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This 10 minute clip from a BBC documentary does an excellent job of summing up the story of the Carter Family and the lasting influence they have had. I believe the title of the program was "Lost Highway".
The group shown performing live is The Whites. You have probably heard their redition of "Keep on the Sunny Side" which is on the soundtrack to "O Brother Where Art Thou".
The group who appears in the recreation of the Bristol Sessions is the cast from a musical called "Keep on the Sunny Side" which I hope to be able to see one day.
My favorite part of this clip are Carter Family home movies from what looks like the late 1950's.
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Mother Maybelle Carter: Celebrating Her Centennial
Today marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of Maybelle Addington Carter. We wanted to mark this historic occasion on our blog. Maybelle is the anchor of the Carter Family's music. Without the vigor, inventiveness and passion of her guitar playing, and her vocal harmonies, the music of the Carters, while still outstanding, wouldn't have seemed quite complete.
Of the Carter Family's three members, Maybelle seems to me the most relaxed and assured. I'm impressed by how dedicated she was to her family and to her music. As well, it's remarkable how focused she remained throughout her entire musical career--but especially during the dramatic era of the original Carter Family.
Maybelle's marriage to A.P.'s brother Ezra (Eck) was much more stable than the heart-breaking relationship between A.P. and Sara Carter. While A.P. and Sara struggled, both emotionally and financially, Maybelle and Eck seemed to be blessed with a far happier and more peaceful existence. This contrast in the married lives of the Carters is among the most dramatic aspects of their story.
As Sara's friend and relative, Maybelle certainly was privy to the ups and downs of her colleagues' marriage and musical partnership. I'm glad that Sara had such a true friend and soul-mate in her life. Maybelle was a constant and stable influnece for Sara.
Sara and Maybelle meshed remarkably as musicians, throughout their lives. The interplay of their voices and their instruments can be hypnotic. In the superb remasterings of their Victor material by Richard Nevins, on the big, handsome Bear Family box set (and, in pirated form, on the JSP collections), their contributions to the Carter sound are stunningly revealed.
A recent discussion with Mike Seeger reminded me of the extraordinary style of their vocal harmonies. [Sorry for the "music talk" here, if it's all Greek to you.] They sometimes sing in sunny thirds--the most common and simple harmonies found in country music. But they often take surprising turns. At their most adventurous, they utilize seconds, fourths, fifths, sevenths and unison singing--often shifting from mode to mode within a verse or chorus of a song.
In layman's terms, Sara and Maybelle weren't afraid to go to unusual places with their singing. As we know the Carter Family was a well-rehearsed unit, these complex and advanced harmonic touches weren't just improvised in the studio. They might have realized that this was a way to keep their music fresh and exciting, even as their recorded sound settled into a reliable formula.
You may have read my earlier post on my "top ten" favorite Maybelle guitar riffs. If not, please search for that post. It would fit into this piece fairly well.
Maybelle expressed herself divinely through her guitar and voice. I feel that she must have been able to channel all the emotions around her and transform it into the music she played. Emotions seem to flow through her fingertips in her eloquent performances.
Speaking of those hands, here is a photograph from Eric Schaal's 1941 LIFE magazine session. We see Maybelle has a capo on her guitar. This device, colloquially referred to as a "cheater" by country musicians, enabled her to play in a wider range of musical keys--those optimal for Sara's vocal range--while staying in familiar, easier-to-navigate chord shapes.
If only these photographs had appeared in the December 8, 1941 issue of LIFE, as originally planned! Schaal's images are the best photographs ever taken of the original Carter Family. Here is another Schaal shot I really like. Maybelle's facial expression makes it seem that she really enjoyed her role in the Carters:
It's also Mother's Day--how appropriate! And I've saved the best for last. Here's a sketch of Maybelle by David. Enjoy!
Please, take some time today to listen to her music. Be it the classic Carter Family material, her 1960s LPs with Sara Carter, or the more pop-orientated Carter Sisters & Mother Maybelle sides (hard to find these days!), Maybelle's music will brighten your day and make the world around you a better place to be.
Happy Mother Maybelle's Day to you all!
Of the Carter Family's three members, Maybelle seems to me the most relaxed and assured. I'm impressed by how dedicated she was to her family and to her music. As well, it's remarkable how focused she remained throughout her entire musical career--but especially during the dramatic era of the original Carter Family.
