birds. This search is now over and I am glad I found this!

From Another Sweet World.......2006-09-22

If the Scorcesee documentary did nothing else(and it did!)than unlock the vaults on Niles, it would have been satisfying. However, we have now more than ample offerings from this exquisite genius of the Folk idiom. He was no lad when these recordings were made but the voice is the thing to savour here, apart from the idiosyncratic flavour he brings to several well know songs. Surely, if Bob found him inspirational, Tim Buckley and Hamilton Camp would also have accessed Niles giddy tenor soprano as it soars almost unbelievably out of range. The other, almost forgotten link in this chain to the 1960s is Berl Ives, who was along with Pete Seeger & The Kingston Trio, the only thing that even hinted at 'folk' on my end of the radio.And let's not forget the cat-cutted howling of the inimitable Tiny Tim, whose Xmas carol interpretations bled through the airwaves, again, this festive seaon.Thanks to Tradition Records and John Juniors son for making this material available. And to that bowerbird affiacando of Folk Blues, Mr Martin S.

Last Forever: New and Old Songs out of the American Tradition

Average customer rating:

Great "Chamber Folk" CD
Make It Stop! It Feels Like It's Going To Last Forever!
Effervescent Folk
When it's good, it's good, but...
Stirring, simple, complex

Last Forever: New and Old Songs out of the American Tradition
Sonya Cohen
Manufacturer: Nonesuch
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Folk | Styles | Music

Traditional Folk | Folk | Styles | Music
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Trainfare Home

ASIN: B000005J4M
Release Date: 1997-06-24

Tracks:

The Prodigal's Return
Jeanine's Dream
Hide And Seek
Nursery Rhyme
In The Pines
Dillard Chandler
Wonder Of The World
Ain't Going Down To The Well No More/Poor Lazarus
Indian War Whoop
Wild Goose
Who'll Water My Flowers?
The Nightingale's Song

Amazon.com

Composer Dick Connette's conceptual vision stands at a crossroads between composed "serious" music and the wide horizons of American folk music. His subtitle, "New and Old Songs Out of the American Tradition," only partly describes their mysterious power, as Connette deconstructs and recombines elements of pre-industrial folk with subtle but inescapable post-atomic perceptions. His primary collaborator, vocalist Sonya Cohen, has a genetic claim to this humble miracle. Daughter of '60s folk warrior John Cohen, on a bloodline connecting her to the Seeger family, she sounds earthy, serene, unsentimentally connected to the moment yet always authentic as she interprets Connette's canny fusion of beautifully arranged vocal and instrumental evocations of Americana. From a chilling, brilliant new version of the stark "In the Pines" to Connette's masterful juxtaposition of deep holler and Bo Diddley on "Nursery Rhyme," Last Forever unreels vivid portraits of America's oldest soul music through settings that combine spinet, harmonium, hammer dulcimer, violin, guitar, banjo, and orchestration to haunting effect. Call it chamber folk if you must, but Last Forever transcends category. --Sam Sutherland

Customer Reviews:

Great "Chamber Folk" CD.......2006-11-13

Wonderful CD. Mergers violins, clavinet and the wonderful voice of Sonya Cohen with interesting lyrics and enjoyable arrangments. Not for someone looking to 'rock out', but great for a quiet, thoughtful time.

Make It Stop! It Feels Like It's Going To Last Forever!.......2006-02-12

Committing suicide may be thought of as the ultimate piece of performance art, and, as such, calls for fastidious attention to appropriately theatrical detail. Place, time of year, wardrobe are all important, and music should not be overlooked. If you're considering this most significant of all human options, you couldn't find a better soundtrack for it than this CD. Make sure to leave your player in the "repeat" mode to ensure that the people who find you absorb the full impact. When they hear what you've been listening to, they'll fully understand the depth of your despair and conclude that, at least in your case, it's probably better this way. The thought of music like this Lasting Forever would cause Mary Poppins to speculate that perhaps, all things considered, maybe life really is a bit longer than it needs to be.

Effervescent Folk.......2005-09-04

An amazing production of folk music by Dick and Sonya. I heard selections from this album a few years back and was left wanting more, desperately. What a lovely voice, Sonya Cohen.

