Search - Earl Taylor & Jim Mccall :: 20 Bluegrass Favorites

More Earl Taylor!

08/20/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is a solid bluegrass disk with great banjo pickin' and soulful vocals. Its 'ol timey charm is great in the workshop or out on the lawn. I only wish more of the old Earl Taylor vinyl would be released to disk (especially Folksongs From The Bluegrass)."

Earl Taylor & Jim McCall

Robert Riggs | MULDRAUGH, KY USA | 12/05/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Track Listings



1. Little Maggie

2. Suns Gonna Shine

3. Pretty Polly

4. Wondering Boy

5. Home Across the Blueridge Mountains

6. False-Hearted Love

7. Foggy Mountain Top

8. John Hardy

9. Over the Hills to the Poorhouse

10. Lonesome Road Blues

11. Wreck of the Old '97

12. Old Joe Clark

13. Down in the Willow Garden

14. Lost All My Money

15. Gathering Flowers Form the Hillside

16. Ain't Nobody Gonna Miss Me When I'm Gone

17. Cripple Creek

18. Darling Corey

19. Roll in My Sweet Baby's Arms

20. Worried Man Blues"

Should be required listening for those studying or desiring

J. Ross | Roseburg, OR USA | 01/02/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Playing Time - 40:17 -- With over 50 years in business, Rural Rhythm Records has built a catalog that connects many dots from past to present. Since its 1955 creation, Rural Rhythm has released hundreds of classic performances by many legendary bluegrass and old-time musicians such as J.E. Mainer, Don Reno, Red Smiley, Mac Wiseman, Vassar Clements, Hylo Brown, Bill Harrell, Jim Eanes, and many others. This album is part of that archival catalog. The label owes its Arcadia, California start to Uncle Jim O'Neal whose vision was to release the music of many top bluegrass and old-time musicians in the 1950-70s, seeking success where Starday had failed by producing records of limited appeal by lesser known, albeit talented, musicians.



Virginia-born mandolinist Earl Taylor worked with Jimmy Martin, Bill Monroe, Flatt & Scruggs and many others during a long career dating back to the 1940s. Earl Taylor formed the Stoney Mountain Boys about 1958. They were the first bluegrass band to perform at New York's Carnegie Hall (1959) as part of the "Folksong '59" show promoted by Alan Lomax. In 1964, Earl recorded an album "Blue Grass Taylor-made" on Capitol Records with his new band, "The Blue Grass Mountaineers."



Earl joined up with guitarist Jim McCall, and their Rural Rhythm releases should be required listening. Originally released in 1967, this album (produced by Lou Ukelson) illustrates the consistently high quality music that this band was producing. Volumes 2 & 3 (RR-242 and 243) were put out in 1971. The band subsequently went onto the Vetco label and put out "The Bluegrass Touch" (Vetco-3017) in 1974 and "Body and Soul" (Vetco-3026) in 1977.



On "20 Bluegrass Favorites," Earl (lead vocals, mandolin) and Jim (vocals, guitar) are accompanied by Tim Spradlin (banjo) and Charles Haskins (bass). Songcarriers and musicologists would be particularly interested in this type of archival material. It's an immeasurably wealthy body of familiar tunes, all of which are still played today by bands on stage and bluegrass musicians in jam sessions. Don't expect to hear 3- or 4-part vocal harmonies, elaborate arrangements or the same level of clarion studio recording quality we hear today. Rather, just enjoy and relive a classic bluegrass sound of yesteryear. Most of the cuts span about 2 minutes apiece. (Joe Ross, staff writer, Bluegrass Now)

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