Artist : Melissa Carper
Album : Daddy's Country Gold
Label : MAE Music
Genre : Country
Bitrate : 749 kbps avg
Source : CD
Playtime : 00:41:57 (225.4MB)
Rls date : 2021-04-06
Store date : 2021-03-19
Encoder : FLAC 1.3.1
[Track List]
1. Makin' Memories 3:52
2. I Almost Forgot About You 3:27
3. Back When 3:38
4. Old Fashioned Gal 3:52
5. You're Still My Love 3:37
6. Would You Like To Get Some Goats? 3:03
7. My Old Chevy Van 3:19
8. Arkansas Hills 3:11
9. 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
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.