Kathleen Pardue
At 10:32 PM 6/4/04, you wrote:
Playing with the Nashville Bluegrass Band, he did a little banjo picking of his own on "Girl From the Greenbriar Shore," but it was a truly frightening rendition of "O Death" that held the crowd spellbound. His voice cut through the clear night air; severe, despairing, beautiful and immortal all at once.
-- Joe Heim � 2004 The Washington Post Company
He played claw & hammer style here in Michigan during Pretty Polly.
However, what I disagree with in Mr.Heim's column is the adjectives
"truly frightening" used in conjunction with "O Death". What was described as Ralph's voice
during the song is true, but the *way* he did it was Beautiful. Absolutely Beautiful.
He took the spotlight off of himself and the musicians and he *Made us "Feel".
We listened deeply beyond the music and I saw beyond the blue silloutte of a Mountain Man.
I closed my eyes and I could see my Gramma' and smell honeysuckle, right inside Fox Theater.
That's not frightening, that is Beautiful.
R.S.
