John Jacob Niles – American Folk And Gambling Songs

This folk record is definitely borderlining country, which is a rarity for me, even though I find myself knee deep in bluegrass 78s on a regular basis. As an admirer and collector of folk himself, John Jacob Niles took his Kentucky way of life and transformed it into a countless amount of recordings that are still admired around the world today. “American Folk And Gambling Songs” came into fruition upon request from Metropolitan Opera Company’s John Charles Thomas, who had heard Niles perform in the late 1930s in New York City. Thomas approached Niles about constructing an album that Thomas and he would arrange, based around many songs that were already written and being performed by Niles.

About 1/3 of the album was originally written and presented in an uneven timing, which was changed to standard time signatures by John Charles Thomas, much to Niles’ discrepancy in the matter.

This album is an accurate representation of the styles of John Jacob Niles, gracefully combining country and folk, while lacing the melody with his very unusual vocal tone. Album cuts like “The Frog Went Courting” and “Three Little Hunters” are a portrayal of his folk stylings, with heavy persuasion based around the Midwestern lifestyle (amplified by request of John Charles Thomas, as Niles veered away from the gambling theme hereafter). As a noted influence to Bob Dylan, John Jacob Niles is the epitome of what Ohio Valley folk music should portray.