"Valley of Tears" - Solomon Burke with Gillian Welch and David Rawlings

This is one of the most beautiful performances of this song you will ever hear. Gospel music is a balm for the pain in life. It gives hope when all seems to be lost. The sorrow turns to hope and joy when set to music. In the world of gospel music, there is Aaron Neville, and then everyone else. The only one, in my opinion, who even comes close, is Solomon Burke. You Tube him sometime and treat yourself to an incredible wealth of music from his 6 decades of recording.

In this beautiful spiritual;  written by Gillian Welch and David Rawlings; Solomon Burke teams with the writers to deliver a beautiful performance of a haunting song, while all the while holding out hope that he will overcome his troubles. There is another gospel song by the same name as this one, written by Antoine "Fats" Domino and Dave Bartholomew. It was also recorded by Buddy Holly as well as Solomon Burke. But this is the one that really hits "home" for me.

Lamenting that people “stand in line- just to hear me cry” underscores the sorrow which the singer feels deeply, yet the audiences hunger to see his suffering lifts him up spiritually. He will not go to the valley. Instead, he sings his way through the pain, all the while praying for the deliverance of those who would rather see him suffer, if only to assuage their own pain.

The intersection of Solomon Burke with Gillian Welch gives further credence to our ability to overcome our superficial differences when we concentrate on our mutual emotions and needs. And music is such a great place to begin that journey.

Note: real life partners Gillian Welch and David Rawlings have been quietly influencing American independent music for several decades now. Her singing and writing, along with his deep love of playing guitar, combine together in such a way so as to communicate their love for one another to the audience without ever saying a word to one another. They are among my favorite musical artists. 

Valley of Tears” by Gillian Welch and David Rawlings

I've been riding high, but i don't know why

everybody wants to send me down to the valley of tears.

It's a sunny day and i'm on my way

but everybody wants to send me down to the valley of tears.

People stand in line just to hear me cry.

I wanna know the other side

but everyone i choose only brings bad news.

Everybody wants to send me down to the valley of tears.

People stand in line just to hear me cry.

I wanna know what's on the other side.

I've been riding high, but i don't know why

cause everybody wants to send me down to the valley of tears.

It's a sunny bright day and i'm on my way

but everybody wants to send me down to the valley of tears.

"Man of Constant Sorrow" by Ralph Stanley (2009)

What a great book! No real plot to follow, just the journey of two brothers; Carter and Ralph Stanley; who heard some music on an old battery powered Philco radio when they were young; and then set out to chase that dream. Carter would pass away in 1966, never having hit the “big time” but doing what he loved best. Ralph would take his brothers memory, as well as their music, on to worldwide acclaim and a Grammy Award at the age of 75 for his rendition of the old gospel hymn “O, Death” in the film “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” It was the first time a man his age had won the award, and also the first time the award was given for an acapella number.

The book is written with the aid of Eddie Dean who serves to organize the thoughts of the author. He does little to interfere with Ralph Stanley as he tells his story. The cadence, the nuance; all that is Mr. Stanley in a live interview, is captured well within these pages. The whole story is right here. And what a story it is!

Beginning in Smith Ridge, with a mother who has known more than her share of sorrow, Ralph Stanley takes you on a trip through the early years of his life, painting a wonderful picture of two inseparable brothers; himself and Carter who was just a few years older. The two had a love for music and aside from a short span of time during the Second World War, they would spend their entire lives together on the road until Carter passed away in 1965.

Carter and Ralph were close but they were also different. One of those differences concerned alcohol, which Carter used more and more as the years passed. What started out as a shot before going on stage became a lifelong indulgence that never stopped; like an urge which only grew more and more demanding; until it consumed his soul.  It was a principal component of what finally killed him.

The early years on the road, working for next to nothing; the long stretches of wondering if it was all worth the struggle; and so much of what it takes to really become a musician in more than just name, are all chronicled here by Mr. Stanley in an energetic and breezy style which will remind you of listening to the stories of some old guy down at the corner store.

