Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Appalachian Studies Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Music

Selected Works

Bristol Sessions

Articles 1 - 1 of 1

Full-Text Articles in Appalachian Studies

The 1927 Bristol Sessions And Ralph Peer: A Myth And A Legend Losing Luster In The Cold Light Of Recent Scholarship, Ted Olson Dec 2017

The 1927 Bristol Sessions And Ralph Peer: A Myth And A Legend Losing Luster In The Cold Light Of Recent Scholarship, Ted Olson

Ted Olson

Excerpt: The so-called 1927 Bristol sessions—the recording sessions conducted in Bristol, Tennessee/Virginia, during July-August 1927 by A&R (Artists & Repertoire) producer Ralph Peer and his employer, the Victor Talking Machine Company—garnered relatively little attention until the 1970s. At that point, a few scholars (notably, music historians Charles K. Wolfe, Bill C. Malone, Tony Russell, and Nolan Porterfield) and some serious music fans began to view this long-ago event in a small Appalachian city as one of the most important recording sessions of all time.