Many rural fiddlers, guitarists, and banjo players from the state of Kentucky were taped while the recording industry was in its infancy. This interesting and valuable two-volume set, numbering 53 songs in all, presents a wide-ranging set of old-timey folk styles by artists who are known only to scholars in the field. Much of the material is taken from the famed Bristol sessions of the late '20s, and the late-'30s field recordings by renowned folklorist
Alan Lomax. The roots of much modern country, folk, and even blues can be heard in these heartfelt, occasionally stirring performances of great conviction, religious or otherwise. Music of Kentucky: Early American Rural Classics 1927-1937, Vol. 1-2 is not just a history lesson, and it's a lot more accessible to modern-day listeners than many would assume. ~ Richie Unterberger