Fans of Keith Whitley and Ricky Skaggs will find much to enjoy here, as the two teenagers were a part of The Stanley Brothers before they made it on their own. The author holds much affection for these two men. They came to him as boys, but by the time they left they were full time musicians who had earned the right to call themselves Clinch Mountain Boys, which was the name of Ralph and Carter Stanley’s band. If you have read Ricky Skaggs memoirs then some of this will be familiar, but even better for hearing it from Mr. Stanley’s point of view.

Bob Dylan is in the book, which surprised me. The author holds him in high regard as a troubadour who has stuck to his guns on the music he sings and plays. He even likes Dylan’s version of “Man of Constant Sorrow”. I have to admit that I can’t stand that recording. It was an early one for Dylan, during the Greenwich Village days.

In short, there is nothing about this book that you will not enjoy. Even if you are not a fan of the Stanley’s this book has a lot to offer. The author’s insights into the entertainment industry of the past are illuminating and insightful; in that they offer a unique comparison to the industry as we know it today. This was a thoroughly delightful read. 

Arthur Smith - RIP

Legendary guitarist, banjo player, fiddler, songwriter, TV host, radio personality Arthur Smith passed away on Thursday. He was 93 years old. His death marked the end of a long and stellar career making music in Charlotte, N.C. Although he was born in South Carolina Mr. Smith made Charlotte his home in the early 1940’s and never looked back.

His radio and TV shows were regional in their makeup, but had a worldwide effect on music. His iconic “Fuedin’ Banjo’s” would go on to be heard in films like “Deliverance”, for which he was given no credit whatsoever and had to bring suit in order to obtain any money for the use of his song. When Mitsubishi used the song again in the 1990’s he made some more money by taking them to court. But that is just a small part of who Mr. Smith was.

All over the country there were regional variety shows along the lines of the Ed Sullivan Show in New York. These regional shows highlighted the music and happenings in the local area in which they aired. I have often been envious of the people who got to watch these shows when I was a kid. Sure, I had Sullivan, but so did the people in the small cities. They just had something extra.

Guests such as Johnny Cash; who used to stay at Mr. Smith’s home in Charlotte when he came for a visit; Billy Graham and his wife Ruth, Andy Griffith, and a host of young guitar pickers from Nashville; including a very young Vince Gill; all made appearances on Mr. Smith’s show. Paul McCartney played 2 songs in 1958 which got him in the Quarrymen with John Lennon. One was Eddie Cochrane’s “Twenty Flight Rock”; the other was Arthur Smith’s “Guitar Boogie.”

Regional shows like Mr. Smith’s have gone by the wayside in the wake of the expanding global economy, but they will always be remembered for the joyful noise they made. The world was much less complex in those days when television was live and the performers even livelier. RIP Arthur Smith.

For more about Mr. Smith use the following link;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZ7IYL0qzrM 

The Earl Scruggs Center - Shelby, N.C.

The Town of Shelby;  home to the Don Gibson Theater; has a new attraction at the old County Courthouse. The long awaited Earl Scruggs Center has opened. Saturday marked the trial run with a "sneak preview" allowing a limited number of visitors to enter on a "timed" basis for about 45 minutes at 15 minute intervals. Nobody was disappointed.

The town of Shelby is usually a bit sleepy on weekends, but with the opening of the Earl Scruggs center that is about to change. The Old County Courthouse sits in the center of downtown Shelby and is surrounded by restaurants and shops, all of whom will be happy with the additional traffic the Center will create.

The Center is well organized, beginning with a short 15 minute film about Earl Scruggs and his rise to fame. Lester Flatt is equally represented in the film, which is as it should be. The two names go together like salt and pepper.

If you love guitars and banjos, then this is the spot for you. Gibson's and Martin's abound; some are even made with gold fittings. These are priceless instruments with a solid history of having changed the direction of a musical genre, even while creating a new one in the hands of Earl Scruggs, with his pioneer style of banjo picking which would set him apart from all the rest. His Foggy Mountain Breakdown is as potent today as the day it was first written over 50 years ago.

