Arthel “Doc” Watson was born in 1923 in Deep Gap, N.C. and emerged on the music scene in the early 1960s. Folkways Records’ release of “The Watson Family” at this time is considered essential listening. Now, nearly six decades later, recordings from two 1962 New York concerts (taped by Peter Siegel) also capture the excitement and charm of Doc’s authentic old-time music with his father-in-law Gaither Carlton (2/3/1901 – 6/24/1972). Watson plays guitar, banjo, autoharp and sings. Carlton plays fiddle or banjo. These are wonderful, rawboned performances full of pure, unbridled emotional authenticity. A 32-page CD booklet contains interesting biographical information, well-researched song notes and historical photographs.

Watson and Carlton are clearly comfortable with their repertoire, no doubt having played it many times in their living rooms, on the porch or out by the barn prior to these shows. The two musicians would later appear at the 1964 Newport Folk Festival. Watson would go on to win eight Grammy Awards and a National Medal of Arts before he passed in 2012. Each track on this album has its own distinctive personality. I could imagine some flatfoot dancers kicking up their heels to up-tempo songs like “Goin’ Back to Jericho,” and “Handsome Molly” or to the ancient sounds of fiddle tunes like “Billy in the Low Ground” and “Bonaparte’s Retreat.” We hear old poignant ballads like “The Dream of a Miner’s Child” and “He’s Coming to Us Dead.” Other favorites include “Corrina,” “The Blue Ridge Mountain Blues” and “Reuben’s Train.” Two versions of the crowd-pleasing and humorous “Goundhog” are presented. The first features Carlton’s clawhammer banjo playing, and Watson’s guitar picking and singing. The second version has Doc on autoharp, Gaither on fiddle and Doc’s brother Arnold on banjo. Watson likes his whistle-pig rare and will “eat that hog before he's cooked or biled.” And he says that “if you want any more, you can sing it to yerself.” And that’s just what purveyors of old-time music are doing today as the next generation of pickers and singers enjoy and learn from fine album releases like this one. (Joe Ross, Roots Music Report)