VARIOUS ARTISTS THE GREAT TRAGEDY 2: WINTER DANCE PARTY 1959... AND THE SHOW MUST GO ON Bear Family Records (CD) *** After Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, The Big Bopper and pilot Roger Peterson died that fateful morning of February 3, 1959, "The Winter Dance Party" soldiered on for another 10 straight days with Dion & The Belmonts, Frankie Sardo Sc The Crickets, Frankie Avalon, Jimmy Clanton, Fabian, Robert Veline & His Shadows and Bill Par-sons. Holly had fired The Crickets in '58. His new band consisted of bassist Waylon Jennings, guitarist Tommy Allsup and drummer Carl Bunch. Veline found fame later as Bobby Vee. This second volume of music from the aforementioned continues with the aftermath of the event with 34 tracks in just under 80 minutes.
It includes two tribute songs as well as "cover-age" in the form of an opening aural documentary less than two minutes long. greatest folk-singer Pete Seeger (1919-2014) sang at the South Pres-byterian Church in Dobbs Ferry, New York with a children's chorus (and, as was the case at almost all of his concerts, most of the audience as well). They raised their voice in song on "This Land Is Your Land" (which, in this writer's opinion, should be America's National Anthem), "We Shall Overcome" (Pete helped popularize this civil rights staple), "Take It From Dr. King' (his anti-gun-violence anthem), "Over The Rainbow," "She'll Be Coming Round The Mountain:' "M'bube" (an alternate version of the African folk song "Wimoweh" that was made into 1961's "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" No. 1 pop hit by doo-wop group The Tokens), "There's a Hole in the Bucket:' "Allelujah" and three more in a free-wheeling relaxed show that featured comedy
Highlights are from Jimmy Clanton, a Louisiana kid who had a voice head and shoulders above your run-of-the-mill teen idol. Waylon shows up with a primitive solo stab at "Joie Blon." (He offered The Big Bopper his seat on the plane and country fans ever since have been eternally grateful.) As with all Bear Family releases, the accompanying booklet is chockful of fascinating info and rare photos. - Mike Greenblatt
