Liner notes for Hanging Tree Guitars released
Freeman Vines made his first guitars because he was searching for a sound. Assembly line Fenders and Gibsons were too conventional to give voice to the music he imagined. He has worked with all kinds of materials: the steps of an old tobacco barn, the soundboard of a dissembled Steinway piano, wood from a hanging tree. In every case, he carves away until he reveals an essence inherent in the material itself.
In this way, Vines’ work continues creative traditions that stretch back to the early days of colonial slavery. Stolen from their homes, Africans found themselves strangers in a strange land having to refashion their culture with whatever materials came their way. They took the religion foisted upon them by their enslavers and musically carved it down to its spiritual
essence, creating a body of songs that spoke their truth; what pioneering social scientist W.E.B. DuBois called, “the most beautiful expression of human experience born this side the seas.” This beauty, however, was born of “death and suffering and unvoiced longing toward a truer
world, of misty wanderings and hidden ways.”
So many musical traditions created by African Americans—the blues, rock-n-roll, and hip-hop, for example—are arts of stripping away, removing what is unnecessary in order to get down the essences, the places where opposites coexist: dark and light; earth and heaven; life and death. These musical forms are the artistic brethren of Freeman Vines’ work.
–Dr Will Boone, Lecturer of Music, NC State University
1/SLAVERY TIME BLUES/ Rufus McKenzie/ 3:06
(R. McKenzie, Lucky Guitar, ASCAP)
Rufus McKenzie; harmonica, vocals.
2/TURNING POINT/ James Davis/ 3:43
(J. Davis, Lucky Guitar, ASCAP)
James Davis; guitar. Gilbert Henderson; drums.
3 /HARD LUCK & TROUBLE/ Bishop Dready Manning/ 2:34
(D. Manning, Lucky Guitar, ASCAP)
Dready Manning; guitar, vocals. Marie Manning; vocals.
4 /SOUTHLAND BLUES /Guitar Gabriel/ 5:06
(R.L. Jones, Lucky Guitar, ASCAP)
Guitar Gabriel; guitar, vocal. Timothy Duffy;guitar. Michael Parrish; piano.
5 /BLACK MAN'S DREAM/ Adolphus Bell/ 4:05
(A. Bell, Lucky Guitar, ASCAP)
Adolphus Bell; vocals, guitar, harmonica, drums.
6/ JOHN HENRY/ John Lee Zeigler/ 6:13
(trad. Arr. by J. L. Zeigler, Lucky Guitar, ASCAP)
John Lee Zeigler; guitar, vocals.
7 /CLOCK ON THE WALL/ Dr. G B Burt/ 2:42
(J. Ace, Copyright Control)
Grover Burt; guitar, vocals.
8 /GET READY /The Glorifying Vines Sisters/ 4:05
(M. Vines, Copyright Control)
Maddie Vines; vocal
9 /VICTORY/ Faith & Harmony/ 2:02
(B. Waters, Crystal Aire Music, BMI)
KeAmber Daniels; vocals. Christy Moody; vocals. Alexandria Sugg; vocals. Kadesha Daniels;
vocals. Andrea Edwards; vocals. Tinesha Weaver; vocals. Jahim Daniels; drums.
10 /GLORY, GLORY/ Elder Anderson Johnson/ 3:36
(trad. Arr. By Anderson Johnson, Lucky Guitar, ASCAP)
Anderson Johnson; guitar, vocals.
11 /SOMEWHERE TO LAY MY HEAD/ Johnny Ray Daniels/ 3:35
(J. Cheeks, Songs of Universal, BMI)
Johnny Ray Daniels; vocals, guitar. Dorothy Vines; vocals. Jayonica Daniels; backing vocals.
KeAmber Daniels; backing vocals. Anthony Daniels; vocals. J-rock Blow; keyboards. Antwan
Daniels; organ. Jahim Daniels; drums.
12 /AMAZING GRACE /Guitar Slim Stephens / 3:50
(public domain)
Guitar Slim Stephens; guitar, vocals.
1/SLAVERY TIME BLUES/ Rufus McKenzie/ 3:06 (R. McKenzie, Lucky Guitar, ASCAP) Rufus McKenzie; harmonica, vocals.
2/TURNING POINT/ James Davis/ 3:43 (J. Davis, Lucky Guitar, ASCAP) James Davis; guitar. Gilbert Henderson; drums.
3 /HARD LUCK & TROUBLE/ Bishop Dready Manning/ 2:34 (D. Manning, Lucky Guitar, ASCAP) Dready Manning; guitar, vocals. Marie Manning; vocals.
4 /SOUTHLAND BLUES /Guitar Gabriel/
5:06 (R.L. Jones, Lucky Guitar, ASCAP) Guitar Gabriel; guitar, vocal. Timothy Duffy;guitar. Michael Parrish; piano.
5 /BLACK MAN'S DREAM/ Adolphus Bell/ 4:05 (A. Bell, Lucky
Guitar, ASCAP) Adolphus Bell; vocals, guitar, harmonica, drums.
6/ JOHN HENRY/ John Lee
Zeigler/ 6:13 (trad. Arr. by J. L. Zeigler, Lucky Guitar, ASCAP) John Lee Zeigler; guitar, vocals.
7 /CLOCK ON THE WALL/ Dr. G B Burt/ 2:42 (J. Ace, Copyright Control) Grover Burt; guitar, vocals.
8 /GET READY /The Glorifying Vines Sisters/ 4:05 (M. Vines, Copyright
Control) Maddie Vines; vocal
9 /VICTORY/ Faith & Harmony/ 2:02 (B. Waters, Crystal Aire
Music, BMI) KeAmber Daniels; vocals. Christy Moody; vocals. Alexandria Sugg; vocals. Kadesha Daniels; vocals. Andrea Edwards; vocals. Tinesha Weaver; vocals. Jahim Daniels;
drums.
10 /GLORY, GLORY/ Elder Anderson Johnson/ 3:36 (trad. Arr. By Anderson
Johnson, Lucky Guitar, ASCAP) Anderson Johnson; guitar, vocals.
11 /SOMEWHERE TO LAY
MY HEAD/ Johnny Ray Daniels/ 3:35 (J. Cheeks, Songs of Universal, BMI) Johnny Ray Daniels; vocals, guitar. Dorothy Vines; vocals. Jayonica Daniels; backing vocals. KeAmber Daniels; backing vocals. Anthony Daniels; vocals. J-rock Blow; keyboards. Antwan Daniels; organ. Jahim Daniels; drums.
12 /AMAZING GRACE /Guitar Slim Stephens / 3:50 (public
domain) Guitar Slim Stephens; guitar, vocals.
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