2. Gypsy Rose

3. Laughlin Boy

4. Hard to Make It

5. Hey Ho

6. Mother I Climbed

7. Preston Miller

8. Winter When He Goes

9. Phantom Doll

10. Any Way I Do

About Tracy: “Tracy Grammer is a brilliant artist and unique individual. Her voice is distinctive, as is her mastery over the instruments she plays.” - Joan Baez

"[Dave Carter & Tracy Grammer have] become a treasured part of my music collection... Flower of Avalon presents more songs by Dave Carter, with Tracy at the helm as artist, interpreter, co-producer and the beating heart at the center of it all. Her pure voice conveys the simple truths of these songs; her gifts as a musician are like that of a painter who is a master of chiaroscuro, offering light and shadow at every turn.... I was honored and humbled by the invitation to sing on this record." - Mary Chapin Carpenter "Tracy Grammer has that elusive quality of being able to speak directly to another person's heart - instantly bypassing all of the usual infrastructure - the moment she starts singing. She's great." - Richard Shindell

"A gracefully gifted multi-instrumentalist, singer and producer." - Pasadena Weekly

“One of the finest pure musicians anywhere in folkdom.” - The Boston Globe

“Armed with a few of the sassier members of the string family, and a voice as nuanced and strong as you could hope for, Grammer delivers ... with a supernatural force that funnels straight through your ear to the deep, deep center of your heart.” - The Missoula Independent

“Tracy has one of the most beautiful voices I've ever heard in my life. There's also a sadness and sorrow and pain and depth of knowledge to Tracy's playing. I really think there's nobody like her in the world.” - Dave Carter, quoted in Dirty Linen, 2002

Flower of Avalon is a 2005 album by American folk singer Tracy Grammer. This was her first full solo album following the death of Dave Carter in 2002. The recording offered Grammer's take on nine previously unrecorded songs written by Carter and one traditional tune. The album was very well received in reviews and was the most played album in 2005 on the Folk Radio Airplay Chart. according to playlists submitted to FolkDJ-L

References

Artist/Band Information

Tracy Grammer is an American folk singer known for her work as half of the folk duo Dave Carter and Tracy Grammer and for the solo career that she has continued since Carter's death.http She released three albums with Dave Carter during his lifetime, at first doing instrumental work and providing backing vocals, and then, by their last album together, singing lead vocals on half of the tracks. Two albums by the duo have been released following Carter's death. She has also released three solo recordings, some of which have included previously unreleased songs by Carter.

Biography

Born in Homestead, Florida, Grammer was raised in Southern California and began her musical journey on a borrowed violin at the age of 9. She came from a musical family. Her father, Jim Grammer, played acoustic, electric, and lap steel guitars. Distant relation Leo Fortin played violin and was best known for playing double-trumpets in Lawrence Welk's orchestra. She earned a degree in English from the University of California, Berkeley.

Following Dave Carter's death in 2002, Tracy Grammer made the decision to play solo at several of the dates that they had scheduled, most notably an engagement at the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival. Taking into account Carter's expressed wish that eventually she would sing all of the songs, she continued playing Carter's music. She has continued to tour solo, and has released three solo albums. The first, The Verdant Mile, is an EP containing her first original composition, the title track, a eulogy for Carter.

Her second solo release, Flower of Avalon, consists of ten tracks, nine of which were written by Carter before his death, and one of which is a traditional folk song arranged by William Jolliff. The album was co-produced by Grammer and John Jennings. Featured artists include Mary Chapin Carpenter, who provided many backing vocals, and Jim Henry, Grammer's touring partner and Signature Sounds label mate.

Her third album, Book of Sparrows, was released in November, 2007 and is a seven-song EP featuring covers of songs by Tom Russell, Kate Power, David Francey, Dave Carter, and Paul Simon. The EP was co-produced by Grammer and Jim Henry.

In 2005, her company, Tracy Grammer Music, made arrangements with Elise Fischer, Carter's sister and copyright owner, to administer the catalog of Dave Carter, giving her effective control over the duo's music.

Discography

Solo recordings

Dave Carter & Tracy Grammer

References