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Songs of The American Land  (LP) US Capitol P8522 / SP8522 (1960) US Angel S36085 (1975) recorded 6 + 16 + 19-20 + 23 Mar 1960 Salli Terri (vocals + voc arr) Jack Halloran Quartet Lyn Murray (instrumental arr) Robert Thompson (instrumental arr) with chorus and instrumental ensemble produced by Robert E Myers Bound for the promised land 'Cross the wide Missouri On Springfield Mountain El-a-noy My Old Kentucky Home Sacramento Colorado trail Erie Canal Sourwood Mountain / Goin' to Boston  (medley)      Red River Valley I'm goin' back to Georgia Home on the range Dixie The Sunny South The Lone prairie Geography Lesson Song / America  (medley)

US Capitol P8522 click on pic for full size image US Angel S36085 click on pic for full size image

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From the sleeve notes (of the Capital release?) -

A lovely young woman with a bubbling sense of humor, sparkling hazel eyes and long black hair, Salli Terri has been involved with music for as long as she can remember. She was born into a musical family in London, Ontario; her father was a well-known conductor of theater orchestras and her mother, although not a professional, was an accomplished singer. Salli has concertized in Europe and Canada as well as in the United States as a member of the famed Roger Wagner Chorale, for which she has been soloist and arranger as well. Since her collaboration with guitarist Laurindo Almeida began with the highly successful "Duets with the Spanish Guitar" in 1958, she has devoted herself more fully to solo work in concert and recordings. Trying to describe Salli's voice has sent many a reviewer scurrying to Roget's Thesaurus in search of powerful adjectives. Few singers, male or female, are as versatile as Salli Terri. She is capable of giving a superb performance in a wide variety of styles. Her forte, however, is folk music. When she is singing the centuries-old songs of traditional music, her voice has the warmth and the sincerity that mark a born singer.

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From the sleeve notes of the Angel reissue -

Salli Terri brings a special radiance to these centuries-old songs from America's past, a quality not at all unexpected to listeners who have long been fans of this uniquely gifted artist. Miss Terri is rightly celebrated for three attributes which distinguish her immediately, warmth, and purity of voice, and astonishing flexibility, or if you will, versatility of style. These have been exhibited prolifically in recording by herself as star soloist, or featured with performers as Laurindo Almeida or the Roger Wagner Chorale. In addition, Miss Terri has worked with artists ranging from Aaron Copland to Danny Kaye, Igor Stravinsky to Dinah Shore, Lukas Foss to Tennessee Ernie Ford. Her "Duets with the Spanish Guitar" album was awarded the ultimate recognition of the recording industry, the coveted "Grammy" statuette of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences.

Salli Terri was born in London, Canada. She moved at an early age with her family to Detroit, Michigan, where her father pursued a respected career as a violinist and conductor. Miss Terri graduated Magna cum laude in music from Wayne State University and went on to do graduate work at USC and UCLA, leading to her Masters Degree.

Miss Terri is married to composer John Biggs, creator of the John Biggs Consort which presents music both ancient and modern. The Biggs with their two daughters make their home in Santa Barbara. Their shared passion for music, however, takes them all over the world as performers and as teachers. Miss Terri has taught in such diverse places as Kansas, Oregon, Canada, Austria and Japan. Always, a foremost interest has been the folk music of America. "Songs of the American Land" exemplifies Salli Terri's continuing love for this music and her enthusiasm for encouraging other Americans to pursue their appreciation for this unique musical heritage.

Featured with Salli Terri in this album are the Jack Halloran Quartet. The vocal arrangements are by Miss Terri. The instrumental arrangements are by Lyn Murray and Robert Thompson.

Note: Duets with the Spanish Guitar won a Grammy for 'Best Engineered Record, Classical' - Conversations with the Guitar won the Grammy for 'Best Classical Performance, Vocal or Instrumental Chamber Music'