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Across the Blue Ridge #149 - Betse & Clarke, Old-Time Musicians From the Ozarks

Paul Brown
Across the Blue Ridge host Paul Brown (center) with Betse Ellis (l.) and Clarke Wyatt at the 2018 Rocky Mountain Old Time Music Festival in Colorado. Betse and Clarke, a duo with an interesting musical history before they concentrated on roots and old-time music, are our guests this hour.

This week we hear the stories of Betse Ellis and Clarke Wyatt, who came from the worlds of classical, rock and jazz, and fell totally in love with traditional old-time music.  They're now teaching, playing and touring full time.

ATBR's Paul Brown caught up with them at the Rocky Mountain Old-Time Music Festival in Colorado and settled in for a brief interview that's excerpted in this show. You'll also hear some cuts from Betse & Clarke's album, River Still Rise, and songs and tunes from people who influenced them early in their discovery of old-time and bluegrass music:  Doc Watson, Frank Proffitt, The East Texas Serenaders, and Art Rosenbaum.

This week's episode starts with a good dose of classic old-time and bluegrass songs and tunes.  So get on board and ride with us!

Playlist

  1. Altamont
    Bucking Mules
    Smoke Behind The Clouds
    Free Dirt
     
  2. Roscoe
    Camp Creek Boys
    Blue Ridge Style Square Dance Time
    Mountain
     
  3. Cumberland Gap
    George Landers
    High Atmosphere
    Rounder
     
  4. Love Me One More Time
    James King
    Bed By The Window
    Rounder
     
  5. With You On My Mind
    Molly O'Day & The Cumberland Mountain Folks
    Molly O'Day & The Cumberland Mountain Folks
    Bear Family
     
  6. Durang's Hornpipe
    Roan Mountain Hilltoppers
    Down Home
    Roan Mountain Hilltoppers
     
  7. One Morning In May
    Jean Ritchie
    Mountain Hearth & Home
    Elektra
     
  8. Break 1 - Angelina Baker
    Jesse Milnes
    Deep End Sessions
    Deep End Sessions
     
  9. Fill My Way With Love
    Betse & Clarke
    River Still Rise
    Betse Ellis & Clarke Wyatt
     
  10. Shelvin Rock
    Betse & Clarke
    River Still Rise
    Betse Ellis & Clarke Wyatt
     
  11. Interview 1 - Betse & Clarke
    Betse Elllis & Clarke Wyatt
    ATBR recording
     
  12. Acorn Stomp
    East Texas Serenaders
    East Texas Serenaders
    Document
     
  13. Fair & Tender Ladies
    Betse & Clarke
    River Still Rise
    Betse Ellis & Clarke Wyatt
     
  14. Rolling River
    Betse & Clarke
    River Still Rise
    Betse Ellis & Clarke Wyatt
     
  15. Interview 2 - Betse & Clarke
    Betse & Clarke
    ATBR recording
     
  16. Break 2 - Arkansas Traveler
    Betse & Clarke
    River Still Rise
    Betse Ellis & Clarke Wyatt
     
  17. Mama Don't Allow No Music
    Doc Watson
    Memories
    Sugar Hill
     
  18. Wake Up Little Maggie
    Doc Watson
    Memories
    Sugar Hill
     
  19. Gyps Of David
    Frank Proffitt
    Traditional Songs & Ballads Of Appalachia
    Folk-Legacy
     
  20. Sundown
    Art Rosenbaum
    Georgia Banjo Blues
    Global Village
     
  21. East Texas Drag
    East Texas Serenaders
    East Texas Serenaders
    Document
Former 88.5 WFDD News Director Paul Brown founded Across the Blue Ridge at WFDD in the late 1980s. It was an instant hit, and was broadcast on WFDD for more than a decade until Paul left to become an executive editor, producer, reporter, and world newscaster at NPR in Washington, DC. Now Paul is back in his beloved Blue Ridge region, his journalism and storytelling skills honed better than ever. He's ready to present more music, share discussion with more interesting characters, and be your friend and guide in discovery. Paul is actively involved in today's acoustic music scene, crisscrossing the region and the country as a teacher, performer, and interviewer.

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