This 3 CD reissue anthology is the first to track twentieth century American vernacular music of old time country, bluegrass, jazz and blues by tracing their beginnings in 19th century blackface minstrelsy and Tin Pan Alley.
Country Music is a genre driven by songwriting and publishing. This fact alone has given opportunity for songs to be refashioned again and again showcasing stylistic as well as lyrical changes over the past 100 years. The foundation of the American popular songbook traces its beginnings to the Vaudeville, Circus, Minstrel, Music Hall and Theatre stages of the mid-late 1800s. The songs spread throughout the country and world creating a new musical tapestry that included both black and white performers of all backgrounds. Their songs and styles are presented in this three CD anthology.
By aligning performances from the earliest cylinder recordings with later 78 rpm, LP and CD versions, PROTOBILLY brings to life 81 historic recordings - more than half never before reissued -- all brilliantly remastered by award winning engineer DOUG BENSON to vividly demonstrate the checkered and enormously powerful elasticity of American music.
Produced by renowned recording music historians HENRY H. SAPOZNIK, DICK SPOTTSWOOD and DAVID GIOVANNONI, the set comes with 76 pages of song annotations, sheet music covers, photographs and period graphics, biographies and discographies by SAPOZNIK, SPOTTSWOOD and "The American Songster," DOM FLEMMONS.
DISCLAIMER: These recorded selections are period documents which reflect the attitudes, and beliefs of their time and are here presented in a thoughtful and historical context. Neither JSP nor the producers/authors endorse the views expressed in some of these recordings which may contain offensive content.
Track Listing
Disc 1:
- Billy Murray - Casey Jones
- Fiddlin’ John Carson - Casey Jones
- Jesse James - Southern Casey Jones
- Arthur Collins - Steamboat Bill
- Earl McDonald’s Original Louisville Jug Band - Casey and Bill
- Delmore Bros. - Steamboat Bill Boogie
- Frank C. Stanley & Henry Burr - Red Wing
- Doc Williams & The Border Riders - Red Wing
- George J. Gaskin - Just Break the News to Mother
- Louvin Bros. - Take the News to Mother
- Royal Fish & Vernon Archibald - In the Shadow of the Pines
- Kelly Harrell - In the Shadow of the Pine
- Billy Murray & Irving Kaufman - Are You From Dixie'
- Grandpa Jones - Are You From Dixie'
- Eleanora de Cisneros - Home, Sweet Home
- Don Reno - Home, Sweet Home
- Ed. Morton - The Party Who Wrote Home Sweet Home Never Was a Married Man
- Mack Woolbright & Charlie Parker - The Man Who Wrote Home Sweet Home Never Was a Married Man
- Prince’s Orchestra - I'm Alabama Bound
- Charlie Jackson - I'm Alabama Bound
- Olbrig’s Zither Trio - Unter dem Doppleadler
- Bill Boyd’s Cowboy Ramblers - Under the Double Eagle
- Harry Macdonough - Blue Bell
- Merle Travis - Blue Bell
- Eddie Adcock - Virginia Bluebell
- May Irwin - The Foolish Frog
- Frank Corso - The Foolish Frog
Disc 2:
- Charles A. Asbury - Haul the Woodpile Down
- Uncle Dave Macon - Hold that Wood-Pile Down
- The American Quartet - Darling Nellie Gray
- Roland Cauly & Lake Howard - Darling Nellie Gray
- Louis Armstrong & The Mills Brothers - Darling Nellie Gray
- Arthur Collins & Joseph Natus - I Got Mine
- Frank Stokes - I Got Mine
- Edward Meeker - Go Easy Mabel
- Delmore Bros - Go Easy Mabel
- Dan W. Quinn - The Smoke Goes Up the Chimney Just the Same
- Fiddlin’ John Carson - The Smoke Goes Up the Chimney Just the Same
- Peerless Quartet - When the Bees Are in the Hive
- Bill Monroe and His Blue Grass Boys - When the Bees Are in the Hive
- Charles Johnson’s Original Paradise Ten - Don't You Leave Me Here
- Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five - I'm Alabamy Bound
- Stanley Kirkby - Don't Go Down in the Mine, Dad
- Keith Whitley - Dream of a Miner's Child
- Byron G. Harlan & Frank C. Stanley - I Loved You Better Than You Knew
- The Carter Family - I Loved You Better Than You Knew
- Johnnie & Jack - I Loved You Better Than You Knew
- Edison Male Quartet - By The Watermelon Vine
- Proximity String Quartet - Lindy
- Cousins & DeMoss - Who Broke The Lock
- The Georgia Browns - Who Stole De Lock
- Jack Bland & His Rhythmmakers - Who Stole The Lock
- Emmett Miller - Lovesick Blues
- Hank Williams - Lovesick Blues
- Charles A. Asbury - I'm the Father of a Little Black Coon
Disc 3:
- May Irwin - May Irwin's Bully Song
- Gid Tanner & The Skillet Lickers - Bully Of the Town
- Vin Bruce - Fille de la Fille
- Billy Golden - Turkey in the Straw
- Peg Leg Howell & Eddie Anthony - Turkey Buzzard Blues
- Harry C. Browne - Old Dan Tucker
- Gid Tanner & His Skillet Lickers - Old Dan Tucker
- Len Spencer - Arkansas Traveler
- Jilson Setters (J.W. Day) - The Arkansaw Traveler
- Clayton McMichen & His Georgia Wildcats - Arkansas Traveler
- S.H. Dudley & Harry Macdonough - The Girl I Loved in Sunny Tennessee
- Floyd County Ramblers - Sunny Tennessee
- George O’Connor - Nigger Blues
- Georgia White - The Blues Ain't Nothing But..."'
- Brilliant Quartet - I'se Gwine Back to Dixie
- Uncle Dave Macon - I'se Gwine Back to Dixie
- Elizabeth Spencer - Baby Mine
- Leslie Keith - Going Around This World
- Anna Chandler - All Night Long
- Roy Acuff & His Crazy Tennesseeans - All Night Long
- Sam Moore & Horace Davis - Laughing Rag
- Darby & Tarlton - Mexican Rag
- Silas Leachman - I Don't Care If I Never Wake Up
- Arthur Collins - My Money Never Gives Out
- Banjo Joe (Gus Cannon) - My Money Never Runs Out
- Dom Flemons & Guy Davis - My Money Never Gives Out
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Press Quotes
The itinerary in 'Protobilly' is exhilarating, the history enlightening--and for some fancying or working in roots music, it will prove downright inspiring.
—Barry Mazor, The Wall Street Journal