When it's good, it's good, but..........2002-03-07

...unfortunately, most of the songs are kind of run-of-the-mill and hard to endure. That much said, it has a beautiful rendition of "In the Pines" that's a must-listen.

Stirring, simple, complex.......2001-01-31

The melodies of this album, the tones and voice of the vocalist, the strange simple lyrics from a time and place far away... haunting is the word that comes first to mind, but only in that the songs stay with you, seem to resonate with a recessive musical gene that America harbors but has almost forgotten. This is my favorite of the Last Forever albums, but perhaps because I heard it first. If you haven't given Dick & Sonya's sounds multiple listens, I suggest you give it a try.

Average customer rating:

Great cd from out of nowhere
Rolling Stone review
Kate's BEST!.....so far!
Beautiful Road - A timeless addition to any collection
Kate Taylor Flies Down A "Beautiful Road"

Beautiful Road

Manufacturer: Front Door Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

Folk Rock | Folk | Indie Music | Stores | Music
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Another Run Around the Sun
Apt #6S
Kate Taylor Live at The Cutting Room
Famous Among the Barns
There You Are Again

ASIN: B00006HMP6
Release Date: 2002-07-19

Tracks:

I Will Fly
Beautiful Road
Blue Tin Suitcase
The Golden Key
Rain on the Water
Flying in the Face of Mr. Blue
Shanty Song
He's Waiting
Shores of Paradise
Auld Lang Syne

Album Description

For the last thirty years, the Taylor family has woven their unique blend of pop, folk, and American roots music into the fabric of our collective musical consciousness. Kate Taylor continues that tradition with the release of her highly anticipated album, Beautiful Road. Combining influences from R&B, Appalachia and soul, Kate's album is a truly unique and accomplished collection.

Customer Reviews:

Great cd from out of nowhere .......2005-02-01

Thank you Rolling Stone for your review of "Beautiful Road". I wouldn't have come across this gem if I hadn't read the review buried in the back of the magazine. (3 stars is too low, though).

"I Will Fly" and "Beautiful Road" are 2 of the most beautiful folk-rock songs I have ever heard. In between, there are traces of Creedence, a little of Emmy Lou, with a great ecletic mix of folk, rock-abilly, and country. It's always a pleasure to hear brother James harmonize on any album, and the harmonizing is especially poignant on this one. If you're a fan of acoustic music with thoughtful lyrics and a nice blending of folk, country, rock, and rock-abilly you will enjoy this cd. This cd is an unexpected pleasure that seem to come from nowhere.(the cd came out in 2002 so why is Rolling Stone reviewing it just now ?).

Rolling Stone review.......2005-01-17

THIS REVIEW APPEARS IN THE JANUARY 27th ISSUE OF
ON NEWSSTANDS THIS FRIDAY JANUARY 14th
BEAUTIFUL ROAD *** 3 STARS

Lost and found: A heartfelt folk-rock gem from James Taylor's sister

An overlooked gem that was originally released in 2002, Kate Taylor's
first full-length since 1979 has a handcrafted aura and a bittersweet
back story. Beautiful Road was co-produced and largely written by
Taylor's husband, Charlie Witham, who took ill during its making and
died shortly after. Yet
Taylor projects spiritual resilience on ultimately uplifting songs such
as the chiming, heavily allusive title track: the folk-gospel lament, "I
Will Fly" (on which she's joined by her famous brother, James); and
Randall Bramblett's redemptive anthem "Flying in the Face of Mr. Blue."
She's aided throughout by a talented cast, including bassist and
co-producer Tony Garnier (from Bob Dylan's band), Levon Helm, Chuck
Leavell and Mavis Staples, whose participation tacitly attests to the
healing power of community.

Key Track "I Will Fly"

its great to have Rolling Stone acknowledge this GREAT CD two years after its release--it IS that good!

