***In The Time Of The Second Mountain Music Revival- The Greenbriar Boys In Their Prime

 

A YouTube's film clip pf The Greenbriar Boys performing "Roll On Buddy" On Pete Seeger's "Rainbow Quest".

CD Review

The Greenbriar Boys: Best Of The Vanguard Years, The Greenbriar Boys, Joan Baez, 2 CD set, Vanguard Records, 2002

I have known about the group under review, The Greenbriar Boys, since at least the mid-1960s although at that time my folk interests did not center, as they are increasingly doing now, on the mountain music aspect of the genre. As the headline indicates this group formed part of the second mountain revival, the first being back in the 1920s and led, most famously, by the Carter Family, and third and somewhat current revival being led by, oh well, let’s say George Clooney in his “Oh, Brother Where Art Thou”. This second revival, as I am finding out by additional research was something of a “golden age” for the revitalizing of several musical careers of mountain musicians like Clarence Ashley, Buell Ezell and, my favorite, Roscoe Holcomb. The reason that I have noted that fact here is because one of the members of the Greenbriar Boys, Ralph Rinzler, was a key “talent-spotting” for the Newport Folk Festival. This was the event where many of these performers remake their marks

But enough of the anecdotal background. What got me focused on the boys now was a performance that they did on Pete Seeger’s black and white mid-1960s television show,” Rainbow Quest” that I have previously reviewed extensively in this space. Here is part of what I had to say about them there:

“Also included on this DVD is a performance by the legendary Greenbriar Boys, a group that combined urban folk aficionados and real mountain music men to take advantage of the early interest in the mountain music roots of a lot of what the 1960s folk scene was searching for, authenticity …..”

What I have omitted from this comment was one that related to the New Lost City Ramblers who formed the other episode in that two episode DVD format. There Pete really played with gusto along with the Ramblers, unless other performers where he was rather passive or sat in awe of a performer like Reverend Gary Davis. That same gusto was apparent in accompanying the Greenbriar Boys. And why not with virtuoso banjo, mandolin and fiddle players who excelled at instrumentals like “Sleepy-Eyed John”, or crooned away of “Different Drum” or got whimsical with the classic “Stewball”. A couple of nice efforts with vocals by Joan Baez are also included here. But, here is the “skinny”. When future mountain music revivalists start ambling back into the archives to find the “roots” one of their stops will be here.

“Different Drum” Lyrics

You and I travel to the beat of a different drum

Oh can't you tell by the way I run

Every time you make eyes at me

Wo-oh

You cry and moan and say it will work out

But honey child I've got my doubts

You can't see the forest for the trees

Oh don't get me wrong

It's not that I knock it

It's just that I am not in the market

For a boy who wants to love only me

Yes, and I ain't saying you ain't pretty

All I'm saying is I'm not ready

For any person place or thing

To try and pull the reins in on me

So good-bye I'll be leaving

I see no sense in this crying and grieving

We'll both live a lot longer

If you live without me

Oh don't get me wrong

It's not that I knock it

It's just that I am not in the market

For a boy who wants to love only me

Yes, and I ain't saying you ain't pretty

All I'm saying is I'm not ready

For any person place or thing

To try and pull the reins in on me

So good-bye I'll be leaving

I see no sense in this crying and grieving

We'll both live a lot longer

If you live without me