Lainie Marsh, The Hills Will Cradle Thee

Hard to believe I wrote this review exactly two years ago, when this fantastic album was released. Hearing it again tonight, I thought it worth republishing.  It's a real jewel. Hope you will take a listen and enjoy it!

Mention Appalachia and most of us think of coal mining and the songs that tell stories handed down by generations of coal miners.   With her new release, The Hills will CradleThee, Appalachian artist Lainie Marsh goes beyond the coal mines to capture the natural beauty of the mountains, the faith of the people living there, and the charm of life in Appalachia.

Emmylou Harris has described Marsh’s music as having “a bluegrass element lurking.”   That element practically leaps out of the first track, “Jalopy,” a toe-tapping mandolin excursion telling the story of the classic argument between a man and woman over his old car.    “Way Down” is another bluegrass track, this one with the banjo keeping up the tempo, while Marsh shows off her unique vocal style and range in a first class coal mining narrative.   Harmonica fans will appreciate “A Ways to Go,” featuring Neal Hermuth.

“Motherlode” is rhythmic and bouncy, with lyrics comprised of fun, entertaining rhymes.  Images of coon dogs, fish on a line, and garden rows waiting to be hoed pull the listener into the country setting.   Another fun tune is “Hey Ludwig,” which pays tribute to a piano player who stays out too late and lives it up a little too much.

The first time the album slows down is on the track “Banjo Moon,” an enchanting ballad featuring banjo, fiddle and tambourine.   Listening to this music you could dance all night under the “banjo playing in the sky” while a freight train whistles far away in the hills of West Virginia.

This project features a stellar cast of musicians, including fiddle and banjo picker Ketch Secor of the Old Crow Medicine Show, and pedal steel virtuoso Bucky Baxter.   The  musicians create a surprisingly different sound on “Little Samba Queen,” which mixes Brazilian rhythms and bossa nova guitar with banjo and mandolin.   Marsh’s voice is the best yet, with multiple layers of emotions, singing lyrics of the hills and the mines with subtle references to South America while telling of a girl’s musical dream.

It is difficult to pick a favorite track on this album as each stands alone, yet weave together seamlessly to paint a picture of Appalachian life – the miners, the gospel influences, and the dreams of the people.  The Hills Will Cradle Thee continues with its only sad song, “Dream of a Coal Miner’s Child,” a traditional song about a child’s fear for a father working in the mines.    Marsh gives us a haunting depiction of the story and her voice becomes the child, while percussionist Paul Griffith conjures up the feeling of a perilous march to the mine, and fiddles sing woefully.

Showing a sultry, smoky side to her voice in the romantic “Misty Juniper,” Marsh, and on piano Kent Goodson, longtime keyboard player with George Jones, sings a tune in the style of the great jazz standards with lyrics that complete that feeling through phrases such as “the falling leaves,” “the scent of evergreens,” and “your eyes gaze into mine.”  

“Elijah’s Chariot” changes up the tempo again with a gospel theme and choir, recalling the Old Testament story of the prophet Elijah being carried up to heaven by a chariot of fire.   This and lyrics in many of the other tracks, remind the listener of the powerful force of religion upon the Appalachian region. 

Most everyone feels a kinship for the land they love, the place they call home.  The final and title track, “The Hills Will Cradle Thee” sums it all up – Lainie Marsh knows where her heart lies.   These eleven tunes will take your heart there too and the hills will indeed cradle thee.

 
http://lainiemarsh.com/

http://www.myspace.com/lainiemarsh

This Really is Football - Part 3

I don't usually use this forum for opinions about football. But the ongoing crusade to vilify Liverpool's Luis Suarez is bringing out my fighting side.

It is my opinion Suarez and Evra should NOT have shaken hands. Certainly Evra should not have grabbed Luis' arm and tried to force him to do so. I would have advised both that a nod would be enough.  It certainly would have been enough when the last thing either needed was to stir up more emotion. 

Anyone, including Sir Alex Ferguson, who thinks the slate - chalked by Evra's complaint, muddied by the FA's ruling, and scarred by an 8 match ban - can be wiped clean by a handshake is delusional. 

Time will be needed to heal that wound. Evra should have let Luis pass quietly and not sulled up like a child who is not favored on the playground. 

Obviously Luis was hurt by accusations and the stringent penalty he received. I understand that.  And I would not have been able to shake Evra's hand either.

