Any Old Time String Band – I Bid You Goodnight / Arhoolie CD-433

Description

CD 433

Kate Brislin – banjo, guitar & vocals, Susie Rothfield – fiddle & vocals, Sue Draheim – fiddle & vocals, Genny Haley – banjo, guitar & vocals, Barbara Montoro – bass (1978 session), Valerie Mindel – bass & guitar (1980 session) with guests – Will Scarlett, Hoyle Osborne, Frank Hicks, Mayne Smith, Bill Napier, Don Slovin, Tony Marcus, Marty Simberg, and Eric Thompson

Any Old Time String Band was one of the most popular old time music bands in California. They played a vigorous style of music that mixed elements from a cross section of America’s musical past. Traditional fiddle tunes, old blues, string band songs, Cajun music, popular tunes of the 1920s and 30s, and even a bit of string band jazz combine to create their own brand of old time music. This record presents some favorites from their repertoire as it was recorded on two LP records made for Arhoolie and Bay Records in 1978 and 1980, respectively, both of which are included in their entirety on this CD.
1. Turkey Buzzard
2. Dear Companion
3. Let Me Fall
4. I Wish I’d Stayed In The Wagonyard
5. Ma Cher Bebe Creole
6. Dixieland One-Step
7. Home In Pasadena
8. Long Lost Lover Blues
9. Valse De Orphelin
10. I’ll See You In C-U-B-A
11. Free Little Bird
12. I’ve Got What It Takes
13. Hello Stranger
14. La Valse De Bayou Teche
15. Shady Grove
16. California Blues
17. Cowboy Girl
18. I Made A Big Mistake (Gros Erreur)
19. Lock And Key
20. Falls Of Richmond
21. La Porte Dans Arriere (The Back Door)
22. Oklahoma Blues
23. Keep My Skillet Good And Greasy
24. Farewell Blues
25. I Bid You Goodnight
26. Chinquapin Hunting
27. Camp Chase

REVIEW

“. . . Cajun, country, and early blues are well represented, of course; but the unifying factors are the old-timey but definitely in-the-moment and con-tagiously spirited performances. Rambunctious, sweet, or gritty lead vocals; finely grained harmonies, deliriously careening fiddles, and crisp picking power, [on] each of the 25 tracks, culminating in the classic title tune from the Pindar Family . . . the Bay Area scene is still graced with the strong presence of Kate Brislin (with Jody Stecher) and Suzy Thompson (in many projects, including the California Cajun Orchestra), but this two-in-one reissue stands as a crucial and timeless landmark.”

(Derk Richardson — San Francisco Bay Guardian)