The late John Cohen once said of Appalachian musician Roscoe Holcomb: “The music of Roscoe Holcomb transcends daily life. Although it is grounded in Appalachia, his music travels like it is on a path towards a distant star.”
At a performance in 1972, it seems his music really did transcend as he delivered an intimate performance in front of a hushed audience in Portland, Oregon.
The Old Church is co-released by Jalopy and Mississippi Records featuring a live concert recording made in 1972, tapes of which were thought to be lost, only to turn up decades later in “a shadowy corner of the KBOO Community Radio archives in Portland.”
Constructed in the 1880s, The Old Church of Portland, Oregon is a striking building (below left) that was saved from demolition in the late sixties, a great example of Carpenter Gothic (reinterpreted gothic architecture in wood rather than stone). While some may be unfamiliar with this architectural term, one of the most well-known examples is the more humble house featured in Grant Wood’s American Gothic (below right).
The inside of the building is equally impressive and I dare say the acoustics are interesting as well. It seems that the venue maybe had a lot to do with the performance that day. Roscoe Holcomb had left his home in rural Daisy, Kentucky and was on a west coast tour with Mike Seeger.
The performance is described as a strikingly intimate and raw performance with Holcomb’s cascading and haunting banjo, guitar and voice echoing and saturating the room and hushed audience. The notes add:
In contrast to Roscoe’s rarely documented (and at times restrained) live performances at folk festivals and television programs, Roscoe seems to have felt more familiar and spiritually moved in the old church that night. Heard here are standout versions of Appalachian folk-blues classics such as Single Girl, John Henry, East Virginia Blues, Swanno Mountain and more.
Once cited as Bob Dylan’s favorite singer, Roscoe Holcomb appears at the peak of his powers here, showcasing his immense vocal talents on an extended a cappella version of “The Village Churchyard”. The recording itself is warm and mysterious, sounding like the room itself is alive with the spirit, while the rumbles of trucks and hints of city sounds peek through the walls from the outside streets.
This recording certainly raises the hairs on the arm, such is the energy of Holcomb’s performance.
This is a limited first LP pressing and a few UK-based independent outlets have it in stock, including Rough Trade here. It is also available digitally via Bandcamp.