When I hosted Bluegrass Breakdown on WYSO, Ray Garrison did the Midnight Ramble right after my show just about every Saturday night.
Before I left my show in the spring of 2003 to go to grad school, Ray had gotten sick.
He died a few days ago, and here is a little tribute.
Here's my contribution to NRO's summer books series.
Let me here reiterate my strenuous praise for Peter Guralnick's Elvis biographies. If someone asked me for a reading list to learn about American music, or America itself, I would tell him to start here.
Doc Watson & Family
The Doc Watson Family Tradition
Rounder Records
4 stars (out of 5)
Recorded in 1964 and 1965, this isn't so much a Doc Watson album as it is a literal exhibition of the musical tradition - both immediate and ancient - that he came from. Doc and members of his extended family take turns sharing fiddle tunes, banjo pieces, lullabyes, gospel songs and ballads, some of which are hundreds of years old.
Backed only by father-in-lay Gaither Carlton on fiddle, Doc's best vocal is on "Am I Born to Die?" Doc's cousin Dolly Greer steals the show with her a cappella singing, especially on "Omie Wise."
A perfect introduction to what we call old-time music.
