This 72-minute companion piece to
The Early Years (1958-1962)
is drawn from the seven
Folkways
albums that
the New Lost City Ramblers
recorded between 1963 and 1973, following the entry of
Tracy Schwartz
and the departure of
Tom Paley
, and it's every bit as essential as the first volume. Continuing their emphasis on careful replication of many difficult regional and popular folk forms, one is continually amazed by the versatility of
Schwartz
,
John Cohen
, and
Mike Seeger
, as they bounce from lively fiddle tunes, to instrumental waltzes, from more traditional bluegrass songs to Cajun influences. No doubt, this was a productive period for
the NLCR
, as many of the 27 tracks should be required listening for fans of traditional string-band music. Excellent liner notes and commentary by
Jon Pankake
also make this a quality collection. ~ Matt Fink