A List From Dad

A few weeks ago I read an article about a new album from Rosanne Cash, the daughter of country legend Johnny Cash. The album, simply titled The List, is a selection of cover tunes. They originate from a list of 100 essential country songs that her father created for her in 1973, when she was just out of high school. He was liberal with the term ‘country’ as the list includes many folk and other traditional American songs. I’ve never been a huge fan of country music, but am making an effort to expand my musical horizons. I like the album, it's full of emotion and depth. The songs are sad, but comforting. I discovered that she was performing in Brooklyn on Saturday so headed over to see the show.

[caption id="attachment_1083" align="alignright" width="150" caption="Photo by Thomas Hauner"][/caption]First a note about the venue. Cash performed at St. Ann’s Warehouse, a legendary art space that until 2000 was located in the landmark Church of St.Ann and the Holy Trinity in Brooklyn Heights. It’s now located in a converted spice warehouse in the DUMBO neighborhood of Brooklyn, which is near the water and the entrance to the Brooklyn Bridge. St Anne’s has a history for staging avant-garde theater and music. For example the famous Andy Warhol tribute, Songs for Drella, by Lou Reed and John Cale was first performed at St Ann’s in 1989 and eventually recored and released as an album. Many theater productions from The Wooster Group and the Druid Ireland have made their debut here. The space seats 1,200 and the sound system is excellent. Cash’s concerts last weekend kicked-off the 30th Anniversary celebrations for St. Ann’s.

Saturday’s show appeared to be sold out. We were in the very back of the theater and despite the size, the concert felt intimate. Cash launched into her set with “I’m Movin’ On” and “Miss the Mississippi and You.” She then went right into one of my favorites from the album, “She’s Got You” written by Hank Cochran and made famous by Patsy Cline. Cash brings the beauty of memories and the pain of loss into the lyrics. After the song, Cash explained the challenge of hitting the song’s three octive range. She met the challenge head on and sounded wonderful.

Cash then moved into another of my favorites, “500 Miles.” Originally made famous by Peter, Paul and Mary, this was constant song in my childhood. I still know that first Peter, Paul and Mary album by heart. Although it also included “Puff The Magic Dragon,” this song always stood out for me. My father traveled a lot when I was growing up, and for a six year old “500 Miles” captured the essence of his constant departures. These sentiments, along with the passing of Mary Travers last month and Cash’s emotional vocals, nearly brought me to tears. There were quite a few songs that almost had me weeping on Saturday night. Her version of “Bury Me Under The Willow Tree,” originally made famous by the Carter family, is heart-wrenching. She added a lovely anecdote about how while on tour with her dad, Helen Carter used to take time back stage to teach her guitar. Helen was the sister of June Carter, who married Johnny Cash and was portrayed in the film Walk The Line.

Another standout was “Girl From the North Country,” a Dylan song recored with Johnny Cash in 1969. Once again, the younger Cash captures the full emotion of the song, but adds her own style and slightly updates the sound. She also did an amazing version of “Long Black Veil.” She seems to add a bit of a soul to these songs. This is partially her voice, but also the band. Her husband, John Levanthal, produced the album and plays guitar. He and the rest of her band on Saturday were amazing. Her version of “Motherless Children,” a traditional gospel tune, moved me and apparently the rest of the audience as someone asked her to sing it again during the encore.

She has several guests on the album including Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Costello, Rufus Wainwright and Jeff Tweedy, none of them were at the show but the songs are all stellar. You’ll likely be hearing a lot of the Springsteen duet as it’s been getting a lot of attention in interviews and on the radio. In addition to every song from the album, Cash added a few others on Saturday that she said were from the list such as “Satisfied Mind” and “Sweet Memories." She also covered a few of her father’s songs and did a few of her own hits. Some tunes were more lively and rockin’ than others, but it was the slower ones that really grabbed me. Her cover of “Ode To Billie Joe” added elements of mystery and sadness aren’t as prominent on the original by Bobbie Gentry.

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Her album isn’t available on Grooveshark yet so I’ve created a mix of the originals from The List and suggest you pick up Cash’s album to hear her interpretations. I’ve had it on the stereo almost every day since it came out last week. While listening, I've been reading a book about female journalists in Vietnam. I’m learning a great deal about the war and the country where my father spent the first several months of my life. I wondered if my father gave me a list what would be on it? It would likely be a ‘to do’ list (i.e. get an education, build a retirement fund) or some sort of travel list (i.e. places, mainly in Europe, that I must visit). He also always told me that everyone should live in New York City at some point in their lives. So I don’t think that he was surprised when I moved to NYC, but I’m sure he never anticipated that I would stay and call it home. In a recent interview, Rosanne Cash was asked, having grown up in California, why she settled in NYC. She answered quoting a common phrase, “we always thought she was kind of weird, it turns out she’s just a New Yorker.” I think my father would agree with respect to me. While he hasn’t given me a list of essential songs, he has given me a few good tips over the years.

See Music
Long Black Veil (Letterman 10/7)
I'm Movin' On

Buy Music
Rosanne Cash
Johnny Cash

Photos of the show
Pop Matters
Brooklyn Vegan