Though he isn’t here to blow out the candles, Doc Watson‘s 100th birthday is still cause for celebration. In honor of the legendary flatpicking guitarist’s birthday on March 3rd, an award-winning roster of musicians will release I Am A Pilgrim: Doc Watson at 100.
The tribute album, due out on April 28th via FLi Records/Budde Music, features an array of artists from across the musical spectrum, from country and bluegrass to rock and blues. Dolly Parton, Rosanne Cash, Steve Earle, Jerry Douglas, Valerie June, Bill Frisell, Nora Brown, and more all contributed to the 15-track collection.
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Parton’s “The Last Thing on My Mind” provides the album’s first preview. The newly dubbed Rock & Roll Hall of Famer holds the unique title of being one of the few artists featured on I Am A Pilgrim that actually worked with Doc. Dolly released her version of “The Last Thing on My Mind” in 1967 with Porter Wagoner, keeping the song in her live repertoire throughout her career. In 2001, the tribute came full circle as Parton and Watson performed the song together at MerleFest.
“Doc Watson is everyone’s hero and a great guitar player,” Parton said. “Some say he is the absolute best, and I was honored to get to work with him a few times in my career.”
The diverse lineup of artists found on I Am A Pilgrim speaks to Watson’s outsized influence on guitar playing. Yasmin Williams puts her finger-tapping style on Watson’s original “Doc’s Guitar” while Ariel Posen dons a slide for “Will The Circle Be Unbroken” and Lionel Louke utilizes harmonics for “Reuben’s Train”.
Beyond his monolithic guitar skills, Watson served as a pillar in the folk resurgence of the 1960s. The renewed appreciation of roots and mountain music seeped into the enveloping culture, which included country singer-songwriter Steve Earle, who performs the album’s title track. Rosanne Cash takes on another traditional favored by Watson, “Make Me A Pallot”, with Bill Frisell’s rendition of “Your Lone Journey” closing out the album. The latter cover was also chosen by Robert Plant and Alison Krauss for their 2008 collaboration, Raising Sand.
Check out Dolly Parton’s renewed take on “The Last Thing on My Mind” from I Am A Pilgrim: Doc Watson at 100 available here for pre-order.
Dolly Parton – “The Last Thing on My Mind” (Doc Watson)
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