There is a great feature (and equally great artwork) in this week's paper for anyone interested in roots music, the traditional strategies of the recording industry, and/or the various quirks of Asheville's colorful history. For one long week in the summer of 1925, Okeh Records came to Asheville to seek new talent and explore the idea of field recording (as opposed to draggin' these goofballs all the way to big, bad New York City). Considered a failed promise due to insufficient technology, the sessions were mostly abandoned. Two years later, the same team ventured to Bristol, VA to make stars of Jimmy Rodgers and the Carter Family. It was here that "country music" claimed its more popular birth. Linked here.
4 comments:
I listened to the audio samples on the site. That's pretty cool. I like the first part of the story, how playing live on wax means getting right first try.
Did you draw that cover?
nope, all the illustrations were outsourced. i would have enjoyed the opportunity, though.
Oh my oh my have I dreamed of the day when I run into those recordings. I believe RCA released a set called the Bristol sessions (or something of that sort) that chronicles those session. It's a two volume set and I've only seen Vol 1, so i'm holdin' out...i'll check out the article.
You didn't draw that one, but I peeked at roney_is_phoney the other day and I continue to Dig your stuff my friend, please keep it up and in the open.
You're so on top of things with your flickr account...mwuhahahaha
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