Family Songs and Stories From the North Carolina Mountains

by Doug Wallin

Overview

Doug Wallin and his brother Jack were born into North Carolina's Madison County, a region well-known for its long legacy of music-making; several of the brothers' older relatives had sung for British folklorist Cecil Sharp between 1910-1920, and other family members as well as neighbors have been recorded often since the 1960s. In Family Songs and Stories From the North Carolina Mountains, Doug takes center stage, relaying the local and family traditions of love ballads, hymns, and fiddle music; brother Jack appears on only three of the tracks, but offers strong performances on banjo, guitar, and vocals. While the idea of 14 a cappella ballads may seem much for most listeners, the performances are so nicely delivered that the disc could in fact stand to have a few more songs from either of the brothers. Doug's singing of ancient British and early American ballads is peerless in modern times, his singing remarkably even and elegant; Jack's instrumental talents are also fine, and his own lively songs provide a nice break from the ballad singing. Also breaking up any potential monotony are a small handful of short, entertaining stories from Doug, who seems as natural a storyteller as a singer. The 19 total tracks gathered here are culled from just over 60 field recordings made in 1992 and 1993; hopefully, more of those songs and stories will be available in the future. Meanwhile, this sampling of the Wallins' repertoires should be embraced by lovers of traditional music. ~ Burgin Mathews

Product Details

Release Date:	05/23/1995
Label:	Smithsonian Folkways Recordings
UPC:	0093074001325
Rank:	131465

Tracks

1. Jackaro
2. The Golden Vanity
3. Story About William Riley Shelton
4. Omie Wise
5. Darling Cora
6. The Nightingale
7. Pretty Little Girl With the Blue Dress On
8. Young Emily
9. Pretty Polly
10. The Foggy Dew
11. Pretty Fair Miss in a Garden
12. Roving Gambler
13. Bold Lieutenant
14. My Home's Across the Blue Ridge Mountains
15. House Carpenter
16. Two Ghost Stories
17. Come over into Canaan's Land
18. Rolling With the Tides
19. Pretty Saro

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Doug Wallin   Primary Artist,Fiddle,Vocals
Doug & Jack Wallin   Primary Artist
Jack Wallin   Primary Artist,Banjo,Vocals
Jack Walin   Primary Artist
Jerry Adams   Banjo

Technical Credits

Matt Walters   Producer
Anthony Seeger   Producer
Bill Kreutzmann   Composer
Jack Walin   Performer
Donna Jean Godchaux   Composer
Mickey Hart   Composer
Phil Lesh   Composer
Traditional   Composer
Bob Weir   Composer
Clarence Ashley   Composer
Doug Wallin   Arranger,Narrator,Adaptation
Wes Lachot   Mastering
Wayne Martin   Engineer,Producer,Executive Producer
Jerry Garcia   Composer
A.P. Carter   Composer
Keith Godchaux   Composer
Bob Dylan   Composer
George Holt   Engineer