Maddox C.m

Various Artists - The World Is A Monster: Columbia Hillbilly 1948-1958 (2010) {Omni Recording OMNI-140}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 345 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 190 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 17 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1948-58, 2010 The Omni Recording Corporation | OMNI - 140
Hillbilly / Country / Honky Tonk

Another fantastic compilation from the seemingly infallible Omni Recording Corporation, this one focusing on hillbilly music, specifically from the vaults of Columbia Records, between 1948 and 1959, and all focused around a Dallas recording studio run by a man named Jim Beck, and had the winds of fortune blown a little bit differently, and had Beck not died prematurely, then perhaps the recording industry in Nashville would have actually ended up based in Dallas. It's an interesting story, told in great detail in the copious liner notes, as are the stories of all the artists and their songs, and oh, what an awesome collection of singers and players, most of which we'd never before heard or even heard of.

These 20 CDs comprise over 25 hours of music captured on-stage in the 1940s, ‘50s, and ‘60s at KWKH’s legendary Louisiana Hayride radio show. Staged live in Shreveport, the Hayride featured national country music stars, soon-to-be legends, regional break-outs, and talented newcomers. Most of this music has not been heard since the day it was broadcasted.

A holiday compilation with a difference, this assembles a couple dozen Christmas-themed recordings from 1917-1959 that represent roots music of all stripes – blues, gospel, early jazz, early country, Appalachian folk, and even some ethnic sounds of Trinidad, Puerto Rico, Italy, and Ukraine. There are some pretty famous names here, like Leadbelly, Bessie Smith, and Lightnin' Hopkins, as well as some artists who are not as famous but still pretty renowned, like Rev. J.M. Gates, Buell Kazee, and the Maddox Brothers & Rose.

Archie Shepp - Phat Jam In Milano (2009) {Dawn of Freedom DOF0901 rec 2007}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 392 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 146 Mb
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© 2009 Dawn of Freedom | DOF0901
Jazz / Hard Bop / Avant-Garde Jazz / Hip-Hop / Saxophone

After his rap-jazz collaboration with Public Enemy's Chuck D, saxophone icon Archie Shepp evidently felt the need to continue in the contemporary hip-hop mode. Hence the live PHAT JAM IN MILANO from 2009, featuring yet another rapper, Napoleon Maddox, who muses on life in Amerika under George W. Bush on "Ill Biz." (There is even a radio-edit of this cut provided at the end of the album). Luckily–and apart from the obvious fact that this live set was recorded prior to the election of Barack Obama–the jazz side of the equation isn't neglected here.

Various Artists - The Hillbillies: They Tried To Rock, Vol. 1 (2014) {Bear Family BCD17350AH rec 1950-1958}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 279 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 164 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 100 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1950-58, 2014 Bear Family Records | BCD 17350 AH
Hillbillies / Rock & Roll / Country / Country Boogie / Rockabilly

At times, the line between country and rock & roll was very thin indeed, but Bear Family's two-volume, 2014 set The Hillbillies: They Tried to Rock presents a familiar story from a different angle: it showcases country singers trying to combat the rising tide of rock & roll. Plenty of the early rock & rollers came up through some manner of country circuit – the Sun stable in particular was riddled with these types – but once Elvis Presley started a streak of monster hits in 1956, major country stars and upstart hillbillies alike tried to ride that wave.

A unique strictly limited (500 only!) three CD set! This collection of pre-war Blues, Country, and Folk, expertly compiled illustrates the beginnings of what we now call AMERICANA. Disc one highlights Blues, disc 2 Country, and disc 3 Folk.