5c306e646722bac9e4e12c93dd3317d4
Tracy Grammer rose to acclaim as half of the "postmodern, mythic acoustic" duo, Dave Carter & Tracy Grammer. From 1998 to 2002, the duo released three internationally celebrated albums featuring Carter's award-winning Americana song craft; became the #1 most-played artists on Folk Radio three years running; and toured with Joan Baez, both as featured artists and band members. Sadly, Carter died of a heart attack in 2002 while touring with Grammer. He was 49.
Determined to honor the journey the duo had begun, Grammer has kept to the road and continues to tour nationally, releasing solo recordings as well as Dave Carter & Tracy Grammer material.
Grammer's most recent EP release is Book of Sparrows (2007). Featuring songs by Tom Russell, David Francey, Jackson Browne, Dave Carter and Kate Power, the under-the-radar indie release has enjoyed consistent worldwide airplay and positive press. The Montreal Gazette calls Grammer, "one of the finest interpretive artists on the contemporary folk scene" and Tom Russell seems to concur, saying that Grammer's version of his song, "Blue Wing," is his favorite. Long-time collaborator Jim Henry is Grammer's co-producer on this recording and contributes beautiful dobro, electric guitar, and harmony parts.
Grammer's most recent full-length CD is the lush and powerful Flower of Avalon (Signature Sounds 2005). Multi-tasking masterfully as co-producer (with John Jennings), singer, and multi-instrumentalist, Grammer dug deep into Carter's back catalog to carry forward the very best of his unrecorded material. Mary Chapin Carpenter sings harmony and penned the liner notes for the record. Carpenter writes, "Tracy's continuing quest to make sure that the world remembers Dave Carter marks a new beginning of artistry for her. We are lucky that she is so brave, generous and gifted." FOA showed up on "Best of" lists around the country, and was the number-one most-played album on folk radio for 2005 -- a testament to Grammer's strength as a solo artist, and to the enduring appeal of Carter's songwriting.
Grammer's first solo release, The Verdant Mile (2004), is an independently-produced, seven-song EP featuring Grammer with Jim Henry in an acoustic, stripped-down setting. VM was the most played album on folk radio in December 2004 and garnered Grammer heaping praise from reviewers and fans who were waiting to see what she would do next.
In addition to three solo recordings, Grammer has released two recordings from the Dave Carter & Tracy Grammer archives since Carter's death. Seven Is The Number (2006) is the last official full-length Dave & Tracy recording. Unfinished at the time of Carter's death, SITN features songs from Carter's out-of-print solo release, plus two new songs heard here for the first time. American Noel, an 8-song collection of traditional and original holiday songs, was released by Signature Sounds in 2008.
Tracy Grammer tours solo most of the time and has become as renowned for her captivating, hilarious stories as she is for her smooth vocals and guitar work. She is occasionally joined in New England by multi-instrumentalist Jim Henry (Mary Chapin Carpenter, Deb Talan, Mark Erelli, The Burns Sisters, Meg Hutchinson) on electric and acoustic guitar, mandolin, and dobro. She is also a member of 4 Toads In A Basket, an eclectic acoustic/electric band featuring fellow Pioneer Valley musicians Jim Henry, Ben Demerath (Northern Lights), and David Chalfant (The Nields, Erin McKeown).
See www.tracygrammer.com for dates and information. And do visit Tracy on Facebook.
