Songs of the California Gold Rush
by The New Sierra Nevada Rangers

The California Gold Rush of 1849 turned the quiet territory
of the United States into a roaring center of world attention.
People came from everywhere to "make their pile". Some
folks struck it rich and some worked for wages. Others,
disillusioned by mining, found other work.

One of these was John A. Stone. John Stone crossed the
plains in 1849, and in 1853 started a musical group called
the Sierra Nevada Rangers. They played the major mining
towns. Stone, or "Old Put" as he called himself, was the
most prolific and successful composer of songs during the
Gold Rush. He prided himself on knowing from personal
experience the hardships and disappointments of the
average miner. In his songs are a first-hand accounts of
many of these experiences.

The New Sierra Nevada Rangers consists of Piper Devi
on vocals, guitar and harmonium; Genevieve Dungan on vocals; and Rick Toles on banjo, fiddle and harmonica.
They perform the music of the western pioneers with the
joy and exuberance of the American Western Movement.

Order this audio CD online at joyfullstrings.com