Local folk musician Nicholas Edward Williams unveils his sophomore release Folk Songs For Old Times’ Sake, encompassing 14-tracks of rearranged traditional folk ballads, early country, piedmont blues, old-time and ragtime.
Willing a myriad of musical ghosts from the past, Williams breathes fresh life into dusty songs passed down long ago in the oral tradition, tilled from the earth and sang for multiple generations before recordings were made. Folk Songs For Old Times’ Sake connects with this deep-seated history while intriguing casual listeners and contemporary Americana lovers.
Folk Songs For Old Times’ Sake is drenched in equal parts entertainment and preservation, anchored by an authenticity that may leave less-informed listeners with the impression that the songs are of Williams’ creation. Recorded atop Lookout Mountain at Williams’ home studio in Rising Fawn, GA, home of pioneering guitarist Norman Blake, the album’s bare yet adequate instrumentation gives the songs new vitality and real estate in the modern world, showcasing the longevity of their melodies.
Kicking off the record is a velvety and punchy ragtime rendition of Elizabeth Cotten’s “Shake Sugaree", where Williams lays a foundation of infectious Piedmont blues picking, ragtime banjo and ethereal vocals, highlighted by a surprisingly befitting clarinet from Gordon Inman, and jug-like bass guitar by Cody Ray, nodding at articulations heard on Paul Simon’s Graceland.
The energy quickly shifts towards old-time with William’s agreeable take on the traditional “East Virginia Blues'', accompanied by upright bass and fiddle. A mixture of influences from The Carter Family and The Stanley Brothers leaves no doubt on this number, recorded around one microphone with gleeful and soaring three part harmonies by bassist Jade Watts and fiddler Emma Dubose. The same texture and format are found in performances of the 17th century Scottish ballad “Peggy O” as well as The Carter Family’s “Thinking Tonight of My Blue Eyes”, with bows to Gene Autry’s 1942 version.
Additionally, Williams showcases artful banjo playing with self-accompanied guitar and harmonica on a front-porch-take of “Wish I Was A Mole”, originally recorded in 1928 by North Carolina banjoist Bascom Lamar Lunsford and later added to the holy grail of roots music in Harry Smith’s Anthology of American Folk Music.
Despite the innumerable iterations of these songs, Williams’ solo arrangements distinctly fall in a class of their own, such as his interpretations of the 19th century blues ballad “Railroad Bill”, the traditional prison work song “Midnight Special” and Mississippi John Hurt’s “Pay Day."
Williams also adds an emotive and spooky minor key version of the 16th century British Isles traditional “Barbry Allen'', a style sung in Kentucky’s Madison County over a century ago. Calling on similar support of clarinet, Williams divulges fresh and spirited takes on the versatile traditional “Saint James Infirmary'', the energetic African American folk song “Goin’ Down This Road Feelin’ Bad” and Jimmie Rodgers’ classic riverboat tune “Mississippi River Blues."
For 12 years, prior to becoming a preservationist and host of the music history podcast American Songcatcher, Williams was a Folk/Americana songwriter who performed under the moniker “Whetherman.” Living on the road for over seven years, Nicholas independently released eight albums and toured nearly 200 dates a year.
That unsustainable pace caught up with him in 2017, leading to half a year’s tour being cancelled and a move to Central America for seven months. He recalibrated, and upon his farewell tour for the Whetherman project, Williams met his mentor Joan Crane, a student of Andy Cohen, who learned first hand from the iconic guitarist Reverend Gary Davis. Joan’s sole mission was to “play it forward”, a flame-keeper mentality that she bestowed to Williams.
“Thanks to Joan, I've become a student again," Williams explains. "I’m fascinated with tracing American music back to its immigrant roots, and how that history has woven the fabric of American music. This new record is a culmination of what Joan taught me, it's the first of many installments to come honoring the legacy of American roots music."