THIS CD IS OUT OF STOCK
"Any true Ramblers fan knows that this all-too-rare release marks the band's finest hour on record, a well-produced live recording of the rollicking 1979 lineup performing at the old, tinier Cat's Cradle. This is a superior string band at the height of its powers, spinning out traditionals and originals with inspired, infectious fervor. ---NC INDEPENDENT WEEKLY
Recorded live at the Cat's Cradle, Chapel Hill. Originally released on Flying Fish Records, 1979, CD Re-issue 2006.
personnel: Mike Craver - piano, Jack Herrick - bass and trumpet, Bill Hicks - fiddle, Tommy Thompson - banjo, Jim Watson - mandolin and bass.
SONGS: 1. FOURTH OF JULY AT A COUNTY FAIR, 2. THOROUGHLY AFRICAN MAN, 3. CABIN HOME, 4. HOT BUTTERED RUM, 5. THREE BELLS ROAD, 6. BABY GRAND, 7. PLAY ROCKY TOP, 8. SANTA ANNA'S MARCH/FINE TIMES AT OUR HOUSE/DONEGAL REEL, 9. ARAGON MILL, 10. WAHOO WAHOO WAHOO, 11. TILLY TAKE YOUR TIME, 12. PADDY WON'T YOU DRINK SOME CIDER
"When asked to name a favorite Red Clay Ramblers album, fans of the long-running North Carolina string band inevitably seem to pick this live album, recorded over three days in a home away from home, Chapel Hill's Cat's Cradle club. This was back in the days when this club was a small, intimate listening room with an adjoining, glassed-in bar and not the bowling-alley size venue it eventually evolved into. 
It is pretty easy to see why this record would be a favorite. It captures what is without question the best lineup of this group... Having them all together here in such a happy live setting is a real treat. Yet this isn't simply the equal of any cassette machine that might have gotten clicked on during any Red Clay Ramblers gig during this period. This is a superbly produced set with a superior recorded sound, fully capturing the rich overtones in the blend of stringed instruments and piano... This is the ultimate Red Clay Ramblers souvenir, the cover art> featuring two examples of the photographic medium's ability to completely capture the personality of an entire band." ---Eugene Chadbourne, ALL MUSIC GUIDE
OLD TIME HERALD review - Feb. 2007
**A PDF score (piano, vocals, & chord symbols) of "Thoroughly African Man" is available at SAPSUCKER SCORES.top photo by Rick Doble
bottom drawing and cd cover design by Chris Baker
Digitally remastered CD, from Rounder. Complete liner notes and lyrics are included as Adobe pdf documents on the cd.
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