WE'LL SHIP WHEN IT'S BACK IN STOCK

Album Notes

Buddy Davis has a lifelong love affair with bluegrass and early country, recording with Doc and Merle Watson and Sam Bush, playing with Roy Clark on “Hee-Haw” and two bands at the late legendary bluegrass club Bill Stanley’s. “I’ve always loved the early vintage Opry sounds,” he said. “The first record I ever bought was Johnny Cash playing the “Tennessee Flat Top Box”. A seventh generation Madison Co., N.C. singer who grew up in Etowah, N.C., his version of “Mountain Dew” is a tribute to the late Bascom Lamar Lunsford, founder of Asheville’s Mountain Dance and Folk Festival. The haunting coal mining song “Dark as a Dungeon” by Merle Travis reaches into early country. Tim Hardin’s “If I were a Carpenter” and “Blues is Just a Bad Dream” by James Taylor bring him into the realm of more contemporary folk.
Carol Mallett Rifkin has history in the old time music scene and explores the expansion of the traditions into early country songs with June Carter’s “Ring of Fire”, Willie Nelson’s “Crazy”, Ernest Tubb’s “Waltz Across Texas” and Dolly Parton’s “Jolene”. “Let that Liar Alone” and “Fair and Tender Ladies” reach back to traditional roots. “I’ve always loved the music of the Carter Family and June Carter,” she said. “When I was young I played at the Carter Fold in Hilton’s Virginia and (the late) Joe and Jeannette Carter took me in their house to show me a picture of Sarah Carter because they thought I favored her so much.”
On the cut “Angel Band”, the trio reaches back to the roots of Gospel music. Originally published in the Christian Harmony shaped note book in the 19th century, their soaring three part harmonies close with the unaccompanied primitive style. Buddy’s chilling a capella rendition of the old classic “Children Go Where I Send Thee” closes the recording, a gem of fine traditional harmony singing.
The trio shines on three part harmonies, with bass player Jamie Soesbee adding his fine tenor. A former member of various Jazz and Pop dance bands, he adds a little different flavor the music.
It’s an intentionally simple recording, a reprise of the group in live concert, a vocal trio with two guitars, Jamie’s acoustic bass and Carol’s harmonica on “Blues is Just a Bad Dream”. “We wanted to make a recording that reflected what we really sound like when you come to hear us,” said Jamie. “There are no special guests, special effects, just the three of us the way we are.”
The trio still plays every Tuesday night from 7-9 at Blue Mountain, on Main Street in Weaverville, a live practice weekly with friends and fans shouting requests and asking for favorites at the place where the trio began accidentally more than a two years ago. Festivals and concert gigs have started to fill their schedule but Blue Mountain is a home base, a meeting place of friends.

For interviews, high-resolution .jpg, further bio or bookings go to www.buddycaroljaime.com