On February 5, 1959, Starday Records purchased the masters to Charlie Moore’s recordings No Grave (Is Gonna Keep This Soul); Over in Gloryland; When They Crucified My Lord and Why Is Mother Buried.
The four Gospel songs were recorded the previous October at the WFBC Radio Station, Greenville, South Carolina, and released on an EP (Starday SEP-103/KG-0952-2).
With Moore (guitar and vocals) at the session were his Dixie Partners – Ansel Guthrie (mandolin and vocals), Curley Ellis (banjo and vocals), Duck Sisk (fiddle) and Eric Ellis (bass).
Expert on Charlie Moore, Travers Chandler comments …
“These are some of the earliest commercial recordings of Charlie Moore and are probably the hardest edged. More high-lonesome than any of his later work, the cuts stand on contrast to his 1960’s work with Bill Napier and his later work as a solo artist.
They do showcase a song-writing talent that would only Blossom and mature with time.
The recordings feature Duck Sisk, Curly Ellis and Ansel Guthrie. Another factoid that made the group unique was that they were all from South Carolina, producing a slightly smoother sound than the 1950’s bluegrass at the time dominated by musicians from the mountains of Virginia and North Carolina.”
