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Appalachian sounds

Back roads to Cold MountainBack Roads to Cold Mountain is a collection of traditional songs, hollers and hymns from western North Carolina and the Appalachian South. It’s been assembled from the Smithsonian Folkways archives by ethnomusicologist and roots musician John Cohen.

The album’s title refers to Charles Frazier’s novel, Cold Mountain, set during the Civil War. Before starting to write the book, Frazier listened to the music of the region for inspiration (Smithsonian Folkways SFWCD 40149)