LPCDreissues: Looking forward to the past

A living embodiment of rural American music, Jean Ritchie sings what she calls "family songs," referring to an oral music tradition passed down by her European ancestry who settled in the isolated regions of the Kentucky Cumberlands. After attending college at the University of Kentucky, Ritchie moved to New York City to develop social programs on the Lower East Side. Happily, her job involved teaching elementary-age children the traditional songs of her mountain home. In 1947 she was invited to sing and play dulcimer at a party hosted by The Country Dance Society. Soon after, she caught the attention of Elektra Records founder Jac Holzman, who was becoming increasingly interested in folk music for his fledging label. I very much wanted Jean to be our first folk release in this planned change of direction for my infant Elektra label. She was new, vital, and from a rich singing tradition about which I had read but had never experienced on records. City born and bred, my exposure to folk music had been mostly Burl Ives, Richard Dyer-Bennet, Susan Reed, John Jacob Niles, Peter Seeger, and The Weavers. At a more grass roots level were Huddie Ledbetter (Leadbelly), Woody Guthrie and Josh White. Jean was the first woman I heard whose songs were a natural part of her growing up; evocative, immediate and from a longstanding oral tradition. -- Jac Holzman, from the liner notes to this Rhino Handmade releaseIn 1951, after being introduced to several New York publishers by field recording legend Alan Lomax, Ritchie began work on her autobiographical book Singing Family Of The Cumberlands, published in 1955. She has written many related books and articles, as well as a new essay included in the liner notes to this release. The recordings on this remastered collection began in 1948 and appeared on the Elektra releases Jean Ritchie Singing The Traditional Songs Of Her Traditional Kentucky Mountain Family (1952), Songs Of Her Kentucky Mountain Family (1957), and A Time For Singing (1965). Mountain Hearth & Home is available as an individually numbered limited edition of 2,500 copies.
TRACK LISTING O LOVE IS TEASIN' (1:47) JUBILEE (2:13) BLACK IS THE COLOR (2:14) A SHORT LIFE OF TROUBLE (1:01) ONE MORNING IN MAY (1:55) ONE MORNING IN MAY (VERSION TWO) (1:36) OLD VIRGINNY (2:48) SKIN AND BONES (1:28) MY BOY WILLIE (1:25) HUSH LITTLE BABY (1:01) GYPSUM DAVY (1:54) THE CUCKOO (2:54) O JOHNNIE'S ON THE WATER (1:50) LITTLE CORY (1:38) KEEP YOUR GARDEN CLEAN (1:32) CEDAR SWAMP (1:19) NOTTAMUN TOWN (2:30) THE HANGMAN SONG (1:39) O SISTER PHOEBE (1:09) FALSE SIR JOHN (4:04) DULCIMER PIECES: SHADY GROVE - OLD KING COLE - SKIP TO MY LOU (1:57) BACHELOR'S HALL (1:15) THE LITTLE DEVILS (1:45) KILLY KRANKY (1:04) JEMMY TAYLOR-O (0:55) OLD WOMAN AND PIG (2:08) GOIN' TO BOSTON (1:30) ONE MORE MILE (3:00) GOLDEN RING AROUND THE SUSAN GIRL (1:36) LET THE SUN SHINE DOWN ON ME (2:27) THE L AND N DON'T STOP HERE ANYMORE (3:11) MOVIN' ON DOWN THE RIVER (2:23) WITH KITTY I'LL GO (2:13) ONE I LOVE (3:00) WILD HORSES (1:41) BLUE DIAMOND MINES (4:14) COME ALL YOU FAIR AND TENDER LADIES (2:19)