Before I explain my choice for this week’s Classic Clips’ feature let me first convey how this particular artist first came to my attention. While discussing the pros and cons of all things to do with the world of music, and in particular Americana music with family and friends, I am often the recipient of much well-meant praise such as “How do you know so much”? While it is true that much of the last fifty years of my life has been spent fixating on the world of popular music past and present, all things are relevant. As is the case in most walks of life, there is always something new to learn, something you missed the first time around, and somebody you can learn from, and even those of us considered experts in our field are usually just standing on the shoulders of giants.
A few years ago, while attending a local gig, I had the good fortune of befriending a long-time supporter and subscriber of AUK, who, it would be fair to say, has probably forgotten more about the topic of Americana music than I will ever know. Alan Peatfield and his lovely wife Anne are both retired schoolteachers, though Alan is too modest to admit, did have a previous career as a professional goalkeeper that included a spell as a reserve at Derby County during the club’s halcyon days under Brian Clough, before becoming first-team choice at local neighbours Notts County. Since his teenage years, Alan has been besotted with music, particularly that which had emanated from across the Atlantic, and it has become something of a pre-gig ritual for the two of us to arrive early to discuss all matters relating to our favourite subject. Now Alan is much too polite to say exactly how quickly he detected the glaring holes in my knowledge but on one particular evening he presented to me a large piece of paper covered in artists’ names and asked me to put a line through the acts I already knew and he would happily supply me with CDs of those I didn’t recognise, which to be honest was most of them. Throughout the following years I have been introduced to some wonderful music from some fantastic artists spanning the last six decades, singers and songwriters I possibly would never have discovered had it not been for the man I have come to simply call ‘The Professor’.
Now it wasn’t only CDs Allan was kind enough to lend me, as he was also an avid collector of music magazines and fanzines and one in particular called the ‘Kerrville Kronickle’. For those who aren’t aware, the Kerrville Folk Festival is a music festival, founded in 1972, by the husband and wife team of Rod Kennedy and Nancylee Davis at the Quiet Valley Ranch near Kerrville, Texas, and is held over three weeks every year, drawing approximately 30,000 people. The ‘Kerrville Kronickle’ was the brainchild of the Scottish music critic Arthur Wood and provided an intimate insight into the festival, full of interviews, reviews, gossip and humour that fully captured the spirit of the event between 1988 -2004. One particular edition included an in-depth interview with my chosen artists, who, at the time of reading, were completely new to me, but so impressed was I with what I read that I immediately contacted ‘The Professor’, who quickly supplied the audio evidence that didn’t just match my expectations, but surpassed it so much I was truly blown away. For those interested, I can thoroughly recommend Arthur Wood’s ‘Kerrville Kronickles’, of which the full run of 32 issues is now available to read online.
Dave Carter, born 1952, was an American singer-songwriter who described his style as post-modern mythic American Folk music. He released his debut album in 1995 entitled “Snake Handlin’ Man”, which has long been out of print, before, in 1998 joining forces with vocalist, violin and mandolin player Tracy Grammer, which resulted in the release of the album “When I Go” later that year. The following years would see the release of two further albums’ “Tanglewood Tree” (2000) and “Drum Hat Buddha” (2001), with the duo being heralded as the new “voice of modern folk music”, as well as being ranked as number one on the year-end list for ‘Top Artist’ on the ‘Folk Music Radio Airplay Chart’ for both 2001 and 2002. Sadly, Carter died of a massive heart attack on July 19th 2002, in a hotel room in Hadley, Massachusetts, after returning from an early morning run, he was just 49 years old. His death came as a great shock to the folk and Americana music community, with many having predicted that the duo were destined for success way beyond the typical folk music circle. One posthumous album was released in 2006 entitled “Seven Is The Number”, which included the re-recording of nine of the songs which initially appeared on Carter’s long out-of-print debut release.
Carter’s life, in many ways, was one of a ‘tortured soul’, revealing to Grammer in 2000 that he had struggled with gender dysphoria since his early teens and was, before his death, exploring a gender change that would have altered the dynamics of their off-stage relationship. However, his songs, full of poetic imagery and spirituality, along with their sublime musical collaboration, transcended all the struggles, doubts and preconceived restrictions of a world not yet ready for such a unique talent.
Carter’s legacy lives on through Grammer, who with both her solo album release “Flower Of Avalon”, (2005) an album of previously unreleased Carter songs, along with two further recordings of the duo’s collaboration. In addition, his songs have been recorded by such legendary names as Judy Collins, Willie Nelson, Lucy Kaplansky, Chris Smither and Richard Shindell, while Joan Baez, who herself recorded Carter’s song ‘The Mountain’, said “There’s a special gift in writing songs”,…“It’s a kind of genius, you know, and Dylan had the biggest case of it. But I hear it in Dave’s (Carter) songs too”, and praise doesn’t come much higher that that.
Because Carter’s musical career was relatively short with limited media exposure, video clips are relatively rare, (as far as I’m aware there is no official TV footage), however, there is a clip filmed live at the St Johns Pub, Portland, Oregon, in December 2001, that is simply amazing. Okay, the camera work may be slightly limited but still more than acceptable and the sound is excellent on what is widely considered the defining version of this song ‘When I Go’, with the duo here ably supported by Benjy Wertheimer on percussion.
If the songs of Dave Carter and his musical collaboration with Tracy Grammer are new to you, and you are a fan of the singer-songwriter tradition that spans the early folk of Dylan to the more spiritual leanings of Gene Clark, then be prepared to be blown away by this song and this video, and then I encourage you to go and search out all their albums, for I am confident you will become, just as I was, an instant convert.
From a blushing “has been” (well, I guess it’s better than a “never was”) many thanks for your very kind words Graeme. (Er …It’s a good job I’m not in a witness protection programme!!)
It’s been a few years since I last spoke with Arthur …. I wonder if he is aware/reads these web pages. I will investigate as he was instrumental and the real font of all knowledge in the folk/americana scene.
P.S. The cheque is in the post!
I am in contact with Arthur Wood, and I will pass on this page to him. As for Dave Carter and Tracy Grammer, I have to agree with your review; they were outstanding artists.
Thanks Thomas. I hope Arthur does get to read this review; he deserves recognition. Please pass on my very best wishes.
Alan
Hi Thomas. Thanks for getting in touch and glad you enjoyed the review. Can I also thank you in advance for passing on this page to Arthur. My wish from this article was not only to turn the spotlight onto Dave Carter and Tracy Grammer, but also those that had been pivotal in helping me discover their fabulous music. I hope Arthur is in good health and please tell him from me, how important, informative, and inspirational I found the Kerrville Kronikles.
Hi Alan. Gosh I hope this doesn’t mean you’re going to have to change your name again, lol. Save your blushes, the praise is most worthy. Hope to see at Stephanie Lambring gig.