out & about by Martha Bassett
Photo credit: Irene Young
Hello good people. I’d like to tell you about some good music that’s coming up. But first, a little background about what I aim for when programing the Martha Bassett Show. In 2018 we partnered with the Reeves Theater in Elkin to create a show that presents equal numbers of women to men on our roster. As a touring artist, I’ve noticed that most music venues and festivals primarily present men with a few female artists sprinkled in. But little by little this is changing, and that’s because of pioneering women like my upcoming guest. On Sept 1, 2022, I’m immensely proud to present the great singer, songwriter, guitarist, banjoist, and fiddler Alice Gerrard on our show. If you’ve been a lover of old time or bluegrass music, chances are you already know the contributions she’s made in musical community building, preservation of our regional folk music, and in her own performing and songwriting. In the 1950s, Alice became steeped in the strong bluegrass and old time scene of Washington, D.C., where men from all over the south were moving to find work, bringing their music with them. It was there that Alice met West Virginia singer and songwriter Hazel Dickens, and together they laid the groundwork for future generations of women to find a home in the world of traditional music. This was not the polished music of the New York folk revival of the 1960s but favored the authentic sounds of Appalachia. Hazel and Alice sang about the struggles of women, of workers, of the common folk. I am from a small town in central West Virginia, about a half hour from where Hazel Dickens grew up. Every man in my family was a coal miner. I saw extreme poverty in some of my neighbors and I certainly saw the struggles of women. Some of the prominent musicians in the region were my uncles, the Shaffer Family. I always loved the banjo but didn’t consider it as an option for me because I never saw a woman play and I had no mentor. Now the bluegrass landscape is littered with talented female instrumentalists, partly due to the influence of Hazel and Alice. Alice went on to found “The Old-Time Herald,” a magazine celebrating old time music and dance, and she was editor in chief from 1987 to 2000. In 2015, her album, Follow the Music, was nominated for a Grammy. In 2017, she was inducted into the Bluegrass Hall of Fame. During the ceremony, the stage was filled with younger female bluegrass artists paying tribute to Alice Gerrard. If you really want 16 • SURRY LIVING August 2022 Issue
to gain a full appreciation of her life to date, watch the documentary, You Gave Me a Song: The Life and Music of Alice Gerrard. At a time in history when it feels like we’re going backwards in the rights of women to have basic freedom and autonomy, I take heart in our matriarchs. Progress is slow. There is power and healing in music. It’s an act of revolution. Women like Alice Gerrard are role models. Sisters! Let’s make some music!
