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Field Recordings From Grassy Creek (CD/DL)
Martha Spencer Recorded by Jeremy Drummond & David Poolman // Never Met A Stranger Purchase Martha Spencer is a singer-songwriter, mountain musician and dancer from the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. She grew up in the musical Spencer family and from a very young age has been dancing (flatfoot/clogging), singing, and playing guitar, fiddle, banjo, bass, dulcimer, and mandolin. Over two-days in July 2019, Never Met A Stranger conducted an intimate recording session with Martha in a farmhouse in Grassy Creek, North Carolina. Of this session, Martha writes: These recordings are dedicated to a lot of strong women I was influenced by growing up in my family and community around Whitetop Mountain VA. Many of the songs are ones I remember hearing my mom sing and play on the banjo. My cousins Audrey Hash Ham and Ola Belle Reed, Granny Della Reedy (Albert Hash’s mom), and the Carter Family all inspired me to learn different songs that we’ve recorded for this album. Wayne Henderson, Doc Watson and Larry Sigmon all ring out through my heart and mind too in some of the picking. These are a lot of the songs I grew up with and there’s an original of mine added in too. Thanks to Dave and Jeremy for a fun couple days in Grassy Creek! |
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Upon My Word and Honor (CD/DL)
John Haywood Recorded by Jeremy Drummond & David Poolman // Never Met A Stranger Purchase Kentucky mountain music was described by Pete Seeger in 1987: "I have no proof, but I suspect that the Kentucky mountain style (of singing a short verse in a high intense voice, and then playing for 20 or 30 seconds some lightning quick notes on the banjo) is descended from the West African style in some way." The music Seeger described came to east Kentucky from Virginia with the enslaved, mixed-race people (some known as Melungeon), and white musicians whose ancestors socialized with African Americans beginning in east Virginia. Banjo songsters, once common in the Kentucky mountains, are now scarce. John Haywood is one of the last of the Kentucky mountain banjo songsters. When listening to Haywood's recording, "Upon My Word and Honor," one can hear echoes of West African music through his high, intense singing and his outstanding banjo playing. Haywood's selection of tunes are a tribute to songsters who are no longer with us: the Couch family of Harlan County, Lee Sexton, Dewey Shepherd, Morgan Sexton, Willy Chapman, Gran Hudson, Roscoe Holcomb, Reverend Buell Kazee, WL Gregory and Clyde Davenport, Jack and Henry Bunch, Rufus Crisp, Banjo Bill Cornett, and Coy Morton. -- George Gibson, Knott County, Kentucky, Winter 2023 |
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The Parlor Room Sessions (CD/DL)
John Haywood, Kevin Howard, Russell Griswald Recorded by Jeremy Drummond & David Poolman // Never Met A Stranger Purchase Captured late one summer evening in Haywood’s tattoo shop (The Parlor Room - Art & Tattoo), this 16-track album celebrates the lineage of Eastern Kentucky musical traditions as John, Kevin and Russell swap stories and perform songs they learned directly from old time legends George Gibson and Lee Sexton, among others. Highly celebrated in their own right and much like their mentors and predecessors, John, Kevin, and Russell continue to carry on these traditions by performing throughout the region and by teaching at the Cowan Creek Mountain Music School in Whitesburg, KY. |
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As Has It (2xCD/DL)
Various Artists Recorded by Jeremy Drummond & David Poolman // Never Met A Stranger Purchase A 2xCD collection of 60 field recordings captured throughout central Appalachia between May 2015 - July 2019. *These are the same recordings included with the book/2xCD version of As Has It Artists include Josh Bearman, Bonnie Bond, Eddie Bond, Debbie Bramer, Kelley Breiding, Karen Carr, Wayne Dye, Dom Flemons, Trish Fore, Russell Griswald, John Haywood, Wayne Henderson, Donald Hill, Kevin Howard, Billy C. Hurt Jr., Chris Johnson, Minnie Lou Johnson, Carl Jones, Erynn Marshall, Rich Miller, Tom Mylet, Frank Newsome, Ethan Pardue, Hazel Pasley, Lucas Pasley, John Perry, Kinney Rorrer, Kyle Dean Smith, Emily Spencer, Kilby Spencer, Martha Spencer, Thornton Spencer, Robert Stowe, Kirk Sutphin, Janet Turner, Betty Vornbrock, Peco Watson, Earl White, and Chris Wolfe. |
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As Has It (240-page book + 2xCD)
Various Artists Recordings/interviews by Jeremy Drummond & David Poolman // Never Met A Stranger Purchase As Has It is a collection of interviews, photographs, and field recordings captured throughout central Appalachia between May 2015 and July 2019. These documents explore the connections between vernacular culture, landscape, and contemporary life in central Appalachia. As Has It features interviews with Kelley Breiding, Dom Flemons, John Haywood, Billy C. Hurt Jr., Erynn Marshall & Carl Jones, Frank Newsome, Kinney Rorrer, Ada Smith, Emily Spencer, Martha Spencer, Betty Vornbrock and Earl White; and is accompanied by two CD’s of field recordings by Josh Bearman, Bonnie Bond, Eddie Bond, Debbie Bramer, Kelley Breiding, Karen Carr, Wayne Dye, Dom Flemons, Trish Fore, Russell Griswald, John Haywood, Wayne Henderson, Donald Hill, Kevin Howard, Billy C. Hurt Jr., Chris Johnson, Minnie Lou Johnson, Carl Jones, Erynn Marshall, Rich Miller, Tom Mylet, Frank Newsome, Ethan Pardue, Hazel Pasley, Lucas Pasley, John Perry, Kinney Rorrer, Kyle Dean Smith, Emily Spencer, Kilby Spencer, Martha Spencer, Thornton Spencer, Robert Stowe, Kirk Sutphin, Janet Turner, Betty Vornbrock, Peco Watson, Earl White, and Chris Wolfe. |
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The Grassy Creek Sessions EP (7"/DL)
Martha Spencer Recorded by Jeremy Drummond & David Poolman // Never Met A Stranger Purchase Over two-days in July 2019, Never Met A Stranger conducted an intimate recording session with Martha Spencer in a farmhouse in Grassy Creek, North Carolina. This session resulted in 24-tracks of original and traditional material featuring Martha singing and playing guitar and banjo. 4 of these tracks have been selected for inclusion on NMAS 007: The Grassy Creek Sessions EP – a 7” record pressed at 45rpm and housed in an offset-printed picture sleeve in an edition of 500 copies. |
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The Fries Sessions (CD/DL)
Eddie Bond, Karen Carr, Donald Hill, Peco Watson Recorded by Jeremy Drummond & David Poolman // Never Met A Stranger Purchase Recorded May 18, 2016 at the Fries Community Center in Fries, VA. Eddie Bond, Karen Carr, Donald Hill, and Peco Watson rip through twelve tracks of great old-time classics. An excellent recording of a truly remarkable performance. |
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Thornton Spencer, Things Left Behind (CD/DL)
Thornton Spencer w/ Emily Spencer, Kilby Spencer, Deb Bramer, Kelley Breiding, Cameron DeWhitt Recorded by Jeremy Drummond & David Poolman // Never Met A Stranger Purchase The last recordings of renowned Old Time fiddler Thornton Spencer (Whitetop Mountain Band). Accompanied by Emily Spencer, Kilby Spencer, Deb Bramer, Kelly Breiding, and Cameron DeWhitt. Recorded in May and July 2017 in Crumpler NC. Included with this CD is a hand-numbered limited edition commemorative print. |