"Damp As the Dew: A Tribute to Appalachian Miners"

Carrie and Michael Kline

Longtime residents of Elkins, folklorists Carrie and Michael Kline travel wherever oral history and stories take them.

It was nearly 40 years ago that Michael Kline and Rich Kirby recorded "They Can't Put it Back," an album dedicated to mountain community and mining struggles.

This recording carries on that spirit, with such coal-mining classics as "Sixteen Tons" and and "The L&N Don't Stop Here Anymore."

The Klines are adept interpreters of Hazel Dickens' wonderfully detailed songs, with voices as clear as melting snow in early spring. Their duet singing works to good effect on "Clay County Miner."

Another selection, Sue Massek's "What She Aims to Be," honors coal-mining women.

One of the most poignant songs is "Hey Mr. Massey," sung by Rocky Ray Peck, who was killed in a slate fall during the A.T. Massey strike in the mid-1980s.

The Klines each take a turn at unaccompanied singing on Dickens' "Black Lung," and Jean Ritchie's "West Virginia Mine Disaster."

Michael Kline is also one of the best guitarists to ever back up a fiddle player. His use of melodic runs to underscore just the right parts of a fiddle line is unique and very tasteful. His subtle guitar playing shines on "Hell Up Coal Holler," featuring Gerry Milnes on fiddle.

As any good listener might, they know how to tell a story, too. These are hard-hitting songs, and the powerful lyrics are well-served by such warm voices. This CD has a front-porch feel, with two friends singing songs they love and know well.

Available for $15 plus $3 postage at 114 Boundary Ave., Elkins, WV 26241, or by calling (304) 636-5444. Checks can be made out to Talking Across the Lines, or TATL. CDs or downloads can be purchased online at www.folktalk.org/prod.html.