Deep River of Song: Virginia and the Piedmont

• Artist: Alan Lomax
• Rating:
• Release Date: June 13, 2000
• Type: Lyrics are included with the album
• Genre: Folk

Review

Deep River of Song: Virgina and the Piedmont collects Alan Lomax field recordings of descendents of Virginia slaves and songs from the racially diverse Piedmont region, where free African-Americans and whites often played music together. Tracks such as Jimmie Strothers' "I Used to Work on a Tractor," James Wilson's "Walk Down, Devils," Robert Higgins' "Prison Blues," and Willie Williams' "Boll Weevil" trace the development of African-American music, including work songs, spirituals, minstrel tunes, and acoustic blues from the antebellum era to the 20th century. The album also features digital remastering and thorough liner notes, reflecting the care put into the entire series of Lomax recordings. ~ Heather Phares, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
Old Dan Tucker		Josh White, Golden Gate Quartet	(1:05)
Corn-Shucking Time		Jimmie Strothers	(1:00)
Jaybird		Jimmie Strothers	(:53)
Georgia Land			(1:24)
I Used to Work on the Tractor		Jimmie Strothers	(1:25)
Wild Ox Moan (Lyrics)			(2:16)
Boll Weevil		Willie Williams	(1:43)
Po' Farmer		Lemuel Jones	(1:27)
Fox Chase	Sonny Terry, Brownie McGhee	Sonny Terry, Brownie McGhee	(2:20)
I'll Go On		Joe Lee	(:53)
I Feel the Spirit Moving			(1:16)
We're Almost Down to the Shore		Jimmie Strothers	(2:22)
This Land of Georgia		Joe Lee	(1:18)
Can't Hide		Alan Lomax	(2:04)
Noah and the Flood			(3:35)
Run Sinner Run		Josh White, Golden Gate Quartet	(2:38)
Take This Hammer		Jimmie Strothers	(2:21)
Walk Down, Devils		James Wilson	(2:22)
Railroad Wreck		Willie Williams	(1:28)
Bitin' Spider		Willie Williams	(4:01)
John Henry	Traditional	Sonny Terry, Brownie McGhee	(2:31)
Tin Can Alley			(:58)
Pick 'Em Up (Lyrics)			(1:56)
Prison Blues		Robert Higgins	(2:48)
Every Mail Day			(3:21)
When I Lie Down Last Night		Blind Joe Taggart	(1:52)
Worried Blues		Sonny Terry	(2:31)
Going to Richmond		Jimmie Strothers	(5:56)

Credits

Steve Rosenthal (Mastering Producer), Michael Donaldson (Disc Transfers), Alan Lomax (Compilation Research), Harold Spivacke (Original Recordings), Willie Johnson (Baritone), Alan Lomax (Producer), Clyde Riddick (Tenor (Vocal)), James Wilson (Vocals), Sonny Terry (Vocals), Alan Lomax (Compilation), Pete Lowry (Compilation), Dr. David Evans (Series Editor), Brownie McGhee (Vocals), Pete Lowry (Compilation Research), Willie Johnson (Leader), Bess Lomax Hawes (Series Consultant), Gideon d'Arcangelo (Series Consultant), Sonny Terry (Harmonica), Steve Rosenthal (Restoration), Ellen Harold (Associate Editor), Ed Lewis (Vocals), Golden Gate Quartet (Performer), R. Brown (Vocals), Blind Joe Taggart (Guitar), Joe Lee (Performer), Jimmie Strothers (Performer), Alan Lomax (Original Recordings), Harold Spivacke (Producer), Blind Joe Taggart (Vocals), Josh White (Guitar), Bill Nowlin (Series Coordinator), Kip Lornell (Liner Notes), Robert Higgins (Performer), Henry Owens (Tenor (Vocal)), Lemuel Jones (Performer), Phil Klum (Mastering)