# The Essential Music Library: Grass & Roots **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 5, 2005, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-grass-roots/334130 "2005-12-05T04:23:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2005, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-grass-roots/334130/1 "2005-12-05T04:23:42Z")
The Essential Music Library project is an attempt to get the many musical minds of the SDMB to sit down and discuss what works are absolutely necessary for a well-stocked musical library. There will be roughly 20 threads detailing a variety of genres so that we can get the depth that would be missing from a single-threaded discussion and the breadth necessary to cover what’s out there. This thread’s topic is grass and roots. As **picker** explained in the project planning thread, this is meant to include Old Time, all the grass variants, and Roots/Americana. Previous threads: [Project Planning](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=335665) | [Classical](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=336834) | [Rock](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=337956) | [Jazz](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=339051) | [Modern Rock](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=340081) | [Blues](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=341203) | [Punk/Post-Punk/New Wave](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=342310) | [Opera/Choral Music](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=343551) | [Rap/Hip-Hop](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=344056) | [Gospel](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=344690) | [Electronica](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=345226) | [Contemporary Classical](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=345831) | [Pop](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=345832) | [Film Music/Musicals](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=346844) | [R&B/Soul](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=347413) ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2005, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-grass-roots/334130/2 "2005-12-05T12:27:21Z")
Various, _Africa and the Blues_ (companion CD to book by Gerhard Kubik) Bill Monroe, _Live Recordings 1956-1959_ The Holmes Brothers, _Speaking in Tongues_ Pete Seeger, _American Favorite Ballads_ Professor Longhair, _Live on the Queen Mary_ Anything by Odetta ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2005, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-grass-roots/334130/3 "2005-12-05T17:54:12Z")
Bump. ---
**Author:** ![Birdmonster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/71e660/32.png) [@Birdmonster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Birdmonster)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2005, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-grass-roots/334130/4 "2005-12-05T18:49:59Z")
I’m a bit on the ignorant side here, but have to throw a recommendation out for: -Hello, I’m Dolly (Dolly Parton) -Luxury Liner (Emmylou Harris) I know those are borderlines, but I’m also writing just to give another bump and hope some of our more country-lovin’ dopers give me something to check out on my next trip to Amoeba. **Picker**? I know you’re out there. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2005, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-grass-roots/334130/5 "2005-12-05T19:06:10Z")
The soundtrack for _O Brother Where Art Thou_ would be a good place to start. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2005, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-grass-roots/334130/6 "2005-12-05T21:48:35Z")
> [@Larry Borgia](#): > > The soundtrack for _O Brother Where Art Thou_ would be a good place to start. Agreed! Fantastic. One of many highlights: Alison Krauss and Gillian Welch singing _I’ll Fly Away_ . We might want to add some Leo Kottke to this list. ---
**Author:** ![Godfrey\_Daniels](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Godfrey\_Daniels](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Godfrey_Daniels)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2005, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-grass-roots/334130/7 "2005-12-05T22:25:18Z")
The Bluegrass Album Band, vols I through VI. ---
**Author:** ![Enginerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bcef8e/32.png) [@Enginerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enginerd)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2005, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-grass-roots/334130/8 "2005-12-05T23:22:12Z")
**Doc Watson** _On Stage_, recorded live in 1971. Accompanied by his son Merle, Doc picks and sings through some classic country, blues, and old-time tunes. This album really gives you feel for what it’s like to see Doc live. **Woody Guthrie’s** _Asch Recordings_. It’s a 4 CD boxed set, which is probably overwhelming for a casual fan, but it’s an integral part of Americana music that can’t be ignored. Guthrie’s writing covers the entire spectrum of human emotion, and he’d inspire a generation (and more) of musicians that would follow him. **Townes van Zandt** _Live at the Old Quarter_. **Jerry Garcia** and **David Grisman’s** _Shady Grove_. **Michelle Shocked’s** _Arkansas Traveler_ **Nanci Griffith’s** _Other Voices_ and _Other Voices, Too_ both feature a great selection of songs in this vein recorded by Griffith’s friends. They’re not the original versions (although sometimes the writer is involved), but they provide a pretty good sample of the genre. It might or might not be in keeping with this concept. ---
**Author:** ![vl\_mungo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc8723/32.png) [@vl\_mungo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vl_mungo)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2005, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-grass-roots/334130/9 "2005-12-06T02:06:53Z")
Some more recent(ish) stuff… **The Bad Livers** - Delusions of Banjer **The Be Good Tanyas** - Blue Train **Johnny Dowd** - Cemetary Shoes **The D. Rangers** - We Stay High and Lonesome **Freakwater** - Old Paint **The Handsome Family** - Through The Trees **The Meat Purveyors** - All Relationships Are Doomed To Fail **Oh Susanna** - Johnstown **Split Lip Rayfield** - Never Make It Home **Gillian Welch** - Hell Among The Yearlings **Jim White** - The Mysterious Story of How I Shouted Wrong Eyed Jesus ---
**Author:** ![ThisSpaceForRent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thisspaceforrent/32/345_2.png) [@ThisSpaceForRent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThisSpaceForRent)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2005, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-grass-roots/334130/10 "2005-12-06T02:44:43Z")
I’ll add the band Leftover Salmon and their first (i think) CD _Bridges to Burt_ Banjo pickin’ by Mark Vann (RIP)… count me as a vote for PolyethnicCajunSlamGrass as for “roots”…david Bromberg does some pretty interesting stuff… ymmv ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2005, 11:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-grass-roots/334130/11 "2005-12-06T11:35:40Z")
