Pigg
River Symphony is Cathryn Craig's love letter to the American
south, specifically Franklin county, Virginia, her father's
boyhood home. It's also a tribute to her family, and the disc
is interspersed with spoken word recollections from family members.
Consisting of acoustic, traditional fare like "Carry Me
Back to Old Virginny," "Clementine," "Will
the Circle Be Unbroken," and "Little Brown Jug,"
Craig turns in some fine, down home performances -- all tracked
live direct to minidisc. Considering that, the performances
are pretty phenomenal. The female background harmonies are particularly
fine, and Craig contributes a memorable cover of "Frankie
& Johnny," that's blusier than most of the material
on the album.
Craig
has captured something important here. This is more than just
a folk album or a document of traditional Americana; it's a
document of family life, of life as it was lived a long time
ago. As such, there may be an unintended poignancy here. How
many American families are this close anymore? How many families
sing together and stay together? Craig reminds us why such relationships
should be worth cherishing.
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