Mountains of Music: West Virginia Traditional Music from Goldenseal

by John Lilly

From fiddle tunes to folk ballads, from banjos to blues, traditional music thrives in the remote mountains and hollers of West Virginia. For a quarter century, Goldenseal magazine has given its readers intimate access to the lives and music of folk artists from across this pivotal state. Now the best of Goldenseal is gathered for the first time in this richly illustrated volume.

Some of the country's finest folklorists take us through the backwoods and into the homes of such artists as fiddlers Clark Kessinger and U.S. Senator Robert Byrd, recording stars Lynn Davis and Molly O'Day, dulcimer master Russell Fluharty, National Heritage Fellowship recipient Melvin Wine, bluesman Nat Reese, and banjoist Sylvia O'Brien. The most complete survey to date of the vibrant strands of this music and its colorful practitioners, Mountains of Music delineates a unique culture where music and music making are part of an ancient and treasured heritage. The sly humor, strong faith, clear regional identity, and musical convictions of these performers draw the reader Into families and communities bound by music from one generation to another.

Genres: Music, Canon, History

231 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1999

Reviews

[Ross Mohn · Rating 4 out of 5]

It helps that I personally met and learned from several of the featured musicians in the book but, even without that, this is a fine book! It gives you an excellent glimpse into the life and times of rural musicians in the relatively isolated state of West Virginia. These are life experiences and perspectives that are very different from today's and they are very worthy of our attention!