The Timeless Music of Maine’s David Mallett

David Mallett
“Parallel Lives”
Flying Fish Records
1997

Between 1977 and 2016, David Mallett recorded over a dozen albums. He wrote songs recorded by Emmylou Harris, "Red, Red Rose”; Alison Krauss, “Never Got Off the Ground”; Kathy Mattea, “Summer of My Dreams”; and Hal Ketchum, “Old Soldiers,” as well as the folk classic “Garden Song.” Although the Maine native found some success as a songwriter in Nashville, he never entirely broke into the mainstream as an artist. This is truly unfortunate, as Mallett is a remarkable talent and his music deserves a wider audience.

I first discovered Mallett in the bargain bin of a used record store in the mid-1990s. The CD was “For a Lifetime,” and I quickly acquired his entire catalog and have followed his career ever since. The friendly warmth in Mallett’s sweet baritone voice is like sitting on your back porch, sharing tales with an old friend. He effortlessly delivers superb, articulate storytelling that explores the human condition, including its triumphs and failures, loves and losses.

During his career, Mallett released three live albums. His 1997 album, “Parallel Lives," recorded live at a club in Dublin, New Hampshire, is an excellent starting point for those unfamiliar with his work, as it captures his warmth, wit, and charming stage presence. He sings many of his best-known songs, along with a mix of new ones, accompanied by his acoustic guitar, and is joined by Steven Sheehan on guitar and Mike Burd on bass.

His relatable songs focus on people who live and work the land through both hard times and good, sometimes reflecting on life’s fragility, as in “Closer to Truth,” which considers the sudden loss of a close friend. “My Old Man” is a heartfelt tribute to his father, and “Phil Brown” honors an artist friend he met in his youth. Mallett skillfully celebrates the simple joys of daily life, the embrace of family and friends, and his love of New England and the riches of nature as the seasons unfold over the years.

David Mallett's life journey ended on December 17, 2024, following a long and hard-fought battle with cancer. He was a much-loved and admired native son in his beloved Maine and will be greatly missed worldwide by all who were blessed to enjoy his artistry. If you've yet to discover his music, you are in for a rewarding adventure. 

Gunning & Cormier's Tales of Grit, Courage, and Hope

Gunning & Cormier
“Leather and Dust"
Gunning & Cormier (self-released)
2023

Pushing the limits of two voices, two guitars, and the many instruments played by each musician, Canadian troubadours Dave Gunning and John Paul "J.P." Cormier joined forces once again as Gunning & Cormier, releasing their second album as a duo, “Leather and Dust,” in 2023. The ten-song collection offers a well-balanced mix of original songs and familiar covers. 

The opening tracks, "Sing Now" and "Leather and Dust," are about finding strength and joy through song in hard times and celebrating the joys and pains of life’s journey with perseverance. "Try To Get Over It" seeks healing and common ground in a failing relationship, while the duo's cover of The Killers' "Human" celebrates our humanity through our imperfections. This is followed by "There Was A Time," which revisits Tom Pacheco's nostalgic reflection on days gone by.

"You'll Never Leave Harlan Alive" is a fine cover of Darrell Scott’s song about coal miners in Kentucky, with beautiful harmonies and compelling vocals that convey understanding and sincerity. 

The artists have said "Here’s To Nova Scotia” was inspired by a desire to write an uplifting song for Nova Scotia after the April 2020 shootings and fires. It’s a loving ode to the land and people of their homeland. 

The only flaw in this collection is the heavy-handed Gunning and Cormier-penned “Desperation,” which confronts tragedy, loss, and the choice to die in defeat or fight back. Though well-intentioned, this only burdens an otherwise solid set of songs. 

The project concludes with "Twice As Blue," a cover of Stompin' Tom Connors' ballad of lost love and a beautifully executed bluegrass rendition of the Alan Parsons Project's "Eye In The Sky."

Overall, this album delivers a strong collection of tales of grit, courage, and hope, with its greatest strength being the close two-part harmonies of Gunning and Cormier and a healthy dose of mandolin and banjo. 

Revisiting T Bone Burnett's Milestone in Americana Music from the 1980s

T Bone Burnett
“T Bone Burnett”
MCA/Dot
1986

By 1986, T Bone Burnett had achieved more in the music industry than most. In the mid-seventies, he was part of Bob Dylan’s traveling show, The Rolling Thunder Review. He had released three albums with the Alpha Band, three solo LPs, and two EPs. He held production credits for projects with Delbert McClinton, the BoDeans, Maria Muldaur, and Elvis Costello, and was just getting started. He was destined to become one of the industry's most sought-after producers in the years to come and would helm projects for B.B. King, Roy Orbison, The Wallflowers, Counting Crows, Brandi Carlile, and Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, to name just a few. However, in the mid-eighties, he was still working diligently to establish himself as a musician and performer in his own right.

