Vanguard Records is best known for its eclectic catalog of pivotal jazz, folk, rock and blues recordings by iconic artists like Joan Baez, Linda Ronstadt, Buddy Guy, Charlie Musselwhite, John Fahey, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Doc Watson, Country Joe and the Fish and countless others. Most recently, Vanguard has carried forward the label's legacy of artistic excellence with a diverse roster including Barenaked Ladies, Indigo Girls, O.A.R. and Collective Soul.
Riding the tail end of the popular boom of commercialized Folk Music, Vanguard's unexpected mega-hit "Walk Right In" soared to the top of the pop chart. Looking for a long forgotten treasure to mine, Erik Darling and Bill Svanoe, doing what many had done before them, updated an old string band tune, composed by Gus Cannon and recorded with his Jug Stompers in 1929.
They arranged it for TWO 12-String guitars (one of which, a leftie model, had to be specially constructed for Bill), and adding the mellifluous tones of Lynne Taylor to complete the trio, the magic concoction was brewed to MOR perfection.
And, just in time for Gus Cannon, too! He had recently pawned his banjo to pay his heating bill, and the royalties and national recognition breathed new life into a long dormant career.
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