Remembered
Appalachian Reign was formed in 1975 by Washington, DC area musician Tom Knowles. Between 1976 and 1984 Knowles and the band played many of the DC area venues, clubs and festivals. This project is a retrospect of those years that Knowles had the band and the cuts are culled from cassette tapes of some of their performances.
The band consisted of a variety of available area musicians, both as regular members and fill-ins, which are listed in the project’s liner notes booklet. As for the performances on this project, Knowles plays guitar and is the lead vocalist. He is accompanied on various cuts by Buzz Busby (mandolin), Dave Norman (banjo), Earl Brown (bass), Nevin Lambert (mandolin, vocals), Dave Goldman (fiddle), Stafford Markham (banjo, vocals), Jim Duke (bass), Joe Meadows (fiddle), Dave Auldridge (guitar, vocals), Lamar Grier (banjo), Bob Spates (fiddle), Ray Griffin (bass), Bill Emerson (vocals), Bill Torbert (mandolin), Pat Murphy (banjo), Bob Goff, Jr. (bass), Don Stover (banjo), Steve Spence (banjo, vocals), and Porter Church (banjo). Some were alumni of Bill Monroe, Jim and Jesse, The Stanleys, and Larry Sparks.
These cuts were recorded at many DC area locations like Shakey’s Pizza, Eskimos Nell’s, Partner’s II, Silo Inn, and O’Carroll’s Seafood. There is also a 1980 WAMU Winter Concert, a couple of studio recordings and a very special recording from the office of then Senator Robert Byrd in 1983.
This 23-song project includes a couple of Knowles’ originals, “A Vision of You” and “Sunshine in My Heart.” There are also familiar tunes like “Ole Slew Foot,” “Sugar Foot Rag,” “You Go To Your Church and I’ll Go To Mine,” “Reuben’s Train,” “Amy,” “Amanda,” “Sally Goodin,” “Put Another Log on The Fire,” “Barefoot Nellie,” “Remember Me,” “I’m On My Way Back To the Old Home,” and “Devil’s Little Angel.”
“When Lightning Hit The Outhouse” is from Joe Meadows, and “The Old Coon Dog” is from Don Stover, and Senator Robert Byrd sings “March Around the Throne One Time For Me.” This is a very nice and well-done collection from Tom Knowles that takes a good look back at one the DC area’s popular bands.
