The Glory-Beaming Banjo

Making music has taken a back seat to buying music lately. I haven't gotten much playing time in over the last couple months, but I have another stack of records to share with you. That is, if you're willing to take a peak at the latest additions to my collection.  While I do have a cool vintage vinyl release to share, it seems that 2025 has become the year of 78 rpm records for me. I've added another 10 shellac records to my collection since my previous post , although not all of them fall into the old-time / hillbilly realm.  Let's start with the vinyl. I saw an online listing for the two-LP set of The Hammons Family, A Study of a West Virginia Family's Traditions, released by the Library of Congress in 1973. The exciting thing about this particular copy was that it was still sealed! The box set includes two records and a 36-page booklet about the Hammons family of Pocahontas County. This collection features music by Burl Hammons, Maggie Hammons Parker, and Sherma...

Behold, the latest addition to my old-music on vinyl collection. The Edden Hammons Collection was released in 1984 by the West Virginia University Press Sound Archives. The album was reissued on CD in 1999 as The Edden Hammons Collection: Volume 1.  The two-disc second volume was released in 2000. Hitherto finding this album at a reasonable price through an online dealer, this album was going for upwards of $125 or more on eBay. The outer sleeve has a couple small dings, but the vinyl is pristine and the accompanying booklet with contributions from the late, great Alan Jabbour is in good shape. One of the big reasons I'm excited to get this album is because a couple years ago I learned Hammons' version of "Washington March" from  Bruce Molsky's Southern Old-Time Fiddle Tour . It's nice to finally have the source recording for that tune. Edden Hammons died in 1955 . He was recorded in 1947 by West Virginia University professor Louis Chappell. Ultimate...