Red Tunic Troll

posted on Sat, 08 Dec 2007 14:21:26

Adventurous recreation of 19th century Americana sounds

These forty-five pieces were originally produced by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's John McEuen as a soundtrack for the like-named documentary series. The mosaic of 19th century American music includes homemade folk, western themes, Native American chants, brass bands, military bugle calls, and filmic orchestrations that reflect the immigrant-fed melting pot. The stories and legends of the songs' lyrics served as a keepsake for settlers as they ranged across the continent, and retain their potency as a conduit between yesteryear and today. Today's long-range nostalgia of "Home on the Range" was ever more immediate to explorers who'd just left their home range to venture into the wilds.

McEuen gathered country and cowboy musicians (including Marty Stuart, Gary Morris, Michael Martin Murphy and Rod Steagall) together with bands that specialize in recreating nineteenth-century American music. They weave together the musical and instrumental influences of America's immigrant forebears, intertwining Irish, German, Italian and gypsy sounds with uniquely American creations such as the Sousaphone and hammered dulcimer. The songs of the West were brash and adventurous in proclaiming freedom in a new home but leavened by a longing for places and loved-ones left behind.

Music was a central element of Western life, whether sung on a hand-hewn back porch, plucked trailside on guitar, performed in a town square, made bawdy in a saloon, or revved up to energize troops on the charge. American song of the nineteenth century encapsulated entertainment, tradition, news and faith; curiously, the soundtrack doesn't include any church songs. Still, this is an enterprising project that provides a unique, musical view of the American west. [©2007 redtunictroll at hotmail dot com]