Burnett has recorded blues, rockabilly, rock, new wave, and Americana. While loyal fans have embraced this eclectic ride, one wonders if it has negatively impacted his ability to attract a larger audience. His self-titled album, “T Bone Burnett,” is a memorable Americana collection recorded in just four days during the summer of 1986. Although worlds apart from his previous full-length rock outing, “Proof Through the Night,” it is a masterpiece in its class.

The album’s simple production, courtesy of David Miner, is open and inviting. There’s ample aural space to make you feel like you're in the room, soaking in each glorious sound. The uncluttered arrangements allow the listener to truly hear each instrument: every stellar note from Jerry Douglas's dobro and lap steel guitar, Byron Berline’s fiddle, Steve Duncan’s drums, David Hidalgo’s guitar, accordion, vocals, and 8-string bass, Jerry Scheff’s bass, and Billy Swan’s backing vocals are experienced with clarity and precision.

The album beautifully captures the rich melodic imagery of life’s joys and sorrows. Burnett’s vibrant cover of the 1951 breakthrough hit for Johnnie & Jack, “Poison Love,” soars with fiddle and dobro.

Hidalgo’s accordion breathes life into Bob Neuwirth's haunting, Poe-inspired "Annabel Lee," which is especially moving. Douglas’s steel guitar paired with Berline’s fiddle in the album’s heartfelt closer, “The Bird That I Held in My Hand,” is a sweet and touching love song that leaves a lasting impression.

The two least effective songs here are Burnett’s lyrically lazy “Oh No Darling” and a cover of Tom Waits’ “Time.” Neither seems to align well with standouts like “No Love at All,” “River of Love,” and "Annabel Lee." 

"I Remember” and “Little Daughter” are featured in vocal and instrumental versions, adding to the laid-back vibe of this outstanding album. Forty years later, I still appreciate this album, and with Burnett recording again, there’s hope for another minimalist project like this.

Kate Wolf's Music Still Resonates

Kate Wolf
“Poet’s Heart”
Kaleidoscope Records
1985

During her brief career, Kate Wolf released five studio albums and one double live album. “Poet’s Heart” was her final release during her lifetime. I was privileged to see Kate perform in the fall of 1985 at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco. Although her music was new to me, I was charmed by her solo performance in this historic venue. As she stood onstage with her guitar, all eyes and ears were entirely focused on the captivating presence of the gentle poet. I sensed that this was something special. She had a way of drawing one into the stories of the lives and places she sang about with sincerity that was mesmerizing and poignant.

In the days following the concert, I acquired her entire catalog and was thrilled to have discovered such a remarkable talent. Weeks later, the news of her battle with leukemia became public, and I was devastated. She passed from this life at the age of 44 on December 10, 1986, leaving behind a body of work that is to be treasured.

“Poet’s Hart” is an album of honesty and vulnerability, with a depth and precision that disarm with its understanding of the subtleties of our lives. “All He Ever Saw Was You” tells the story of a conflicted musician’s devotion to his craft and the woman he loved more than he could convey. “In China or a Woman's Heart (There are Places No One Knows)” she explores the deeper meaning of a keepsake and the innermost mysteries and secrets kept in the heart. In “Slender Thread’ she sings of the fragility of love: “Sometimes the strongest love hangs by such a slender thread.”

Kate Wolf was on the verge of breaking through to a larger audience, having appeared on Austin City Limits and A Prairie Home Companion just before the onset of her illness. The Kate Wolf Music Festival was founded in 1996 by Kate’s family and friends in collaboration with Cloud Moss and the event management company Cumulus Presents. It ran from 1996 to 2022. During its 25-year run, artists such as Taj Mahal, Emmylou Harris, John Hiatt, Dar Williams, Neko Case, and a breathtaking list of other notable musicians have performed at the event.

In 1998, Red House Records released “Treasures Left Behind... Remembering Kate Wolf,” a tribute album featuring some of her most beloved songs. Among the collection's highlights are Dave Alvin’s performance of “These Times We're Living In” and Kathy Mattea’s “Give Yourself to Love.” Nanci Griffith, Greg Brown, Ferron, Emmylou Harris, Nina Gerber, Terry Garthwaite, and others each honor the artist as they keep this special music alive.

A Timely Tribute to Woody Guthrie

Reg Meuross
“Fire & Dust: A Woody Guthrie Story”
Hatsongs Records
2025

“Fire & Dust: A Woody Guthrie Story” was conceived by The Who's Pete Townshend, who commissioned and produced the project. In 2019, he enlisted fellow musician Reg Meuross to bring his vision to life. Meuross combined his musicianship, research skills, keen historical insight, and strong sense of social justice to create a significant portrait of the folk icon and his music.Townshend’s vision is realized by a stellar band featuring Reg Meuross on guitar and lead vocals, Geraint Watkins on accordion and keyboards, Pete Townshend himself on bass guitar and keyboards on “Fire & Dust,” Phil Beer on mandolin, slide guitar, and fiddle on “The Gypsy Singer,” Marion Fleetwood on fiddle and additional strings on “The Gypsy Singer,” Roy Dodds on drums and percussion, Simon Edwards on bass guitar, Bethany Porter on cello and additional vocals on “Red Shoes,” and Katie Whitehouse on backing vocals.

