Smithsonian Folkways Recordings has released another single from their upcoming album for Norman Blake, truly a living legend in bluegrass, old time, and traditional string music. Now 83 years of age, Blake has been performing as a guitarist, songwriter, vocalist, and band leader since the 1950s when he dropped out of school to play music.
Norman found himself in the company of other legends once he moved to Nashville in the ’60s, working for a decade with Johnny Cash, and as a guitarist on Cash’s television program. He also toured with Kris Kristofferson and played on Bob Dylan’s landmark Nashville Skyline album, John Hartford’s Aero-Plane, and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s Will The Circle Be Unbroken project. Starting in the ’70s, Blake committed to performing as a solo artist, and with his wife, Nancy, on cello and recorded dozens of traditional music albums. We also heard him on the classic soundtrack for the O Brother, Where Art Thou film.
This latest project, Day By Day, is set for an October 22 release and Smithsonian Folkways is offering Blake’s admirers a second taste of the music to be found therein. Today’s single is Time, in which Norman reflects on both his long career in music and on the history of his native country.
Have a listen…
Pre-orders for Day By Day by Norman Blake are enabled now online, for both digital downloads and on CD.
