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Texas Hillbillies on CD

This amazing set is compiled by the Grammy Award winning producer Chris King from his own amazing collection of scarce 78s and discs. There is not another set like this. Superb, entertaining and important music. The music us superbly remastered as well as expertly packaged and presented so the set is attractive for both the hard core collector and the more casual buyer of American Roots. This four-disc set is a treasure trove of previously lost or at least deeply obscure material: early recordings of Texas string bands and soloists, all originally issued on 78 rpm discs between 1922 and 1937. The restored sound is pretty impressive, especially on the later tracks (there's only so much you can do to pretty up a 96-year-old shellac recording), but even where the sound is atrocious the music is sometimes shockingly good. Just cue up Eck Robertson's 1922 solo recording of "Sallie Gooden," and prepare to be amazed. Also impressive is the array of styles and band configurations on offer here: you'll of course hear plenty of classic Texas-style fiddling, but also the odd Irish tune, early versions of later Western swing standards and rags, and cowboy songs, all played by a wide variety of ensembles and soloists. As a pure listening experience, these discs will appeal mainly to hardcore fans of the genre, but as a library purchase this set can be considered essential to any folk or country collection.