A crystalline-clear voice and a tireless preservation of traditional music are two of the contibutions to folk music that Jean Ritchie is most respected for, and both shine on the Smithsonian/Folkways release Ballads from Her Appalachian Family Tradition. Mostly a cappella, with a few songs accompanied by dulcimer, these children's ballads are alternately warm and chilling, achingly beautiful and as stark as the bones of the balladeers who wrote the songs hundreds of years ago. The ...   [ read more ]

CD $16.13

This generous and extensive compilation covers the career of the Ritchie Family, a trio of female vocalists who were produced by Jacques Morali and Henri Belolo (best-known for the hits they crafted for the Village People). Their sound basically worked Three Degrees-style harmonized girl group vocals into an instrumental backdrop that balanced Euro-disco slickness with aggressive pop hooks. Like many disco groups, they did a lot of medleys, the most successful being {&"The Best D...   [ read more ]

CD $16.13

According to reissue annotator Joe Wilson, Doc Watson and Jean Ritchie had never heard of each other before they got together for a concert at Folk City in 1963, which says something about the 40-year-old Watson's obscurity at the time and about his limited knowledge of other performers, since 39-year-old Ritchie had been recording for more than a decade. The two had a lot in common, however, the North Carolina-born guitarist and banjo player sharing a repertoire of traditional material with...   [ read more ]

CD $16.13