LivinBlues- Bristol Sessions

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THE BRISTOL SESSIONS - In 1927 the enterprising record producer Ralph Peer recognized the possibilities of this mountain music sound. The technology of recording this music had developed so that portable recording studios were possible. Peer decided to pack the recording equipment and travel to the southern Appalachian region and find new talent. He knew of the region and decided that Bristol, a thriving town on the Tennessee-Virginia border, was to be the first stop on the recording tour. The recording sessions began with Ernest Stoneman and some of his friends on July 25, 1927. They recorded gospel and traditional songs, such as "Are You Washed in the Blood" and "Skip to Ma Lou." The word of the recording sessions spread to Maces Spring, Virginia, where AP Carter periodically ran a country store and sometimes sold fruit trees. He also sang music with his wife Sara and his sister-in-law Maybelle.

Responding to the lure of recording, Carter and his family made the journey to Bristol. The Carter Family recorded on August 1 & 2 for Peer, including "Bury me Beneath the Willow," and "Single Girl, Married Girl". The recording sessions also reached the Asheville, North Carolina area, where the Jimmie Rodgers Entertainers were playing on radio stations and in clubs. Rodgers, along with Claude and Jack Grant and Jack Pierce, decided to record in Bristol. Rodgers' recordings for the sessions included "Sleep, Baby, Sleep" and "The Soldier's Sweetheart," which included the haunting Blue Yodel that Peer recognized as unique. From these recording sessions came the discovery of the first Country music "stars" and these "Bristol Sessions" mark the beginning of what became Country music. Jimmie Rodgers and The Carter Family both had successful careers as well as influenced future generations of musicians. This influence has been felt from State Street in Bristol around the globe.