The statue above is life sized and sports one of Mr. Scruggs hats as well as a real banjo. If it were done in color you would feel like you were meeting the great man himself. The whole museum is filled with interactive exhibits accessible by using the "ear buds" given at the door. This allows the visitor to roam at will, plugging in wherever their desire might take them.

For instance, there is a room devoted entirely to Mr. Scruggs radio days, where you can plug in and listen to the early broadcasts which came to define his style. Then you can move on into the TV room and plug in there. 

But, for me at least, the best part was the plethora of musical instruments once held by the gods of bluegrass, including the 1970 electric Ibanez shown below which belonged to Mr. Scruggs son. The history behind each and every one of the instruments is breathtaking, considering that they have all been well traveled, bringing the gift of music to millions worldwide.

The only sad part of the event for me was that these instruments, encased in glass, will sing no more. But then again, out of the hands of their original owners, could they ever sing as beautifully again?

For more about the great musicians from North Carolina, visit the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame in Kannapolis. Their website is at; http://northcarolinamusichalloffame.org/

Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli

In just about every musical autobiography I have always come across the name of Django Reinhardt as being an influence for such diverse musicians, and genres, as Keith Richards, Chet Atkins, Paul Simon, and the list goes on and on, including some of the greatest names in jazz. Here is the video I was hoping to post but for some reason would not load; the one above is short and only shows the drummer;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fc3hffDNr8

The funny thing about it is that I had been listening to his violinist/accompanist Stephane Grappelli since I was about 19 years old, when Mr. Grappelli recorded “Hobo Blues” with Mr. Simon at the end of his first solo album, which ends with the song “Papa Hobo” as track 8 and morphs into a 1 minute and 22 second violin rag which I have always loved and carried around, either on tape, or now on CD.

So, when I first started listening to the music of Django Reinhardt and hearing Mr. Grappelli’s violin I assumed that Mr. Simon was just imitating his style. Here I am, over 40 years after the song’s release and I find out that the violin I have been hearing on that track is actually Mr. Grappelli himself, playing with Mr. Simon.

Yesterday’s review of the Ricky Skaggs autobiography is just another example of the far reach which music has over time and place. Even Mr. Skaggs credits Mr. Grappelli with having opened his ears to a new way of interpreting the old sounds, which form the basis of his own music. As I listen to “Jatteendrai Swing” I can hear where the basic sound of Spade Cooley, and even Hank Williams, comes from. And the influence doesn’t stop there. It will only keep growing, shaping the music of future generations through the music of our own.

Here’s the Paul Simon You Tube link so that you can hear Stephane Grappelli doing his stuff 30 odd years down the road from the video above.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51MagA8o7Ow

"The Day the Finger Pickers Took Over the World" - (1997)

Chet Atkins made his mark upon music many years ago, yet he never stopped playing and singing; always pushing the boundaries of the genre he was currently engaged in just one step further. His musical talent knew no boundaries, and he seemingly pulled ideas from thin air, effecting change each time he did so.

In business dealings, he was only equaled by Ahmet Ertegun, the famed head of Atlantic Records. Both men had an ear for what the public wanted to hear, as well as buy. Both men were unafraid to take chances. And, neither one ever seemed to age. Take this album by Chet Atkins from 1997, when he was well into his 70’s.

Granted that the concept was not his own; the original version of this satirical song was first released as “The Day the Bass Players Took Over the World”, a song written by Emily Kaitz and Dave Pomeroy, extolling the virtues of the oft neglected bass players. 

From the cover art, to the actual execution of the song, Mr. Atkins shows his wit and talent with this primarily jazz oriented album. You know, it’s hard to pigeon hole some-one like Chet Atkins. He did it all, from writing, performing and producing; to acting as an agent for other artists. There aren’t many artists like Chet Atkins in any one lifetime. But that’s understandable; he was just getting started when he passed away at age 77 in 2001.

