A Q & A with Alice Gerrard on her new release, 'Bittersweet'
Alice Gerrard has played with some of folk music's great legends: Hazel Dickens, Mike Seeger, Elizabeth Cotten. Her career has spanned a half-century and touched upon the realms of country, bluegrass, and old time, influencing generations of players and songwriters alike. But, it wasn't until this summer that she ever released a solo album of all original songs. As she told me in a recent interview, it was an idea she first heard during a week at MerleFest a couple years back, when Laurie Lewis offered her producing skills to the project.
The result is a lovely, catchy, stirring disc full of great story-songs. From lusty love songs to ruminations on life, love, purpose, and death, Bittersweet makes clear why Alice Gerrard's legend is so hugely influential. Of course, she was helped out by some of folk and bluegrass music's most talented players: Stuart Duncan, Bryan Sutton, Rob Ickes, and others. But, at the core, it's just a collection of great songwriting.
Recently, Gerrard was nice enough to hop on the phone and discuss the album, as well as her remarkable...
