Digital Releases
(on CD, and Occasionally on Vinyl)
Taken From 78s
Dust-to-Digital
Eclectic and slightly eccentric, the box sets—and books with CDs—by Dust-to-Digital explore 78s (and 45s) from around the world, and constantly give the listener a chance to hear old time music through new perspectives. Meticulous remastering. Wonderful historical essays and liner notes.
Frog Records
Probably the best, as well as one few remaining companies still issuing jazz and blues on CD. Based in England, Frog Records specializes in music from the ‘20s and ‘30s. Even if you already have the music on older CDs, it is worth repurchasing on Frog because of the excellent sound quality, historical liner notes, and detailed discography info. The company also publishes “Frog Blues & Jazz Annual”. These include scholarly articles and wonderful vintage photos and illustrations. Vol. 6 has now been published.
Old Hat Records
Old Hat Records focuses on both black and white stringband music from the ‘20s and ‘30s. Its CD (and one exclusively vinyl) issues come out sporadically, but when they do it’s a cause for celebration, given the intelligence that goes into the choice of music, coupled with the wonderful research that goes into the liner notes. The website has some interesting articles on old time music and 78 collecting.