Maybelle's marriage to A.P.'s brother Ezra (Eck) was much more stable than the heart-breaking relationship between A.P. and Sara Carter. While A.P. and Sara struggled, both emotionally and financially, Maybelle and Eck seemed to be blessed with a far happier and more peaceful existence. This contrast in the married lives of the Carters is among the most dramatic aspects of their story.
As Sara's friend and relative, Maybelle certainly was privy to the ups and downs of her colleagues' marriage and musical partnership. I'm glad that Sara had such a true friend and soul-mate in her life. Maybelle was a constant and stable influnece for Sara.
Sara and Maybelle meshed remarkably as musicians, throughout their lives. The interplay of their voices and their instruments can be hypnotic. In the superb remasterings of their Victor material by Richard Nevins, on the big, handsome Bear Family box set (and, in pirated form, on the JSP collections), their contributions to the Carter sound are stunningly revealed.
A recent discussion with Mike Seeger reminded me of the extraordinary style of their vocal harmonies. [Sorry for the "music talk" here, if it's all Greek to you.] They sometimes sing in sunny thirds--the most common and simple harmonies found in country music. But they often take surprising turns. At their most adventurous, they utilize seconds, fourths, fifths, sevenths and unison singing--often shifting from mode to mode within a verse or chorus of a song.
In layman's terms, Sara and Maybelle weren't afraid to go to unusual places with their singing. As we know the Carter Family was a well-rehearsed unit, these complex and advanced harmonic touches weren't just improvised in the studio. They might have realized that this was a way to keep their music fresh and exciting, even as their recorded sound settled into a reliable formula.
You may have read my earlier post on my "top ten" favorite Maybelle guitar riffs. If not, please search for that post. It would fit into this piece fairly well.
Maybelle expressed herself divinely through her guitar and voice. I feel that she must have been able to channel all the emotions around her and transform it into the music she played. Emotions seem to flow through her fingertips in her eloquent performances.
Speaking of those hands, here is a photograph from Eric Schaal's 1941 LIFE magazine session. We see Maybelle has a capo on her guitar. This device, colloquially referred to as a "cheater" by country musicians, enabled her to play in a wider range of musical keys--those optimal for Sara's vocal range--while staying in familiar, easier-to-navigate chord shapes.
If only these photographs had appeared in the December 8, 1941 issue of LIFE, as originally planned! Schaal's images are the best photographs ever taken of the original Carter Family. Here is another Schaal shot I really like. Maybelle's facial expression makes it seem that she really enjoyed her role in the Carters:
It's also Mother's Day--how appropriate! And I've saved the best for last. Here's a sketch of Maybelle by David. Enjoy!
Please, take some time today to listen to her music. Be it the classic Carter Family material, her 1960s LPs with Sara Carter, or the more pop-orientated Carter Sisters & Mother Maybelle sides (hard to find these days!), Maybelle's music will brighten your day and make the world around you a better place to be.
Happy Mother Maybelle's Day to you all!
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
A Sample Chapter from DON'T FORGET THIS SONG
We're currently at work on the final third of the rough draft of our graphic novel. Currently, David is translating the quick sketches of our thumbnail drawings to more fully realized pencil drawings.
As each page of pencil art is completed, I scan it into our computer. In PhotoShop, I type in dialogue.
Don't worry--the finished version will NOT use the Comics Sans font! We picked this font simply because it's easy to read, and somewhat approximates the feel of handwritten text. It's a handy way to see if dialogue works, or needs either expansion or reduction.
The first two "acts" are dialogued and penciled. They have been thought and re-thought. Sequences that once seemed likely to be in the book have been removed, while new material, based on information we've found through recent research, has found its way into the story.
We will likely make more changes, as new information comes our way. I've done some phone interviews with various friends, associates and members of the present-day Carter family. It is a pleasant experience to talk to these kind folks, and each interview has yielded some precious new pieces of information. We're grateful for the opportunity to learn something new from our interviewees.
With the blessing of our editor, Charles Kochman, we're happy to present you with a little sample of the book. This is the second chapter of the first act of the book.
This sequence takes place before A.P. Carter meets his future wife, Sara Doughtery. It's a sort of origin story for A.P. the song-hunter.
David evokes a strong sense of the passage of time in his pencil artwork.
We both felt this sequence well represents the early section of the book. We hope you'll enjoy seeing it.
As each page of pencil art is completed, I scan it into our computer. In PhotoShop, I type in dialogue.
Don't worry--the finished version will NOT use the Comics Sans font! We picked this font simply because it's easy to read, and somewhat approximates the feel of handwritten text. It's a handy way to see if dialogue works, or needs either expansion or reduction.
