Mention country music recording, and many people think of Nashville. But another Tennessee town, Bristol, calls itself the Birthplace of Country Music—because the first commercially successful recordings were made there in 1927. The Birthplace of Country Music Museum opened in 2014, and descendants of country's pioneers along with a new generation of artists are trying to keep Bristol's cultural and musical heritage alive.



Originally published December 3, 2014





Emcee SOT: Please put your hands together for the Deslondes.



[BAND PLAYING MUSIC]





JESSICA TURNER, DIRECTOR AND HEAD CURATOR, BIRTHPLACE OF COUNTRY MUSIC MUSEUM:

When people think of country music, a lot of people naturally think of Nashville. Bristol is significant in country music because of the early recordings in 1927. The 1927 Bristol Sessions took place in Bristol, Tennessee and were the first recordings of the Carter Family, first recording of Jimmy Rogers and some very influential music that over time have influenced artists all around.





[“BURY ME ON THE WEEPING WILLOW” PLAYING]





This is the beginning of the commercial country music recording industry. Companies were starting to get into this market because they were so successful.





ROY ANDRADE, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR – DEPARTMENT OF APPALACIAN STUDIES, EAST TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY:

What made the Bristol Sessions unique and what made them possible was mobile technology. Recording engineers could bring their gear with them in the trunk of their car and they could set up. And they had the new electronic microphone.



JESSICA TURNER, DIRECTOR AND HEAD CURATOR, BIRTHPLACE OF COUNTRY MUSIC MUSEUM:

As recording equipment gets smaller, there is the ability then to go out into the those areas where the musician actually are from in order to get new material.



What this region has musically is a fusion of English ballads, and West European fiddling, and African-American spirituals and some Native American influence at the time that creates this Appalachian sound. So the Bristol Sessions are this unique mix of this region.



What comes out of the Bristol Sessions that were very successful immediately were the recordings by the Carter Family.





[BAND PLAYING MUSIC]





RITA FORRESTER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, THE CARTER FAMILY FOLD

By participating in the Bristol Sessions in 1927, my grandparents changed the face of music along with my great aunt Maybelle. If you listen to Carter Family music, the songs that they did were all about family, they loved the mountains, they worshiped together. All of this is about their music and their lives.



The Carter Family Fold is small non-profit arts organization. We have weekly music shows, Bluegrass and Old-Time Music every Saturday. In mountain culture, the tradition wass to gather at someone’s house and have music. They would play music. The would roll back the rugs and dance. So she decided that on Saturdays what better thing to do than act like you were in your living room having a normal Saturday get-together and invite whoever wants to come.





ROY ANDRADE, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR – DEPARTMENT OF APPALACIAN STUDIES, EAST TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY:

A lot of people who are participating in Old-Time Music today play the music as a way to connect with something older, maybe something even timeless. I still feel like I can sing these songs in a valid way even though it is not my experience. You know, what is happening in Bristol is Americana music . It’s very broad and it is rooted in the Bristol Sessions and what was happening.





SAM DOORES, THE DESLONDES, NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA:

I mean, I love all the Carter Family stuff. I love the Jimmy Rogers stuff. There’s a bunch of bands that are keeping that tradition alive. That kind of music is undeniable and people love it. Even though it is almost a hundred years old now, there’s always going to be musicians that are playing it, and people who enjoy listening and dancing to it.



Playing here is a trip. It’s like a full circle. You’re a kid reading a book about Bristol and Jimmy Rogers and Carter Family. And all of a sudden you are on stage playing to the local people in Bristol. It feels wonderful.





RITA FORRESTER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, THE CARTER FAMILY FOLD

It’s wonderful to see that it still resonates and still has meaning, and that the people-the young people of today can take the music and make it their own. And it still has that same message and resonance.

