I, and my cat, stand with you Luis.  YNWA!

"Hope is no small thing"

by guest blogger Terri Orr

My heart is so heavy right now, having just read some posts about a couple of little boys facing a rather imminent death from cancer. I don't want ANYONE to die from it, but how it hurts when children are involved! I had already made tentative plans to go this weekend to a fundraiser for another area child fighting a cancer battle. Even with all the strides that have been made in the battle against this horrible disease, there is still so much needing to be done.

I don't want to sound like a broken-record, boring "advertisement"...but THIS is why I "Relay". I was pulled several years ago into The American Cancer Society's Relay for Life locally by my friend, Cheryl, when she very sweetly told me she was buying a luminary bag in my honor for that year's Relay. I was floored, because it had been so many years since my cancer ordeal--to have MY name on that track as part of an effort to raise money to help with all the people who were currently going through chemo, and radiation, and fear, and surgery, and worry, and heartache, and the tremendous great "unknown" that comes with a cancer diagnosis--it was overwhelming.

I was talking with a friend's mother just yesterday about Relay. She is a breast cancer survivor--her battle was years after my mother died from it. My mother was violently ill when she went through her chemo treatments--that was a large part of the reason she chose to stop them when she did. By the time my friend's mom had her chemo, the medical community knew how to give anti-nausea drugs to prevent the wretched, disheartening side-effect that made my mom feel worse than the cancer ever did. ACS Relay dollars helps to fund the kinds of research that make these breakthroughs--new medicines, new protocols, new treatments, new means of prevention, new HOPE.

I am not good at asking for anything. I would have been a terrible salesperson. But I AM an advocate for Relay for Life and the American Cancer Society. The Relay event itself for Whitfield County is May 18 at the Fairgrounds. There are so many ways you can participate, help, contribute. Relay is a powerful, life-affirming event. We get together--we celebrate survivors, we remember the ones we've lost, we spend a whole night walking, talking, laughing, playing....and sometimes shedding tears of both sorrow AND joy--as those of us on the Relay teams work hard to make sure that...well, that less mothers and fathers will be sitting in hospitals watching their child die. No matter HOW overly-dramatic that might sound, I can assure you it's NOTHING compared to actually experiencing it.

Luminaria spell out Hope the night of Relay

Please, please. Join us for Relay. There will be games, and food, and fun from 7:00 p.m. and then literally all night long. We would love to see you there at the Fairgrounds, but you can help without even being there. Naturally, all donations are welcome. But I particularly love the luminaries and can only TRY to explain how much it means to someone to know their name is there. We'll make a luminaria for YOUR loved one--to honor a survivor, or remember one who has passed-- for $10.00, and their light will shine out in the night, like a beacon of hope.

Here's a link to my Team Phipps Relay page--you can sign up for a luminary (there's a purple toggle button in the middle of the page just for luminaria) and pay online, if you want. It doesn't take long; it's only $10.00 per luminary. But it's a priceless way to honor someone you love....and to help another loved one --or someone you will never know-- beat this awful, dreadful, wretched disease.

The Mack Gaston Community Center grand opening celebration - January 16, 2012

We have an exciting new Community Center on Frederick Street in Dalton, Georgia!  I sat in a crowd of several hundred folks today for the dedication of the facility, tears welling in my eyes for the strength of a community coming together with a purpose.  No better day than Martin Luther King Jr. Day, 2012 to show what the collaboration of city, county and community can accomplish.


The many men and women who made the old center a focal part of east Dalton and those who made the new vision of service to the whole of the city and county a reality were honored today. And they were out en force, smiling, swelling with pride for a dream come true.

Director Tom Pinson receives "the key to the building" for his service and commitment to the center.

This beautiful center will serve kids, families, seniors, clubs, EVERYONE.  If you havent seen it, I urge you to visit it soon, take a walk around the indoor walking track, shoot some hoops, shake some hands and say hello to Tom Pinson!



Admiral Mack Gaston talks about his uncle and namesake who was responsible for the original community center being built here.

