Rising Sun Melodies

Ola Belle Reed was born in 1916, in rural Appalachia and grew up in a family so poor they didn't own a radio. This didn't stop Reed from making music – she learnt clawhammer banjo off an uncle and the local folk and gospel songs sung at gatherings. The Depression forced her family to shift to Pennsylvania where she continued to make music, alongside running a store selling southern produce and music to the community. Ola and her guitarist husband Bud Reed promoted concerts by many bluegrass musicians (often opening for them) and Ola developed into a gifted songwriter. By 1969, with the US folk revival in full swing, she began receiving invitations to play at folk festivals and several of her songs became bluegrass standards. A severe stroke in 1986 stopped Ola from making music and she died in 2002, but her influence lives on, with alt-country bands such as Ollabelle and The Demolition String Band championing her music and memory.

This 19-track album gathers up recordings she made with live performance material. It comes with a detailed 40-page booklet and is the perfect introduction to a musician who never considered herself professional, but simply loved to make music. And what music she made. Ola wrote songs about growing up in the mountains, her experiences, and her religious beliefs – there's a striking one called ‘My Epitaph’ in which she spells out what she expects once her life is over. Reed's downhome vocal, masterful banjo and simple, effecting songs will be a treat for anyone who loves The Stanley Brothers and Bill Monroe.