The first two "acts" are dialogued and penciled. They have been thought and re-thought. Sequences that once seemed likely to be in the book have been removed, while new material, based on information we've found through recent research, has found its way into the story.
We will likely make more changes, as new information comes our way. I've done some phone interviews with various friends, associates and members of the present-day Carter family. It is a pleasant experience to talk to these kind folks, and each interview has yielded some precious new pieces of information. We're grateful for the opportunity to learn something new from our interviewees.
With the blessing of our editor, Charles Kochman, we're happy to present you with a little sample of the book. This is the second chapter of the first act of the book.
This sequence takes place before A.P. Carter meets his future wife, Sara Doughtery. It's a sort of origin story for A.P. the song-hunter.
David evokes a strong sense of the passage of time in his pencil artwork.
We both felt this sequence well represents the early section of the book. We hope you'll enjoy seeing it.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Roughing out the book
Work continues on the rough draft of the book. We've completed Act Two, and only Act Three remains before we begin the finished art.
I've recently been using the light table to make revisions to Act Two (click on the photos to see them at full size):
I've recently been using the light table to make revisions to Act Two (click on the photos to see them at full size):
After I finish the art, I hand it to Frank who scans it in to Photoshop and types words into the balloons:
Our editor has given us the OK to show some of our roughs, so in the next post we'll finally be able to show you a little bit of what we've been working on...
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Roughs
Frank and I are currently drawing and writing rough drafts for every page in the book. This is a page in-progress from an early chapter in the book.
Friday, December 19, 2008
Our DFTS Workspace
Here is the first of what we hope will be a regular series of photo-features of our studio. This is where we're working on Don't Forget This Song. Due to the snow, it's been hard to make the cross-town trip to get there.
I don't think it will snow again 'til Sunday, so it looks like we'll get one more full day of work in today...
First, here's the exterior of the building. Your basic Generic Workspace, it's located right off busy Aurora Avenue. It's easy to get to, and accessible by three different bus lines:
This is a shot of a cool old sign one block from our space. There are many curious artifacts in this neighborhood. We'll show you more of them.
This sign appears to be at least 35 years old. It's just paint on wood. All the white paint has been eroded by the wet, wet Northwest winters. I'm amazed the wood hasn't rotted off...
Our studio space is surprisingly quiet, given that it's right off roaring Aurora Avenue. We can see Mount Rainier from our windows. It's difficult to get a really good photo of this natural wonder, given the glare of the windows, etc., but here is a sample of the ever-changing vista...
Here are three shots of the studio, right after we moved our things in, and sans either of us:
The DFTS studio can boast some pieces of comix history. We have two Celebrity Lightboxes. Mine was built by underground comix legend Jay Lynch, in the '70s, I think. It was given to me by his wife, Carole, 16 years ago...
David is the proud possessor of an ex-Lloyd Dangle lightbox. This fancy item folds out into a handy lightbox-slash-easel. David has drawn many of our comprehensive roughs on this lightbox.
Speaking of David, here he is, seated at the gargantuan drafting table that his very kind neighbors donated to our project.
Another view of the drafting table, with drawings and some of our rough thumbnail pages attached:
Here's David, again: same table, same time. He's working on some of the rough thumbnails.
Here's me at work. I always look grumpy when I'm focused on my work. I think it's because of my far-sightedness. I have to really concentrate to hold my focus on close-up things. I should get reading glasses!
Do I look less grumpy from behind? We've since reconfigured our studio that this table faces the window.
As said, we'll post more on-site pix in the days to come. We hope you've enjoyed this modest glimpse into our new workspace!
I don't think it will snow again 'til Sunday, so it looks like we'll get one more full day of work in today...
First, here's the exterior of the building. Your basic Generic Workspace, it's located right off busy Aurora Avenue. It's easy to get to, and accessible by three different bus lines:
This is a shot of a cool old sign one block from our space. There are many curious artifacts in this neighborhood. We'll show you more of them.
This sign appears to be at least 35 years old. It's just paint on wood. All the white paint has been eroded by the wet, wet Northwest winters. I'm amazed the wood hasn't rotted off...
Our studio space is surprisingly quiet, given that it's right off roaring Aurora Avenue. We can see Mount Rainier from our windows. It's difficult to get a really good photo of this natural wonder, given the glare of the windows, etc., but here is a sample of the ever-changing vista...
Here are three shots of the studio, right after we moved our things in, and sans either of us:
The DFTS studio can boast some pieces of comix history. We have two Celebrity Lightboxes. Mine was built by underground comix legend Jay Lynch, in the '70s, I think. It was given to me by his wife, Carole, 16 years ago...