Listening to these eloquently narrated tales of Woody Guthrie's life alongside the legend's originals reminds one that the America of the 1930s and 1940s wasn’t so different from our world today. This inevitably leads to the question: Can music bring about lasting change? The answer seems to be a cautious yes, with the caveat that society must remain vigilant, lest the lessons learned and the price paid by past generations be forgotten. Guthrie was an activist whose music and writing served as a voice for the working class in their fight for social justice. Today, the fight continues as our collective ideas of fairness and humanity evolve and devolve, influenced by shifting political perspectives.

All songs are written by Meuross, except for four Guthrie standards: "So Long It’s Been Good to Know Ya,” “This Land Is Your Land," “Ain’t Got No Home," and “Deportee,” which was co-written by Guthrie and Martin Hoffman.

The biographical title track, “Fire & Dust,” opens the album, recounting the trials of Dust Bowl migrants and the elements that upended their lives, leading many to poverty and despair. “Is this the same god in who you trust, the god of fire, the god of dust?” is asked as the foundations of any remaining faith was shaken to their core. “A Folk Song's A Song” serves as a concise mission statement for the vagabond troubadour, paraphrasing some of the poet’s own words in a simulated collaboration among Guthrie, Dylan, and Meuross.

“Mary’s Song” tells the story of Guthrie’s first marriage to Mary Jennings, as expressed from her perspective, regretfully recounting their ill-fated union. “I Sent For A Wife” humorously imagines Guthrie’s father, Charley, feeling discontent as he seeks a mail-order bride following the death of his wife, Nora Belle, only to discover there’s no truth in advertising; she turns out to be a seller of snake oil and a con artist.

The upbeat sing-along “So Long It’s Been Good to Know Ya” belies the seriousness of the dust storms descending on the Texas high plains, understanding that sometimes one has to laugh to push back the tears.

The unraveling of Guthrie’s marriage to Mary culminates in “Woody Come Home,” which captures the tug-of-war between the activist artist and his responsibilities to his wife and children. Though well aware of the impending day of his daughter's birth, he chose to play the cotton workers’ strike that day instead. While “Ain’t Got no Home” is about the plight of migrant workers, the same could be said of its writer, as this was the choice he’d made by distancing himself from his family.

“Fit for Work (Illegal Hands)” stands out among Meuross’ originals as it humanizes the ever-present immigration debate. The struggle for sustenance and a semblance of dignity has long plagued Mexican laborers, who are used and cast aside by a country that remains hostile to them. Paired with Guthrie’s “Deportees,” it illuminates the dehumanization that is all too familiar in U.S. relations with those on whom we depend.

“Red Shoes” takes us inside the fateful 1948 Los Gatos Canyon plane crash, which killed 28 migrant workers being deported, three crew members, and an immigration guard. This is the same flight that inspired “Deportees.”

“This Land is Your Land” was Guthrie’s response to Irving Berlin’s song “God Bless America.” Feeling that it wasn’t representative of the real America in which he lived, he set out to write something better. Thus, one of the United States' most beloved folk songs was born out of a desire to tell the truth while extoling the scenic glories of his homeland.

“Woody Guthrie’s Chains” relates to Guthrie being confronted by a listener who objected to his use of an offensive racial word while discussing the blues. Awakened to his ignorance and the crass insensitivity he had displayed, he vowed never to use the word again.

Woody Guthrie faced significant heartache and grief in his life, and like any dedicated journalist, Meuross confronts these realities. In 1945, Guthrie married Marjorie Greenblatt. They lost Cathy, one of their four children, in a tragic fire. Losing Stackabones, his nickname for her, plunged him into a drunken spiral. He returned to the road even as Huntington's disease began to take its toll on his health. “Stackabones and Runaway Boy” covers this passage in his life.

“I Ain’t Dead” is an up-tempo declaration of endurance and reflects a man holding on even as he knows his illness is pulling him away. “Riding to Jerusalem” asks questions that only one’s soul can answer. Guthrie was a walking contradiction like the musical legends that would follow him, such as Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash. While he lived to effect change and give voice to the unheard, he also desired a home, family, and a sanctuary to retreat into when he felt the need. He made his choices much to our benefit, if not his own.

The album concludes with “The Gypsy Singer” channeling Guthrie as the troubadour imparts the great commission to carry on his mission through song. In this regard, Reg Meuross has admirably risen to the challenge.

Perhaps the Dylan biopic “A Complete Unknown," which sparked interest in Guthrie and “Fire & Dust: A Woody Guthrie Story," will further his enduring legacy and ignite interest among a new generation. We live on as long as we are remembered and our songs are sung. Long live Woody Guthrie and his legacy.