A decade has passed since Knoxville reclaimed a remarkable chapter of its musical past—the so-called “lost music” of the 1929–30 Knoxville Sessions. A newly relaunched podcast takes a look back.
Recorded in the WNOX studios at the St. James Hotel on Wall Ave. by Chicago-based Brunswick Records for its Vocalion label, the Knoxville Sessions rivaled the famed
Bristol Sessions in both ambition and artistry. But history treated them differently. While the Bristol recordings became known as “the Big Bang of country music,” helping to launch the careers of the Carter Family and Jimmie Rodgers, the Knoxville Sessions were largely buried beneath the crushing weight of the Great Depression, when record buying became a luxury few could afford.
What was lost to commerce, however, was never lost in spirit. The recordings captured a stunningly diverse cross-section of Southern music at a pivotal moment in American history. Musicians from across the region came to Knoxville in hopes of being discovered, representing blues, gospel, jazz, and string bands alike. The resulting collection of recordings is as powerful as it is expansive, even more varied than its Bristol counterpart.
Don Flemons Trio
In April 2016, after years of research by numerous parties, including archivists at Knox County Public Library’s Tennessee Archive of Moving Image and Sound (TAMIS), the acclaimed German music label Bear Family released the complete extant Knoxville Sessions recordings across four CDs. The box set also included a book with essays by esteemed early country music scholars Ted Olson and Tony Russell, copiously illustrated with photographs and ephemera from TAMIS.
To celebrate the release of these historic recordings, TAMIS partnered with WDVX, the East Tennessee Historical Society, and Visit Knoxville to bring this music back into the spotlight. The result was “The Knoxville Stomp: A Festival of Lost Music,” a multi-day celebration that drew musicians, scholars, and record collectors from around the world.
Now, the story comes full circle once again. WBIR has relaunched its Scruffy City Beat podcast, with the Knoxville Stomp serving as the subject of its inaugural episode. Available on WBIR+ and YouTube, the episode offers a fresh opportunity to revisit the Knoxville Sessions—and to appreciate their enduring impact on American music.
It’s well worth a listen, and a reminder that even music nearly lost to history can still find its moment.
Mary Pom Claiborne is assistant director for marketing, communications and development for Knox County Public Library.
Follow KnoxTNToday on Facebook and Instagram. Get all KnoxTNToday articles in one place with our Free Newsletter.
