​​​​John and Juanita Boothroyd - Tell It To Me: Old Timey Music from the 1970s
 

CD review by Tony Smith
TN2567-88 - $25

This 2024 album is a retrospective of music by a couple Rob Lewis says ‘taught us to love the Carter family’ and ‘music from the Appalachian Mountains’.

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The couple ‘kept the old time music flame burning in Melbourne’ and John does that still.

Lewis, and the album producer Piet Groenveld, played with the Last Gasp Blue Grass Band and often with the Boothroyds.

Indeed, the first ten tracks were recorded in Melbourne during the band’s concerts.

Marnie Sheehan provides fiddle and vocals on some of the later tracks.

The title track is reprised at the end with a ‘string band version’ and the tune is in the public domain.

Other tracks so credited include ‘Bill Cheatham’, ‘Red Haired Boy’, ‘Johnson Boys’, ‘When I Die I Live Again’, ‘Hallelujah to the Lamb’ and ‘Black Eyed Susie’.

These older traditional tracks are not the only classics.

There are Carter tunes (‘Sad and Lonesome Day’, ‘Cyclone of Rye Cove’, ‘Sweet Fern’ and ‘Kitty Alone and I’), Bill Monroe’s ‘I’m Rolling On’, Alan Lomax’s ‘Black Jack Davy’ and Langston Hughes’ ‘Old Weary Blues’ to name but a few.

Some tracks reflect hard times: ‘Tough Luck’, ‘All the Good Times are Past and Gone’, ‘Hobo’s Lullaby’, ‘The Lazy Farmer’ and ‘Coalminer’s Blues’.

There are a couple of travelling tracks: ‘Eight More Miles to Louisville’ and ‘Boat’s Up the River’, while ‘Gonna Lay Down My Old Guita’ and ‘Banjo Bounce’ have musical themes.

The latter track and ‘Bill Cheatham’ highlight John’s excellent banjo picking while ‘Red Haired Boy’ shows that Juanita’s guitar can carry a tune as well.

The guitar accompaniment comes into its own especially on ‘Hobo’s Lullaby’.

Mind you, the banjo is strong throughout and shines especially brightly on ‘Hallelujah to the Lamb’.

Mostly, Juanita, who sadly is no longer with us, carries the lead vocals and her diction is always clear,but John leads on ‘Boat Up the River’.

So there is plenty of variety on this album of over an hour’s length.

On ‘The Lazy Farmer’ there is a minor key feel and some soaring fiddle and ‘Black Eyed Susie’ seems to have harmonica.

The harmonies are fine throughout but seem to work particularly well on ‘Gonna Lay Down My Old Guita’, ‘Coalminer’s Blues’ and ‘I’m Rolling on’.

In ‘When I Die I Live Again’ there is a distinct feeling of gospel.

With such diversity and balance in evidence, it is hard to single out any tracks for attention.

The label ‘Strictly Country Music and Strictly Music’ is found in the Netherlands., so John and Juanita Boothroyd have achieved much deserved international recognition.

Every fan of old timey, bluegrass, Americana or hillbilly music will want to own this album.

But anyone who appreciates fine music will recognise the skill of the Boothroyds and enjoy the swingin these tunes.