ay morning coming down // (Scott Johnson).
Since I was a college freshman I had always wanted to see Tracy Nelson, the vocalist extraordinaire sing. I had bought tickets to see Tracy Nelson perform in Boston with Mother Earth. I waited patiently for her to take to the stage. Tracy appeared to announce that the band’s instruments had not made it from San Francisco. I was shocked, as I can recall many times over the years. I made it a point to see her perform live.
Tracy was finally able to see me at the Dakota Jazz Club & Restaurant in January 2018. The photo below shows Tracy mid-flight, which I took from our table.
It was worth the wait. Tracy was supported by a three-piece band (the Bel-Airs), who opened for her. I was reminded of the Louvin Brothers by the two brothers who were the core of the band, but they seemed to be friends. The Louvin Brothers were famous for not doing this.
Tracy turned 78 this week. We might use Tracy’s birthday to reflect briefly on the past and start the new year off on a high note.
Tracy is a blues singer but is equally skilled in country, soul, rhythm andblues, rock, country, and gospel. It’s amazing to me that her voice is so powerful and expressive. The effect was an emotional experience for me, as I sat about six feet away. She is a force of nature.
The Dakota provided the following brief summary about her background:
Nelson’s education began in 1960s, when she was a teenager in Madison, Wisconsin. She listened to R&B from Nashville’s WLAC AM in her bedroom. She was an undergrad at the University of Wisconsin and joined a trio of singers called the Fabulous Imitations, which included keyboardist Ben Sidran. Tracy moved to San Francisco shortly after and formed Mother Earth, a band that was named after the fatalistic Memphis Slim song. She sang it at his 1988 funeral. Mother Earth, a group that was more grounded than freaky in its origin, was still a major draw at the Fillmore. They shared stages with Janis Joplin and Eric Burdon.
Nelson continued to record solo on various labels throughout the 1970s. In 1974, Nelson was nominated for her first Grammy for “After the Fire Is Gone”, a hit duet she recorded with Willie Nelson. She continues to tour and record, making music as deeply felt as any she has ever recorded in her extraordinary career. She is a true soul survivor.
Deep Are the Roots is long out of print but the entire thing has been uploaded on YouTube. It was recorded at Prestige in Chicago. One of my favorite numbers is “Grieving Hearted Blues”. That is Charlie Musselwhite playing harmonica.
Living with the Animals was Mother Earth’s debut album (1968). Although she wasn’t yet the leader of the band in 1968, “Down So Low”, her composition, made me wonder.
Tracy’s rendition “Mother Earth” was performed by Michael Bloomfield. Michael Bloomfield was the guitarist.
Tracy is a big fan of Irma Thomas, a New Orleans soul singer. Tracy and Marcia Ball recorded the Grammy-nominated Sing It (1998) together as a kind of dream come true. Tracy recorded the Irma-Thomas ballad “Ruler of My Heart”, written by Allen Toussaint, and made it personal. This is the Satisfied Mother Earth album.
My favorite Tracy Nelson/Mother Earth album was the gospel-flavored Come Me Home. It’s difficult to pick just one highlight from that album. Let’s change up the tempo a bit and go with Eric Kaz’s “Temptation Took control of Me And I Fell” because it has a valuable life lesson. This is a Sunday morning song that you will not regret. This one is not to be missed.
The self-titled Mother Earth was recorded in 1972, just before the end of the band’s run on Warner Bros. It’s hard to believe they didn’t have a hit. Tracy’s other dynamic range is represented by “I Want to Lay Down Beside you” (written Tim Drummond).
Mother Earth never achieved the success they deserved. Tracy left the band and pursued a solo career. “After the Fire Is Gone,” her duet with Willie Nelson, reached number 17 on the country chart. This is not a Sunday song.
Here’s a look at her performance. Tracy performed “Walk Away”, on the Lonesome Pine Specials, in 1987. Oliver Sain wrote the song. It was recorded by Oliver Sain on her Come see About Me album (1980).
As I said, Sing It! brought Tracy and Irma Thomas together with Marcia Ball. This is the title song.
Tracy recorded Live from Cell Block D in the 21st century. Below is Tracy’s rescue of the Bessie Smith song “Send Me To the ‘Lectric Chair”. Tracy introduced the song to us at the Dakota as a study of personal responsibility.
Tracy recorded a country album in Nashville back in the days when she was working with Mother Earth. She also worked with some of Nashville’s finest session musicians. The Hank Williams classic “You Win Again” is my favorite cut on the expanded compact-disc version of the album. It was originally released on Mother Earth’s Make Joyful Noise.
This interview with Tracy is fantastic. Her site is She is still at work. I hope you have the opportunity to see her if you can. She is special.
