Tracy Nelson is an American musician hailing from Madison, Wisconsin. She began her career in her teens singing folk music in coffeehouses, and went on to become a founding member of Mother Earth, an American blues rock band formed in California in 1967. Before she founded Mother Earth, she recorded this album, Deep Are the Roots (1965), an acoustic blues album, on the Prestige Records label. I’m pretty stoked to give this album a listen, so with that said, I’m going to jump on into the music.
“Motherless Child Blues” starts with out some delicate acoustic guitar with a bit of a bluesy inflection and is soon joined by Nelson’s vocals. Oh wow, I’m really digging this track so far. I’m reminded a bit of Judy Roderick’s recordings from this time period. Nelson’s vocals in this almost remind me of what I imagine Janis Joplin’s vocals at the age of 18, which was about Nelson’s age at the time of this album’s release. Super sweet track, and I’m excited to hear more.
“Long Old Road” starts out with some light, bluesy acoustic guitar and somewhat distant vocals from Nelson. Holy smokes, there’s a super bluesy harmonica in this track that dials the flavor of this track a ton. Wow, this harmonica is super sweet, and brings a sort of wind-burned whiskey-faced bluesy flavor to the track. Great track.
“Startin’ For Chicago” starts out with some fat, warm, and bluesy piano that changes the flavor of the album up really nicely. Oh wow, Nelson’s vocals have a nearly laid-back sweetness in this track that complements the warmth of the piano really nicely. The harmonica in this track really fleshes out the bluesy flavor nicely. Super sweet track.
Oh wow, “Baby Please Don’t Go” starts out with some super flavorful acoustic guitar that I’m really digging. The feel of the track is something like a proto-electric blues from the later 1960s meets acoustic blues, and the result is something that I’m really digging. Great tune.
“Oh My Baby” starts out with some fat piano and some gently drifting acoustic guitar in the background, which combine to have a sort of early blues-inflected rock and roll sound reminiscent of Fats Domino. Oh wow, Nelson’s vocals have that laid-back sweetness again that I’m really digging. Great track.
“Ramblin’ Man” gets moving in a really groovy way with a sort of parlor-esque piano riff alongside a super bluesy harmonica. Oh wow, the harmonica seems to dig in for some notes really nicely. Nelson’s vocals have a nearly playful feeling that have a bit of a folksy blues sound that I’m digging. Super sweet track.
Oh wow, “Candy Man” has a sweet acoustic blues sound that once again reminds me of Judy Roderick. Super sweet, short. tune.
Oh wow, “Grieving Hearted Blues” has a classic acoustic blues sound created by the bluesy piano licks and the harmonica that sounds like it could be from a blues jug band. Oh wow, I really dig the accentuations to the piano and harmonica created by the gently grooving acoustic guitar in the background. Great track.
“Black Cat Hoot Owl Blues” gets moving with some bluesy piano and harmonica right away. I really dig the pacing of this tune, which seems to further draw out the bluesiness in both the vocals and the instrumentation. Oh wow, the harmonica blends with the vocals really nicely, both of which complement the other quite nicely. Oh wow, the piano stops abruptly in a way that almost sounds as though it’s sucked up by a vacuum, and allows the flavors of Nelson’s vocals to be appreciated in a different context for a moment. Great tune.
“House Of The Rising Sun” is a classic song in both the folk and blues music world. Oh wow, this version is super interesting. I’m reminded a lot of both Carolyn Hester’s and Bob Dylan’s folksy versions of the track. This track is probably the most folk-oriented song on the album so far, and I’m digging it. This track adds even more range to the album in this endeavor into folk music.
Oh wow, “Jesus Met The Woman At The Well” starts out with some super sweet acoustic guitar, and is soon joined by Nelson’s sweet vocals. Oh wow, this tune sounds to be a folksy rendition of an old spiritual of sorts. I’m really digging this track so far. The previous tune seems to have been a turning point in the album to a folksier musical direction. Great tune.
Oh wow, “Trust No Man” has a classic acoustic blues sound created by the bluesy piano licks and the acoustic guitar that seems to roll right off those piano notes. Oh wow, the piano seems to let loose in this track in a really groovy way, and gets rollicking around in a way that seems to resolve a lot of tension that I didn’t even realize had built up in the track. Great track, and a great way to finish the listening experience that is this album.
This record by Tracy Nelson makes me excited to check out more of her work. The mixture of classic acoustic blues flavors with Nelson’s smooth vocals that remind me a lot of Judy Roderick make me want to hear her voice in a more rock and roll/electrified setting. I’m definitely looking forward to listening to Nelson’s band, Mother Earth, pretty soon. If you’re into acoustic blues and/or folk blues at all, you might want to consider checking out this album. If you do decide to give this album a listen, I sincerely do hope that you enjoy the listening experience at least as much as I did.
-A