We’ve long admired Eric Brace’s work, from Last Train Home to his solo work and collaborations with Peter Cooper, and his new “Cartes Postales” shows us a new side of his art. The album honors his father’s life and love of music and nine of the ten tracks are sung in French, his father’s home country. The music is beautiful, thanks in part to the many contributions of Rory Hoffman. A sample, taken from Eric’s appearance on Music City Roots:
Tag: “Eric Brace”
Jerry Lawson at the Station Inn
By Ken Paulson
It was a long time coming, but Jerry Lawson’s show at the Station Inn in Nashville June 5 was a spirited and often inspiring evening.
Lawson, the 71-year-old lead singer for the Persuasions, was there to celebrate the release of Just a Mortal Man, his first solo album. His voice broke a bit as he explained that the album’s title hit home for him shortly after he finished recording it. He said he understood just how mortal he was when a torn esophagus led to a life-threatening medical emergency.
Jerry Lawson and Eric Brace on stage at the Station Inn
Red Beet Records founder and artist Eric Brace explained that he had connected with Lawson years earlier when he wrote a piece for the Washington Post saluting his talents. After years of correspondence, the two ended up on stage together in Phoenix, leading to Brace saying “We should make a record together.” In time, they did.
Lawson’s mobility was limited because he’s recovering from knee replacement surgery, but his voice was in fine shape, opening with “Kiddio” and then moving on to perform much of the album. Highlights included Paul Simon’s “Peace Like a River,” Brace’s “Time and Water” and Peter Cooper’s cautionary “Wine,” which Lawson insists could have been written for him.
Eric Brace interview: “I Love” is nominated for a Grammy
I Love: Tom T. Hall’ Songs of Fox Hollow is one of those rare kids’ albums that will enchant children and adults in equal measure. We reviewed it enthusiastically in April and it’s great to see this salute to Tom T. and the original Fox Hollow album nominated for a Grammy for best children’s album..
Eric Brace of Last Train Home and Peter Cooper co-produced the album.
Here Brace talks about the Grammy nomination and the people who made it possible:
“I Love:” Tom T. Hall at the Hall
Tom T. Hall and Peter Cooper began the evening with a conversation about the new CD and the many friends Hall had in attendance.
He was joined by a stellar group of musicians at the Country Music Hall of Fame tonight to celebrate the release of “I Love: Tom T. Hall’s Songs of Fox Hollow.” The new album features a remarkable array of artists revisiting Hall’s “Songs of Fox Hollow,” a 1974 children’s record that included the hits “I Love” and “I Care.”
Though a kids’ record, the original “Fox Hollow” worked on many levels and this tribute album does as well. Take a dozen or so talented musicians,turn them loose on an underappreciated gem, and the results will be inspired. Eric Brace and Peter Cooper produced the project and sang and played as well.
Many of the artists on the album showed up for the concert. Patty Griffin’s “I Love,” Buddy Miller’s “Sneaky Snake” and “Bobby Bare’s “I Care” were among the highlights.
A kids’ record has to be fun, and Gary Bennett and Mark and Mike (Mark Horn and Supe Granda) and Jon Byrd, respectively, informed us about barn dancing, a one-legged chicken and conversations with a goat.
Elizabeth Cook and Tim Carroll couldn’t be there to revisit their performance of “I Wish I Had A Million Friends,” but the Wrights stepped in with an outstanding version.
Tommy Cash was on hand, but opted not to play “Old Lonesome George the Basset,” the song he recorded for the project. Brace and Cooper jumped right in with their own entertaining take. Jim Lauderdale contributed an engaging “I Like to Feel Pretty Inside” before heading out the door for another show across town.
The finale, “I Made a Friend of a Flower Today,” featured Fayssoux Starling McLean and Tom T. Hall, bringing the evening to a touching end.
Lloyd Green, Jen Gunderman, Mike Bub, Mark Horn, Duane Eddy, Baker Maultsby and Richard McLaurin rounded out an exceptional band.
Cooper is a music journalist and Brace is a former music writer for the Washington Post. They brought both reverence and the highest of standards to this extraordinary project. “I Love” was a labor of love and it shows.
Songs of Fox Hollow: A salute to Tom T. Hall
I had the chance to see Peter Cooper and Eric Brace join Tom T. Hall in a songwriters in the round session not long ago, and both were clearly excited to be performing with an artist they admire so much. They spoke excitedly about “I Love,” a forthcoming CD saluting Hall’s wonderful children’s record “Songs of Fox Hollow.”
They’ve done their hero proud. The album features a diverse and talented line-up offering largely faithful renditions ; it works very well.
Patti Griffin opens the set with a gorgeous version of “I Love,” Hall’s big crossover hit of 1973. Buddy MiIler contributes a fun “Sneaky Snake, aided on guitar by Duane Eddy, who also backs Cooper on “Everybody Loves to Hear a Bird Sing.”
Jim Lauderdale, Baker Maultsby, Brace’s Last Train Home, Elizabeth Cook, Tim Carroll, Gary Bennett, Jon Byrd, Mark and Mike and Tommy Cash all contribute fine performances, and the album closes on particularly high notes with Bobby Bare’s take on “I Care” and Fayssoux Starling McLean’s sweet performance of “I Made a Friend of A Flower Today,” with a guest vocal by Hall himself.
No surprise from Red Beet Records, the packaging is a work of art with custom graphics and lyrics. “I Love” is full of charming music that deserves to be heard by a new generation.
Ken Paulson