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Title: Chamber music from mysterious South
Review: This recording, actually a compilation of two records released by Flying Fish Records in the 70's, provides the bridge between Norman's early solo work and his later efforts with the Rising Fawn String Ensemble. A marvelous mix of original songs (Graycoat Soldiers, Old Brown Case, Billy Gray, Last Train from Poor Valley) and traditional tunes (most interesting - a three-part Cuckoo's Nest) presented with understated elegance, mostly by Norman with Nancy Short (later Nancy Blake), Charlie Collins, Tut Taylor, and Sand Mountain fiddler James Bryan.This one, by the way, drives guitar players crazy due to the fact that Norman doesn't always play in standard (A=440) tuning, preferring to tweak the strings up or down just a bit as it fits the song. Norman once said at a workshop "Sometimes I guess I just hear a song a little different than standard..."
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