For more info: http://daltondailycitizen.com/local/x2019122783/Time-to-play
 



Kicking off Relay for Life 2012 - guest blogger David Haas

Happy New Year friends! Team Phipps hopes you all had the best of holidays! This time of year we are reminded of our blessings of the past year and our hopes and commitments for the new one.  I was recently contacted by another person passionate about help for cancer patients and hope for survivors.  David Haas will be a guest blogger here on Shay's Picks as Team Phipps starts our educational promotion for the 2012 Relay for Life event.

How Much Does Exercise Benefit Cancer Patients?

by David Haas, Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance Guest Blogger

It has long been proven that more active adults are less likely to develop health problems over time; exercise and physical activity every day can lower the risk of developing immune diseases, heart attacks, and other complications from aging. But can exercise also affect those who have just been diagnosed with cancer or who are in remission from it? Recent research suggests that yes, healthy, active adults are much less at risk for developing certain kinds of cancers than others and that regular exercise for patients undergoing treatment and after treatment ends can have positive effects on the health as well.

While the link between exercise and rare cancers like malignant mesothelioma hasn’t been explored as extensively, the link between exercise and colorectal, breast, and endometrial cancers have been reported on. Specifically in regards to colon cancer, physical activity has been known to positively affect metabolism, insulin regulation, and energy in active adults.

According to one study by The National Cancer Institute, exercise has been found to be beneficial for cancer survivors after treatment. The effects of exercise after treatment and into recovery for these common cancers has been positive, with many patients who are physically active being much less likely to have a recurrence or to die from complications afterwards.

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle after diagnosis is important in regards to quality of life. The benefits to the body are numerous, as well as benefits to one’s emotional state and self-perception. Exercise can improve mood, reduce fatigue brought on by treatment, and generally bolster self esteem as recovering patients become stronger again. All of these things can influence how a patient recovers and lives during and after major illnesses.

Patients must be careful not to overdo exercising. But if recovering patients are able, taking small steps just after recovery can set up good habits for continuing the exercise in the future. For instance, walking longer distances every day or taking the stairs instead of the elevator in buildings are small things one can do to add exercise into a daily routine. However, all patients and healthy adults alike should remember to consult a doctor before starting a new exercise regimen.

The link between exercise and the risk of certain cancers has been studied extensively in the last ten years. With guidance, any patient’s quality of life can be improved with regular exercise.

Read more of David's blogs at http://haasblaag.blogspot.com/ and http://www.mesothelioma.com/blog
Visit my Relay for life page at http://main.acsevents.org/goto/shayrul

Lookout! It's Sweet Erin Thomas

In the twilight of a beautiful, waning autumn's day, Dad and I drove up the interstate, around Moccasin Bend, up to the foot of LookoutMountain, and onto a luminary lit drive.  It was here, at a house concert inside a beautiful 1800s log cabin, we met "Sweet Erin"Thomas, and two members of her band Last Call, Roy Agee on guitar, and Oscar Utterstrom, playing keyboards, harmonica and percussion.

A native of South Carolina, Erin lives in Nashville's diverse music community, where for ten years she has played french horn professionally.  She has taken a detour from that career and is forging a new path, singing and songwriting, and carrying a guitar.

On her website, Erin describes the hidden talents of her band, drawn from the brass playing ranks of Nashville - Roy and Oscar also play trombone!  Last night, in that rustic setting, we were treated to the songstress in Erin.  Hearing her voice, it was clear, "hidden talent" describes Erin as well.

Erin and her band mates played many of her original tunes, some of my favorites being "Proud," and "Little Ones," both inspired by motherhood and Erin's own daughter.    

Erin's lyrics are provocative and compelling.  Introducing "That Kind of Love," she posed the question that, considering love is such a force in our lives, when it's gone, where does it go?  I suspect I will be pondering that question for some time to come.  

As a listener, I found myself both wrapped around her words, and singing and tapping along with them. I was not alone in joining in the song as Erin and Roy advised the audience, "Think about what you want!"

The band also delighted the audience with some of their favorite covers of Allison Krauss, The Dixie Chicks, and James Taylor.

At the end of a lovely evening of music, I could not help but think of Erin's song "Gone," in the context of people who settled the land at the foot of Lookout Mountain.  At some point in their lives, they also knew it was time to move to a new place, to start over.  Like Erin's lyric, they said, "my bags are packed, I'm ready to go."  This listener is glad "Sweet Erin"Thomas has packed her bags in a guitar case!

Read more about Erin Thomas and hear her music at www.sweeterin.com.

