Pete Seeger's Rainbow Quest - The Greenbriar Boys and The New Lost City Ramblers (2005)

Through extensive touring, recording, and tv appearances in the 1950s and 1960s, the New Lost City Ramblers were the first group to popularize old time string band music. They played the sounds that came from back porches and parlors, barbeques and barn dances, with joy and dedication to the traditions. This show is essential to anyone whose interests lie in folk, alternative country, or Americana. The Greenbriar Boys played a delightful, eclectic mixture of bluegrass, traditional country and Nashville, with touches of vaudeville and blues. They were very popular during the early 1960s when interest in this music was blossoming on the urban folk scene, and this show captures their outstanding musicianship at its peak.

Rainbow Quest with New Lost City Ramblers and Greenbrier Boys

This is one of the better offerings in Pete Seeger's Rainbow Quest TV series. There is a lot of interaction and song swapping between the host, Pete Seeger and the two groups and the instrumentation is excellent. This presentation just leaves the audience wanting more. January 31, 2008

Oldies but Goodies

It is certainly gratifying (not to say surprising) that Pete Seeger should have had his own TV show so shortly after being officially classified as Unamerican, and blacklisted. It is even more gratifying that the show should have been preserved, for now we can see again -- and the younger generation can see for the first time -- many artists who would otherwise have vanished without videographic trace. Two such groups are (I believe) the New Lost City Ramblers and the Greenbriar Boys.

Both are later incarnations, the NLCR with Tracy Schwarz instead of Tom Paley, and the GB with the addition of Jim Buchanan, and Frank Wakefield instead of Ralph Rinzler.

These shows give new meaning to the term "low-budget production": literally the only props in addition to the musicians themselves are a few pieces of furniture and a simulated window. Nevertheless the sound and video quality are good, as is the camera work.

"Informal" and "unrehearsed" -- at least as applied to the show, if not the music -- are other words that seem barely adequate. I thought it was wonderful. If groups like the Kingston Trio gained something with their professionalism and carefully-rehearsed comedy routines, they lost something as well.

The songs are as follows:

NLCR
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Stone's Rag
Man of Constant Sorrow
The Cuckoo Bird
Arkansas Sheikh
The Soldier and the Lady
Hawkins's rag
Orange Blossom Special
I Never Will Marry
Ragtime Annie Medley

Greenbriar Boys
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Sally Goodin
The Wabash Canonball
Danville Girl
The Blues My Naughty Sweetie Gives to Me
Our Festival of Flowers
Bear Creek Hop
Roll on Buddy
Dink's Song
Little Birdie
Stewball
Midnight Special

It has to be said that some of the performances are a bit rough: in particular, Tracy Schwarz's tone would make Jascha Heifetz spin in his grave, and John Herald forgets the lyrics to "Danville Girl"...

But so what? February 6, 2007

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