“Over a decade ago, I discovered Mary and the Soldier while listening to Paul Brady’s album The Missing Liberty Tapes. It’s one of my favorite melodies in music, an all-around moving song that has brought me to tears on numerous occasions. When I heard Tim O’Brien’s album The Crossing and discovered the track Down in the Willow Garden with Paul and Tim singing together, I just about lost it. Tim has always been a huge inspiration to me, and I think a lot of people can agree that his voice and music are so compelling and just, RIGHT.
Sam Grisman and I were hanging out in Nashville one afternoon listening to music, brainstorming about another song to record with Bryan, Casey, and Stuart. When Mary and the Soldier came up, I knew immediately that we had to record it with Tim. I’m so grateful that he was able to sing it.
Afterwards he said, ‘I’ve been trying to learn how to sing that song for… my whole life!’ “
READ THE ARTICLE IN BLUEGRASS TODAY AND HEAR THE TRACK HERE