Jeanie Stanley - Baby Girl

(A Tribute To My Father Carter Stanley)

(CMH CD 8969) 2005

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Carter's youngest daughter, Jeanie^[1] was undoubtedly the driving force behind this album, but it is more of a family affair with the Clinch Mountain Boys providing backing, and lead vocal duties being shared between Jeanie, Ralph and Ralph II.

From the liner notes, it looks like the album was recorded in the first half of 2004, and released the following year. The majority of tracks are classic Carter songs, with two 'unfinished' pieces consisting of his lyrics set to music by Joe Isaacs: Two Sides To A Story with Jeanie on lead; and Jesus Is Precious, which Ralph performs solo a cappella. On the final track, Jeanie also does a duet her father singing along to a 1961 live Stanley Brothers recording.^[2]

Ralph II sings lead on four tracks: Baby Girl, White Dove, The Angels Are Singing In Heaven Tonight and Lonesome River... which is nice, as on Ralph's studio albums in this period (1996 - 2005), I think Ralph II only got to sing lead on about eight tracks.

Todd Meade, only had a relatively short tenure in the band... so this album is nice to have on that score too.

The CD comes with a 16-page booklet, with many rare photo's of Carter^[3], and notes by Jeanie and Gary B. Reid.

Jeannie Stanley also had a band in the early '90s, but I don't think they recorded anything?

• Jeanie Stanley: vocal
• Ralph Stanley: vocal
• Jack Cooke: bass
• Joe Isaacs: harmony vocal
• Todd Meade: fiddle
• John Rigsby: mandolin
• James Alan Shelton: lead guitar
• Steve Sparkman: banjo
• Ralph II Stanley: guitar, vocals
• Stacy York: harmony vocal

Other artwork / related images:

[1] Jeanie was born Norma Jean Carter, after her mother's sister Norma Jean Kiser, who was married to Roy Sykes (leader of Roy Sykes and The Blue Ridge Mountain Boys, the outfit which Carter and Ralph played in at the end of 1946). See David W. Johnson's book 'Lonesome Melodies' (p. 73 & 102).
[2] Dream Of A Miner's Child from the University Of Chicago Folk Festival 1961. The original version appears on the 2xCD Folk Festival set.
[3] The CD Tray, and the booklet picture with Bill Monroe were taken by Ann Streeter, 4th July 1961, Luray Va. The Monroe line-up L-R: Bessie Lee Mauldin, Bill Monroe, Billy Baker (hidden), Carter Stanley, Bobby Smith and Tony Ellis. This was of course from the Bill Clifton one-day bluegrass festival, where Carter and Bill Monroe spoke on stage about Flatt & Scruggs. You can hear Bill Monroe's set (with Carter) here: http://frobbi.org/audio/ivor/Bill_Monroe_1961/index.html