David is the proud possessor of an ex-Lloyd Dangle lightbox. This fancy item folds out into a handy lightbox-slash-easel. David has drawn many of our comprehensive roughs on this lightbox.
Speaking of David, here he is, seated at the gargantuan drafting table that his very kind neighbors donated to our project.
Another view of the drafting table, with drawings and some of our rough thumbnail pages attached:
Here's David, again: same table, same time. He's working on some of the rough thumbnails.
Here's me at work. I always look grumpy when I'm focused on my work. I think it's because of my far-sightedness. I have to really concentrate to hold my focus on close-up things. I should get reading glasses!
Do I look less grumpy from behind? We've since reconfigured our studio that this table faces the window.
As said, we'll post more on-site pix in the days to come. We hope you've enjoyed this modest glimpse into our new workspace!
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Maybelle's Guitar: 10 Favorite Riffs
Sorry not to have posted on here in awhile...
We've been hard at work on the book. Thumbnails are completed, and David has begun to render publication-size comprehensive roughs. I'm taking those and writing for-real dialogue.
It's nice to stop for a moment and consider the music that inspired us both to take on this creative project.
As much as the trio's haunting vocal blend, it's the lively, innovative guitar-work of Maybelle that gets me everytime I listen to some Carter Family favorites.
I've tried to decode some of Maybelle's oft-complex "Carter scratch" guitar lines. Some of them remain off-bounds to me. I can do a pretty mean "Cannonball," "Wildwood Flower" and "Jimmy Brown, the Newsboy," plus a couple others.
There are others that I expect I'll be trying for the rest of my days. How did Maybelle do it? Her harmonies and fretwork remain as fresh and challenging today as they must have sounded 70-ish years ago.
As a fan of Top Ten lists, I thought I'd compile my Maybelle Top Ten:
In no particular order...
John Hardy Was A Desperate Little Man: A dynamic, vibrant guitar figure, with a great "high lonesome," highly modal harmonic structure, gives this Carter Family classic an immense urgency. This was the recording that really hooked me, all those years ago...
Wildwood Flower: A no-brainer. Amongst the most recognizable guitar figures of the 20th century, this elegant musical expression will continue to thrive well after you and I are long gone. I'm also fond of Chet Atkins' harmonic reimagining of the tune, which he recorded on Christmas Eve, 1953.
You Are My Flower: Maybelle at her most exotic and far-reaching. This 1938 recording must have been a real mind-blower for country musicians of the day. It still seems to reach out into the twilight zone in its manic mixture of string-band music and Latin sounds.
Hello Stranger: Maybelle most likely learned this piece from the Carters' friend and inspiration, Lesley Riddle. Riddle either wrote the song or, like A.P. so often did, cobbled it together from foraged bits and pieces. Maybelle shows a real feeling for the blues in her emotive, relaxed picking. There are times when this is my favorite CF side of them all.
If One Won't, Another Will: I will go to my grave trying to figure this #$%)@)#>": guitar line out! I think that Sara contributes something, harmonically, to this guitar figure. If not, then Maybelle apparently grew a third arm for this 1932 session. This is the most modal and adventurous of Maybelle's CF outings. The song is also quite haunting, and an under-rated piece in the CF canon.
The Cannon-ball: One of the loveliest and most enduring of the Carters' classic recordings, this cherished tune blends Maybelle's passionate, delicate and evocative guitarwork with a beautiful solo vocal by A.P. Carter. I am also fond of the 1930s re-recordings in which Sara and Maybelle share harmony vocals.
Forsaken Love: Another oft-overlooked gem in the CF catalog. Maybelle's strong guitar line bolsters this tragic lost-love plaint. I like how her picking coalesces with Sara's vocals.
Foggy Mountain Top/Sweet Fern: Twin contenders in the Maybelle slide-guitar canon. Her quirky take on Hawaiian and blues slide guitar styles really brought something new to the Carters' recordings.
I like both performances equally. In a pinch, I'd admit a preference for "Sweet Fern," as the eccentricity of Maybelle's guitaristry abets the weirdness of the song itself.
Her slide technique contributes greatly to the atmosphere of "Foggy Mountain Top."
Lonesome Homesick Blues: Maybelle also wrote this 1941 song, from the Carters' final studio recording session. She tears it up on the fretboard here. That last session is a real stunner--especially when heard via Rich Nevins' amazingly good remastering on the Bear Family box set In The Shadow of Clinch Mountain. For a low-cost option, there's also JSP Records' bootleg of the Bear Family set, in two five-CD volumes.
