“It ain't a thing,” I said to Matt Sparks as he approached me to write this review of Episode 3 of the Smoky Mountain Air podcast mini-series Sepia Tones: Exploring Black Appalachian Music. And truly, it was an enjoyable fifty-nine minutes. Since I am a non-American, it didn't come naturally to me to review a podcast from such a distant environment. Listening to the episode, at times, I felt as if I were looking into another world—but throughout my digital visit to the Appalachian podcast-scape, my stay was educational, interesting, and, most importantly, enjoyable. If you are looking for an hour of singing, spirituality, and snack-sized tidbits of knowledge about music and America, set your sights on this mini-series.
Set up as a review of the music of the Black churches of Appalachia, the podcast features an array of distinguished professors as they converse about the history and future...
