Etta Baker Album Notes

Possessing a stunning beauty her husband refused to let her travel and perform away from home. She never stopped playing the music! This gracious grandmother was the source of a great deal of joy and surprise when I found that she still played guitar after I had heard her early recordings in the 60s. One of the signature chords of my guitar vocabulary comes from her version of Railroad Bill. This was the first guitar picking style that I ever learned. –Taj Mahal

Etta Baker of Morganton, North Carolina was born in 1913 and has been playing guitar since the age of 4. She is the premier woman Piedmont blues guitar instrumentalist. Her only contemporary was the late Elizabeth Cotton of Carrboro, North Carolina. Etta maintains a beautiful yard and garden. She is constantly working on new arrangements as she plays the guitar everyday. These recordings were made at her home and yes, a finch really did fly in her living room, sat atop the door and performed a wonderful duet. -Tim Duffy