''Ballads from Deep Gap'' is the second studio album by American

folk music Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has b ...

artist

Doc Watson Arthel Lane "Doc" Watson (March 3, 1923 – May 29, 2012) was an American guitarist, songwriter, and singer of bluegrass, folk, country, blues, and gospel music. Watson won seven Grammy awards as well as a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. W ...

and

Merle Watson Eddy Merle Watson (February 8, 1949 – October 23, 1985) was an American folk and bluegrass guitarist. He was best known for his performances with his father, Doc Watson. Merle played and recorded albums together with his father from age 15 unti ...

, released in 1967. The title references the town Watson was born in — Deep Gap,

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and ...

. Two of the songs were co-written with fiddler Gaither Carlton, Doc's father-in-law.

Reception

Writing for

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...

, music critic Jim Smith wrote of the album "The largely overlooked ''Ballads from Deep Gap'' features a great song list and some of Doc & Merle Watson's best early playing."

Track listing

# "

Roll in My Sweet Baby's Arms "Roll in My Sweet Baby's Arms" is an American traditional song. It seems to have developed from lyrics in the cowboy song " My Lula Gal", itself a development of bawdy British and Appalachian songs generally known as "Bang Bang Rosie" or "Bang Away ...

" (Traditional) – 2:49 # "My Rough and Rowdy Ways" (Elsie McWilliams,

Jimmie Rodgers James Charles Rodgers (September 8, 1897 – May 26, 1933) was an American singer-songwriter and musician who rose to popularity in the late 1920s. Widely regarded as "the Father of Country Music", he is best known for his distinctive rhythmi ...

) – 2:28 # "The Wreck of the Old Number Nine" (

Carson Robison Carson Jay Robison ( – ) was an American country music singer and songwriter. Although his impact is generally forgotten today, he played a major role in promoting country music in its early years through numerous recordings and radio appear ...

) – 2:55 # "Gambler's Yodel" ( Alton Delmore, Rabon Delmore) – 2:55 # " The Cuckoo" (Traditional) – 2:46 # " Stack-O-Lee" (Traditional) – 3:50 # "Willie Moore" (Traditional) – 4:00 # "Travelin' Man" (Traditional) – 3:28 # "Tragic Romance" (Grandpa Jones) – 3:18 # "Texas Gales" (Molly O'Day) – 1:30 # "The Lawson Family Murder" (Walter "Kid" Smith) – 2:36 # " Alabama Bound" (Traditional) – 2:47

Personnel

*Doc Watson – guitar, harmonica, banjo, vocals *Merle Watson – guitar, banjo *

Eric Weissberg Eric Weissberg (August 16, 1939 – March 22, 2020) was an American singer, banjo player, and multi-instrumentalist, whose most commercially successful recording was his banjo solo in " Dueling Banjos," featured as the theme of the film ''Deliv ...

– bass Production notes *Jack Lothrop – producer *Clalude Karczmer – engineer * Bill Vernon – liner notes

References

{{Authority control 1967 albums Doc Watson albums Vanguard Records albums