Ralph Stanley - Old-Time Pickin'

A Clawhammer Banjo Collection

(Rebel REB-CD-7520) 2008

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This 39:27 min compilation of Ralph's clawhammer songs includes nine previously unreleased tracks recorded in 1996, 2000 and 2001.

Inevitably there is some overlap in material with the Songs My Mother Taught Me & More collection, although the versions here are different recordings made for Rebel.

Of the new tracks, Battle Ax is a fine energetic instrumental.

Married Life Blues seems to have been an old song. It was recorded in 1940 by Byron Parker and His Mountaineers and later by Roscoe Holcomb, but there's also a field recording by Alan Lomax from 1937 and apparently it was also cut in 1935 by Billy Cox.^[1] (James Alan Shelton also cut it in 2004 on his 'Half Moon Bay' CD.)

The remainder of the new tracks are old standards like Cripple Creek, Shady Grove, Old McDonald/Cindy, Black-Eyed Susie... Another fan favourite I've Got A Mule To Ride had previously been released on The Memory Of Your Smile but is re-recorded here with Ralph and Ralph II sharing vocals.

The CD comes with a 12-page booklet with some old photo's and liner notes by Eddie Dean, who at the time was working on Ralph's biography 'Man Of Constant Sorrow'.

Other artwork / related images:

[1] The Byron Parker version is on the JSP CD box set 'Bluegrass - Early 1931-1953 Cuts' (JSP JSP-77131) 2004, and 'Early Days Of Bluegrass Vol. 1' LP (Rounder 1013) 1974. For more info see:-
http://folkarchivist.blogspot.co.uk/2010/10/early-bluegrass-byron-parker-his.html
The Alan Lomax field recording can be found here:-
https://lomaxky.omeka.net/items/show/517