You can pick your friends, you can pick your banjo, but you can't pick...

From 1961 through 1965, the Friends of Old Time Music (FOTM) brought 14 concerts of traditional folk music, old time country music, bluegrass, blues and religious music to New York City audiences. The concerts represented the first NY appearances - often the first urban appearance - by influential artists like Dock Boggs, Maybelle Carter, Bill Monroe, Missippi John Hurt and Roscoe Holcomb. Smithsonian Folkways just released a box set of recordings (Friends of Old Time Music: The Folk Arrival 1961 - 1965) from these concerts and this playlist represents a collection of the artists and songs that appear in the box set.

Playlist: Friends of Old Time Music - Folk Arrival 1961-1965

The founders of FOTM were Ralph Rinzler (The Greenbriar Boys,) John Cohen (The New Lost City Ramblers) and Izzy Young (owner of The Folklore Center) with Rinzler taking on the larger chunk of the responsibility of assembling the acts, securing the venues and mc'ing the events. As a result of his work he also ended up managing both Dock Watson and Bill Monroe and then later became director of the Newport Folk Foundation, before becoming a curator for American art, music, and folk culture at the Smithsonian. For the first concert they got Kentucky music legend Roscoe Holcomb, and to insure a steady audience, both Cohen and Rinzler's bands opened (poster at left.)

Perhaps the most famous of all the concerts was the double-billing of Dock Boggs and Missippi John Hurt, December 13th, 1963, a few months after appearing at Rinzler's Newport Folk Festival. The two were an interesting match; Hurt was a Black musician influenced greatly by White country artists (like Jimmie Rodgers - listen to "Frankie and Albert") while Dock Boggs was a White musician deeply influenced by the Blues ("Poor Boy in Jail.") They collaborated on one song with Boggs playing banjo on "Banjo Clog" while Hurt peformed some clog dancing.

All in all, the collection is worthwhile treat that comes in just in time for the holiday gift buying season (not already!!) and you certainly don't have to be 'old time' to appreciate.

More:
While Rhapsody has yet to get in their library, Emusic has it in theirs.
The Bombshelter profiles the collection and features a download of The Stanley Brothers' recording of "Feast Here Tonight."

Previously:
Einstein's theory of American Culture (Mo Asch and American Folkways)

tags: playlist, music, fotm, friends of old time music, folk music, folkways records, dock boggs, missippi john hurt, roscoe holcomb, smithsonian, rhapsody, emusic