Dolly Parton and Sheryl Crow appear on Orthophonic Joy: The 1927 Bristol Sessions Revisited

Visit Bristol, Virginia, from £1,129pp with America As You Like It 

** Click here to watch Orthophonic Joy: The 1927 Bristol Sessions Revisited **

1927's The Bristol Sessions were legendary recordings by Ralph Peer that changed the face of country music, taking the genre to a new level and producing pioneers including Jimmie Rodgers and the Carter Family. Considered the 'Big Bang of Country Music', Johnny Cash went so far as to label The Bristol Sessions,“the single most important event in the history of country music.”

Just a few years shy of the 90th anniversary of the original event, country music fans across the globe will rejoice at news from The Birthplace of Country Music that the album, 'Orthophonic Joy: The 1927 Bristol Sessions Revisited', will be released on 12 May 2015.

'Orthophonic Joy' is a modern take on the authentic, legendary music birthed in the foothills of the majestic mountains across Southwest Virginia in the Capital Region USA, and across the border into neighbouring state, Tennessee. The songs, many of which have been passed from generation to generation, are meant to inspire travel to a region which music lovers have long revered as sacred ground.

Celebrating the impact that the 1927 Bristol Sessions had on the country music industry, the new album features re-creations of the original recordings and features performances by country music stars including, Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris, Marty Stuart, Sheryl Crow, The Church Sisters, and Vince Gill. The recording project also includes narration of the 1927 Bristol Sessions history by famed Opry host Eddie Stubbs.

The Smithsonian Institution-affiliated Birthplace of Country Music Museum in Bristol, Virginia, is dedicated to preserving the legacy of the 1927 Bristol Sessions and their lasting influence on American popular music. The museum is part of The Crooked Road, the tie that binds Southwest Virginia's music heritage to a rich history. The Crooked Road spans more than 300 miles, showcasing the land and its people that inspired legends like the Carter family, the Stoneman family, Dr. Ralph Stanley and Johnny Cash. Its authentic culture continues to inspire musicians today.

Rita McClenny, President and CEO of Virginia Tourism Corporation comments; “The music still comes out of the hills in Virginia as a new generation of performers take mountain music back into the mainstream. This experience is not manufactured. It is unquestionably an authentic Virginia—and American—experience.”

Pre-order the album through Amazon and iTunes

Take me to Bristol – with America As You Like It

America As You Like It offers a seven night holiday to Washington DC and Virginia from £1,129 per person, based on two sharing and including return flights on Virgin Atlantic from London Heathrow to Washington Dulles, three nights room only at the Holiday Inn Georgetown, two nights room only at the Skyland Resort, Shenandoah, two nights room only at the Holiday Inn Bristol and five days fully inclusive economy car hire,. To book, call 0208 742 8299 or visit www.americaasyoulikeit.com.

For more information on the Birthplace of Country Music Museum and the Orthophonic Joy Album, visit www.birthplaceofcountrymusic.org

To find out more about the Capital Region USA, visit www.capitalregionusa.co.uk

 - Ends -

28 April 2015

Press enquiries to Jo Thomas / Beth Higham at KBC PR & Marketing

jo.thomas@kbctravelgroup.com / beth.higham@kbctravelgroup.com

Tel: 01825 763636

Note to editors

TRACKLIST

Disc 1

1. "Don't Deny Yourself the Sheer Joy of Orthophonic Music…" (narration by Eddie Stubbs)

2. I'm Redeemed – Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver

3. "All They Needed Now Was Talent…"

4. Bury Me Beneath the Willow – Emmylou Harris

5. "Tonight He is Playing the Tune at Police Headquarters…"

6. Black Eyed Susie – Marty Stuart

7. "An Early Tradition of Scrapping for Rights and Royalties…"

8. When They Ring Those Golden Bells – Dolly Parton

9. "I Wish I Had Some Rocks to Throw at Them…"

10. The Storms Are On the Ocean – Ashley Monroe

11. "Any Song with a Story Will Go to the People's Hearts…"

12. I Am Resolved – The Shotgun Rubies

13. "A Hoe-down Social in a Mountain Cabin…"

14. Sweet Heaven When I Die - Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers

15. "Daddy Never Knew When He Would Come Up With an Idea for a Song…"

16. The Soldier's Sweetheart – Vince Gill

17. "Where the Blues Meet the Church…"

18. To The Work – Keb' Mo'

Disc 2

1. "Singers Who Had Not Visited Bristol During Their Entire Lifetime Arrived…"

2. Where We'll Never Grow Old – The Church Sisters

3. "Love, Loss, and the Perils of the Moonshine Business…"

4. Darling Cora – Corbin Hayslett

5. "Ramblers Riding the Longest Train I Ever Saw…"

6. In the Pines – Brad Paisley & Carl Jackson

7. "Twenty-One Good Years at the Throttle…"

8. The Wreck of the Virginian – Ashley & Shannon Campbell

9. "Prized and Practical, Brutal Ballads…"

10. Pretty Polly – Carl Jackson

11. "Tremendous Heart Punch and Appeal…"

12. The Wandering Boy – Sheryl Crow

13. "Gotta Catch That Train…"

14. Train on the Island – Larry Cordle & The Virginia Luthiers

15. "History Saws and Strums Along with Itself…"

16. Johnny Goodwin / The Girl I Left Behind – Jesse McReynolds & Carl Jackson

17. "Introducing the Orthophonic Choir…"

18. Shall We Gather at the River – The Chuck Wagon Gang & The Orthophonic Choir

19. "The Birthplace of Country Music…"