05-03-19 | Songs for Listening | Tift Merritt
The fine singer-songwriter, Tift Merritt, picked tunes for Friday, May 3 at Songs for Listening. The New Yorker called Tift "the bearer of a proud tradition of distaff country soul that reaches back to artists like Dusty Springfield and Bobbie Gentry." Tift's debut solo record, Bramble Rose, was named best debut album in any genre by Associated Press. As her GRAMMY-nominated sophomore release, Tambourine, was followed by Another Country, See You on the Moon, and Traveling Alone, Tift received praise not just from critics, but from her heroes as well, Emmylou Harris marveled that Tift, "stood out like a diamond in a coal patch." NPR declared that Tift's most recent record, the 2017 Stitch of the World “ .. contained some of her best writing."
Tift is an NC native who wanted to write fiction until her father showed her a few chords on the guitar and hipped her to the indelible Percy Sledge ... and from then on there was no looking back. Tift has released seven full-length albums of original material and three live records over a nearly 20-year career. She had toured the world and shared the stage wth such exceptional artists as Iron & Wine, Nick Lowe, and Jason Isbell. Tift has also recorded with classical pianist Simone Dinnerstein and played harmonic foil & rhythm guitar with Andrew Bird in his old-time band, The Hands of Glory. Of late, Tift has been hosting The Spark, a program for Marfa Public Radio; serving as a regular contributor for The Oxford American; designing textiles for Bernhardt Designs; developing a boutique hotel in Raleigh; and chronicling travels with her young daughter Jean.
'Funeral Singers' by Sylvan Esso & Collections of Colonies of Bees from 'Funeral Singers'
'As the Crow Flies' by Hiss Golden Messenger from 'Heart Like a Levee'
'Florence sur les Champs-Elysees' by Miles Davis from 'Ascenseur pour l'echafaud'