Cousin Jake, Uncle Josh, Earl Scruggs - Nobody's Business

In the film “O Brother Where Art Thou” with George Clooney there is a band called the Soggy Bottom Boys. They perform the perfect version of the song “Man of Constant Sorrow” which was recorded by a partially blind fiddle player from Kentucky named Dick Burnett sometime in the 1940’s. Decades later the song became the mega hit we all know today.

The song “Man of Constant Sorrow”/ “I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow” was written in 1913 by Dick Burnett, who claimed to have gotten the idea for the tune from a fellow musician. Originally titled “Farewell Song”, it was included in the 1913 publication of Mr. Burnett’s songs. It was recorded as early as 1928 by Emry Arthur. Many folk musicians have laid down their own version of the song over the years, but the Soggy Bottom Boys version from the film will undoubtedly go down as the best version ever recorded, or performed.

The musicians in the movie are comprised of Dan Tyminski and several others associated with Allison Kraus and Union Station. But once upon a time there was a band called the Foggy Mountain Boys, which; as you might notice; is the complete opposite of the name of the band in the movie. The Foggy Mountain Boys were together as a band from 1948-1970. That’s quite a run.

Seen here on a local TV broadcast from the 1950’s are the real Foggy Mountain Boys, composed of Lester Flatt, Earl Scruggs, Paul Warren on fiddle, the great Josh Graves on dobro, with cousin Jake doing the lead singing. They only ever had a single #1 hit record; which was the “Ballad of Jed Clampett” for the TV series “The Beverly Hillbillies” in 1962. They also wrote and performed the theme song with Waylon Jennings “I’m a Good Ol’ Boy” for the TV series “Dukes of Hazard” in the 1980’s.

   

Sunday Television in rural America is something many of us from the big cities missed out on. The shows were not as sopshicated as the variety shows coming out of New York and Los Angeles, but; just as with last week’s Sunday post; they offer a very realistic look at what American’s found entertaining during the decade preceding the Second World War. We were fat and happy; and as a nation we knew no real rival.

These old TV shows are a real treat to watch. They tell us so much about who we are today. Perhaps, somewhere in these old shows, there is a hint of what began the great American decline which we are currently experiencing. But, all of that aside, they are also great entertainment from an era long gone.

"Ruby" by David Rawlings with Gillian Welch

If you haven’t noticed, I’m a big fan of Gillian Welch and David Rawlings. The two partners; in life as well as music; have given me more joy through their music than you can imagine. Their music is pure Americana, drawing on the roots of gospel, rhythm and blues, folk and a touch of bluegrass thrown in for good measure. They are the archetypical troubadours of their time.

In this song from 2009, Ruby’s lover laments that he has been unable to climb her golden stairs, which lead to the paradise he feels could be theirs if only she would let him in. But he also realizes that she is surrounded by her luxuries; indeed she is trapped by them, inside a tower that hasn’t got a door. So, not only can’t she get out, he can’t get in, unless she “lets down her golden hair.”

He compares himself to an old time telegraph man, with a single purpose in mind; to repair that which is broken. Sadly, he realizes that certain things; once broken; can never be fixed. A beautiful, haunting song, this one makes you marvel at what can be done with 4 simple chords. This performance is from an NPR “Tiny Desk” concert which aired on February 5^th, 2010. The song was written by Ms. Welch.

"I Want to Sing that Rock and Roll" - Gillian Welch and David Rawlings

I’m thinking of making Sunday a day for gospel music; and while I’m thinking about it; I can think of no better representatives of the modern gospel scene than Gillian Welch and David Rawlings, whom I featured here last week singing “I’ll Fly Away”.

Gospel music is often mistaken as simply being songs about Christianity; but, as a Jewish kid from Brooklyn; I can tell you honestly that there is so much more to gospel music once you scratch the surface. Gospel music transcends not only the troubles of this world; promising something better beyond the present; it also bridges the differences between us all with its themes of sorrow, redemption and joy. It’s like listening to Hank Williams “singing” his pain. It lifts you up just hearing him get the pain out. Like the blues.