However you hear it, that final RCA session is one of the Carters' best. From a biographer's POV, I'm delighted that they quite literally went out on their highest note. The entire session harkens back, in both performance and material, to their Bristol sessions, and to the pivotal 1928 session that produced "Wildwood Flower."
I've left out many other great Maybelle moments... they're waiting on the Carters' recordings for you and I to enjoy.
We've been hard at work on the book. Thumbnails are completed, and David has begun to render publication-size comprehensive roughs. I'm taking those and writing for-real dialogue.
It's nice to stop for a moment and consider the music that inspired us both to take on this creative project.
As much as the trio's haunting vocal blend, it's the lively, innovative guitar-work of Maybelle that gets me everytime I listen to some Carter Family favorites.
I've tried to decode some of Maybelle's oft-complex "Carter scratch" guitar lines. Some of them remain off-bounds to me. I can do a pretty mean "Cannonball," "Wildwood Flower" and "Jimmy Brown, the Newsboy," plus a couple others.
There are others that I expect I'll be trying for the rest of my days. How did Maybelle do it? Her harmonies and fretwork remain as fresh and challenging today as they must have sounded 70-ish years ago.
As a fan of Top Ten lists, I thought I'd compile my Maybelle Top Ten:
In no particular order...
John Hardy Was A Desperate Little Man: A dynamic, vibrant guitar figure, with a great "high lonesome," highly modal harmonic structure, gives this Carter Family classic an immense urgency. This was the recording that really hooked me, all those years ago...
Wildwood Flower: A no-brainer. Amongst the most recognizable guitar figures of the 20th century, this elegant musical expression will continue to thrive well after you and I are long gone. I'm also fond of Chet Atkins' harmonic reimagining of the tune, which he recorded on Christmas Eve, 1953.
You Are My Flower: Maybelle at her most exotic and far-reaching. This 1938 recording must have been a real mind-blower for country musicians of the day. It still seems to reach out into the twilight zone in its manic mixture of string-band music and Latin sounds.
Hello Stranger: Maybelle most likely learned this piece from the Carters' friend and inspiration, Lesley Riddle. Riddle either wrote the song or, like A.P. so often did, cobbled it together from foraged bits and pieces. Maybelle shows a real feeling for the blues in her emotive, relaxed picking. There are times when this is my favorite CF side of them all.
If One Won't, Another Will: I will go to my grave trying to figure this #$%)@)#>": guitar line out! I think that Sara contributes something, harmonically, to this guitar figure. If not, then Maybelle apparently grew a third arm for this 1932 session. This is the most modal and adventurous of Maybelle's CF outings. The song is also quite haunting, and an under-rated piece in the CF canon.
The Cannon-ball: One of the loveliest and most enduring of the Carters' classic recordings, this cherished tune blends Maybelle's passionate, delicate and evocative guitarwork with a beautiful solo vocal by A.P. Carter. I am also fond of the 1930s re-recordings in which Sara and Maybelle share harmony vocals.
Forsaken Love: Another oft-overlooked gem in the CF catalog. Maybelle's strong guitar line bolsters this tragic lost-love plaint. I like how her picking coalesces with Sara's vocals.
Foggy Mountain Top/Sweet Fern: Twin contenders in the Maybelle slide-guitar canon. Her quirky take on Hawaiian and blues slide guitar styles really brought something new to the Carters' recordings.
I like both performances equally. In a pinch, I'd admit a preference for "Sweet Fern," as the eccentricity of Maybelle's guitaristry abets the weirdness of the song itself.
Her slide technique contributes greatly to the atmosphere of "Foggy Mountain Top."
Lonesome Homesick Blues: Maybelle also wrote this 1941 song, from the Carters' final studio recording session. She tears it up on the fretboard here. That last session is a real stunner--especially when heard via Rich Nevins' amazingly good remastering on the Bear Family box set In The Shadow of Clinch Mountain. For a low-cost option, there's also JSP Records' bootleg of the Bear Family set, in two five-CD volumes.
However you hear it, that final RCA session is one of the Carters' best. From a biographer's POV, I'm delighted that they quite literally went out on their highest note. The entire session harkens back, in both performance and material, to their Bristol sessions, and to the pivotal 1928 session that produced "Wildwood Flower."
I've left out many other great Maybelle moments... they're waiting on the Carters' recordings for you and I to enjoy.
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