Greenback Dollar

Those harboring illusions that old-time music is a quaint, primitive entertainment will be shocked, if not disturbed, by Clarence Ashley. These 20 songs survey the original prewar recordings of the legendary banjo picker, black-faced minstrel, and stinging Appalachian vocalist, and make the case that his music is as mysterious and troubling as his more heralded contemporary Dock Boggs. Like a great character actor, Ashley sinks into the identities of rakes and rambling blades, delivering lines like "All I want's my 32-20, just to shoot out your dirty brains" with all-too-human malice. Some tunes, like the original "Coo Coo Bird" (featured on Harry Smith's Anthology of American Folk Music), capture just Ashley and his oddly tuned banjo; others, like his influential version of "Corrina, Corrina," find him backed by some fine early country musicians, especially the virtuoso harmonica player Gwen Foster. Collectors of ancient 78s know what it's like to rediscover such long-neglected American music; thanks to this collection, the rest of us can share the same thrill. --Roy Kasten