Virginia Traditions: Non-Blues Secular Black Music

Few states in this country can boast of more diverse folkways than Virginia. Many of the material objects—such as barns, tools, and furniture—reflect the traditions that shaped the lives of its earliest settlers and the generations of Virginians who followed. The Commonwealth’s performance traditions of songs, tunes, and tales also tell of a shared heritage involving all classes of people in every facet of life. Because traditions naturally change over time, the documentation of Virginia folk culture is an ongoing process essential to our understanding of the past, present, and future. By recording the folkways of Virginia, the Blue Ridge Institute of Ferrum College and its BRI Record label strive to foster a greater appreciation of our folk roots through an array of interpretive programs.

Track Listing

101	I Wish to the Lord I'd Never Been Born	Leonard Bowles and Irvin Cook	03:13
102	I Used to Work on the Tractor	Jimmie Strothers	01:26
103	Come, Let's March	Daniel Womack	03:41
104	Casey Jones	Isaac Curry	02:01
105	Cripple Creek	Uncle Homer Walker	02:01
106	Reno Factory	Marvin Foddrell	02:13
107	Buckdance	Sanford L. Collins	01:00
108	Bile Them Cabbage Down	Lewis Hairston	02:45
109	John Henry	John Cephas	05:30
110	Fox Chase	James Applewhite	01:06
201	Railroad Bill	Turner Foddrell	03:25
202	Hop Along Lou	John Lawson Tyree	01:13
203	The Cuckoo Bird	John Calloway	01:44
204	Poor Farmers	Lemuel Jones	01:13
205	Tennessee Dog	Jimmie Strothers	01:56
206	Poor Black Annie	Clayton Horsley	01:47
207	Eve	Clarence Waddy	03:19
208	Old Blue	Irvin Cook	01:31
209	Medley of Country Dance Tunes	John Jackson	06:07
210	Cotton-Eyed Joe	Lewis Hairston	01:24