John Carter Cash “Pilgrimage to the Rising Fawn” – Americana UK

The appreciation of Norman Blake and the roots of country music is often forgotten in modern Nashville.

John Carter Cash has an impeccable legacy in country and roots music as the son of Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash and the grandson of mother Maybelle Carter. John Carter Cash has released several solo albums and is a singer-songwriter, but has also built a successful career as a producer behind the scenes. He has worked with his father and kept his recording legacy alive, and he has worked with various high-profile artists such as Elvis Costello, Emmylou Harris, Kris Kristofferson and Loretta Lynn, to name a few. While “Pilgrimage to the Rising Fawn” is nominally a John Carter Cash album, it is a beautifully crafted tribute to guitarist Norman Blake and presents old-time and bluegrass music fresh for the 21st century.^st Century, with a variety of guest singers and musicians playing with Norman Blake at his Georgia home in Rising Fawn. John Carter Cash’s role is similar to that of Hal Willner in his various eulogies from the music of Charles Mingus to that of Disney, where he conceived, produced and curated the albums.

Recording equipment from Cash Cabin Studio was shipped to Rising Fawn and songs were chosen that not only honored Norman Blake’s legacy as one of the great Nashville and bluegrass guitarists, accompanied here by his wife Nancy, who has played with everyone from Johnny Cash to Bob Dylan and Robert Plant, but also the roots of country music. Supporting musicians include dobro master Jerry Douglas, bassists John Cown and Dennis Crouch, Native American musician Bill Miller and modern studio wizard and Dan Auerbach colleague Matt Combs, as well as singers who bring the recording to life and give the timeless songs a modern feel. Vocalists include various younger members of the Cash and Hartford families, accompanied by established artists Carlene Carter, Johnny Cash’s stepdaughter, and Jamie Johnson.

It’s hard to imagine a modern Nashville country album starting with a song that’s nearly 120 years old, and ‘Alabama “Jubilee” features violin and acoustic guitars, sung by New Traditionalist Jamey Johnson. John Hartford’s son Jamie can be heard on a later Johnny Cash song, ‘Secret of Life’which brings things full circle, as he had played on Cash’s album of the same name. We get an insight into the atmosphere during the recording on “Cowboy Rules/Boston Boy” which contains part of a melody and conversations from the studio. John Carter Cash is accompanied in the folk lullaby by his wife Ana Cristina “Hi-Empathy, Daddy O”which contains an excerpt from the life of the Carter family “Stay on the sunny side”Jamie Hartford is back with a recording of ‘Shady Grove’first made popular by Doc Watson, but with the same roots as the British folk song “Matty Groves” – The song by John F. Kennedy.

An improvised solo version of Gene Autry’s “Uncle Noah’s Ark” with Norman Blake’s weathered vocals and fluid guitar reminds listeners what a truly great guitarist he is. Joe Cash covers Johnny Cash’s Sun recording of the story song “Give my regards to Rose”with the help of Jerry Douglas’ Dobro. Half-sister Carlene Carter accompanies John Carter Cash on 19.^th Anthem of the century “The Railway of Life to Heaven”that evoke modern echoes of the Carter family. John Hartford’s “Howard Hughes Blues” is sung by son Jamie, with Norman Blake reprising the role he played on the original 1972 recording. And what better way to end a celebration of Norman Blake’s music than with a version of his home state’s state song, “Georgia in my thoughts”sung by Jamey Johnson, with lots of country soul.

John Carter Cash used his knowledge and technical skills to produce and record an important album. “Pilgrimage to the rising fawn” is a timely reminder of country music’s deep roots for today’s country music listeners and pays tribute to the career of Norman Blake, who did more than most musicians to keep those roots alive.

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