Photos: Anne Spooner
LOOK ! Up on that stage, it’s a talkin’ book, it’s a singin’ book, it’s a freakin’ Broadway musical, worthy of the Big Apple’s Great White Way. The Life I Picked, John McEuen’s newly-published book, came to life in front of a packed and high-voltage crowd at the historic Franklin Theatre.
Combining, music, mirth, memories, and mixed media, “Merlin McEuen” played ringmaster, encircling himself with a group of very musical friends who provided more than a little help. Anchoring the String Wizards on dawghouse bass was Les Thompson, an original member of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band (NGDB) who has been playing music with John for 390.5 dog years—well before NGDB got together in 1966. John Cable, on guitar and mando, toured Russia with NGDB in ’77, with newcomer Matt Cartsonis on guitar and mandola—he has only been playing with McEuen for a quarter of a century. Early into the show their vocal harmony hit the lofty roof of the Depression-era movie palace; the music soared, as they painted rainbows all over “Some of Shelly’s Blues” and I got the first big lump in my throat.
McEuen introduced us to singer Kristi Hoopes, who reprised Mother Maybelle Carter’s “Keep On The Sunny Side.” Mother Maybelle was one of the many real-deal legends (along with Merle Travis, Earl Scruggs, Doc Watson, Roy Acuff, etc.) who participated in the 1971 NGDB landmark triple album, Will The Circle Be Unbroken. McEuen’s wife Marilyn joined the circle with Hoopes, and when Matt Cartsonis belted out that big killer verse, he brought the whole audience right to the graveside, joyfully singing along. It was uplifting.
McEuen deeply involves his audience throughout the well-paced two-hour show. They loved it and showed it, with several standing ovations and two encores. You cannot help but get drawn in, with all the interactive music and dialogues between the players and images of their younger versions projected across the big screen behind them. Not just the Circle’s legends were featured in the footage, but also the sidemen like Norman Blake, Vassar Clements and Jr. Huskey, whose contributions to that recording were given their due. For me a whole lot of show-stopping occurred in the fantastic footage from the Woodland Sound Studio, where the Circle album was recorded and where I felt the ghosts of the Circle when I recorded there myself. In Franklin, on the outskirts of Music City, it’s a safe bet that others in the crowd had similar memories.
McEuen, who has been a sideman, soloist, and star for 55 years, knows the value of sharing the spotlight. He does it in his archival footage and with those who were in the Franklin footlights that night with him. John Cable sang his beautiful “Wild Ride,” which would be at minimum a “Top 13” record like McEuen told us Mr. BoJangles once was, if we still had the sorely missed radio daze. Les Thompson laid his dawghouse down for a bit of frenzied boogie dancing that drove the crowd wild. It brought to mind a great night, decades ago at a bluegrass festival with the Dillards (who were McEuen’s main inspiration to play a banjo ) where I watched an audience member buck dance around a campfire. Not content to just rest on his laurels, McEuen shared some of his newest CD, Made In Brooklyn, in both film and performance. Brooklyn has another cast of veterans like Steve Martin, the Davids—Bromberg and Amram—along with newer kids from the range and Brooklyn brownstones.
As “Troupe McEuen” exited the stage, I took a special image with me: the look on McEuen’s face as he performed throughout a magical evening. In that look you see and feel he has picked his life wisely, and continues to do so. If he comes your way, catch him if you can. He’ll do ya good.
—Ken Spooner
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