Tennessee 1949 pairs Bill Emerson and Pete Goble for a 1987 recording that pays tribute to the early years of the bluegrass genre and the musical culture of postwar country music. Emerson, a Washington, D.C.-area banjo player with a long career in progressive bluegrass circles — including stints with the Country Gentlemen and the U.S. Navy Country Current — brings technical precision and historical awareness to the project. The album's title locates it in the period when bluegrass was crystallizing as a distinct genre, and the repertoire draws on the country and bluegrass material that circulated on radio and recordings in that formative era. Goble, a guitarist and singer, provides sympathetic accompaniment and harmonies suited to the retrospective spirit of the recording. The album is a professional and historically minded tribute that reflects genuine affection for the music of the period it evokes.
Tracklist
- 1 Tennessee 1949 alt version 3:30
- 2 The old man and the kid 3:25
- 3 Hoe kicker 2:02
- 4 Country life looks better (to me now) 2:35
- 5 Curly maple 2:21
- 6 Leavin' you and Mobile (too) 2:47
- 7 You Can Keep Your Nine Pound Hammer alt version 2:37
- 8 Julianne 3:05
- 9 You can run (but you can't hide) 3:12
- 10 Blue Virginia Blues alt version 3:27
- 11 The grey ghost 2:17