The Folkways Years 1964-83

Product Description The late Red Allen is considered to be one of the most important exponents of the "high, lonesome sound," the epitome of bluegrass singing. Red Allen's spirited vocals and strong rhythm guitar make him one of the greatest innovators in bluegrass while remaining true to his roots, playing it straight and singing it with soul. Smithsonian Folkways presents this remarkable album plus six never-released cuts and additional selections from four later Folkways albums. Amazon.com Red Allen is the kind of singer who makes one realize whence the term "high lonesome" originates. Possessing an intense tenor voice, Allen often sings like a man possessed. This compilation of his work with Folkways Records showcases the uncompromising nature of bluegrass music at its best, as Allen invests each song with searing conviction. One listen to the opening "Little Maggie," featuring the virtuoso mandolin of Allen's longtime partner Frank Wakefield, and the listener is transported. The Folkways Years includes the landmark 1964 LP Bluegrass in its entirety plus outtakes from its sessions and a handful of later recordings. Each song is a masterpiece in miniature, absolutely flawless in its compression of experience and feeling into its three minutes. Bluegrass music has a few legendary masters by which all others are measured (, , ), and though Allen and Wakefield are part of bluegrass's "second wave," they must be held in nearly the same esteem as their better-known brethren. --Mike Johnson