Ginny Hawker - Letters From My Father (2001)

Tracklist

01. Don't Neglect the Rose
02. Oh, Have You Seen That Turtle Dove?
03. My Warfare Will Soon Be Over
04. The Day I Lose My Mind
05. Silver Tongue And Gold Plated Lies
06. I'll Not Be A Stranger
07. Letters From My Father
08. You Don't Tell Me That You Love Me Anymore
09. The Gospel Ship Has Long Been Sailing
10. Undone In Sorrow
11. Those Two Blue Eyes
12. Oh, So Afraid
13. Long Black Limousine
14. Looking For A Place To Fall Apart
15. A Heart That Will Never Break Again
16. The Palace Grand

Ginny Hawker brings a rare authenticity to each recording. Both Bristol, recorded with Kay Justice, and Good Songs for Hard Times, recorded with Tracy Schwarz, breathe new life into old-time music. Letters From My Father finds her in the company of Tim O'Brien, Darrell Scott, and Dirk Powell for 16 songs covering everything from traditional country to bluegrass to honky tonk. Many songs, like the title cut, will remind listeners of Hawker's earlier work. The unaccompanied "The Gospel Ship Has Long Been Sailing" would fit comfortably on earlier albums, while the banjo of "Undone in Sorrow" perfectly captures the spirit of old-time music. Overall, however, Letters From My Father strays quite a bit from her earlier old-time work. Pedal steel embellishes "The Day I Lose My Mind," laying the groundwork for a vocal reaching back to Kitty Wells and Melba Montgomery. "You Don't Tell Me That You Love Me Anymore" reaches back even further, with a bluesy fiddle and emotional vocal paying tribute to country music's roots. If the fuller arrangements shock old fans, they will also perk up the ears of anyone who loves classic country music. Darrell Scott's lap steel and Kari Sickenberger's harmony on cuts like "Oh, So Afraid" and "Long Black Limousine" propel Hawker back to the '40s. Bypassing a singular approach on Letters From My Father, Hawker settles on a simple standard for a song's inclusion: good, authentic music. Fans and anyone who enjoys first-rate acoustic music will welcome this lovely neo-traditional album.

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