A foundational participant in the '70s Bay Area bluegrass scene, Laurie Lewis knows the power of collaboration. She's been a part of an ensemble in recent years that's called "Laurie Lewis & the Right Hands" with Laurie on fiddle, guitar, and vocals, Brandon Godman on fiddle, George Guthrie on banjo, and Hasee Ciaccio on bass. That group plays a huge part in her new album, 'Oh California!,' a collection of songs that explore our own places in the natural world and in each other’s hearts. It also serves as a love letter to her h...
A foundational participant in the '70s Bay Area bluegrass scene, Laurie Lewis knows the power of collaboration. She's been a part of an ensemble in recent years that's called "Laurie Lewis & the Right Hands" with Laurie on fiddle, guitar, and vocals, Brandon Godman on fiddle, George Guthrie on banjo, and Hasee Ciaccio on bass. That group plays a huge part in her new album, 'Oh California!,' a collection of songs that explore our own places in the natural world and in each other’s hearts. It also serves as a love letter to her home state. One standout track, the traditional "Fair and Tender Ladies," is a duet with Ciaccio, which brings the song's cautionary tale to life. In our Basic Folk conversation, Laurie talks about what it's been like to learn traditional songs before actually catching their meaning, long after figuring out the tune.
Lewis emphasizes the communal and collaborative nature that defines her musicianship. She recounts her early exposure to music played socially when her father and his friends gathered at their home to play classical music when she was young. She credits that experience with solidifying her decision to learn to play, so she could have as much fun as they did. Laurie also opens up about her path to finding independence from her father's expectations and her eventual return to music through modern dance and folk tradition. She touches on her passion for nature, recounting transformative hiking experiences, and reveals her thoughts on collaboration and mentorship within the music community.
Additionally, Lewis reflects on the profound impact of losing her voice in 2021 and the emotional journey of rediscovering her musical identity. We wrap up our conversation talking about her friend Alice Gerrard, whom she covers on the new album. After we hung up, Laurie emailed me an addendum about Alice that I wanted to share: "I forgot to say, when you asked me about Alice Gerrard, that I also greatly admire her community involvement in the music she loves, as evidenced by her starting and running the 'Old Time Herald' for so many years. She’s a remarkable person. Plus, she trained her dog to fetch a beer out of the fridge for her and then put the empty can in the recycling!" Incredible.
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