Various - Historic Sessions The Knoxville Sessions 1929 - 1930, Knox County Stomp (4-CD Deluxe Box Set)

4-CD boxed set (LP-size) with 156-page hardcover book, 102 tracks. Total playing time approx. 300 minutes.

•    With this set, Bear Family Records completes the map of commercial recording in East Tennessee in the late 1920s and early 1930s.
•    ‘The Bristol Sessions, 1927–1928: The Big Bang Of Country Music’ documented epoch-making sessions by Victor Records that launched the careers of Jimmie Rodgers and The Carter Family, while
•    ‘The Johnson City Sessions, 1928–1929: Can You Sing Or Play Old-Time Music?’ focused on Columbia Records’ similar search for early country music talent in Appalachia, sessions that yielded many other seminal recordings.

The Knoxville Sessions, 1929–1930: Knox County Stomp features the music made at two sessions conducted by Brunswick Records at downtown St. James Hotel—music remarkable both for its variety and for the rarity of the records that preserved it.

Whereas the recordings made in Bristol and Johnson City were almost exclusively of old-time country and gospel music, the Knoxville sessions captured a more diverse gathering of Appalachian voices and sounds. Amidst old-time stringbands like the Tennessee Ramblers, the Southern Moonlight Entertainers, and the Smoky Mountain Ramblers, we also hear the majestic African American blues and gospel singer Leola Manning, the hot dance music of Maynard Baird & His Southern Serenaders, the virtuoso string ragtime of Howard Armstrong and the Tennessee Chocolate Drops, sacred songs by white and African American quartettes, songsters such as Will Bennett and Haskell Wolfenbarger, a unique recorded playlet about the Hatfield–McCoy feud—and even an address by the businessman whose enterprise brought Brunswick Records to Knoxville, Colonel J. G. Sterchi, president of the famous Sterchi Bros. furniture store chain.

The Knoxville Sessions, 1929–1930: Knox County Stomp gathers together, for the first time, all the issued recordings made at the St. James Hotel, remastered from the original 78s—some of them so elusive that only single copies are known to exist. These 102 fascinating performances, on four CDs, are accompanied by a 156-page, LP-sized hardcover book containing essays on the history of Knoxville, the background to the sessions, and the individual artists, much of the material based on new research. The book is also filled with scores of rare photographs, many previously unpublished, as well as complete song lyrics and a detailed discography with 250 illustrations.

also available:

