Reviews (3)

BREAD AND ROSES FESTIVAL
One of the BEST RECORDS I own... I agree with the other reveiwer that cutting the original record was a mistake...

Why the cuts?
Why didn't they include all the music from the original album? Make it a 2-CD set if you have to. Newbury's "San Francisco Mabel Joy" is the best version of this great song ever recorded. I can't believe some ... decided to cut it.

Bread & Roses is a great collection of folk.
Bread and Roses is one of the best folk collections we own. It is always a good listen and a great mood lifter. Jesse Colin Young's Sugar Babe is great for taking rush hour stress right out of you. Anyone who loves acoustic collections will undoubtedly want to add this favorite to their catalog. Happy Listening! ... Read more

Album Description

A collection of original songs, all written and performed by women from Canada's East Coast. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

MY SISTER SINGS(MARIE-JO THERIO)
"GREAT" Compact Disc...Marie-Jo Therio has the best song on this CD! You "NEED" to Buy this Compact Disc...

A great collection of some very special music.
I happened upon this collection while traveling in Canada. Other than Sarah McLachlan, I hadn't heard much about the other artists. The album proved to be a very special surprise. It's a well laid out compilation andfeatures a delightful mix in the folk/pop vein of original songs by somevery talented ladies. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Several of these stunning field recordings, made from 1934 to 1942 by John and Ruby Lomax, along with their son Alan, are unparalleled in the annals of American song and religious incantation. Most unforgettable is the dark, ecstatic rapture of Mississippian Bozie Sturdivant singing "Ain't No Grave Can Hold My Body Down" in Clarksdale's Silent Grove Baptist Church, with conviction enough to make atheists tremble and pray. Equally thrilling is the Easter service "Man of Calvary," delivered by the Reverend Sin Killer Griffin to a congregation of Texas penal farm tenants with primal, blood-chilling fervor. Other notable cuts are medicine show veterans Blind Jimmie Strothers and Joe Lee singing "We Are Almost Down to the Shore," the bizarre voice and harmonica of Turner Junior Johnson exploring unknown realms on "In New Jerusalem" and "Steal Away," and Alabaman Dock Reed singing "Down on Me," later remade as a rock & roll benchmark by Janis Joplin. --Alan Greenberg ... Read more

Reviews (1)

BUY IT!
It is amazing how many different types of folks of different ages enjoy this cd.I found it by searching for old songs...using keywords like "cumberland mountain bear chase", "polly von", "pretty polly" and "muleskinner blues".I was hoping to find an old Erik Darling album and ran across this gem in the process.The lyrics on these old songs are intriguing on many different levels."Glory" catches your interest right off with "I'm gonna tell God how you treat me!"."Poor Lazarus" is a description of a WANTED POSTER. "900 Miles" is flat out old time pickin' that connects to something deep inside you. Leadbelly's "Don't Lie Buddy" has some guy in the background goin' "HUH!" with every outrageous boast. "Lost John" is one of our favorites...all whoops and hollers and harmonica.Every time I hear "Railroad Whistle" I find more things to love about it....it really captures the jingles and jangles and rythmn of an old train....it also captures the weariness and longing of a traveler needing to "be" home."Bile Dem Cabbage Down" needs no further description... the title says it all.Pete Seeger is at his best with this version of "Cumberland Mountain Bear Chase"...clean and wholsome.Like so many of these songs you can't help singing out with "Sowing on the Mountain".I must admit there are a number of the songs on this cd that I skip over because the lyrics are boringly repetitive.But there are too many "great" songs/music on this cd to pass it by.BUY IT! BUY IT! BUY IT! You won't regret it.
I am going to try out the volumes 5 thru 6 cd. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

'Nother roaring delight from working men
Like the Johnny Collins collection it overlaps with, this is a great collection of sea chanteys sung in an appropriate rough roar and rowdy beat by men who work for a living. Great in their own right, and for singing along with on long drives to keep yourself awake.

Not for those who only like perfect choral voices, but a great delight for those who like work songs with a strong rhythm and an occasional delight in old-fashioned naughtiness.

3.5, really
Two bands, with contrasting styles, both of which are a little too polished to get the right vibe for true sea shanty authenticity. The Irish Rovers-y Windjammers have too many instruments at play, including banjo, guitar and penny whistle, and are far too "folk" overall; the tracks from Johnny Collins, however, are more strictly vocal, and while a bit smooth, are still solidly in the style. As far as I can tell, this French-curated collection reissues material from two out-of-print albums on a pair of obscure (and presumably defunct) labels. Not the world's best shanty album, but it still has great folkloric material. Again, the Johnny Collins songs are worth checking out -- he also has an album out on the Arc Music label that comes highly recommended.

