County Sales, the long running recorded music retail outlet in Floyd, VA, has arranged with Rebel Records to reissue the classic 1972 album, Kenny Baker Country, on high resolution vinyl LP.
Originally released on County Records, the album has been carefully remastered for this reissue, with the 96k/24bit masters restored by David Glasser of Airshow Mastering in Boulder, CO. Clint Holley and Well Made Music of Bristol, VA cut the new masters on a Neumann VMS70 mastering lathe with an SX74 cutter head.
The LP will be released on classic black vinyl (150 grams) by Gotta Groove records in Cleveland, Ohio. A very limited of handmade Wax Mage pressings will also be issued.
The folks at County Sales say that they have gone to considerable lengths to preserve and enhance the original audio, and even out the mix.
“This reissue represents a quantum leap forward in the fidelity of this oft-forgotten, wonderful title. While the original pressings were very fiddle heavy and lacking in the low end, this new reissue balances the backing band allowing the listener to hear the interaction of all the musicians as they work surge and pulse in lockstep with Baker on these stellar cuts.”
That backing band included Joe Stuart on guitar, Buck White on fiddle, Jack Hicks on banjo, and Monroe Fields on bass.
Tracks include:
- Freda
- Spider Bit The Baby
- Roxana Waltz
- Sugar Tree Stomp
- Brandywine
- Salty
- White Horse Breakdown
- Dusty’s Hornpipe
- Festival Waltz
- Allentown Polka
- Charmaine
- Twinkle Little Star
County says that they have also included a pair of alternate takes of unidentified tracks, along with several never before released photos of Kenny.
This project is a part of their 501c3 non-profit, Handmade Music, which is dedicated to the preservation of worthy bluegrass, old time, and Appalachian folk music. The company will be transitioning more and more towards these efforts.
Corbin Hayslett, general manager of County Sales, explains their goals.
“For half of a century, County Sales has brought people from all around the globe to this wonderful little town we call home, Floyd. For countless musicians and collectors, County Sales has been, and continues to be, the primary hub for traditional music recordings both old and new. Now a 501c3 non-profit under Handmade Music, we are looking to the future by releasing long-forgotten or never-before-heard recordings from traditional music masters.”
The newly remastered LP edition of Kenny Baker County is set for release in February 2024, with pre-sales launching on Friday, October 27 from the County Sales web site.
