Monday Music: I Shall Be Released (Nitty Gritty Dirt Band)

"I Shall Be Released," from Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s new album, "Dirt Does Dylan,"

 

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Monday Music:Life's Railway to Heaven

Here is classic Southern Gospel from a recording session for Will the Circle Be Unbroken, Vol II (Nitty Gritty Dirt Band). Johnny Cash and the Carter Family, along with the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band (and Earl Scruggs), give us a rendition that is top of the line.

Monday Music: The Lowlands

Every now and then I enjoy listening to recordings from the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's Will the Circle be Unbroken. The first historic recording was made in 1972 featuring old time country and bluegrass artists playing with the younger generation of musicians. Two more collaborative albums ensued over the years. It has been a wonderful way to preserve authentic acoustic music born of simple hard-working lives in an era that rewards mostly slick commercial productions.

One of my favorite numbers from Will the Circle Be Unbroken, Vol. III is "The Lowlands," featuring Jaime Hanna and Jonathon McEuen.