Mostly Recycled - and no French
Some of the songs are a bit too smoothed around the edges for my taste. I prefer the authentic stuff.

But my biggest problem with this album is that it simply combines songs from other recordings I already have, so all I get is to hear them in a different order, plus a small handful of songs that don't show up as ubiquitously as some of the more popular stuff.

And one last point I can't ignore. I bought this album because its title suggested that I might be getting some of the great French shanties, or at least some of the jaunty twists on the English songs that the French developed. Forget it. The only French thing in this album is its title and some blurb about the sea on the back of the album. It doesn't even have an insert with information about the songs, much less the lyrics.

You're better off just buying a Johnny Collins album if you like the rough, simplistic, low-budget stuff, and a Windjammers album if you like the commercialized, mainstream variety. Or, with so many great choices out there, just buy something else. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Among the very best!
This CD is a compilation from the three Woodstock Mountain Revue Lp's that came out in the late 60's and early 70's. The Revue were "folk" musicians who lived in and around Woodstock, NY including Happy and Artie Traum, John Herald, Eric Anderson, John Sebastian, Paul Butterfield, Pat Alger, and many others. The original lp's spent so much time on our turntable that we would spontaneously start singing the next song as each song ended. We knew every word of every song. This is elemental Americana of near quality to the music that Dylan and the Band were making in a nearby basement a couple of years earlier. The material which includes wonderful originals as well as covers of Woody Guthrie, Hank Williams, and Jimmy Rodgers (among others)is uniformly excellent. These folks obviously enjoy playing together. The music has a joyous spontaneity and yet is oddly polished. Great stuff, that deserves a much larger audience. Buy it; you won't regret it.

Good Music
These songs in this CD are very confortable. If you want to get relax, it would be better for you to listen to (or hear) them. I think this CD is the supreme for folk-music. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Spirit triumphs handily over fidelity on this generous, informatively annotated package. And with a klezmer revival in full swing, it's fascinating to return as near as possible to its source to listen to what the Eastern European klezmorim thought the Yiddish community ought to hear on the first 78s full of this vital and joyous music. What first hits you are the unexpectedly sophisticated arrangements of the several klezmer orchestras represented here. The ensembles looked to American ragtime, jazz, and even military marches for inspiration after crossing the ocean. Vaudeville provided an excuse to add exotic theatrical elements to klezmer, while clarinets (played by virtuosos Dave Tarras and Naftule Brandwein, among others) gradually replaced fiddles with the advent of the swing era. Treading a fascinating balance between folk music and jazz, this vintage music seems to thrive in a world all its own. --Richard Gehr ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Not for beginners¿
I bought this CD at a jewish music festival in London. It's something of a collector's piece; interesting if you are fairly familier with the genre, but possibly a little obscure and repetitive for 'novices'. It's compiled from old recordings and has a nice authentic and scratchy feel. It's particularly interesting to compare treatments of certain songs with those on other early klezmer CDs. These men could really play. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Buy the CD for just two of the songs
It's not often that I run into a compact disc accompanying a film that I return to again and again for college teaching, but this is one of those pairs. *Bringing It All Back Home* is certainly worth owning for the performances of "Kilkelly" and "Sonny," two of the most powerful English-language songs of the Irish-American diaspora ever written. Both songs are heard in wonderful performances (and seen in performance in the filmed version). "Sonny," however, is the true show-stopper. The voices of Emmylou Harris, Mary Black, and Delores Keane seem to have been fated to fit together, and their musicianship makes a simple song complex and subtle.

Don't look for a compendium of Irish traditional music here. This album (especially, of the three volumes in the set) is drawn from the film and thus fits the film's outline, not that of an anthology producer. Gathering such a lineup was a feat in itself, and the collection is both substantial and entertaining.

OK but a better collection could have been had
This actually applies to all three albums which are a compilation of the Irish influence on American music. While many of the songs are interesting - I believe there are much better sets. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Polka musicians don't take their music too seriously, so why should anyone else? Actually, given its rich lineage and loyal following, someone has to give it thoughtful consideration. After all, Wisconsin, the axis of oompah in America, still hosts a couple of dozen annual polka festivals and supports two full-time radio stations devoted to the sounds of the Norskedalen Trio, the Oulu Hotshots, and other 2/4-tempo practitioners. Seven bands, each representing different strains of Midwestern polka, are featured in this handsome package. The ensembles provide select samples of waltzes, schottisches, and polkas that draw on Northern and Eastern European influences. Astute, extensive liner notes round out the presentation. Deep Polka is an excellent collection for aficionados and newcomers alike. --Steven Stolder ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Dance Music From the Midwest
Having listened to some of the Selections I rated it at 4 stars primarily because of Karl. I liked the other artists but having him on the album almost always guaranteed it being bought.