The Bristol Sessions, 1927-1928 - The Big Bang of Country Music
5-CD boxed set (LP-size) with 120-page hardcover book
BCD 16094
CD 1:
ERNEST V. STONEMAN–E. KAHLE BREWER–WALTER MOONEY: The Dying Girl's Farewell - Tell Mother I Will Meet Her ERNEST V. STONEMAN-MISS IRMA FROST-UNCLE ECK DUNFORD: The Mountaineer's Courtship ERNEST V. STONEMAN-MISS IRMA FROST: Midnight On The Stormy Deep ERNEST V. STONEMAN & HIS DIXIE MOUNTAINEERS: Sweeping Through The Gates - I Know My Name Is There - Are You Washed In The Blood? - No More Good-Byes - The Resurrection (takes 1 & 2) - I Am Resolved (takes 1 & 2) ERNEST PHIPPS AND HIS HOLINESS QUARTET: I Want To Go Where Jesus Is - Do, Lord, Remember Me - Old Ship Of Zion - Jesus Getting Us Ready For That Great Day - Happy In Prison - Don't Grieve After Me UNCLE ECK DUNFORD–HATTIE STONEMAN: What Will I Do, For My Money's All Gone UNCLE ECK DUNFORD: The Whip-poor-will's Song - Skip To Ma Lou, My Darling UNCLE ECK DUNFORD–ERNEST STONEMAN: Barney McCoy BLUE RIDGE CORN SHUCKERS
Old Time Corn Shuckin’, Parts 1 & 2
CD 2:
JOHNSON BROTHERS: The Jealous Sweetheart (takes 1 & 2) - A Passing Policeman - Just A Message From Carolina - BLIND ALFRED REED: The Wreck Of the Virginian (take 1 & 2) - I Mean To Live For Jesus - You Must Unload - Walking in the Way With Jesus (take 1 &2) JOHNSON BROTHERS WITH TENNESSEE WILDCATS: Two Brothers Are We - The Soldier's Poor Little Boy JOHNSON BROTHERS: I Want to See My Mother (Ten Thousand Miles Away) EL WATSON: Pot Liquor Blues - Narrow Gauge Blues B.F. SHELTON: Cold Penitentiary Blues - Oh Molly Dear - Pretty Polly - Darling Cora ALFRED G. KARNES: Called To The Foreign Field - I Am Bound For The Promised Land - Where We'll Never Grow Old - When They Ring The Golden Bells - To The Work J.P. NESTER: Train On The Island - Black-Eyed Susie BULL MOUNTAIN MOONSHINERS: Johnny Goodwin
CD 3:
THE CARTER FAMILY: Bury Me Under The Weeping Willow - Little Log Cabin By The Sea - The Poor Orphan Child - The Storms Are On The Ocean - Single Girl, Married Girl - The Wandering Boy ALCOA QUARTET: Remember Me, O Mighty One - I'm Redeemed HENRY WHITTER: Henry Whitter's Fox Chase - Rain Crow Bill THE SHELOR FAMILY: Big Bend Gal - Suzanna Gal - Sandy River Belle (takes & 1 & 2) - Billy Grimes, The Rover MR. & MRS. J.W. BAKER: The Newmarket Wreck - On The Banks Of The Sunny Tennessee JIMMIE RODGERS: The Soldier’s Sweetheart - Sleep Baby Sleep TENNEVA RAMBLERS: The Longest Train I Ever Saw - Sweet Heaven When I Die - Miss ’Liza, Poor Gal WEST VIRGINIA COON HUNTERS: Greasy String - Your Blue Eyes Run Me Crazy TENNESSEE MOUNTAINEERS: Standing On The Promises - At The River
CD 4:
SMYTH COUNTY RAMBLERS: My Name Is Ticklish Reuben - Way Down In Alabama ALFRED G. KARNES: Do Not Wait 'Till I'm Laid 'Neath The Clay - The Days Of My Childhood Plays - We Shall All Be Reunited ERNEST PHIPPS AND HIS HOLINESS SINGERS: If The Light Has Gone Out In Your Soul - Went Up In The Clouds Of Heaven - I Know That Jesus Set Me Free - Shine On Me - Bright Tomorrow - A Little Talk With Jesus HOWARD – PEAK (THE BLIND MUSICIANS): I Cannot Be Your Sweetheart - Three Black Sheep CLARENCE GREENE: Good-night Darling - Little Bunch Of Roses THE STONEMAN FAMILY: The Broken-Hearted Lover UNCLE ECK DUNFORD: Angeline, The Baker - Old Shoes And Leggin's THE STONEMAN FAMILY: We Parted By The Riverside ERNEST STONEMAN'S DIXIE MOUNTAINEERS: Down To Jordan And Be Saved - There's A Light Lit Up In Galilee THE STONEMAN FAMILY: Going Up The Mountain After Liquor, Parts 1 & 2 - The Spanish Merchant's Daughter - Too Late
CD 5:
STAMPS QUARTET: I'll Be Happy - Like The Rainbow - Because I Love Him - Come To The Savior - Do Your Best, Then Wear A Smile - We Shall Reach Home SMITH BROTHERS: My Mother Is Waiting For Me In - Heaven Above - She Has Climbed The Golden Stair PALMER SISTERS: We’ll Sing On That Shore - Singing The Story Of Grace - Help Me To Find The Way - He’ll Be With Me TARTER & GAY: Brownie Blues - Unknown Blues CAROLINA TWINS: Where Is My Mamma? - When You Go A’Courtin' - I Sat Upon The River Bank - New Orleans Is The Town I Like Best - She Tells Me That I Am Sweet - Mr. Brown, Here I Come SHORTBUCKLE ROARK & FAMILY: I Truly Understand, You Love Another Man -My Mother's Hands