> [@vl\_mungo](#): > > **The Bad Livers** - Delusions of Banjer I was going to mention this – I love it! – but I didn’t want to risk being upbraided by the purists out there. (Silly me). A friend who lived in Austin, TX introduced me to these guys years ago. I think they later changed their name. ---
**Author:** ![ThisSpaceForRent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thisspaceforrent/32/345_2.png) [@ThisSpaceForRent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThisSpaceForRent)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2005, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-grass-roots/334130/12 "2005-12-06T15:45:58Z")
The Bad Livers were Danny Barnes and Mark Ruben and sometimes in the early phase, Ralph White…to my knowledge they no longer tour together…I believe Mark went on to work on some Klezmer Projects…gotta love Klezmer with a Tuba bass line… I first saw the bad livers open for leftover salmon in Champaign IL around 99 or so…just Danny and Mark…WOW…what a show! [Danny Barnes Bio](http://www.dannybarnes.com/bio.html) ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2005, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-grass-roots/334130/13 "2005-12-06T16:03:26Z")
I’m not a big bluegrass guy, but I know roots. Here are a few that are absolutely essential: Harry Smith’s legendary [_Anthology of American Folk Music_](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000001DJU/qid=1133883849/sr=8-1/ref=pd_bbs_1/103-9771872-5999843?n=507846&s=music&v=glance) - produced in 1952, this compilation supposedly inspired young Bob Zimmerman to start playing and singing. [_Sounds of the South_](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000002IVR/qid=1133884140/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/103-9771872-5999843?s=music&v=glance&n=5174) - a reissue of Alan Lomax’s second Southern music recording trip in 1959. One word: Leadbelly. Speaking of Lomax, his parents made several recordings in the 30’s and 40’s in the rural South. I’m not aware of a single compilation with all those recordings, but they are collected in the [\*Deep River of Song](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00000JMD3/qid=1133884356/sr=1-13/ref=sr_1_13/103-9771872-5999843?s=music&v=glance&n=5174)\* series, which are very well done. Alan Lomax will also be essential in the World music thread, since he spent years of his life recording world folk songs, from Spain to Africa. He just died a couple of years ago, and I don’t think anybody noticed. Rounder Records also released an excellent compilation of roots music for their 30th anniversary - [\*Roots Music - An American Journey](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00005PJBR/qid=1133884766/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/103-9771872-5999843?s=music&v=glance&n=5174)\*. I’ll probably have more later. ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2005, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-grass-roots/334130/14 "2005-12-06T16:12:14Z")
I’ll make a couple more recommendations while they’re on my mind, but then work, darn it! Roscoe Holcomb - [_The High Lonesome Sound_](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000001DK0/qid=1133885124/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/103-9771872-5999843?s=music&v=glance&n=5174). His version of “House of the Rising Sun” is by a large margin the most haunting I have ever heard. Elizabeth Cotten - I like _Shake Sugaree_ better, but [this](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000001DGA/qid=1133885343/sr=2-2/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_2/103-9771872-5999843?s=music&v=glance&n=5174) collection has “Freight Train” on it, which is Cotten’s signature song, making it absolutely essential. ---
**Author:** ![August\_West](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/august_west/32/18069_2.png) [@August\_West](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/August_West)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2005, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-grass-roots/334130/15 "2005-12-06T16:18:47Z")
Nobody out there is doing bluegrass better than Del McCoury. His voice, to me, defines that “high lonesome sound” I defy you to listen to “'52 Vincent Black Lightning” and not get goose bumps! ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2005, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-grass-roots/334130/16 "2005-12-06T16:24:43Z")
I should also point out that when one talks about American roots music, genre boundaries really break down, and one might as easily regard _Robert Johnson: the Complete Recordings_ as much “roots music” as any other recording, including early country, Appalachiana, “country blues,” etc. And a couple more (Lomax. Who else?): [Georgia Sea Island Songs](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000002UU/qid=1133885761/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/103-9771872-5999843?s=music&v=glance&n=5174) - an oft-neglected subgenre of roots music. [Sacred Harp Singers](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000002UU/qid=1133885761/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/103-9771872-5999843?s=music&v=glance&n=5174). Shape note singers. Not Lomax’s clearest recordings, but very important nonetheless. ---
**Author:** ![PookahMacPhellimey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pookahmacphellimey/32/3175_2.png) [@PookahMacPhellimey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PookahMacPhellimey)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2005, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-grass-roots/334130/17 "2005-12-06T16:26:15Z")
I absolutely agree with **Enginerd** ’s Townes van Zandt nomination. I’m not going to claim expertise here, but I also really loved: **Hot Rize** : So Long of a Journey. **James Leva** : Memory Theatre. ---
**Author:** ![PookahMacPhellimey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pookahmacphellimey/32/3175_2.png) [@PookahMacPhellimey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PookahMacPhellimey)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2005, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-grass-roots/334130/18 "2005-12-06T16:46:11Z")
Would this be the right thread to include Patty Griffin? It is never quite clear to me what “genre” she is but she is brilliant. My vote would be for _1000 Kisses_. ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2005, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-grass-roots/334130/19 "2005-12-07T03:06:28Z")
bump ---
**Author:** ![picker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/picker/32/13969_2.png) [@picker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picker)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2005, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-grass-roots/334130/20 "2005-12-07T03:22:02Z")
Hi Folks I will be in here to post quite a lengthy list of thoughts and recommendations, but it will have to wait a little bit. Right now a whole bunch of things in my life have all come to a head to create a ‘perfect storm’ of suck and there’s just no way I can do this as well. Money, health, relationships, job, housing, musically - if there’s a way it can go south, it just did. Hopefully I’ll be able to get to this in a week or so; if I haven’t weighed in here by then by all means feel free to email me to remind me. Best to all [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-grass-roots/334130.md?page=2)