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Norman Blake - Blackberrry Blossom , Bluegrass Guitar Virtuoso , Better Than Zappa
Norman Blake had barely begun his solo career in 1977 when he recorded Blackberry Blossom. This album finds Blake's artistry already fully developed, with the material divided between traditional songs and instrumentals. All nine cuts feature Blake's nifty guitar and mandolin work, with occasional back up from Nancy Blake on cello. The album gets started with a Tin Pan Alley tune, "Are You from Dixie?," an upbeat song that plays off the motif of the lonely Southerner away from his homeland and longing for a friendly face. On the oddly titled "The Rights of Man Hornpipe" Blake is backed by Nancy Blake on cello, creating something akin to flatpicking Baroque. When the cello is combined with the fiddle on "D Medley," the sound comes much closer to a medium-paced Appalachian jig. The original "Lonesome Jenny" fits comfortably with the album's traditional material, drawing a portrait of the empty life of a woman who has been left a widow. This seven-minute portrait is filled with fascinating chord changes and tender lyrics. All of the songs on Blackberry Blossom are delivered in Blake's straightforward manner, both down-to-earth and emotive. It is perhaps easy to take an artist as uncomplicated as Blake for granted: he never seems to be going out of his way to impress the listener with fancy guitar licks or vocal hysterics. Instead, he imbeds himself in tradition, offering honest interpretations and fresh originals that are respectful of their roots. In this way, his true artistry grows each time the listener hears Blackberry Blossom.
The first time many guitarists hear Norman Blake they think to themselves, “I could do that.” But if they actually sit down to try, they soon discover that what sounds simple is actually devilishly hard. Blake’s melodic lines are direct and elegant, with little of the pyrotechnics often associated with the guitar style known as “flatpicking.” Instead, his music has an air of authenticity and basic honesty few can achieve. Grounded by years of experience, Norman Blake is about music, not ego.
His career started when he left school at age 16 to be a professional musician. Early jobs included playing fiddle, dobro, and mandolin in county dance bands before a short stint in the Army. After serving, Norman worked with June Carter, then Johnny Cash when Cash’s regular dobro player couldn’t make a session. He stayed with Cash’s band for over 10 years.
Norman was invited to play on the seminal album Will the Circle Be Unbroken in the early ’70s, and during the mid ’70s and ’80s recorded a series of highly influential albums that helped define what has come to be the flatpicking guitar style.
Recently, his work can be heard on Steve Earle’s Train a Comin’ and on his own newest release, Far Away, Down on a Georgia Farm.
A1 Are You From Dixie
Guitar, Vocals – Norman Blake (2)
Written-By – Cobb*, Yellin*
A2 The Rights Of Man Hornpipe
Arranged By – Norman Blake (2)
Cello – Nancy Blake
Guitar – Norman*
Written-By [Uncredited] – Traditional
A3 The Highland Light
Guitar, Vocals – Norman*
Written-By – Norman Blake (2)
A4 Railroad Blues
Guitar, Vocals – Norman*
Written-By – Norman Blake (2)
B1 Foggy Valley
Guitar – Nancy*
Mandolin – Norman*
Written-By – Norman Blake (2)
B2 Lonesome Jenny
Cello – Nancy*
Guitar, Vocals – Norman*
Written-By – Norman Blake (2)
B3 Blackberry Blossom
Arranged By – Norman Blake (2)
Guitar – Norman*
Written-By [Uncredited] – Traditional
B4 D Medley
Cello – Nancy*
Violin – Norman*
Written-By – Norman Blake (2)
B5 Jerusalem Ridge
Guitar – Norman*
Written-By – Norman Blake (2)
Phonographic Copyright (p) – Flying Fish Records, Inc.
