Field Recorders' Collective Releases New Albums for 2020

Earlier this year, the Field Recorders' Collective released a new album by Teodar Jackson, an old-time fiddler from Texas who was recorded in the mid-1960s. Yesterday, the FRC announced four more albums to round out their 2020 offerings. 

The Field Recorders' Collective is a non-profit organization established by the late Ray Alden that is dedicated to preserving and distributing non-commercial recordings of American traditional music that would be otherwise unavailable to the general public. Each year, the FRC releases a handful of a albums from a variety of musicians that are available on CD or as a digital download via Bandcamp. Not only does the group provide excellent music, but it's a cause well worth supporting. 

This year's releases represent musicians from Texas, Missouri, Mississippi, Kentucky and Ohio, including a reissue of a long out of print Rounder recording. The following is a quick summary of the 2020 FRC albums. For now, only the the Teodar Jackson album is available digitally, but the other four are coming soon. 

Various, Along the Ohio's Shores: Fiddle Music Along a Great River

This is a reissue of a Rounder release from 2005, produced by John Harrod and Mark Wilson, who along with Gus Meade, conducted field work along the Ohio River to document traditional musicians. The album also includes recordings that Barbara Edwards Kunkle made in the 1970s. I had heard of this album a couple years ago from Kerry Blech in regards to my research of Ohio fiddlers and the inclusion of this album's recordings of Forrest Pick of Portsmouth, Ohio. There are extensive liner notes available on the FRC website. 

Teodar Jackson, African American Fiddling from Texas

Known as "T-olee" to those in his community and as "Papa-T" to his family, Teodar Jackson (1903-1966) lived and played music in the Austin, Texas, area, after being born in Gonzales County, east of San Antonio, where his family had moved from Mississippi some time after 1850. These recordings were made by Tary Owens and George Lyon in 1965 and 1966, showcasing familiar square dance tunes, blues and rags, as well as older sounding set-pieces that may have otherwise been lost. 

H.K. Silvey, Fiddling from Ozark County, MO

Representing one of the last old-time Ozarks fiddlers of his generation, Hubert K. Silvey was raised in an environment where fiddling and square dances were a part of everyday life. Silvey was born in 1933 and grew up hearing his uncle Jess Silvey play for music parties and dances. He learned to back up his uncle on guitar and then began learning fiddle at age 15 by sneaking his uncle’s fiddle out of the case while he was gone. These recordings were made in 2016 by collector Jim Nelson.

The Leake County String Band, Mississippi's Longest-Lived String Band: 1969-1991

Except for concerts during its most visible period in the 1970s and a single recording in 1971, the Leake County String Band played close to home, mostly socially in their homes, nursing homes and churches. Throughout most of its long life, this band seems to have been more a collection of friends playing local, well-loved tunes than a professional or even semi-professional band. 

Kentucky Fiddlers Home Recordings, Vol. 1: Fleming and Bath Counties

These recordings come from the collection of John Harrod, who along with Gus Meade and Mark Wilson, and made field recordings of old traditional fiddlers in Kentucky during the 1970s, '80s and '90s. During that time, they discovered many of the older players had used recording devices as they became available in their own communities. These home recordings capture many of the same performers when they were much younger. There are extensive notes on this album on the FRC website.

Each of these albums looks well worth checking out. I'm looking forward to checking them out as soon as possible. If you have these releases, let us know in the comments how they sound.