The 78 Project Records Justin Townes Earle LIVE on WNYC Soundcheck

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Yesterday afternoon, The 78 Project was invited to record a 78 live on
WNYC Soundcheck. Justin Townes Earle was kind enough to sing his new
song “Memphis in the Rain” when our needle went down. And host John
Schaefer gamely put his voice on acetate as well! WNYC captured the
whole experience, and it’s streaming from their site for you to hear.

LISTEN: The 78 Project and Justin Townes Earle on WNYC Soundcheck

Our cameras were rolling, and we caught the moment of Justin Townes Earle making his 78 below.

 

Episode #6 of The 78 Project: Rosanne Cash with John Leventhal “The Wayfaring Stranger”

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It was sunny on Wednesday.  But on Thursday, when we arrived on Rosanne Cash’s doorstep, the rain and cold were looming over our plans to record in her beautiful garden.  So we set up in Rosanne’s kitchen while she made tea.  John picked on his guitar, the morning rested on the hands of the clock and the black tuxedo cat investigated our Presto on the counter.  A sense of comfort and family reverberated through the room.  “The Wayfaring Stranger” is a spiritual made most beautiful by it’s simple narrative: after the toil of life’s journey, we will find home.

 
Happy Mothers Day.

Ride Around Slow

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He traversed Manhattan, journeying to the edge of Brooklyn to sing for us. His words tell of a love of the lonesome West, and his voice is rich with understanding that in the solitude of a traveler’s nights, a song can become your companion. Loudon Wainwright tells us he doesn’t know much about ranching, but just after striking the last chord, he shares one piece of wisdom that a man who rides an old paint horse would know: the proper way to take off his hat.

Special thanks again to the Brooklyn Rod & Gun for making us honorary members for the afternoon.  We love your peanuts.

Join Us May 20th for a Live Music Revue and Charity Auction at City Winery in New York City

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The 78 Project presents Our Live Music Revue and Charity Auction featuring Dawn Landes, The Reverend John Delore & Kara Suzanne, Vandaveer and more special guests TBA

We are excited to invite you to join us on May 20th at City Winery in New York City to share in an evening of music celebrating the artists of The 78 Project New York series and the beautiful one-of-a-kind acetates they’ve created. It’s an opportunity to experience the momentous feeling of field recording, to hear the songs from the project performed live by they musicians who recorded them, and to take home an original acetate from The 78 Project to benefit the Music Maker Relief Foundation.

The artists who have recorded with us so far span generations and hail from all over the country, tied together by a gratitude for and appreciation of music that is deeply American – from Blues, Folk and Country to Americana, Bluegrass and Roots. It’s a joy to bring them together and to have a chance to invite our friends to share in the experience.

The live music revue will include performances from Dawn Landes, Vandaveer, The Reverend John DeLore & Kara Suzanne with more to be announced!

Tickets are available through City Winery’s website & their box office: 212.608.0555 x 714

Throughout the night, there will be an opportunity to take home an original one-of-a-kind acetate from The 78 Project New York series via silent auction.
These 78 acetates are completely unique, no duplicate copies have been made. It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to take home a piece of history created by an incredible artist. And all the proceeds from the sale of the acetates will benefit the Music Maker Relief Foundation charity. +

List of acetates available to include:

Dawn Landes “The Brown Girl (Lord Thomas and Fair Ellender)”
The Reverend John DeLore & Kara Suzanne “Omie Wise”, “Wounded Knee”
The Mynabirds “Roses While I’m Living”, “Fallen Doves”
Amy LaVere “Railroad Boy (Died of Love)”, “Red Banks”
Vandaveer “Banks of the Ohio”, “The Great Gray”
Richard Thompson “The Coo Coo Bird”, “How Many Times”
Valerie June “Happy or Lonesome”, “Raindance”
Loudon Wainwright III “Old Paint”, “I Don’t Care”

+ The sale, by silent auction, of The 78 Project’s New York Series original acetate records and a portion of ticket sales will benefit the Music Maker Relief Foundation’s Musician Sustenance program, which provides grants to meet basic life needs and emergency relief. +

Music Maker Relief Foundation keeps our culture vital by directly supporting senior (over 55) American roots musicians in need. Music Maker provides for basic life essentials whMusic Maker Relief Foundationile expanding their professional careers so that our rich musical heritage can be shared with the world and preserved for future generations. Since the organization’s founding in 1994, Music Maker has assisted hundreds of musicians who represent the traditions of Blues, Gospel, Old-Time String Band, Jazz and more. Music Maker’s programs ensure the talents of these cultural treasures are accessible through hundreds of US and international live performances, multi-media documentation and outreach initiatives.

Episode #5 of The 78 Project: Amy LaVere “The Railroad Boy (Died of Love)”

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It was a mild day for December in New York, but it was winter nonetheless.  And there was a quickness in our steps as we walked with Amy through the windy Harlem streets, to get the blood moving, to stay warm. Murder ballads are in Amy’s blood, she was raised on country songs filled with agony and ardor, and she poured that lifetime of woeful narratives into the deep blackness of the acetate.

“The Railroad Boy” is often sung as “The Butcher Boy”, and while the story is always chilling – a scorned young girl meets a sorrowful death – it can be for different reasons. “The Butcher Boy” sometimes lives up to the imagery its title evokes, ending with the boy murdering his lover, a variation Amy speculates may have spawned from a misinterpretation of the line “He took his knife and he cut her down.” In Amy’s version of “The Railroad Boy,” as in most of the song’s incarnations, the line refers to her father releasing her from the rope she has used to take her own life.

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It’s no surprise when Amy reveals that her favorite song ever is “Thin Line Between Love and Hate,” a crooned warning that your lover could kill you if you wrong them. Her flipside, “Red Banks,” like many of the songs she records and performs, depicts acts of passion that more often lead to the grave than to the altar.

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