Bob Holt, Got a Little Home To Go To (review)

urne ? , "Country," features performances by eighteen different singers, including Memphis Minnie, Ruby Glaze, and Bertha Lee. The free-wheeling singing backed by guitars and the occasional jug band shines on Mae Glover's "I Ain't Givin' Nobody None" and Bessie Tucker's "Penitentiary." Volume 2, "Town," highlights standouts like Sippie Wallace, Ma Rainey, and Bertha "Chippie" Hill, who sing their sophisticated blues with piano or jazz combo backup. Particularly noteworthy is Chippie Hill's legendary performance of "Trouble in Mind." Each cd contains brief biographical information on the performers as well as a few pictures. Because the songs are taken from rare 78s, many of the cuts have small scratches, pops, and otiier minor interference that listeners in the cd generation might find distracting. Nevertheless, performers powerful enough to be heard unamplified over the din of shouting, shuffling audiences in the 1920s are certainly strong enough to overcome an occasional scratch. Bob Holt, Got a Little Home To Go To Rounder, 1998 cd 0432, $1 5.00 Anyone looking for good, old-time string band music to dance to will find much pleasure in this recording of the Ozark fiddler Bob Holt. Often fiddle music intended for dancing is taken out of context in a studio recording. Not in this case. Got aLittleHome ToGoTo features live performances that bring the music to the forefront without obscuring die rhythmic tapping and die frequent whoops from the dance floor. Consequendy, as Holt himself says, "as they get wound up, it winds me up some more and in turn I wind them up some more and back and forth until it creates a tremendous energy." Interspersed with the live performances are short pieces played in the studio that round out Holt's repertoire. The vitality in the music aside, the booklet accompanying die cd is almost worth the price alone. Holt's voice shines through as the liner notes are written entirely from his own words. He describes his family history, his own interest in music, and much about how and why he plays. He also explains where he learned each tune on the cd. Taken together, both music and liner notes provide an exciting introduction to old-time dance music in the Ozarks. Reviews 1 1 5 ...