Melissa Carper - Daddy's Country Gold
Label.........................: MAE Music
Genre.........................: Country
StoreDate.....................: Mar-19-2021
Source........................: CDDA
Grabber.......................: Exact Audio Copy (Secure Mode)
Encoding Scheme...............: Lame 3.100 V0 VBR Joint-Stereo
Size..........................: 72.21 MB
Total Playing Time............: 41:57
Release Notes:
ItÆs been said that not all who wander are lost. Some of our greatest
treasures have come from wandering hearts, those who are not afraid to
take risks and experience what our world has to offer. On March 19th,
singer/songwriter, upright bassist, and lifelong wayfarer Melissa Carper
will unveil her new solo effort, DaddyÆs Country Gold. This shimmering
12-song collection of original gems about love and a desire for the
simple life mixes melancholy and humor and creates an irresistible pull
between laughter and heartache. Having been compared by her listeners to
a bluegrass Billie Holiday and a country Janis Joplin, CarperÆs distinct
and pure voice has reached a new strength and maturity in Daddy's
Country Gold.
As a child, Carper, who acquired the nickname ôDaddyö years ago from her
bandmates for always knowing how to ôtake care of æbidnessÆ,ö would lay
her head underneath the family record player as she listened to Hank
Williams, Patsy Cline, Johnny Cash, and other greats from her parentsÆ
collection. After a childhood spent in her familyÆs country band, Carper
attended the University of Nebraska on a music scholarship, spending
much of her time in the library devouring every Billie Holiday, Ella
Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, and Nat King Cole album she could find.
Around this time, CarperÆs father gifted her a full collection of Jimmie
RodgersÆ recordings, which was a pivotal moment in finding her unique
style of songcraft.
After two years of college, wanderlust spirited her away in an inherited
1980 Dodge Maxi-Van, to the historic little town of Eureka Springs,
Arkansas, where she saw street performers for the very first time.
Busking seemed a very free and appealing endeavor, so Carper diligently
learned all the old country songs she loved as a child. As she belted
out the lyrics to ôRamblinÆ Manö on the Eureka Springs street corners,
life began to imitate art; Carper relocated to music hubs like New
Orleans, New York City, Austin, and eventually Nashville, oftentimes
busking to make ends meet until gigs would come along. In each hub, she
immersed herself in the regionsÆ musical styles and added them to her
arsenal of influences.
Along the way, she founded award-winning bands like power trio The
Carper Family, the perfect outlet for her unique skills and style. The
band brought her original work to life in a simple yet dynamic fashion
that also served her inspirations - country, bluegrass, western swing,
and old-style jazz, playing festivals and shows across the globe, and on
shows like ôA Prairie Home Companion.ö Carper also holds a spot in
award-winning Arkansas foursome Sad Daddy, and founded roots duo Buffalo
Gals with Sad Daddy bandmate and girlfriend Rebecca Patek.
Wanderlust and kismet collided during a stint in Nashville, where she
knew she wanted to record her old-time country-tinged, western
swing-infused solo album. Having befriended fellow Arkansan and bassist
Dennis Crouch (Time Jumpers), Carper sought his advice in putting
together the crew that could bring her vision to fruition. Armed with an
impeccable lineup of NashvilleÆs finest session players - Chris Scruggs
on rhythm guitar and pedal steel, Jeff Taylor on keys, Matty Meyer on
drums, Billy Contreras on fiddle, guest appearances from Lloyd Green,
Brennen Leigh, and Sierra Ferrell - the foundation was set. With Crouch
and producer/engineer Andrija Tokic (Alabama Shakes, Hurray for the Riff
Raff) at the helm, the all-in-one-room performances were captured live
to tape at TokicÆs studio The Bomb Shelter. With Crouch on bass duties,
Carper was free to focus on delivering her vocal magic, and the raw,
early 20th-century vintage sound she desired came to life.
Daddy's Country Gold is just that - 12 glittering Carper originals of
the country, western swing, and jazz variety. From the first notes of
album opener ôMakinÆ Memories,ö to the whimsical ôWould You Like To Get
Some Goatsö and the heart-wrenching tenderness of album closer ôThe
Stars Are Aligned,ö this lifetime of work, experience, and wanderlust
culminates in a beautiful portrait of heartfelt music, written by a
road-lovinÆ gal who has lived these songs and spent her life playing
music for folks that still love the real thing.
Tracklisting
01. Makin' Memories 3:52
02. I Almost Forgot About You 3:27
03. Back When 3:38
04. Old Fashioned Gal 3:52
05. You're Still My Love 3:37
06. Would You Like To Get Some Goats? 3:03
07. My Old Chevy Van 3:19
08. Arkansas Hills 3:11
09. It's Better If You Never Know 3:36
10. I'm Musing You 3:19
11. Many Moons Ago 3:02
12. The Stars Are Aligned 4:01
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