The Johnson City Sessions, 1928-1929 - Can You Sing Or Play Old-Time Music?
4 -CD boxed set (LP-size) with 136-page hardcover book
BCD 16083
CD 1:
SHELL CREEK QUARTET: My Boyhood Days - Back Where The Old Home Stands - GRANT BROTHERS & THEIR MUSIC: When A Man Is Married - Goodbye My Honey – I'm Gone - Tell It To Me - Johnson Boy - ROANE COUNTY RAMBLERS: Home Town Blues - Southern No. 111 - Step High Waltz - Tennessee Waltz - RENUS RICH & CARL BRADSHAW: Goodbye Sweetheart - Sleep Baby Sleep - CLARENCE GREEN & WISE BROTHERS: Pride Of The Ball - Kitty Waltz - CLARENCE GREEN: Johnson City Blues - Ninety-Nine Years In Jail - PROXIMITY STRING QUARTET: Lindy - Louise - GREENSBORO BOYS QUARTET: Sing Me A Song Of The Sunny South - Sweet Little Girl Of Mine - RICHARD HAROLD: The Battleship Maine - The Fisher's Maid - Sweet Bird - Mary Dear
CD 2:
BOWMAN SISTERS: My Old Kentucky Home - Swanee River - CHARLIE BOWMAN & HIS BROTHERS: Roll On Buddy - Gonna Raise The Ruckus Tonight - BILL & BELLE REED: You Shall Be Free - Old Lady And The Devil - THE REED CHILDREN: I'll Be All Smiles Tonight - I Once Did Have A Sweetheart - MCVAY & JOHNSON: Ain't Going To Lay My Armor Down - I'll Be Ready When The Bridegroom Comes - EARL SHIRKEY & ROY HARPER: Steamboat Man - When The Roses Bloom For The Bootlegger - Poor Little Joe - We Parted At The Gate - GEORGE ROARK: I Ain't A Bit Drunk - My Old Coon Dog - ED HELTON SINGERS: A Storm On The Sea (The Sinking Of The Steamship Vestris) - My Old Cottage Home - GARLAND BROTHERS & GRINSTEAD: Just Over The River - Beautiful - MCCARTT BROTHERS & PATTERSON: Green Valley Waltz - Over The Sea Waltz - BLALOCK & YATES: Morning Star Waltz - Pride Of The Ball - JACK JACKSON: Flat Tire Blues - My Alabama Home
CD 3:
GEORGE WADE & FRANCUM BRASWELL: Think A Little - When We Go A Courtin' - JACK JACKSON: In Our Little Home Sweet Home - I'm Just A Black Sheep - ROANE COUNTY RAMBLERS: Free A Little Bird – 1930 Model - Johnson City Rag - Callahan Rag - Alabama Trot - WYATT & BRANDON: Evalina - Lover's Farewell - ROY HARVEY & LEONARD COPELAND: Just Pickin' - Beckley Rag - Underneath The Sugar Moon - Lonesome Weary Blues - THE SPINDALE QUARTET: Sweet Peace The Gift Of God's Love - God Will Take Care Of You - Face To Face - Lift Him Up - EARL SHIRKEY & ROY HARPER: The Virginian Strike Of '23 - The Policeman's Little Child - My Yodeling Sweetheart - I'm Longing To Belong To Someone - We Have Moonshine In The West Virginia Hills - A Hobo's Pal - MOATSVILLE STRING TICKLERS: The West Virginia Hills - Moatsville Blues
CD 4:
WEAVER BROTHERS: You Came Back To Me - Prison Sorrows - BYRD MOORE & HIS HOT SHOTS: Frankie Silvers - The Hills Of Tennessee - Careless Love - Three Men Went A Hunting - BATEMAN SACRED QUARTET: Nothing Like Old Time Religion - Some Day - FRED RICHARDS: My Katie - Danville Blues - CLARENCE ASHLEY: Dark Holler Blues - The Coo-Coo Bird - Little Sadie - Naomi Wise - THE BENTLEY BOYS: Down On Penny's Farm - Henhouse Blues - BOWMAN SISTERS: Railroad Take Me Back - Old Lonesome Blues - EPHRAIM WOODIE & THE HENPECKED HUSBANDS: Last Gold Dollar - The Fatal Courtship - IRA & EUGENE YATES: Powder And Paint - Sarah Jane - ELLIS WILLIAMS: Buttermilk Blues - Smokey Blu -