Ted Olson and Tony Russell —who are well known for their Bear Family boxed CD sets, The Bristol Sessions, The Johnson City Sessions, and The Knoxville Sessions, all of which showcase early American country music field recordings—have done it again! This time through Rivermont Records, featuring field recordings made in Asheville, North Carolina, in 1925, by Ralph Peer, then associated with OKeh Records.

Peer later joined the Victor Recording Company and organised the 1927 Bristol Sessions, where he “discovered” Jimmie Rodgers (“The Father of Country Music”) and The Carter Family. Coincidentally, Rodgers was living in Asheville in 1927 and might have been aware of these earlier recordings.

The Asheville Sessions comprises 28 eclectic recordings totalling 84 minutes, curated by Ted Olson, Tony Russell, Richard Emmett, Wayne Martin, and Bryan Wright. Rivermont has excelled in producing this set: the accompanying 24-page booklet by Russell and Olson is printed on high-quality glossy paper, with comprehensive notes and numerous photographs, and the vinyl albums are thick (180 g).

The mastering, by Bryan Wright, is outstanding, with excellent transfer quality. It’s fascinating to listen to these recordings from the formative years of recorded country music, made with century-old acoustic technology, in which performances were captured with a large acoustic horn rather than an electric microphone. OKeh didn’t switch to electrical recording technology until 1926.

Several artists (for example, Kelly Harrell, Henry Whitter, Bascom Lamar Lunsford, Ernest Stoneman, Emmett Miller, Wade Ward, and Fisher Hendley) will be familiar to old-time music collectors; others, perhaps less so. And, as Tony Russell notes, not all those who recorded were from North Carolina.

Musical treats include “Sherman Valley” (a variation of “Red River Valley”) and the excellent “Fate of Santa Barbara” by Bascom Lamar and Blackwell Lunsford; “The Wreck on the Southern Old 97” by Kelly Harrell and Henry Whitter, with accompaniment reminiscent of Vernon Dalhart’s  Edison release of this song―the first country music record released in Australia, in 1925; Harrell’s “Blue Eyed Ella,” a variant of “The Jealous Lover” with similarities to “The Philadelphia  Lawyer;” the mournful “I Have No Mother Now” by Harvey Irwin; and Emmett Miller’s uptown versions of  “I Never Had the Blues (Until I Left Old Dixie Land,) “You’re Just the Girl for Me,”   “Big Bad Bill (Is Sweet William Now)” and the memorable “Lovesick Blues,” later associated with Rex Griffin and Hank Williams. Though he was more a minstrel performer than an old-time country artist, Miller exerted powerful influences on nascent American country music.

Ernest Stoneman contributed “John Hardy” and the nautical “The Sailor’s Song;”  and there are old-time instrumentals by the Poor-Robinson Carolina Club Orchestra (“Rose of the Nile” with dance-band orchestration),  Ernest Helmon (“Royal Clog”),  Jim Couch (St. Louis Tickle” and a medley comprising “Dill Pickle,” “Turkey in the Straw,” and “Swanee River;”)   and J.D. McFarlane and his daughter (“Devil in the Woodpile,”  and “Whistlin’ Rufus). J.D. Harris’s “The Cackling Hen” is particularly impressive.

Playing the collection from start to finish is an enjoyable experience, thanks to its varied styles and the music’s charm. It offers us a glimpse into an earlier era of what later came to be called “country music,” far removed from the likes of George Jones, Johnny Cash, and countless others. We are indeed fortunate that these pioneering performances have been issued in a comprehensive and caring manner by knowledgeable curators, augmented by Rivermont’s impeccable packaging and mastering. The album is available in CD and vinyl LP formats from Rivermont Records and other online stores.

This set is highly recommended.