Smithsonian Folkways Recordings
1994
Original Folkways Recordings Of Doc Watson And Clarence Ashley, 1960-1962
About This Album
This important release documents the rediscovery of banjoist and comedian Clarence (Tom) Ashley in the early '60s, and the simultaneous introduction of a young and then-unknown guitar picker, the astounding Doc Watson. Ashley was one of the many musicians of the '20s and '30s whose early work appeared briefly on Harry Smith's 1952 Anthology of American Folk Music, the legendary collection that provided inspiration for much of the subsequent folk revival; as well as fueling up-and-coming urban "folk-singers" with a wealth of material, Smith's anthology ultimately led to the rediscovery and re-recording of such musicians as Dock Boggs, Mississippi John Hurt, and Ashley, who himself initiated the discovery of his neighbor, Doc Watson. At the time of the earliest recordings in this two-disc set, Ashley was some 20 years out of practice, while Watson's only outlet for performance was as an electric guitar player in a nearby rockabilly band; Watson did not own an acoustic guitar, nor Ashley a banjo. Over the course of these initial field recordings and later concert performances, however, Watson and Ashley demonstrate remarkable familiarity with local traditions, repertoire, and styles, showcasing and continually sharpening their profound skills and aesthetic senses.
Track List

Disc 1 (try tracks 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17 and 18)

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Disc 2 (try tracks 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16 and 17)

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