Let Me Be Your Side Track: The Influence of Jimmy Rogers

Personnel: Bill Monroe (vocals, tenor, mandolin); Molly O'Day (vocals, guitar, banjo); Roland Heinrich (vocals, guitar, harmonica, kazoo); Gary "Warehouse" Williams, Lefty Frizzell (vocals, guitar, harmonica); Jim Reeves, Dickey Betts, Dickie Bishop, Jack Hilliard, Durwood Brown, Leon Huff , Whitey McPherson, Walter "Joe" Callahan, Mike Harrison , Charlie Blake, Clarence E. "Hank" Snow, John Burton , Columbus Lewis, Homer "Bill" Callahan, Luke Owens, Scott Miller, Leroy "Happy Fats" LeBlanc, Leonard Slye, Jack Guthrie, Paul Rice, John "Buster" Coward, Jerry Garcia, Jimmie Skinner, Johnny Cash, Lonnie Donegan, Lynn Davis , Phil Humphrey , Red Foley, Tom Darby, Wilf Carter, Willie Nelson, Bill Boyd, Merle Travis, Bob Dylan, Buddy Jones, Charlie Monroe (vocals, guitar); Dwight Yoakam, Iris DeMent, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Steve Earle (vocals, acoustic guitar); Jimmie Tarlton (vocals, steel guitar); Grandpa Jones (vocals, banjo); Roy Acuff, Hugh Farr (vocals, fiddle); Van Morrison (vocals, harmonica); Jerry Lee Lewis (vocals, piano); Jeff Bills (vocals, drums); Dolores Edgin, June Page, Dick Curless, Dick Robertson, Dolly Parton, Ruby Owens, Thomas Elmer "Tommy" Duncan, John Sellers, Jimmy Hinchee, Harry Hillard, Bill Ramsey , Peter Alexander, Elton Britt, Ernest Tubb, Bob Shelton, Joe Shelton, Amos Greene, Jessie Clifton, Rick Belson, Slim Oakdale, Harry Belafonte, Paxton Sellers, Jimmie Davis, Jack Logan , Aaron Neville, John Mellencamp, Alison Krauss, Merle Haggard, Roy Rogers , Tim Spencer, Webb Pierce, Bob Nolan, Millie Kirkham, Joe Babcock, Brenda Boykin, Charlie "Bozo" Nickerson (vocals); Ron Block (tenor, guitar); Dan Tyminski (baritone, guitar); Barry Bales (bass voice, acoustic bass); Mack Magaha (whistling, fiddle); Grady Martin, Roy Nichols (guitar, electric guitar); Roy Smeck (guitar, steel guitar); Clarence White, Denny Wright (guitar, mandolin); Harold Bradley (guitar, electric bass); Lonnie Wilson (guitar, drums); John Jennings, Mike Wanchic (guitar, background vocals); Joyce "Red" Murrell, Russ Hawking, Gerald Tomlinson, Jerry "Chip Young" Stembridge, Jerry Glenn Kennedy, Warnest Schexnyder, Horace Edmondson, Jimmy Rollins, Lloyd Perryman, Curly Perrin, Gene Sullivan, William Cox, Wilbur Ball, Kenneth R Baker, Millard Thomas, James Burton, Jerry Reed Hubbard, Jimmy Long, John Jackson, Leon Chappelear, Leonard Caston, Lewis Talley, Lou Millet, Mark Goldenberg, Pete Pyle, Ray Edenton, Anthony Paule, Smokey Rogers, Zeke Clements, Billy Sanford, Karl Farr, Charlie Burse, Dale Sellers, Ernie Calabria (guitar); Dann Huff (acoustic guitar, electric guitar); Mark Casstevens (acoustic guitar, mandolin, harmonica); Duane Betts, Joseph Hale III Talbot, Abe Manuel, Jr., Rusty York (acoustic guitar); Bob Symons (electric guitar, steel guitar); Duke Levine (electric guitar, background vocals); Chet Atkins, David Carroll Kirby, Quilla Hugh Freeman, George Edward "Leo" Jackson, Hoke Rice, Billy Byrd, Joe Manuel, Pete Anderson , Jerry Shook, Brent Mason (electric guitar); Norman D. Hamlett, Danny Stewart, Ned Gail Davis, Pete Rodis Drake, Wilson "Lefty" Perkins, A.J. McNew, Lloyd Wright, Ernie Harvey, Pete "Oswald" Kirby, James "Jimmie" Selph, Joaquin Murphy, Dickie Harris, Jimmy Day, Paul Franklin , Sherwood Ball, Buster B. Jones, Charles Mitchell (steel guitar); George Xanthos, Norm Hamlet (resonator guitar); Don Beck, Jerry Douglas , Sally Van Meter (dobro); Vol Stevens (banjo, mandolin); Ocie Stockard (tenor banjo, fiddle); Aldan "Wimpy" Hutson, Red Brown, Pat O'Daniel (tenor banjo); Buck Trent (electric banjo); Mother Maybelle Carter (autoharp); David Grisman, Rudie Blazer, Adam Steffey (mandolin); Oldrick Scholz (ukulele); Miriam Sturm (violin, background vocals); Sheldon Kurland, Martin Katahn, Lillian Hunt, Elizabeth McNally, Mircea Petcu, Solie Fott, George Binkley III, Brenton Banks (violin); James "Slim" Martin (fiddle, harmonica); Cliff Bruner, Mike O'Daniel, Carroll Hubard, James "Hal" Smith , Benjamin McCay, Lonnie Hall, Johnny Borowski, Warren "Sweet Face" Harrison, George Uttinger, Art Davis , James Holley, Cecil "Skeets" Williamson, Jerry Rowley, Kenneth Lovelace, Henry Newton "Tommy" Vaden, Nout Grupstra, Jack Hamma Johnson, Norris Savoy, J.R. Chatwell, Jack Youngblood, Art Wooten, Robert Chubby Wise, Johnny Gimble, Max Fidler, Rufus Thibodeaux, William Armstrong, Billy Hughes, Hank Singer, Joe Spivey, Bobby Bruce, Buddy Spicher, Byron Berline (fiddle); Tommy Kane, Marvin Chantry (viola); Speck Bradley (cello, tenor saxophone); David James Jr, Byron Bach (cello); Charlie McCoy (harmonica, vibraphone); Will Shade, Wayne Raney, Mickey Raphael (harmonica); Harry Sorenson (accordion); Carl Highsmith, Ben Kanter, Jerry Jerome, Jim Rothermel, Sandy Brown (clarinet); Leo Green, Martin Fierro (tenor saxophone); Manny Klein, Don Markham, Al Fairweather , Peter Walker (trumpet); Kevin Potter (trombone); Marcus Krieger (tuba); Owen Bradley, Hargus "Pig" Robbins (piano, organ); Paul Barrett (piano, synthesizer); Jonathan Carroll (piano, background vocals); Slomie Creel, James T. Clark, Mac Register, Don West, George French, Jr., Floyd Cramer, Eddie Whitley, Beegie Cruzer, Fred "Papa" Calhoun, Evelyn Rowley, Glen D. Hardin, Jack Hinson, John Hobbs, Jim Pugh , Matt Rollings, Moon Mullican, Norris "Norro" Wilson, Bobby Wood (piano); Robin Aspland (grand piano); Alec Dankworth (acoustic bass); Roy Huskey Jr. (upright bass); Larry Mullen, Jr. (drums, tambourine); Robbie Magruder (drums, background vocals); Ralph Gallant, Don Lamond, Percy Bride, Danny Barrajanos, George Mash, M.C. Berry, James Carlisle Isbell, Harry Stinson, Tyler Eng, Tommy Perkins, Mike Dupke, Jim Keltner, Kenny Buttrey, Larry Atamanuik, Roy Edward Burris, Winston Watson, Ben Pollack, Biff Adam, Ralph Salmins, Farris Coursey, Jerry Carrigan, Charles Sanders, Buddy Harman (drums); Curtis Young, J.T. Brown (background vocals).
Audio Mixers: Michael Sumas; Mark "Guitar" Miller; Louise McCormick; Gary Paczosa; Jim Robeson; Mark Hood; Paul Barrett; Ray Kennedy; Walter Samuel.
Liner Note Authors: Dave Samuelson; Tony Russell; Cary Ginell.
Editor: Don Cobb.
Illustrators: Chris Thomas King; Frank Mare; Richard K. Spottswood; David Crisp; R.A. Andreas; Jürgen Feuß; Mohns Mohnssen; Sherwin Dunner; Jeff Rosen; Larry Cohn; Tony Russell; Cary Ginell.
Photographers: Chris Thomas King; Frank Mare; Richard K. Spottswood; David Crisp; R.A. Andreas; Jürgen Feuß; Mohns Mohnssen; Sherwin Dunner; Jeff Rosen; Larry Cohn; Tony Russell; Cary Ginell.
Arrangers: D. Bergen White; Jimmie Rodgers ; Alison Krauss; Pete Anderson .
An extraordinarily thorough box from Bear Family, a label known for its completism with all things country-related, LET ME BE YOUR SIDETRACK: THE INFLUENCE OF JIMMIE RODGERS takes on the decade-spanning influence of Jimmie Rodgers, aka "the man who started it all." As argued in the liner notes of the accompanying 188-page booklet, Jimmie Rodgers forever changed American hillbilly and folk music by taking the focus off the song and putting it on the performer. The power of his personality drove many artists to pick up guitars and imitate his simultaneously warm and heartworn style, thereby codifying what was to become country music. Of the 110 songs Rodgers recorded in his short but legendary career, 108 have been covered by other artists. This jawdropping ratio inspired LET ME BE YOUR SIDETRACK, which across six discs compiles 159 cover versions by Rodgers-aping contemporaries, early cowboy legends like Gene Autry, honky-tonk giants such as Lefty Frizzell and Ernest Tubb, country music stalwarts such as Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard, and even rockers such as Bob Dylan and Jerry Garcia. Many of them even take on Rodgers' evocative yodel. It speaks to the breadth of Rodger's influence that LET ME BE YOUR SIDETRACK is an affecting listen, start to finish. The richness and variety of these performances collectively sound less like a wonky tribute and more like an engrossing history of country music itself.