Hazel Dickens & Alice Gerrard
The partnership of the Thelma and Louise of folk music represents a curious  convergence on a few fronts. Hazel Dickens is the daughter of a banjo-picking preacher  in West Virginia. Alice Gerrard was raised in Oakland, California, by classically trained  parents. A leftist political perspective underscores the songs of both women, but in very  different ways. Dickens puts one in mind of old labor while Gerrard was inspired to write  "Beaufort County Jail" after reading an article by New Leftist Angela Davis  inMs. What they did share was a deep affection for old-timey music, even if one  of the women was weaned on the stuff while the other picked up on it while in college.  The two began singing together in 1962; this collection was cut in the mid-'70s and  features songs written by both women plus some choice covers, including a jaunty take  on Jimmie Rodgers's "Mean Papa Blues" and the Louvin Brothers'  "When I Loved You," which showcases their trademark close harmonies. In  the end, despite their varied backgrounds, they shared plenty, too, including smarts,  spunk, and soul.--Steven Stolder