West,Hedy Old Times & Hard Times CD

It's hard to know where to include Hedy's recording; she is the daughter of poet Don West of Pipestem, West Virginia, formerly a radical labor organizer in the south. Her family came from the mountains of northern Georgia and much of her music came to her from that source, but she is also a sophisticated, college-educated musician and a very knowledgeable folklorist. Hedy plays 5-string banjo and sings the songs and ballads of her family tradition in a clear and very pleasant voice, strongly tradition-oriented.

1. The Wife Wrapt in Wether's Skin (2:34) 2. Fair Rosamund (1:31) 3. Barbara Allen (5:23) 4. Old Joe Clark (2:57) 5. The Coal Miner's Child (1:41) 6. Gambling Man (2:54) 7. Brother Ephus (2:14) 8. Polly (1:33) 9. The Davison-Wilder Blues (3:50) 10. Lament for Barney Graham (1:16) 11. The Rich Irish Lady (3:00) 12. Shut Up in the Mines at Coal Creek (1:26) 13. The Wife of Usher's Well (3:47)