Mercoledi Musicale

Back in 1996 - I think it was - I bought an album called Steal Away. A compilation of hymns and gospel songs it was my introduction to Charlie Haden and Hank Jones. I became a devoted Haden fan after that and figured owning a few of Jones' cds wouldn't be too shabby of a move either. Steal Away has had pride of place on my favourites shelf ever since.

Jones died in May of 2010 but in February of that year he and Charlie Haden reunited one more time to record Come Sunday - another collection of hymns, gospel songs and inspirations melodies. It is quieter more reflective album than its predecessor - the work of older artists who have learned to strip music down to the essentials. Steve Futterman over at The Barnes and Noble Review has captured the feeling of what these two great artists have created in his review and anything I could add would be superfluous - not a word to use where Haden and Jones are concerned.  And to my mind this is perhaps the best of the tracks on this great CD.

The story of how Thomas A. Dorsey came to write Take My Hand Gracious Lord is a fairly well-known one.  Perhaps the best know and loved of all gospel-blues songs it was born out of his grief at the death of his young wife Nettie Harper in childbirth and infant son two days later in august of 1932.  Dorsey freely admitted that he had found inspiration for the melody in the hymn tune  "Maitland," by American composer, George N. Allen but the lyrics were his cry from the heart at a dark time in his life.

Precious Lord, take my hand
Lead me on, let me stand
I am tired, I am weak, I am worn
Through the storm, through the night
Lead me on to the light
Take my hand precious Lord, lead me home

When my way grows drear
Precious Lord linger near
When my life is almost gone
Hear my cry, hear my call
Hold my hand lest I fall
Take my hand precious Lord, lead me home

When the darkness appears
And the night draws near
And the day is past and gone
At the river I stand
Guide my feet, hold my hand
Take my hand precious Lord, lead me home

Precious Lord, take my hand
Lead me on, let me stand
I'm tired, I'm weak, I'm lone
Through the storm, through the night
Lead me on to the light
Take my hand precious Lord, lead me home

It has been sung at State and family funerals, and in gospel and jazz halls; and its been translated in at least 40 languages.  Singers as diverse as Elvis Presley, Leontyne Price, Nina Simone, Jim Nabors, the late Etta James and Aretha Franklin have performed and recorded it.  Perhaps the best known version is by one of Dr Dorsey's favourite gospel singers, the voice of gospel when I was growing up, Mahalia Jackson.  Here she is singing the first verse and to my mind like Haden and Jones, she performs its simply and as a cry from the heart.

Even if hymns and gospel music are not quite your style I strongly recommend Come Sunday for the sheer artistry of the two men involved. It is music making at its simplest, most elegant and most eloquent.

01 February - 1796: The capital of Upper Canada is moved from Newark to York. 

Rambling Boy

I think I may have mentioned once or twice that Saturday's when I was growing up was Opera day on the radio. New York Met in the afternoon and Nashville's Grand Old in the evening. I tended to lean towards the classical and my father enjoyed the country and western more but somehow the two coexisted in our household.

C & W was different in those days - it wasn't glitter and glamour, you wouldn't have seen Faron Young in a pouting pose wearing a wife beater nor would the antics of the Carters be found in gossip magazines. Funny was Minnie Pearl, sexy was ... well pretty much non-existent, harmonies were close and, though I don't even pretend to be an expert on C & W, the music was closer to its bluegrass, shape note and gospel roots. That was the 50s C & W sound and what entered my subconscious and probably accounts for my love of gospel music and bluegrass today.

I've also always enjoyed jazz - mostly vocal - but as long as its not too progressive instrumental as well. One of my favorites instrumentalist is bassist Charlie Haden. I came to him through his recordings with Pat Metheny particularly Beyond the Missouri Sky and the Hank Jones collaboration on Steal Away. And I've heard him with the Liberation Music Orchestra and as back up on so many jazz recordings. But though I knew his music I didn't know much about the man until I read about his latest release in Sunday's New York Times.

So what's this got to do with Country and Western you ask? Haden's roots are old style C & W, he was the youngest member of the Haden Family Singers debuting at the ripe-old aged of two. When he contracted polio at 15 his singing career was cut short. His new album Rambling Boy was released this morning - I had it preordered, downloaded and on my I-pod by 0800 Rome time - and is a return to his family tradition of bluegrass, gospel and early country and western.

Again it follows the tradition of a family effort - his son Josh, daughters Petra, Tanya and Rachel join him, Vince Gill, Roseanne Cash, Ricky Skaggs, Jack Black (yes that Jack Black - Haden's son-in-law,) Elvis Costello, Bruce Hornsby, Metheny and a host of first class musicians.

I've listened to it twice today and its already programmed into my favorites. My own particular pleasures are the incredible close harmony numbers by Haden's daughters, Roseanne Cash's Wildwood Flower and a Metheny-Haden collaboration called Is This America? (Katerina 2005). And perhaps the most touching is Haden himself giving voice to Shanendoah 56 years after his vocal career was cut short.

I still haven't learned how to load up audio files but there are some samples of what's on the album over at Charlie Haden Family and Friends.

23 settembre - San Pio da Pietrelcina