“Will Work for Music”

New Lonesome Records CD:  Appalachia; Music From Home!

Featuring Darrell Scott, Ralph Stanley, Blue Highway

  Robin and Linda Williams and many more… 

April 6 2009 - In the coalfields of central Appalachia, sometimes it is hard to tell when America is in an economic recession or whether it’s good times! Traditionally, in the best of economic times, the un-employment rate in Central Appalachia is greater than the national average in the worst of times.

Drive down the street of almost any “small-town America” and the sight of empty storefronts and corroding sidewalks is disheartening.  In some respects, main-street Big Stone Gap, Virginia is no different. Since the shut down of giant coal-producing Westmoreland Coal Company, the only replacement to the economy has been a huge  super-maximum-security prison, which, in an extraordinary turn of events, had to be re-classified as  medium-security in order to fill it!! 

In the face of all these mind-numbing statistics, there is one factor that is not easily measured, and that is the fighting spirit and heart of Appalachian people. Over the years, in spite of the long history of economic deprivation—which is more about lack of opportunity rather than unwillingness to work—some of the most exciting, creative music in America has been produced in the coalfields of Central Appalachia. Birthplace of American Country music, Central Appalachia has been the place where all cultural styles of music—African  banjo, British Isles balladry, German shape-notes, Celtic-rooted old time string band, slave blues, bluegrass, and white spirituals—have been assimilated and re-born as “new music,” with 21^st century artists picking up the mantle and transforming the soul and sounds of the music once again.

The lesson for any “outsider” to any community is very simple: don’t judge the hearts of a people or a place from outside appearances. 

Starting on April 9-30, 10:00-11:00 pm EST (check your local listings), PBS will air an extraordinary four-part series entitled Appalachia: A History of Land and People. From outward appearances, people might not know that one acre of Appalachian mountain forest contains more species of trees than in all of Europe. It’s even believed that trees first evolved here over 200 million years ago. These compacted “jungles” produced the coal that fires most electric producing power plants in America.

There are more varieties of flowering plants and shrubs here than anywhere else in the world. Central Appalachian forests, plants, and greenery supply most of the clean air breathed in New York and the cities of East Coast. The mountains of Appalachia are a national and international treasure, rich beyond the lack of imagination and the greed that threatens to destroy them. 

From outward appearances, the storefront windows at 219 Wood Avenue in Big Stone Gap, Virginia, don’t look any different than any other, but again, don’t be fooled by appearances. Go inside!! This is the office location of Lonesome Pine Office on Youth, an extraordinary multi-faceted social-services, educational agency which operates programs aimed at substance abuse, teen pregnancy, school dropout, job-training, and almost any other issue where there is no one tackling the problems—and, oh yes, this is also home for Lonesome Records and Lonesome Ace Publishing, a very successful postage-stamp sized, non-profit record label whose CD, Music of Coal, 100 years of coal-mining music, was a surprise Grammy nominee in 2008. But more surprisingly, if you look at Lonesome Records’ catalogue, you’ll note that over half the artists are under the age of 21.  Lonesome Records’ tongue-in-cheek slogan, “Will work for Music,” reflects a willingness to do the hard work necessary to turn out quality CDs, but it also suggests that, maybe, life needs music as well as money!! This is a record company working hard to invest in Appalachia’s future voice!! 

Lonesome Records has just finished its latest recording project, Appalachia: Music From Home, which is the companion CD for the PBS series, Appalachia: A History of Mountains and People. 

This CD features venerable artists such as Jean Ritchie, Ralph Stanley, Dock Boggs, Carl Martin, Old-Time/Bluegrass artists Art Stamper, Martin Fox and Jeff Winegar, James Alan Shelton, Kentucky Wildhorse; contemporary songwriters Darrell Scott, Robin and Linda Williams, and Blue Highway; and an exciting collection of new singers and musicians such as Clack Mountain String Band, Mitch Barrett, Midnight Ramblers, Molly Slemp, and Evan Carawan ---all celebrating the grand diversity of life and music in the magnificent Appalachian Mountains that they call home. 

While the Agee Film Project PBS series presents a truly inspiring view of the environmental birth and life of the Appalachian Mountains, the CD Appalachia: Music From Home, explores the “territory of the human heart.”   

CD producer, Ron Short, says, “If you want to know about people, ask them to tell you a story; if you want to know what’s in their heart, ask them to sing you a song!

I wanted this CD to reflect who we truly are and not just how we are seen by others. These mountains are not just environmental wonders, they are our home, and this CD offers a view of that home which few ever witness! This is a timeless Appalachian musical collection that you don’t want to miss!  I believe, it will be in your playlist for years to come!!” 

Appalachia: Music From Home will be available April 1^st. For more information visit www.lonesomerecords.org
 

To learn more about the PBS Series, Appalachia: A History Of Mountains and People visit www.appalachiafilm.org