The Country Gentlemen were among the most consequential groups to emerge from the Washington, D.C. area in the late 1950s, bringing an adventurous repertoire and a cosmopolitan sensibility to the bluegrass format. This 2012 release draws on the band's legacy, built by founder Charlie Waller and collaborators including John Duffey, Eddie Adcock, and Tom Gray. The Gentlemen were notable for their willingness to absorb folk revival material, country pop, and even rock and soul songs into the bluegrass idiom. Their recording of 'The House of the Rising Sun' exemplifies this eclecticism, demonstrating how bluegrass instrumentation could illuminate songs from entirely different traditions. Over their decades-long career, the group served as a proving ground for many musicians and helped establish the Mid-Atlantic region as a distinct center of the music's evolution.
Tracklist
- 1 Floyd 4:03
- 2 Travelin' On 3:10
- 3 80 Proof Rain 4:53
- 4 Lights Go Red 3:33
- 5 Let Our Souls Run Free 5:36
- 6 Katie 4:57
- 7 Countin' the Miles 4:19
- 8 The House of the Rising Sun Source Recording 3:27
- 9 Christmas Eve in the Middle East 4:19
- 10 Coal Miners' Creed 5:19
- 11 Red Dirt 4:21
- 12 The End of Something 4:36
- 13 Heaven in the Hill Country 4:01
- 14 Catfish John alt version 2:31
- 15 House of the Rising Sun alt version
- 16 Paradise alt version
- 17 Preaching, Praying, Singing alt version 1:46
- 18 The City of New Orleans alt version
- 19 The Leaves That Are Green alt version