Uneven
As with many "various artists" CDs, this one is a mixed bag. Seven different artists perform a total of 26 tracks. The performances by The Steve Meisner Band and by Karl and the Country Dutchmen (such as Karl's Bad Schottische -- get it?) are superb, and those by Vatra and by the Clete Bellin Orchestra are acceptable. The others either have a whiney sound or are lacking in the bass department. In the polka field, it is better to stick with single-artist CDs by the better performers. Recordings by Frankie Yankovic, Joey Miskulin, Eddie Blazonczyk, Walter Ostanek, Fred Ziwich, and Jimmy Sturr will provide a much better foundation for your polka collection than this CD.

Serious fun
Did you enjoy sweatin' to the polkas at the 1998 Smithsonian Folklife Festival? The groups on Deep Polka were there, representing different polka styles flourishing today in Wisconsin.

This is not "champagne" music! It is rollicking stuff that will kick-start a party or see you through rush hour. You will be grateful for the lyrics, provided for some of the selections, because sooner or later you will feel compelled to belt them out yourself. A great polka sampler from the Smithsonian Institution. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A Greater Starter Compilation
If you are new to Old Time Music and want a good start this is a great CD. It contains music by some of the best bands playing in the current rennaisance of Old Time Music. If you are a long-time fan it is also a good choice to add to your collection. The musicianship is excellent, but the bands do not stray from a traditional sound. It was compiled by a group of radio programmers who specialize in the genre and they have picked the best of both toe-tapping instrumentals and singable traditional songs. Its companion, Old Time Music on the Air V. II is also an excellent buy. You can't miss with either one! ... Read more

Album Description

A great collection of Jewish songs for 2-5 year-olds! Includes folk, contemporary and liturgical pieces designed to educate, entertain and surprise! With children singing and abbreviated song arrangements, kids love the Shiron series and parents and teachers won't grow tired easily. Songs selected from The Complete Jewish Songbook for Children: Manginot. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

the amazing and sublime Vera Ward Hall
this is probably the finest in the Deep River of Song series because it features so much of Vera Hall's singing. she is a truly wondeful, amazing, sublimely talented singer. as beloved as she is she herself has not had a cd released in her name, this cd being the easiest way to get a large amount of her songs. many of these songs are lullabies and secular songs.
another reviewer mentioned the Smithsonian Folkways cd Negro Folk Music Of Alabama - volume 5 - spirituals. which is 16 songs by Dock Reed [Vera's cousin] + Vera Ward Hall. the songs are all religious in nature and might be more aptly described as Dock Reed songs with 2nd vocals by Vera Hall. her singing is not exactly in the forefront of tehse recordings except on the few songs she sings solo. this cd is not in commercial release so to get it you must go to the Smithsonian Folkways website, click on the "a world of sound" catalogue, then enter Vera Ward Hall in the 'artists search' box. the Smithsonian has a library of some 3,000 recordings [the 'world of sound'] and will burn you a custom cd or cassette of anything in this vast catalogue.
there are also other Vera hall songs scattered among Rounder's cds-
-Afro-American Spirituals, Work Songs + Ballads
contains 3 songs of hers, 1 trouble so hard 2 choose your
seat and set down 3 handwriting on the wall. 'trouble so
hard' is the song Moby sampled on his song 'natural blues'
on his album 'play', if you've only heard the short sample
in that song you'll be amazed by the full song
-Alan Lomax's Southern Journey volume1. contains 1 song by
her "mama's gonna buy"
-various artists 'Every Tone A Testimony' features Vera +
Dock Reed's 'free at last'. this is an album of singers,
poets, and political figures that focuses on the African
American experience, specifically the struggle for equality
i'm sure ther are a few others that i'm forgetting about. until somone puts out a truly comprehensive cd of Vera's work this will have to suffice. the main problem is that Folkways has half of her recordings and Roundr the other half. hopefully someday they'll cooperate/collaborate and put something like that out.

there are more recordings of Vera Hall Ward
Yes, Vera Hall Ward is a great singer, but these recordings made by John & Ruby Lomax 1937-1940, should have been cleaned-up more (pops were eliminated but not crackle & other constant backgroung noise). There are much cleaner recordings of her (perhaps in a later decade) on:

> "Treasury of Library of Congress Field Recordings" and
> "Negro Religious Songs and Services".

