Norman Blake (American musician)

Norman Blake ( born March 10, 1938 in Chattanooga, Tennessee ) is an American musician, singer and songwriter. In his career spanning more than 50 years he played in several folk and country bands. He is one of the main actors of the Bluegrass comebacks in the 1970s. Together with his wife Nancy Blake he still does on albums and concerts.

Life

As Blake was a year old his family moved with him to Sulphur Springs (Georgia), where he grew up.

He became known as an acoustic guitar player. But he also plays many other instruments and sings. For example, he plays the mandolin, 6- string banjo, fiddle, dobro and banjo.

Best known Blake was through his work with John Hartford, Tony Rice and his wife Nancy Blake. He played in the background for Johnny Cash, June Carter, Bob Dylan, Steve Earle, Kris Kristofferson, Ralph Stanley and Joan Baez. Blake also played on the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band album Will The Circle Be Unbroken. From 1969 to 1971 he was a member of The Johnny Cash Show on ABC television Sehner as a guest of Johnny Cash band The Tennessee Three.

Blake is listed in the credits of the Bob Dylan album Nashville Skyline and the Johnny Cash album Orange Blossom Special. He was involved in the Steve Earle's comeback album Train A ' Comin ' and the excellent multi-platinum O Brother Where Art Thou? Soundtrack, which is the interest in bluegrass music reawakened and a Grammy Award for Album of the Year 2002 won. He was also involved in the Down from the Mountain Tour, which resulted from the success. In addition, Blake belonged to the line-up of five - time Grammy winner Raising Sand by Robert Plant and Alison Krauss in 2007.

The music that plays Norman Blake, can be described as neo- traditionalist, American Folk ( Folk, Bluegrass, Country, Blues ). Many of his songs are traditional, but he plays the acoustic parts with a style, a speed and quality that has become the modern. However, he is best known for his performance to transmit classical violin to the guitar. He also wrote songs which are today considered as a typical bluegrass like Ginseng Sullivan from the album Back Home in Sulphur Springs or Slow Train through Georgia and Church Street Blues.

Overall, Blake has produced 32 albums with various labels ( Rounder, Flying Fish, Country, Takoma, Shanachie, Western Jubilee, Red House, and Plectrafone ).

Discography

  • Back Home in Sulphur Springs ( Rounder, 1972)
  • Going Places ( Flying Fish, 1974)
  • The Fields of November ( Flying Fish, 1974)
  • Norman Blake / Tut Taylor / Sam Bush / Butch Robins / Vassar Clements / David Holland ... ( Flying Fish, 1975)
  • Old and New ( Flying Fish, 1975)
  • Norman Blake and Red Rector ( Country, 1976)
  • Whiskey Before Breakfast ( Rounder, 1976)
  • Blackberry Blossom ( Flying Fish, 1977)
  • Directions ( Takoma, 1978)
  • Rising Fawn String Ensemble ( Rounder, 1979)
  • Full Moon on the Farm ( Rounder, 1981)
  • Original Underground Music ( Rounder, 1982)
  • Nashville Blues ( Rounder, 1984)
  • Lighthouse on the Shore ( Rounder, 1985)
  • The Norman & Nancy Blake Compact Disc ( Rounder, 1986)
  • Natasha 's Waltz ( Rounder, 1987)
  • Slow Train through Georgia ( Rounder, 1987)
  • Blake & Rice ( Rounder, 1987)
  • Blind Dog ( Rounder, 1988)
  • Norman Blake and Tony Rice 2 ( Rounder, 1990)
  • The Fields of November / Old and New ( Flying Fish, 1992)
  • Just Gimme Somethin ' I'm Used To ( Shanachie, 1992)
  • While Passing Along This Way ( Shanachie, 1994)
  • The Hobo 's Last Ride ( Shanachie, 1996)
  • Chattanooga Sugar Babe ( Shanachie, 1998)
  • Be Ready Boys: Appalachia to Abilene ( Shanachie, 1999)
  • Far Away, Down on a Georgia Farm ( Shanachie, 1999)
  • Flower From the Fields of Alabama ( Shanachie, 2001)
  • Old Ties ( Rounder, 2002)
  • Meeting on Southern Soil ( Red House, 2002)
  • The Morning Glory Ramblers ( Dualtone, 2004)
  • Back Home in Sulphur Springs [ Norman & Nancy Blake ] ( Dualtone, 2006)
  • Shack Town Road ( Dualtone Music Group, 2007)
  • Raising Sand ( Roberrt Plant & Alison Krauss, 2007)

Videos

  • Norman Blake's Guitar Techniques # 1 ( Homespun, 1990 VHS, 2003 DVD)
  • Mandolin of Norman Blake ( Homespun, 1992 VHS, 2005 DVD)
  • My Dear Old Southern Home ( Shanachie, 1994 VHS, 2003 DVD)
  • Legends of Flatpicking Guitar ( Vestapol, 1995 VHS, 2001 DVD)
  • The Video Collection 1980-1995 ( Vestapol 1996 VHS, 2004 DVD)
  • Great Guitar Lessons - Bluegrass Flatpicking ( Homespun, 2000 VHS, 2006 DVD )
  • Norman Blake's Guitar Techniques # 2 ( Homespun, 2001, 2003 DVD)
Chattanooga (Tennessee) Singing Folk music Country music June Carter Cash The Johnny Cash Show (TV series) Flying Fish Records Integrated Authority File
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