Tracing the roots of mountain music

In the spring of 1937, Joseph S. Hall, a linguist student from Columbia University in New York, was offered the ultimate summer job that he could not refuse. An avid outdoor enthusiast and fervent hiker, Hall was presented the task of documenting the speech of a group of landowners that were being displaced by the creation of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Attempting to appease the voices of protest as relocation drew near, the National Park Service commissioned Hall and provided recording equipment that would be considered archaic by today’s standards (a truck was needed to carry much of it) to preserve the speech and music the Smoky Mountains’ native culture. 

After a summer of visiting the region, making close ties with the mountain communities, and filling four notebooks full of thoughts on the culture, language, and customs of mountain folkways, Hall returned in June 1939 with his gear and began work on what would become an important document of American culture, an essential artifact that provides insight and helps define the musical heritage and tradition of an area populated for well over a century.

The non-profit Great Smoky Mountains Association has produced “Old-Time Smoky Mountain Music” composed of 34 thoughtfully selected tracks from among the many hours of field recordings Hall made in the months he spent exploring the areas of North Carolina and Tennessee that form today’s Great Smoky Mountain National Park. Ted Olson, a professor at East Tennessee State University, had the job of listening to all of Hall’s fieldwork; in fact, much of Hall’s work was donated to ETSU and has been preserved by the university. In an attempt to fairly represent the diversity of the region, Olson choose tracks that demonstrated a region exposed to both European and African musical influences, as well as songs that were mainstream at the time-popularized by 78s and radio broadcasts. The overall collection consists of a variety of Depression-era performances—from solo fiddle, to banjo and guitar duets, as well as the string bands that were common in the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) camps in Western North Carolina that Hall stationed himself in during some of his time in the mountains. Raw, imperfect, and sincere, these songs were sung and played by honest people void of dreams of grandeur, but of more practical and urgent dreams, as the region was clearly affected by the economic meltdown of the Great Depression. 

Hall’s recordings are pre-bluegrass, certainly the most recognizable musical genre associated with the area today, yet with shades of country, blues, and gospel flowing interchangeably with the region’s dialect and musical prowess, all of these songs are distinctively Appalachian and worldly at the same time. There’s some sharp pickin’ on here too, just check out the fine groove John Davis and Shorty Smith lay down on their version of “Going Down the Road Feeling Bad,” a traditional blues song, a standard among pickers and rockers alike, captured more than 70 years ago. The two fellows get after it like they were the Earl Scruggs and Lester Flatts of Haywood County, N.C. Or check out the classic “Sourwood Mountain” ripped up by the Cataloochee Trio. Listen in awe as Wayne Wright, Slick Wilson, and David Proffitt blast out a 45-second impromptu jam that would certainly impress most musicians today. 

Besides the exceptional essays, historical photos, and liner notes that accompany the CD, a transcript of each song taken from the recording also demonstrates the variances of lyrical improv and regional dialect on such notable folk songs as “On Top of Old Smoky” and “John Henry.” Compared to more recent recordings, the evolution of song and musical styles is evident. Many of the instrumental tunes like “Bonaparte’s Retreat” and “Polly Put the Kettle On,” admirably performed by Willis and Dexter Bumgarner of Allens Creek in Haywood County, unmistakably derive their influence from the British style of fiddle playing that evolved within the mountains over time. 

If viewed as an artifact that has been carefully preserved and put on display, this extensive recording and 40-page booklet is an important start to understanding the culture of a region deeply enriched in a musical heritage that has influenced and created many of the legends of bluegrass, country, and rock. From Doc Watson to the Grateful Dead, the songs Hall captured for the National Park Service have been popularized and revered by musicians and enjoyed by fans for many years.  If taken simply as an album void of the historical benefits within this compilation of traditional ballads and songs, the music doesn’t get much more pure than this.

The CD is exclusively available only through the Great Smoky Mountains Association; all   purchases benefit the park. Visit smokiesinformation.org or call 888.898.9102, ext. 226.