> Smithsonian has re-released duets with her cousin, Dock Reed that was recorded by Harold Courlander on a 1950 fieldtrip:

[URL]
- Negro Folk Music of Alabama, Vol. 5: Spirituals (1950) Includes all of F-2038 plus additional music. [prices]

> There are more duets available from:
[URL]

> You can download recordings from the Lomax 1939 fieldtrip at:
[URL]

It is interesting to hear Vera Hall Ward sing secular songs, - inspite of her strongly religious background. I also like the music of the Georgia Sea Islands, St. John's Island, prison worksongs, and the Bahamas (Real Bahamas, Vol. 1-2), which indicate how powerful the older music was.

BELIEVE IT OR NOT!
Wait a second--Vera Hall sounds good even without a background synthesizer played by Moby. BELIEVE IT OR NOT! ... Read more

Album Description

The follow-up to the hugely successful Ruach 5761: New Jewish Tunes is here! This compilation is the state-of-the-art of contemporary Jewish music and features some songs exclusive to this collection only, including the American-Jewish anthem "Children Of Freedom" by Beth Schafer and friends.

Discover the Contemporary Jewish folk-rock Music of Yom Hadash, e18hteen with Dan Nichols, Rick Recht, Noam Katz, Mah Tovu and many more! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Forthrightly billed as "the essential album," Songbirds is an attractive, wide-ranging collection of contemporary female singer-songwriters that's cleverly and deliberately aimed at those who have recently discovered the delights of Eva Cassidy. The basic premise here is that if you like Eva, there's plenty more where she came from. Across two discs and some 31 songs, the proposition is abundantly proved. The selection is broadly transatlantic, though the British and Irish contingents are heavily represented by the more folky performers, including Eliza Carthy, Norma Waterson (Eliza's mum), Kate Rusby, Cara Dillon, Maire Brennan (ex-Clannad), and June Tabor. Standout Americans include the late Ms. Cassidy herself, Emmylou Harris, and the always wonderful Mary Chapin Carpenter. Nitpickers will note that, although they are singers, not all the performers here are necessarily songwriters (Eva Cassidy for one), and they'll also wonder what happened to all the great women songwriters of past decades. You won't, for example, find Sandy Denny here, or Carole King, or Joan Baez. Nor will you find many of the exciting new voices in contemporary country, such as Gillian Welch, Iris Dement, and Lucinda Williams. Despite such omissions, this is a good, reasonably well-rounded snapshot of some excellent modern female performers. It's the kind of compilation album that's just perfect for drive-time playing. --Mark Walker ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A great mix of songs by terrific female artists!
This two-disc compilation is an excellent introduction to a broad range of talented female singers. Ranging from popular artists such as Sarah McLachlan and Sinead O'Connor to (in the States, at least) lesser-known singers like Kate Rusby and Thea Gilmore, the discs offer a variety of sounds - from pop to folk to blues, and back again.

If you enjoy Songbirds, you may also enjoy albums by the artists represented and other similar singers. Check out some of the following:
"10" - Kate Rusby
"Daybreaker" - Beth Orton
"Sleepy Little Sailor" - Oh Susanna
"Rules for Jokers" - Thea Gilmore
"Tropical Brainstorm" - Kirsty MacColl
"Be Here Now" - Suzanne Little (not featured on discs)
"Heroine" - Wild Strawberries (not featured)
"Trigger Fables" - Taste of Joy (not featured)
"Silence" - Tara MacLean (not featured) ... Read more

Amazon.com

Originally issued in 1942 as the fourth title in an Alan Lomax-edited six-part Library of Congress series, this collection's title, Afro-American Blues and Game Songs, says it all. The blues portion of the program is highlighted by very early recordings by Muddy Waters (cut a couple of years before young McKinley Morganfield set off for Chicago to write a chapter of his own in the history of 20th-century music) and Sonny Terry. Interspersed are field recordings of children's games and dances. As with all the titles in the Library of Congress Archive of Folk Culture series, a superior booklet rounds out the package splendidly. --Steven Stolder ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Library of Congress Collection: Afro-American Blues and Game
This is possibly the worst transfer of data into digital format that I have ever heard. I have a 30 year old copy of this album on vinyl that I carefully recorded in MP3 format. The quality of this home recording maintains the fidelity of the original recording infinitely better than this CD. I bought the CD hoping for a better digital format, not worse. I am sending back this opened and played CD to Amazon.com today. Let's see how they respond to a return that is based soley on the fact that it is an incredibly inferior product. One final note. The music of the original recording will make any effort you take to find one of the older vinyls well worth your effort. ... Read more