Various Artists - Gennett Old Time Music: Classic Country Recordings 1927-1934 : 4 x CDs (due to weight, this price for the USA only. Outside of the USA, the price will be adjusted as needed) (Mega Blowout Sale)
SKU
23-JSP 77130
“In the 1920s and 1930s, Gennett may have been small in comparison to labels like Victor and Columbia but they recorded some of the most important slices of American music.
Although their catalogue is best known for jazz, they also recorded many rural performers and string bands. Here are some of the rarest and best. Gennett were ahead of the game. Just three months after Victor had an initial session with Robertson and Gilliland, they themselves had fiddle player William B. Houchins cut three sides. Then they recorded John D. Foster a month before Jimmy Rodgers' debut for the Victor label. Foster was not a 'singing brakeman' or a 'blue yodeller', but he was nonetheless a fine vocalist and guitar player whose recording career would continue after Rodger's death. On this anthology we feature nineteen of Foster's best recordings.
Also featured are sizeable helpings of fine talents like Ernest Stoneman, the Red Fox Chasers, Fiddlin' Doc Roberts and Da Costa Woltz's Southern Broadcasters among many others. This is genuine 'country' music, performed by artists who had first-hand experience of the triumphs and troubles they describe - a far cry, arguably, from the sounds of today. But most important, this was music that was designed to help hard-pressed folks to forget their cares for an hour or two. Even if it doesn't have you leaping up with a hoot and a holler, you'll find your feet tapping along.”
“This is certainly among the best, if not THE best, Old Time Music collection out there, and the best JSP one I've heard so far. The songs are enjoyable, the performances are stellar and the sound quality is great overall for the time. While there are always a few lower quality, muffled sounding songs on every JSP box set, this one keeps it to a minimum (maybe 4-6 out of 99) and the rest sound VERY good, considering their age.
The only slight problem with the sound quality is a weird issue with a few songs on the 1st disc that get loud and clear during an instrumental break. So, they sound "normal" when singing and playing and then there is an increase in volume during a solo break between verses. This may bother some people, but it only affects a handful of songs, and personally I'd rather have a "problem" where a song suddenly becomes louder and clearer than suddenly lower and muffled instead anyday, which is usually what happens.
There are a lot of great, old fiddle tunes on here and way more instrumentals than on other JSP OTM sets, so if you like old time fiddle playing, then this is the jackpot. Of particular interest are the 2 instrumentals "Wild Geese" and "Fox Chase", if you want to know what a fiddle sounds like mimicking those things. There are also some wonderful vocal pieces by greats like John Hammond, Ernest Stoneman and Byrd Moore.
The liner notes are typical of JSP with 2 pages for each cd and a back page with line up info and recording dates. Just the right amount of info to introduce the players without being too overwhelming. Collection features 4 cd's in individual, full size jewel cases in a cardboard box slip case.
Overall, a wonderful collection of old time music and one of the better ones out there. Easily worth the asking price.”