From Left: Inside the log cabin, Erin Thomas, Oscar Utterstrom and Roy Agee 

Alan Cayn - The Last Cast

On a recent kayaking trip on the beautiful Etowah River in north Georgia, I floated in the quiet, with just the sound of the water and the crickets somewhere on the banks, feeling what those who paddled that river must have felt for hundreds of years.  A strong wind blew across the water causing the glinting sun to sparkle like jewels, tiny leaves raining down like snow as I passed under the canopy.  If you've ever fished in solitude, or paddled in the crickety-quiet, you know what I mean when I say that I felt a kinship with the river.

Alan Cayn

Alan Cayn knows what I mean. His most recent album, The Last Cast, even features some crickets.  This is Cayn's final offering in his fishing folk music triology, Hey!A Fish.  Having engaged musicians  from as far away as Liverpool, collaborated with a poet all the way from British Columbia, and assembled a fine men's choir, The Last Cast  is Cayn's most eclectic collection yet.  This album goes beyond the river, into the forest, the hills, and even the sea.

There have been many favorites from Cayn's past work, but "Jack Pine Savage" stole that spot for me upon the first listen.  Alan Cayn is a superb storyteller and excellent vocalist.  Here he weaves a tale of a man who finds his way back to the woods, to nature, to living a simple life.   The musical presentation is impeccable in its simplicity - a man and his guitar.  Perfect.

Alan Cayn

"Mon Carpe" is a tune to leave you smiling, sung in French and complete with Cajun accordion.   David Hanna helps out on electric guitar, and Christine O'Niel on vocals, to bring home the only love song to a fish this writer has ever known.

Alan Cayn's live performances with his Appalachian dulcimer tug his audiences back in time and so on this album he does the same, with "Song of the Wandering Angus," his lovely rendition of the traditional folk tune and poem by William Butler Yeats. 

Another poet featured on The Last Cast is Mag MaWhinney, a cowboy poet and songwriter from British Columbia.   I had the pleasure of hearing Mag recite her poetry for the internet radio audience, and was instantly moved by her insight into life.  For "Crazy World," Cayn has arranged the musical accompaniment to make Mag's words, and the listener, dance.

Zanzibar, cowritten by Cayn and Gabrielle Monk, features the band Good Intentions from Liverpool, UK.  They are R. Peter Davies (guitar,) Francesco Roskell (guitar and banjo,) Grabrielle Monk (vocals, autoharp, percussion,) and Scott Poley (pedal steel, mandolin, and lap steel. )  Good Intentions sets the tone for this story of love left behind, and it is the mandolin floating through the lyrics of pirate ships, empty glasses, and a life run aground, that keeps the listener believing maybe all hope is not lost.

At this point, I must make my own confession (yes, this is a subtle reference to Cayn's second in the trilogy, Streamside Confession.)  Included on this album is ”Appalachian Trail," written and sung by my father, Tom Phipps, with guitar by Thomas J. Brown, both of Dalton, Georgia.   It is a nice complement to Cayn's songs, reflecting the love he and my father share of nature and spending time outdoors.

Hapless Wader Choir

No Alan Cayn album is complete without an a capella performance or a little humor.  Here we have both, in two songs.  The first, "She Looked Good in Waders," has Cayn singing with those crickets I mentioned earlier.   This and "Hapless Wader Revisited" are two of Cayn's classic fishing songs.  "Hapless Wader Revisited" is my favorite surprise on The Last Cast.   Cayn is joined by Mike Slomka, Dan Adair, Ed (Jesus) Urbaniak, Tom (Trout Lord) Jaissle, Glen (Joe Flatlander) Krueger, and Dave Hanna for a men's choir treatment of his story of the fish getting the best of the fisherman.

The Last Cast comes to a close with the title track of the nine, "Last Cast/Riparian View,"  and the lyric, "I don't want this to end / I wish this could go on forever / just me being all alone / standing here in this river."  Cayn sneaks in one more musical twist, amping his dulcimer with the VOX DA5, and the sound could be bouncing off water or river boulders, until it fades away. 

The next time you are in a canoe or kayak, or standing in the river in your waders, or just walking through the woods, remember, there's a man named Alan Cayn who knows  the kinship you feel with the river and the hills, and he doesn't want it to end for you either.

Check out Alan Cayn's YouTube page for this one and more!