In this song the emphasis is on wanting what you don’t have, and feeling left out. It speaks of peer pressure, and reluctant change; “everybody’s been making a shout, so big and loud, drowning me out….” The singers want to lay down their old guitars and pick up new electrified instruments. They are weary of trying to be heard above the din. I think we have all felt this way at one time or another when confronted with change. Because sometimes change doesn't feel like progress at all. 

"Live From Mountain River Stage" - John Hartford (2000 release)

I became a fan of John Hartford in about 2 seconds while watching the opening segment of the old “Glen Campbell Show” on CBS. If you’re old enough to remember, Glen Campbell used to sit in the audience and stand up as the show began, singing his landmark recording “Gentle On My Mind”. Standing with him was the song’s author, John Hartford, playing the banjo.

For years afterwards I always looked for John Hartford, either as a solo act, or playing backup on other artist’s recordings. Ask anyone in the music business and they will tell you with all honesty that John Hartford was the man who helped keep the genre of “Americana” alive through all of the changes in music which occurred during the 1970’s and 1980’s. He was the curator of part of our cultural history.

With his trademark bowler hat and sleeve garters, Mr. Hartford tap danced and fiddled his way across America during his almost 5 decades in show business, appearing on TV Shows, College Campuses and County Fairs. He was like a vision; a glimpse into the past of America; a time when steamboats roamed up and down the Mighty Mississippi, transporting cotton, and gamblers to their respective destinations. He was like a part of that scenery, although 100 years removed.

American music is composed of so many different styles, and comes from so many different roots. In it, you hear jazz, blues, slave chants, folk tunes from scores of countries, and even oriental influences combined into something unique. John Hartford fell hard for the Scots/Irish blend of fiddle music and banjo playing. And along the way he learned to write. From his earliest hits, like “Gentle On My Mind”, to his most obscure of later work, his music always evoked something of the American past. You can hear it in “Gentle On My Mind.” That banjo part just cuts through the whole song.

Curiously, he was born in New York City, before moving at an early age to Missouri, where he first saw his beloved river. In addition to all of his musical accomplishments; he played several instruments, and wrote many songs; he was a licensed riverboat Captain.

This album is a compilation of three concerts recorded by Mr. Hartford for West Virginia’s NPR “Mountain Stage” shows at the West Virginia Cultural center Auditorium in Charleston; between March of 1994 and May of 1996. This album was released in 2000, a year prior to Mr. Hartford’s death in 2001.  A quick look at the song list above will give you an idea of what he played. From classics such as Johnny Bond’s “I Wonder Where You are Tonight” and Carl Butler’s poignant “My Tears Don’t Show”, and then his own classics, such as “Lorena”, “Gentle On My Mind” and the humorous “Bring Your Clothes Back Home…”, it is easy to feel the connection that he had with his audience. They loved the man. It was that simple, and palpable. He frequently tapped danced as he played, and you can hear his feet accompanying him on many of the tracks.

His death in 2001 left a vacuum in American music which has never quite been filled. But, whenever you see a juggler, a street musician, or anyone engaged in “street” art, you are looking at part of Mr. Hartford’s soul. He was our troubadour, our wandering minstrel. And, we will likely never see his like again.

Doc Watson - "Deep River Blues"

Doc Watson, the veteran country-bluegrass icon from North Carolina, has passed away. There is nothing that I can add to anything you have already read about him; all the stories are true. Three generations of the Watson clan have entertained us, and his grandson carries on beautifully, but we will always miss "Doc" Watson, the man. He embodied the grace of living; building his own home, running the farm, and in between dazzling us all with the sheer joy of his playing. I saw him once; at the North Carolina Fiddlers Convention in 1979. It was also my first experience with pure grain alcohol. Both were memorable moments in my life. Rest in Peace, Doc.