Kate's BEST!.....so far!.......2003-12-14

I have loved Kate's music since the LP (and I'm lucky to own it on CD!) 'SISTER KATE'.
Her voice has always communicated a soulful, wise 'git down' passion!--
Kate's singing makes me move!
BEAUTIFUL ROAD is her most personal, her most passionate, and her best to date, IMHO.
The title song ranks in my ALL TIME top 10 songs EVER!
Her late husband, Charles Whitham, wrote most of the songs and produced the CD with Tony Garnier.
This collection differs from her first 3 in that Kate seems to set this collection to thematic musical genre.
Problem is, I'm still trying to define it!

....country-rock....folk-rolk....bluegrass-rock....soul-rock.
I give up. It must be all 4!

But it don't matter!---get ye some KT 'BEAUTIFUL ROAD'!

Beautiful Road - A timeless addition to any collection.......2003-12-10

Kate's tremendous talent and warmth set this album above and beyond any album I've personally purchased in the last two years. Kate's voice is so true and familiar, especially on songs like Beautiful Road and I Will Fly, it's as if she were sitting in your living room with a cup of tea and her guitar, rather than her voice emanating from the stereo speakers.

And when she decides to rock out, well I don't know how well that awesome band would fit in my living room, but it still has that personal touch just the same. It's still that warm and friendly Kate, but it seems she ditches the hot tea for a good cold beer on songs like Blue Tin Suitcase and Rain on the Water, deftly demonstrating yet another facet of her multi-dimensional talent.

This album has music on it to satisfy every mood. It is a quintessential collection of top-flight performances by Kate, her band, and her distinguished list of guest musicians. If I had to whittle my collection down to five cds (knocking on wood that I never have to), this would be one of them. Thank you, Kate, for such a truly classic contribution.

Kate Taylor Flies Down A "Beautiful Road".......2003-12-10

Okay music fans of traditional American music, here's your chance to get a chocolate box filled with musical treats - the kind American musicians do best... folk, blues, country, honky tonk. A Gospel duet with Mavis Staples!! It's all here, a rich slice of Music Americana, and all brought beautifully to the first full disc of music by Kate Taylor in many a year. You can't lose with this Cd, from the sweet lament of the opening duet with brother James on "I Will Fly", through the stunningly moving title song "Beautiful Road", and on past marvelous songs of life and love on Martha's Vineyard composed by her husband, Charlie Whitham, ending with yet another beautifully moving duet by Kate and James on "Auld Lang Syne"... this collection of traditional-like music has it all. It's a rich work, produced with a light and moving touch. Kate Taylor's "Beautiful Road" is a clear reflection of an artist and singer who is once again moving forward on up her own musical road of experience and if you listen and ride along, you will deeply enjoy and be moved by the ride... (though you probably still won't figure out what is inside the "Blue Tin Suitcase", track three). Highly recommended!!!

Average customer rating:

American Tradition
Chuck Wagon Gang
Manufacturer: Mca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Country | Styles | Music

General | Traditional Country | Country | Styles | Music

Country Gospel | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music

General | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music

Gospel | Christian & Gospel | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000008EAM
Release Date: 1994-08-30

Tracks:

Keep the Fire Burning
To Christ Be True
Tattlers Wagon
Homecoming
Bring Back the Songs
Sunlight, Sunlight
There Is Sunshine in My Soul
Keep on Keepin' On
Master, the Tempest Is Raging
I Know That My Redeemer Lives
Drifting Along
Sing Me a Going Home Song
Son Hath Made Me Free
Show a Little Bit of Love and Kindness
I'll Be List'ning
He Bore It All
I Know Somebody's Listening
Red, White, Blue and Grey

Music Review:

Music Review

Music Review

1. Keep the Fire Burning
2. To Christ Be True
3. Tattlers Wagon
4. Homecoming
5. Bring Back the Songs
6. Sunlight, Sunlight
7. There Is Sunshine in My Soul
8. Keep on Keepin' On
9. Master, the Tempest Is Raging
10. I Know That My Redeemer Lives
11. Drifting Along
12. Sing Me a Going Home Song
13. Son Hath Made Me Free
14. Show a Little Bit of Love and Kindness
15. I'll Be List'ning
16. He Bore It All
17. I Know Somebody's Listening
18. Red, White, Blue and Grey