We had to wrestle ourselves out of bed on Sunday. Unfortunately, we missed the early-morning shaped-note singing, but we had a good excuse. We were backstage at Saturday’s midnight jam—a festival tradition—listening to the likes of David Rawlings, Byron House, Nickel Creek’s Chris Thile and Led Zeppelin’s John Paul Jones (yep, back again), as they picked through acoustic renditions of Grateful Dead songs like “Casey Jones” and “China Cat Sunflower,” kicking out the jams ’til almost 4 a.m.
So it was only appropriate that our day begin with frequent Jerry Garcia collaborator and “Dawg” music pioneer, mandolin virtuoso David Grisman. After playing together so many times before Garcia’s death in 1995, it seemed that the two musicians even began to take on each others physical characteristics, as if through some kind of bizarre acoustic osmosis. But the grey hair, bushy beard, dark shades and extra padding ’round the gut was insignificant compared to how they played together. But Grisman’s quintet—together in various forms since the mid-’70s—has always been his bread-and butter, and today they did not disappoint. The five musicians played sweet, earth-tone jazzgrass, with the occasional South American or Middle Eastern flourish.
There are people who can play mandolin as well as David Grisman—and some of them are here this weekend— but you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who plays as pretty. The quintet floats soft and mournful with percussion, flute, upright bass, guitar and fiddle (in different combinations) providing a rich canvas for Grisman to paint on. Later in the set he’s joined by old friend Sam Bush and budding 14-year-old prodigy Josh Pinkham for some serious mandolin dueling.
While Merlefest bustled for the past three days, the surrounding landscape has been quiet and peaceful. But today the wind picked up, carrying with it clouds, drizzle and humidity. By mid-afternoon, not even the positive festival vibes could hold back the downpour.
In the midst of the moisture, The Gospel Jubilators began their set at the cabin stage. The North Carolina quartet lifted the crowd’s spirits with a soulful, a capella rendition of “I’ll Fly Away.” Huddling under raincoats, ponchos and umbrellas, the small-but-enthusiastic audience raised its hands in praise.
(David Grisman Quintet and special guests – photos by Steve LaBate)
For many, Johnny Cash was and still is the king of country music. But around 4 p.m., the princess—Cash’s eldest daughter Rosanne—took the Watson stage for a somber and thoughtful 14-song set steeped in heritage, including a rendition of her father’s “Big River” with Jim Lauderdale. Her voice and songwriting are like the finest silk, gracefully covering jagged rocks; smoothing out hard life lessons. The rain—an unplanned-but-appropriate accompaniment for “September When It Comes”—added a continuous rhythm to the melancholy song. Originally recorded with Roseanne’s late father for the album, Rules of Travel, “September” took on a special meaning during the performance. With it, she honored both Johnny Cash and renowned guitar-picker Merle Watson, the festival’s namesake, who died in 1985—at the young age of 36—after a tragic tractor accident in his nearby hometown of Lenoir, N.C.
Doc Watson, Merle’s father and patriarch of the festival, joined Roseanne onstage in remembrance of family and friends gone before. And Watson commanded more than just the expectant crowd—when he sat down and began to play, the rain stopped and the sky cleared. It was as if the heavens knew a kindred, powerful spirit was present. Then he and Roseanne broke into a simple, affecting rendition of the Cash classic “I Still Miss Someone.”
To close out the 17th Merlefest and send folks on their way after four days in the bluegrass/Americana trenches, Doc Watson and Bill Mathis performed a poignant rewritten version of the traditional gospel staple “Will the Circle Be Unbroken.” Mirroring much of the weekend’s music, the clouds—heavy with possibility—carried with them the memories of artists long-gone and the hopes of those just beginning. And the hope was in the words, too:
Now Merle’s up in heaven / We’ll be singing once again / Will the circle be unbroken / By and by, Lord, by and by / When God’s heavenly Choir sings / He’ll have Merle pickin’ lead / In the sky, Lord, in the sky
(Rosanne Cash, Rosanne Cash & Doc Watson, Rosanne Cash & Jim Lauderdale – photos by Cory Albertson; Doc Watson & Bill Mathis photo by Steve LaBate)