Like volume one, this presents 23 examples of early American rural music, mastered from rare 78s of the 1920s and 1930s. And like volume one, the names here will challenge the expertise of all but the most fanatical collector; only
Uncle Dave Macon,
Cannon's Jug Stompers, Henry Thomas, and maybe Blind Alfred Reed will be familiar. It's a valuable sampler of non-urban sounds as captured in the early days of the recording industry, when primitive technology and marketing naivete ensured that the music was virtually unadulterated. Fiddles, banjos, and plaintive, spirited vocals abound. Bobby Leecan's jugband romp "Washboard Cut Out" is the most exuberant track; Rev. D.C. Rice's gospel number "Lord Keep Me with a Mind" starts off in a more somber mood, but soon evolves into a jubilant New Orleans-styled arrangement. ~ Richie Unterberger