No fuss, just an album of beautifully crafted songs straight from the heart.
Five decades into a career that has seen Ed Snodderly as a songwriter, performer, actor, and owner of the legendary Down Home club in East Tennessee, comes perhaps his most personal release to date. ES Pearl Presents Baggage Flies Free not only continues the family name; his grandma was Pearlie Bell, his mom Willie Pearl, but offers a glimpse into his life in East Tennessee. Surrounded by a stellar cast that includes Tim O’Brien, Amythyst Kiah, Verlon Thompson and Brother Boy Eugene Wolf, the mainly acoustic songs still have a contemporary feel thanks to some pin-sharp production.
The opener, Coming Down This Road, picks up pace as it travels, leading into the melodic Willow Green, which sees Snodderly admiring the green shoots of spring. The Down Home stage has played host to Townes van Zandt, Jerry Douglas, Sam Bush and Doc Watson, whose performances over 37 years are celebrated in When Doc Watson Come To Johnson City. There’s a sense of mischief in the jaunty The Grandest Tail, which pitches a squirrel against a rabbit to decide. Having been around for so long, some friends will inevitably fall along the way; High in the Rhyme, with harmony vocals from Amythyst Kiah, is a heartfelt tribute to acoustic bluesman Paul Geremia, who passed away in March. Perhaps the two tracks that sum up Snodderly’s view of the modern world are Will Your Down Home Be Unbroken, an invitation to reflect on how the simple life still has its merits, a view that is shared by Fixing This Old Gate, whose lyrics do exactly what they say on the tin.
With shades of Woody Guthrie, John Prine, and Guy Clark, it’s comforting to know that their legacy is still alive and well in the care of Ed Snodderly.
AUK had a chat with Ed a couple of years about his life in and love of music. https://americana-uk.com/interview-ed-snodderly-on-his-many-faceted-career-in-the-music-of-the-american-south