Founded in 1950 by brothers
Seymour Solomon and
Maynard Solomon just as the LP format was taking hold (it had been introduced to the market two years previously),
Vanguard Records took full advantage of the longer playing time afforded and began life as a
classical label, moving easily into
jazz, then
gospel,
bluegrass,
blues, and
folk (as
Joan Baez's label, they had a high profile during the 1960s
folk revival), eventually experimenting with
rock groups like
the Frost, although
folk and
classical remained the label's forte.
Vanguard was sold to
the Welk Group in 1985. The new owners set about revitalizing the imprint's back catalog, and also began adding contemporary recordings of
country and
pop artists as the 21st century began. To celebrate the imprint's rapidly approaching 60th anniversary,
Vanguard has released a series of brief artist samplers (
Vanguard Visionaries) from the label's peak 1960s and early-'70s era, including this one from
Doc Watson. A true American treasure,
Watson recorded some ten albums for
Vanguard in the 1960s beginning in 1964, each full of his rich, everyman singing and startling guitar and banjo skills. This brief sampler is representative of
Watson's work with the label (to be honest,
Doc has never recorded a bad track in his whole career), including fine versions of
traditional fare like
"Little Sadie" and
"Shady Grove" and what may be the definitive take on
Jimmie Driftwood's classic
"Tennessee Stud." ~ Steve Leggett
