Review Text
Guitarist Norman Blake is one of the great unsung heroes of 20th century folk music. With nine GRAMMY nominations and several dozen albums under his own name and with his wife Nancy Blake, his long and storied career includes stints with Johnny Cash and Kris Kristofferson, features on Bob Dylan's Nashville Skyline, and performances on the seminal O Brother, Where Art Thou soundtrack. Day by Day, a collection of single-take recordings captured in one session, is his first album with Smithsonian Folkways. This collection of originals and traditional tunes, performed on guitar and 5-string banjo, shows Blake reaching back to the roots of country and old-time music, including many songs and ballads that have roots in the 1800s. It is a rich poignant send-off to one of folk music's most enduring voices.
