The Bahamas: Islands of Song (CD)
A collection of songs from the various islands of the Bahamas. The music is almost always vocal, with accompaniment only by a few musicians, either self-accompanying on guitar/banjo or with a small trio (accordion, drum, saw). The songs are based either in religion, in children's game-songs, or on simple happenings within the town. The recording quality is quite nice throughout, though the music can at times drag on at a far too low tempo for anyone's good (case in point: "Roll a Pin"). Despite an occasional drop, the music is however generally pretty good. There are three- and four-part harmonies thrown everywhere in this collection, usually to good effect. On top of this, the saw player in Thomas Cartwright's group (Huelon Newbold) shows off some level of virtuosity in his rhythmic accompaniment on the tool. The album overall presents a nice look at a music culture generally not thought of along with the other Caribbean genres that have overshadowed it, and not often grouped in with the Southern U.S. traditions which it shares so many features with. Pick up the album for such a look into the vocal traditions in their simplicity, but don't go in expecting grandiose instrumentation. ~ Adam Greenberg, All Music Guide
| Tracklisting | |
| Disk | 1 | |
| 1 | You Ain't Hurryin' Me |
| 2 | Girl, If I Write You |
| 3 | Watermelon Is Spoilin' on the Vine |
| 4 | Rain Children |
| 5 | When I Get Inside |
| 6 | I'm Going Home on the Morning Train |
| 7 | Big Belly Man Polka |
| 8 | All in the Woods |
| 9 | Let the Church Roll On |
| 10 | Lynn |
| 11 | Went to the Bight |
| 12 | Nobody's Darling But Mine |
| 13 | Christian's Automobile |
| 14 | Let Me Call You Sweetheart |
| 15 | Sloop John B. |
| 16 | Jimmy Bend a Tree While It's Young |
| 17 | Round and Round the Bar Room |
| 18 | Roll of Pin |
| 19 | Dry Bones |
| 20 | Bid You Goodnight |
| 21 | Timestable |
| 22 | God Sent Jonah |
| 23 | Liar |