Across the Blue Ridge #146 - Masters of Old-Time Fiddle, Banjo & Autoharp, and Some New Recordings

This week we hear some great fiddling from the transformative Arthur Smith, who set entertainment-style country fiddling on the path to what we now recognize as bluegrass. Then we take a step back, to another master fiddler, in an older style: Buddy Thomas of Kentucky, who died in 1974 at age 39. Growing up desperately poor and facing health challenges from birth, Thomas faced the world with good humor and channeled his creative energies into the fiddle. He became a master at bluegrass and swing styles but never lost his attachment to the ancient tunes of his county and region. We'll hear a few of his tunes, and also listen to masters of banjo and autoharp: Will Keyes, Ernest V. Stoneman, and Kilby Snow. There's new music on the show too – from Keiran Kane & Rayna Gellert, with a new album; and Jay Ungar and Molly Mason, whose new album seeks to help people facing health crises recover. Among the tunes, a new performance of Ashokan Farewell, Ungar's iconic tune that became the theme music for Ken Burns' public TV documentary series The Civil War. 

Playlist

1. I've Had A Big Time Today
   Fiddlin' Arthur Smith & His Dixieliners
   Fiddlin' Arthur Smith & His Dixieliners
   County
    
2. In The Pines
   Fiddlin' Arthur Smith & His Dixieliners
   Fiddlin' Arthur Smith & His Dixieliners
   County
    
3. Cheatham County Breakdown
   Fiddlin' Arthur Smith & His Dixieliners
   Fiddlin' Arthur Smith & His Dixieliners
   County
    
4. Lost And I'll Never Find The Way
   Dewey Brown
   Traditional Fiddle
   DewBug
    
5. Beyond The River Bend
   Laurie Lewis & Her Bluegrass Pals
   Laurie Lewis & Her Bluegrass Pals
   Rounder
    
6. Phoenix Arise
   Becky Buller
   Crepe Paper Heart
   Dark Shadow
    
7. Break 1 - Indian Creek
   Fiddlin' Arthur Smith & His Dixieliners
   Fiddlin' Arthur Smith & His Dixieliners
   County
    
8. Sheeps & Hogs Walking Through The Pasture
   Buddy Thomas
   Kitty Puss
   Rounder
    
9. The Blue Goose
   Buddy Thomas
   Kitty Puss
   Rounder
    
10. Sweet Sunny South
    Buddy Thomas
    Kitty Puss
    Rounder
     
11. Cat In The Pear Tree
    Will Keys
    A Banjo Original
    County
     
12. Bile 'Em Cabbage Down
    Ernest V. Stoneman
    Masters of Old-Time Country Autoharp
    Smithsonian Folkways
     
13. Muleskinner Blues
    Kilby Snow
    Masters of Old-Time Country Autoharp
    Smithsonian Folkways
     
14. Break 2 - Snake Chapman's Tune
    Will Keys
    A Banjo Original
    County
     
15. I Don't Know Why
    Kieran Kane & Rayna Gellert
    The Ledges
    Dead Reckoning Records
     
16. Take Your Burden To The Lord
    Kieran Kane & Rayna Gellert
    The Ledges
    Dead Reckoning Records
     
17. Roscoe's Waterfall
    Jay Ungar & Molly Mason
    The Quiet Room
    Fiddle & Dance Records
     
18. Ashokan Farewell
    Jay Ungar & Molly Mason
    The Quiet Room
    Fiddle & Dance Records