New Lost City Ramblers

Old time folk, string band

Although their focus was more on old time music, The New Lost City Ramblers could be compared to various other folk groups of the time, like the Weavers and the Kingston Trio. They could also be compared to the artists whose work they tried to emulate: the Carter Family, Tommy Jarrell, and others.

Volume II 1963-1973: Out Standing in Their Field (Smithsonian Folkways)

40 Years of Concert Recordings (Rounder Select)

Old Time Music (Vanguard USA)

"Three Men Went A-Hunting"
"Red Rocking Chair"
"My Long Journey Home"

Mike Seeger - vocals, lap dulcimer, mandolin, banjo, fiddle, autoharp, harmonica

John Cohen - vocals, guitar, banjo

Tom Paley - banjo

Tracy Schwarz (replaced Paley in '62) - vocals, guitar, fiddle, bass

Unlike several other folk-pop artists who became popular during the folk music revival of the 1950s and '60s, the New Lost City Ramblers (founded 1958) played entirely traditional music in the non-polished way in which it was intended. Their chief focus was a reverence for the music and the people it represented, and they did an exquisite job covering Appalachian old time music, old folk gospel songs, and work songs.

The New Lost City Ramblers made their first record in 1958, and have released more than two dozen albums over the course of their 50-year career. After they achieved popularity, they began touring with some of the artists who inspired them, presenting folks like Maybelle Carter and Tommy Jarrell to a new generation of folkies.

In addition to their extensive catalog on Folkways Records, their several appearances at the Newport Folk Festival, and their considerable touring in the '60s, the NLCR members also had their own projects. Schwarz focused a lot on Cajun music, Seeger performed as a solo singer-songwriter and with his wife, and Cohen became a documentarian in addition to his musical pursuits. Cohen also co-founded the Friends of Old Time Music in 1961. Then, on Aug. 7, 2009, founding member Mike Seeger passed away after a long battle with Leukemia.