Dinata Misovec

We experience another side of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park today when we attended the “On Top of Old Smoky” CD release concert on the lawn in front of park headquarters. We got there early to get a good spot to set up our chairs but, that was not necessary.   The turnout was light. All those people who didn’t come missed a good show.

The CD is old-time Smoky Mountain music of the people who lived in the mountains before the park, sung by contemporary musicians. A number of them came to the park today to perform their song on the CD and several more as well. It was a three-and-a-half hour concert.

I don’t think the first group is on the CD.  They must have been the warm-up show and were excellent.

This guy was the lead singer, with the woman backing him up.  He was phenomenal.

This is our view of the show without the zoom.  We were in the shade and it was close enough.

This is John Lilly. He did some fine yodeling in some of his songs. I like yodeling but, as one of the songs he wrote and performed shows, a little yodeling goes a long way.

The Brother Boys were quite lively.

Dale Jett, on the left, is the grandson of A.P. and Sara Carter of The Carter Family fame. Oscar Harris, on the right, is playing the autoharp.

Here was the real treat of the afternoon.  Amythyst Kiah sang her mountain music with a bluesy twist.  She had a strong, beautiful voice. And, since she drove past Dollywood on her way to the park, she sang Dolly Parton’s “Joline”.  Powerful.

Dolly Parton is on the CD, but she did not perform for the release concert.