On the walls of any local used music shop there hangs a gallery of mysteries. Picked up and handed down across the decades, each instrument contains the imprints and stories of those who have played it before, most of which remain untold. For Kansas City-based songwriter Kelly Hunt the most intriguing of these stories is the origin of her anonymous calfskin tenor banjo. “I really wasn’t looking for it,” she says, “but I opened up the case and it said ‘This banjo was played by a man named Ira Tamm in his dog and pony show from 1920 to 1935.’ I strummed it and said ‘This is unlike anything I’ve ever heard.’ People often think of the banjo as being rather brash and tinny – loud and kind of grating – but this was so warm and mellow, with an almost harp-like quality to it, very soulful” – apt words for the Memphis native’s debut album, Even The Sparrow, coming out May 17 on Rare Bird Records.
The daughter of an opera singer and a saxophonist, Kelly Hunt was raised in Memphis, TN, and grew up performing other people’s works through piano lessons, singing in choirs, and performing theater. During her teenage years, influenced by musical inspirations as diverse as Norah Jones, Rachmaninov, and John Denver, she began writing her own songs on the piano as a creative outlet. After being introduced to the banjo in college while studying French and visual arts, Hunt began to develop her own improvised style of playing, combining old-time picking styles with the percussive origins of the instrument. After college, Hunt followed a rambling path that took her through careers in acting, graphic design, traditional French breadmaking, and medicine, all the while making music as a private endeavor.
After moving to Kansas City and discovering her mysterious Depression-era tenor banjo, Hunt began recording Even The Sparrow in Kansas City alongside collaborator Stas’ Heaney and engineer Kelly Werts. Having finally come to light, the album displays Hunt’s penchant for masterful storytelling and intriguing arrangement, as researched and complex as they are memorable, punctuated by her articulate melodies and a well-enunciated and creative command of lyrical delivery infused with deft emotional communication. While reminiscent of modern traditionalists such as Gillian Welch – a number of her songs even borrow titles and phrasing from traditional American music (“Back to Dixie,” “Gloryland”) – Even The Sparrow reveals an ineffable quality that hovers beyond the constraints of genre, à la Anais Mitchell and Patty Griffin.
Today Glide is excited to premiere “Nothin’ On My Mind”, one of the most vivid tracks on Hunt’s new album. Beginning with her subtly complex banjo playing, the song puts Hunt’s soft and soulful vocals on full display as they convey a sense of wisdom and natural beauty. Hunt writes her lyrics from an easygoing perspective. Her sparse banjo arrangement allows her lyrics and vocals to shine, making for a compelling piece of folk music.
Hunt shares her own story about the inspiration behind the song:
“I wrote this song at my kitchen counter on a rainy Tuesday morning. I had sung the old country song ‘Abilene’ the night prior at a show, and it was circling in my head when I fell asleep that night. When I woke up the next morning, this song was waiting for me.”
LISTEN:
For more music and info visit kellyhuntmusic.com.
Photo credit: Lori Locke
