This is a great time for lovers of classic bluegrass. Rural Rhythm Records has released three more projects in their Heritage Collection, which is their series of reissues from their early catalog of LPs from the 1950s and ’60. Each re-release uses the original artwork from the LP as the CD cover art, and the liner notes as well.
Recently added are fabulous early releases from Hylo Brown, Red Smiley and The Blue Grass Cutups, and Mac Wiseman, offered as both audio CDs and digital downloads.
Hylo Brown & The Timberliners was first issued in 1967, after Brown had made a name for himself singing with Flatt & Scruggs during two stints with the band. It features 20 popular folk and bluegrass songs, with assistance from Jack Casey on guitar, Ross Branham on banjo, John Maultbay on fiddle, and Danny Milhon on reso-guitar.
Tracks include:
|
|
Also from ’67 comes Red Smiley and The Blue Grass Cutups, with Red and one of his classic lineups. Billy Edwards is on banjo, Tater Tate on fiddle, Gene Burris on mandolin, and John Palmer on bass. It’s the first of three Rural Rhythm albums Smiley recorded for the label after he and Don Reno split up, and among the final projects he cut before he passed away in 1972 at only 47 years of age.
Track listing follows:
|
|
Mac Wiseman Sings Old Time Country Favorites is just as the title suggests. It’s Mac with an understated rhythm section laying down 21 songs that would have been familiar to just about everyone when the LP first released in 1966. Mac’s voice is out front, with only rhythm guitar and Dobro accompaniment. This album came during an extremely productive time for Wiseman, during which he cut 56 sides in roughly 30 days. Mac’s fans will love this collection.
Track listing follows:
|
|
As the saying goes, no bluegrass education is complete without an understanding of the music of the 1960s, and these three CDs offer a nice glimpse of the time. Rural Rhythm offers them at a budget price of only $6.00 online.
Radio programmers can find them all at Airplay Direct.
