Acie Cargill Presents
Old-Time Music
For A New Millennium
various artists
Cobwebs Recording
2000
16 tracks
One of the more important aspects of Acie Cargill's work is his dedication to help preserve what remains of old-time and traditional music. Burned on CDR with labelling apparently made with a bubble-jet printer, each copy of Cargill's home-made recordings is unique and bears an identifying serial number. The recordings themselves are clean and professional if often home-made. The content is interesting, informative, and to some degree educational. While releases like Old-Time Music For A New Millenium may be of some interest to academics, they may be especially informative to young musicians and to those who may not have been exposed to this music before.
There's also an element of nostalgia to these recordings. Many of the songs may bring fond memories to those among us who were children some fifty or sixty years ago. The music reminds me of the songs my father played and sang so long ago and of some of the records he played in our home. Indeed, I have a home-made recording, circa 1955, of my father singing and playing that sounds very much like these recordings. The music on this release is clearly American, but it draws on the same European roots as Canadian folk music and many of the songs are the same.
There's a wonderful diversity to the songs presented here. Listed styles include celtic, ragtime jazz, bluegrass, traditional folk, western yodel, country gospel, southern gospel, and old-timey. The tracks reflect the diversity of American folk music in the Twentieth Century. At least some and possibly all of these songs were recorded live and all have a certain homespun quality that might have been found at any small town barn dance or civic event.
Because of the variety of material presented here, it would be hard to choose a favourite from among these songs. In fact, my own favourite would probably change depending on how I was feeling at the time. On the other hand, there are certain songs that stand out for various reasons.
One of three contributions by Cargill, "Dear Mother" is a sentimental bluegrass number featuring a spoken-word tale of a son's memory of his mother and of her advice to him, written in a note found in his grandfather's fiddle case. Cargill has a strong speaking voice, which the sung chorus sets off perfectly. "Dear Mother" epitomizes a long tradition of spoken songs in American folk and country music.
Having heard a lot of "cowboy" music growing up, I especially enjoy Mary Minton's contribution, performed "on the main stage here at Sunset Farm" according to the announcer's introduction. "Cowboy's Sweetheart" is a real old-fashioned cowboy song, including wonderful western-style yodelling. Minton sounds like an older gal who has been singing country and western music for a long time. Her vocal and Bill Goodacre's straightforward guitar give this song a nostalgic edge. It would be interesting to know just how long ago this recording was made.
In fact, one thing missing from this release is any indication of when the various tracks had been recorded or, indeed, any information at all on circumstances surrounding the recording of these tracks or on the various artists themselves. In an archival compilation of these songs, apparently gathered from a variety of sources, it would be of historical value to include as this and as much more information as possible.
"Unclouded Day" by Pat Sowash and the "Gospel Medley" by DJ & Pat give a very good feel of the gospel music that used to be heard on the radio during much of the last century. No boring "church music" these are lively down-home performances that will hold the listener's interest while still maintaining an appropriate sense of reverence. Both performances are beautiful to hear. "Gospel Medley" has a real country and western sound and features some lovely harmonies. "Unclouded Day" is pure bluegrass.
Kristina Olsen's ragtime number "Alligator Crawl" features a guitar line at the beginning and throughout that sounds more boogie woogie than ragtime yet fits right in with the ragtime theme. Is it possible that the roots of boogie woogie began in ragtime music? Here again, being unfamiliar with this composition, I wish the compiler had put this song into a timeline for context. Does this song hail from the heyday of ragtime or from a more contemporary time when the boogie woogie would not have been integral but an add-on?
"Blackwaterside" is a very traditional folk lament that reflects the Scots-Irish influences in American folk music. Debra Cowan has a strong voice reminiscent of Carolyn Hester during her folk-music period. "Blackwaterside" makes an interesting contrast to the other songs on this release, which have a more purely American sound.
"Cabbage Head" has probably the most raw sound on this release. The guitar playing is rough and Howard Lee Noel's vocal is rougher. This recording has a definite homespun sound and may have been recorded long ago on a transcription machine in someone's home. Again, we don't know for sure because no information is given. These days, at least in my part of the world, this song is usually sung as an up-tempo Clancy Brothers style Irish tune. It's interesting to hear it performed instead in American folk style.
Because this release included the recordings but no information besides song title and artist name, this release has less historical value than Acie Cargill's previous release, A Family Gathering, which featured material recorded circa 1960 in Kentucky. Even so, it's a very interesting and varied collection of traditional and old-time music as it might have been heard half a century or more ago.
Perhaps in the liner notes of future pressings, Cargill will include any available documentary information on the included recordings. Alternately, he could have this information added to the Cobwebs Recording website or to www.AcieCargill.com.
Read my new review of Acie Cargill's Folk-Legacy release The Songs and Ballads of Hattie Mae Tyler Cargill at Sound Bytes. You'll also find my review of Acie Cargill's A Family Gathering in the Sound Bytes Archives.
|
|
While you're here, please take the time to check out our sponsors below and on other pages.
Listen to the songs of Poem de Terre - unique Canadian Folk Music & Spoken Word
|
Own the music of Bob MacKenzie & Poem de Terre. Click any album cover to order it from CD Baby. |
|
Got a new or recent release you would like reviewed?
Click here 
for more information.
on Sound Bytes' Free-For-All Links page... Click Here.
Designed by The Communication Centre (R. D. MacKenzie Associates,
Kingston, Ontario K7K 6T9)
This web site, all pages, original content & images copyright © 1997-2005 R. D. MacKenzie.
Some web site functions developed and provided by Bravenet Web Services.
Review written: January 4, 2003
Page modified: May 4, 2005
Proudly Canadian
Send mail to the Sound Bytes Webmaster
if you have questions or comments about this web site.