Bluegrass from the Gold Country, recorded in 1981, documents the Vern Williams Band at a moment when the California bluegrass scene was establishing its own credibility apart from the Appalachian mainstream. Vern Williams, a Kentucky-born mandolinist and singer who had settled in the Sacramento Valley, carried the high lonesome sound of the mountains into the West with unusual fidelity, resisting the progressive leanings that defined much California bluegrass of the period. Alongside Ray Park on banjo and a rhythm section built for drive rather than flash, Williams and his band practiced a disciplined traditional approach that would influence a generation of West Coast players. The album became a minor classic among traditionalists who valued authenticity over innovation.
Tracklist
- 1 Cabin on a Mountain alt version 2:54
- 2 Come Back to Me In My Dreams alt version 3:01
- 3 When Springtime Comes Again 2:50
- 4 Cowboy Jack 3:37
- 5 Til the Day I Die 2:33
- 6 Field of Flowers 2:40
- 7 Oh Susanna Source Recording 2:42
- 8 Down Among the Budded Roses alt version 3:34
- 9 Darling Nellie Across the Sea alt version 2:22
- 10 Old Home Town alt version 2:51
- 11 Old Kentucky Home 2:46
- 12 Clinch Mountain Home 4:19
- 13 Black Eyed Susie alt version 2:03
- 14 I’m Walking the Dog alt version 2:47
- 15 Foggy Mountain Top alt version 3:10
- 16 Who's Going Down to Town 2:10
- 17 Thinking of Home 2:48
- 18 Picture on the Wall 3:09
- 19 Old Black Joe 3:43
- 20 Arkansas Traveler alt version 3:04
- 21 You’d Better Get Right alt version 1:48
- 22 Old Folks at Home 4:12
