This release brings together two short John Cohen films featuring bluegrass banjo-player/singing legend Roscoe Holcomb: 2010's Roscoe Holcomb from Daisy, Kentucky and 1962's The High Lonesome Sound. The first title, which incorporates unused footage shot in 1962 and additional material from 1976's Musical Holdouts, introduces the rangy, bespectacled musician, who worked in farming, construction, and coal mining when he wasn't plying his best-known trade. In voiceover comments, Holcomb (1912–1981) talks about his hardscrabble life; he also plays a few numbers on his own and with neighbors, including “Wayfaring Stranger.” Cohen also captures area teenagers dancing to rock-and-roll, and a Coal Days Celebration with Bill Monroe and the Bluegrass Boys, who play “Live and Let Live.” Like Monroe, Holcomb is a nimble player with a soulful, piercing voice. The second documentary focuses on Holcomb's homeland in northeastern Kentucky, where machines are replacing miners, jobs are in short supply, and life is hard, although Cohen's black-and-white cinematography has a way of making the humble surroundings seem quite beautiful, while also capturing sock hops, hoedowns, boisterous services at the Holiness Church of God, and more. Sandwiched between the films are rare videos of 10 performances by Holcomb in the 1960s. DVD extras include bonus tracks and a booklet with photos and essays. Recommended. (K. Fennessy)
The Legacy of Roscoe Holcomb
(2010) 100 min. DVD: $29.99. Shanachie Entertainment (avail. from most distributors). Volume 26, Issue 2
The Legacy of Roscoe Holcomb
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