The seeds of Music Maker Relief Foundation were planted while Tim Duffy was studying folklore at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. He was introduced to two things there that set the course for the eventual founding of the organization:
1) a vibrant community of traditional blues musicians, and 2) preservationist traditions focused on documenting and archiving rather than taking care of the artists themselves, the actual bearers of tradition.
The organization has since helped many traditional, southern musicians who live in poverty, bringing their music to fans around the world. Next year Music Maker will have its 25th anniversary, and celebrations are already in order. Recently, some European musicians decided to show their appreciate of Music Maker when they took MMRF master tapes of bluesmen and remixed them with some new recordings. The result is being release as the Grotto Sessions, and today we are excited to offer an exclusive early listen of the album right here on Glide. Together these musicians have created a fascinating tribute that feels like a postmodern meditation on the legacy of American blues. There is a freshness to their approach that presents this timeless blues music in an exciting new light.
Simon Arcache, who played guitar on the album, offers his own reflection on the project:
“Throughout this project we wanted to stay as faithful as possible to the Music Maker spirit by bringing these artists voices to light in a very respectful and natural way. The idea was to compose the music that would make give these songs a new life. That’s how we consider Blues music, that is how people like Captain Luke, Ironing Board Sam or Dr. Burt taught us what was the blues: a beautiful tribute to the human heart.”
Tim Duffy, Founder of Music Maker Relief Foundation, shares his own thoughts, saying, “This album explores the Music Maker catalog in a very new and exciting way.”
LISTEN:
