The 1927 Bristol Sessions Revisited

The Birthplace of Country Music organisation has announced the release on May 12 2015 of Orthophonic Joy: The 1927 Bristol Sessions Revisited.  This album celebrates the impact that the 1927 Bristol Sessions in Bristol (Virginia/Tennessee) had on the country music industry.

Orthophonic Joy: The 1927 Bristol Sessions Revisited features re-creations of the original Bristol Sessions’ recordings by country music stars including Ashley & Shannon Campbell, Ashley Monroe, Brad Paisley, Carl Jackson, Corbin Hayslett, Dolly Parton, Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, Emmylou Harris, Jesse McReynolds, Keb´ Mo´, Larry Cordle and The Virginia Luthiers, Marty Stuart, Sheryl Crow, Steve Martin & the Steep Canyon Rangers, The Chuck Wagon Gang, The Church Sisters, The Shotgun Rubies, and Vince Gill.  The recording project also includes narration of the 1927 Bristol Sessions history by famed Opry host Eddie Stubbs.

Also known as the “Big Bang of Country Music,” the original 1927 recordings recordings by Ralph Peer took country music to a new level and produced pioneers of the genre, such as Jimmie Rodgers and the Carter Family.  Johnny Cash referred to this event as “the single most important event in the history of country music.”

The Smithsonian Institution-affiliated Birthplace of Country Music Museum in Bristol, Virginia is dedicated to preserve the legacy of the 1927 Bristol Sessions and their lasting influence on American popular music.  The museum is part of The Crooked Road, the tie that binds Southwest Virginia’’s music heritage to a rich history.  The Crooked Road spans more than 300 miles, showcasing the land and its people inspired legends like the Carter family, the Stoneman family, Dr. Ralph Stanley and Johnny Cash.  Its authentic culture continues to inspire musicians today.  You can read about my travels along The Crooked Road here.

Orthophonic Joy… is a modern take on the authentic, legendary music birthed in the foothills of the majestic mountains across Southwest Virginia and Tennessee.  The songs, many of which have been passed from generation to generation, inspire travel to a region which music lovers have long revered as sacred ground.

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Album Tracklist:

Disc 1
1. “Don’’t Deny Yourself the Sheer Joy of Orthophonic Music…” (narration by Eddie Stubbs)
2. I’’m Redeemed –- Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver
3. “All They Needed Now Was Talent…”
4. Bury Me Beneath the Willow – Emmylou Harris
5. “Tonight He is Playing the Tune at Police Headquarters…”
6. Black Eyed Susie –- Marty Stuart
7. “An Early Tradition of Scrapping for Rights and Royalties…”
8. When They Ring Those Golden Bells – Dolly Parton
9. “I Wish I Had Some Rocks to Throw at Them…”
10. The Storms Are On the Ocean – –Ashley Monroe
11. “Any Song with a Story Will Go to the People’s Hearts…”
12. I Am Resolved -– The Shotgun Rubies
13. “A Hoe-down Social in a Mountain Cabin…”
14. Sweet Heaven When I Die – Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers
15. “Daddy Never Knew When He Would Come Up With an Idea for a Song…”
16. The Soldier’’s Sweetheart – Vince Gill
17. “Where the Blues Meet the Church…”
18. To The Work – –Keb’ Mo’

Disc 2
1. “Singers Who Had Not Visited Bristol During Their Entire Lifetime Arrived…”
2. Where We’ll Never Grow Old – The Church Sisters
3. “Love, Loss, and the Perils of the Moonshine Business…”
4. Darling Cora – Corbin Hayslett
5. “Ramblers Riding the Longest Train I Ever Saw…”
6. In the Pines – Brad Paisley & Carl Jackson
7. “Twenty-One Good Years at the Throttle…”
8. The Wreck of the Virginian – Ashley & Shannon Campbell
9. “Prized and Practical, Brutal Ballads…”
10. Pretty Polly – Carl Jackson
11. “Tremendous Heart Punch and Appeal…”
12. The Wandering Boy – Sheryl Crow
13. “Gotta Catch That Train…”
14. Train on the Island – Larry Cordle & The Virginia Luthiers
15. “History Saws and Strums Along with Itself…”
16. Johnny Goodwin / The Girl I Left Behind – Jesse McReynolds & Carl Jackson
17. “Introducing the Orthophonic Choir…”
18. Shall We Gather at the River – The Chuck Wagon Gang & The Orthophonic Choir
19. “The Birthplace of Country Music…”

For more information about the Birthplace of Country Music and the Orthophonic Joy album, visit birthplaceofcountrymusic.org.

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