San Francisco 1968

Bluegrass musicians Vern Williams and Ray Park were both born in Arkansas but did not meet one another until they lived in California. In 1960, they formed what became northern California’s first bluegrass band, with Vern on mandolin and Ray on guitar and fiddle. This live recording from the 1968 folk music festival at San Francisco State College includes Herb Pedersen on banjo. The recording captures the sheer energy and enthusiasm of the band’s performance. They close the show with Ray playing fiddle on the bluegrass standard, “The Orange Blossom Special.”

Track Listing

101	Band Intro	Vern and Ray with Herb Pedersen	00:55
102	20 Second Rag	Vern and Ray with Herb Pedersen	00:59
103	How Many Times	Vern and Ray with Herb Pedersen	02:18
104	Muleskinner Blues	Vern and Ray with Herb Pedersen	02:20
105	Sweet Fern	Vern and Ray with Herb Pedersen	02:23
106	Intro	Vern and Ray with Herb Pedersen	01:06
107	The Leather Britches	Vern and Ray with Herb Pedersen	01:25
108	I Wonder Where You Are Tonight	Vern and Ray with Herb Pedersen	03:07
109	Little Georgia Rose	Vern and Ray with Herb Pedersen	02:34
110	The Buckin' Mule	Vern and Ray with Herb Pedersen	01:35
111	The Bottle Let Me Down	Vern and Ray with Herb Pedersen	03:15
112	Ode to the Little Brown Shack	Vern and Ray with Herb Pedersen	03:43
113	Poor Ellen Smith	Vern and Ray with Herb Pedersen	02:49
114	Hard Times	Vern and Ray with Herb Pedersen	01:45
115	The Touch of God's Hand	Vern and Ray with Herb Pedersen	02:35
116	On My Mind	Vern and Ray with Herb Pedersen	02:15
117	Orange Blossom Special	Vern and Ray with Herb Pedersen	02:19