New Lost City Ramblers
Old-time string band that revived authentic 1920s–30s sounds.
The New Lost City Ramblers were an American string band from New York City, formed in 1958 at the height of the folk revival. Mike Seeger, John Cohen, and Tom Paley started the group; when Paley left in 1962, Tracy Schwarz took his place. The band was a key part of the old-time music revival and had a direct impact on many musicians who came after them.
Unlike other folk groups of the era—such as the Weavers or the Kingston Trio—the Ramblers refused to smooth out the Southern sounds they admired. Instead, they aimed for an authentic feel, drawing on the playing styles they heard on old 78 rpm records from the 1920s and 1930s, many of which appeared on the *Anthology of American Folk Music*. But they didn’t just copy those recordings; they used the old-time styles as a foundation without becoming rigid imitators.
Their name came from a request by Moe Asch, combining a favorite tune—J. E. Mainer’s “New Lost Train Blues”—with a favorite group, Charlie Poole and the North Carolina Ramblers, and a nod to the urban settings where they played old-time music.
On their album *Songs from the Depression*, the Ramblers performed political songs from the New Deal era, nearly all taken from commercial 78s. The exception was “Keep Moving,” which the Ramblers themselves performed on the album. The song was written by Agnes “Sis” Cunningham and sourced from a field recording by Tony Schwartz, but the performance on the album is by the Ramblers, not by Cunningham. This confusion later led Ry Cooder, who heard the Ramblers’ album, to record the song as “Traditional” on the first pressing of *Into the Purple Valley*—a mistake he happily fixed once he learned the truth. Cooder also covered another track from the same Ramblers album, “Taxes on the Farmer Feeds Us All,” which the Ramblers credited to Fiddling John Carson but Cooder’s notes still called “traditional.” Similarly, the Ramblers’ version of “Boomer’s Story” was covered by Cooder as “traditional,” though the song was written by Carson Robison and first recorded by him in 1929 as “The Railroad Boomer.”
Bob Dylan, in his autobiography *Chronicles: Volume One*, described hearing the Ramblers’ records in 1960: “Everything about them appealed to me—their style, their singing, their sound. I liked the way they looked, the way they dressed and I especially liked their name. Their songs ran the gamut in style, everything fr
- formed
- 1958
- origin
- New York City
- field
- Old-time string band music
- nationality
- American
- known_for
- Reviving traditional playing styles from 1920s and 1930s 78rpm records; refusing to sanitize southern sounds
Lore & Background
The Ramblers distinguished themselves by focusing on traditional playing styles heard on old 78rpm records of musicians recorded during the 1920s and 1930s, many of whom had earlier appeared on the Anthology of American Folk Music. They refused to 'sanitize' these southern sounds as did other folk groups of the time, such as the Weavers or Kingston Trio, instead striving for an authentic sound. However, they did not merely copy old recordings; they used various old-time styles without becoming slaves to imitation.
The group named themselves in response to a request by Moe Asch, based on an amalgam of a favorite tune, J. E. Mainer's 'New Lost Train Blues'; a favorite group, Charlie Poole and the North Carolina Ramblers; and a reference to the urban settings in which they played old-timey music. On Songs from the Depression, they performed political songs from the New Deal days, all but one taken from commercially issued 78s. The exception, 'Keep Moving', was actually performed by Agnes 'Sis' Cunningham, though the album notes identified it only as 'from Tony Schwartz's collection — singer unidentified'.
The group drifted apart during the latter half of the 1960s. Schwarz and Seeger performed with different musicians and together formed the short-lived Strange Creek Singers. Their extensive recordings for Folkways became, after the death of Moe Asch, part of the Smithsonian Institution, which reissues Folkways titles on CD. John Cohen is said to have inspired the titular John of the Grateful Dead's 1970 song 'Uncle John's Band'.
Reader's Guide
The New Lost City Ramblers were central to the old-time music revival, directly influencing many later musicians. Their insistence on authentic reproduction of 1920s and 1930s string-band styles set them apart from contemporaneous folk groups that sanitized southern sounds. Bob Dylan, in his autobiography Chronicles: Volume One, described the impression the Ramblers made on him in 1960, noting their style, singing, sound, and originality. The group's recordings also inadvertently led to misattributions: Ry Cooder, after hearing their album Songs from the Depression, recorded 'Keep Moving' as 'Traditional' on his Into the Purple Valley album, an omission he later corrected. Cooder also covered 'Taxes on the Farmer Feeds Us All' and 'Boomer's Story' from the same album, crediting them as traditional despite the Ramblers' credits. The Ramblers' legacy endures through their Smithsonian Folkways reissues and their influence on later musicians and the broader folk revival.
Did You Know?
- The group's name was an amalgam of J. E. Mainer's 'New Lost Train Blues', Charlie Poole and the North Carolina Ramblers, and a reference to urban settings.
- On Songs from the Depression, the song 'Keep Moving' was actually performed by Agnes 'Sis' Cunningham, though the album notes identified the singer as unidentified.
- Ry Cooder recorded 'Keep Moving' as 'Traditional' on his Into the Purple Valley album after hearing the Ramblers' version, an omission he later corrected.
- John Cohen is said to have inspired the titular John of the Grateful Dead's 1970 song 'Uncle John's Band'.
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