Altamont: Black Stringband Music from the Library of Congress captures recordings from two African-American string bands -- the duo of fiddler Frank Patterson and banjoist Nathan Frazier and the John Lusk String Band (featuring fiddler Lusk, banjoist Murph Gribble, and guitarist Albert York). Both groups illustrate that the divisions between country and blues in the early 20th century wasn't necessarily as great as some histories will have us believe. The Lusk trio's recordings date from 1946-1949 and are renditions of ...
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Altamont: Black Stringband Music from the Library of Congress captures recordings from two African-American string bands -- the duo of fiddler Frank Patterson and banjoist Nathan Frazier and the John Lusk String Band (featuring fiddler Lusk, banjoist Murph Gribble, and guitarist Albert York). Both groups illustrate that the divisions between country and blues in the early 20th century wasn't necessarily as great as some histories will have us believe. The Lusk trio's recordings date from 1946-1949 and are renditions of dance songs like "Apple Blossom" and "Across the Sea." The Patterson and Frazier recordings date from 1942, and the material is generally folk standards and original in the same vein, such as "Corrine" and "Po' Black Sheep." Both groups were performing long before they were recorded, and though these tracks were cut after the group's peak, they are still valuable historical documents. ~ Thom Owens, Rovi
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