The Music We Call Country

The Music We Call Country, a one-hour documentary film about the earliest days of commercial country music, is now available for streaming or purchase from Amazon Prime.

Produced by Marshall Hunter and Noble Giant Films, the documentary traces what we would now call traditional Appalachian music from its first ever recording session in 1927 in Bristol, TN. Known as The Bristol Sessions, future Hall of Famers like Jimmie Rodgers, The Stonemans, and The Carter Family were recorded direct to phonograph cylinders by Ralph Peer of the Victor Talking Machine Company.

This was a mere two years since this technology was invented, and it was quite a daunting and costly proposition for Peer to take it into the field, so to speak, to find subjects who could perform the sort of hillbilly music that was popular on radio in the Appalachian region. Peer had placed advertisements in newspapers in several cities, noting that he would be doing these recordings, and asking musicians and singers to make appointments or simply show at a prescribed time and place.

Hunter tells the story of this “Big Bang of country music” through interviews with current musicologists, proponents, and family members of the original artists, as well as a wealth of archival photographs. Many of the faces seen in the film will be familiar to fans of bluegrass and old time music, like Tim White of the Song of the Mountains television program, Ted Olson, Professor in the Appalachian Studies department at ETSU, and Rita Forrester, granddaughter of AP and Sara Carter who manages The Carter Family Fold in Hiltons, VA.

Noble Giant Films offers this synopsis of the film on IMDB:

Unearth the story behind one of America’s most iconic musical genres. This unforgettable documentary explores the artists, events, and technology that led to the discovery of the first superstars of country music – Jimmie Rodgers and The Carter Family. Witness the groundbreaking field recording sessions of the early 1900s and explore the revolutionary technology that captured the raw, heartfelt sounds of a burgeoning musical movement. Meet the pioneering artists whose enduring talents and contributions have forever shaped the landscape of music history. Through rare archival photos and intimate interviews, uncover the stories and sounds that continue to resonate through generations. Don’t miss this unforgettable exploration of country music’s profound legacy and its indelible impact on the world.

Here’s a look at the trailer.