A century ago, OKeh Records made the first attempt at capturing and marketing the sounds of Appalachian musicians in Appalachia. These recording sessions, held on the rooftop of the George Vanderbilt Hotel in downtown Asheville, have been called “the fuse that lit the big bang of country music.”
This week, they’re being celebrated in Asheville with performances, panel discussions and a newly remastered reissue —Music from the Land of the Sky, on Rivermont Records.
Event co-organizer and former North Carolina Arts Council Executive Director Wayne Martin spoke with WFDD’s David Ford…