As well as his solo recordings and as The Tony Rice Unit, he was a founding member of The David Grisman Quintet (setting the guitar standard for the bluegrass-jazz fusion music often called Dawg after the bearded facial appearance of David Grisman) and The Bluegrass Album Band. He has also recorded as Ricky Skaggs & Tony Rice, Norman Blake & Tony Rice, Tony Rice & David Grisman, Tony Rice & John Carlini, Jerry Garcia, David Grisman & Tony Rice, Peter Rowan & Tony Rice, and John Hartford, Tony Rice & Vassar Clements.
Rice spanned the range of acoustic music, from straight-ahead bluegrass to jazz-influenced new acoustic music, to songwriter-oriented folk. He is remembered as perhaps the greatest innovator in acoustic flatpicked guitar since Clarence White. Over the course of his career, he played alongside J.D. Crowe and the New South, David Grisman (during the formation of “Dawg Music”), led his own groups, collaborated with fellow picker Norman Blake and recorded with his brothers. He recorded with drums, piano, soprano sax, and with straight-ahead bluegrass instrumentation.
Rice was born in Danville, Virginia but grew up in California, where he was introduced to bluegrass by his father. He and his brothers learned a lot from hot L.A. pickers like the Kentucky Colonels, led by Roland and Clarence White. Crossing paths with fellow enthusiasts like Ry Cooder, Herb Pederson and Chris Hillman reinforced the strength of the music he had learned from his father.
In 1970, Rice moved back to Kentucky where he played with the Bluegrass Alliance, and shortly thereafter, J.D. Crowe’s New South. The New South was known as one of the best and most progressive bluegrass groups - even adding drums and electric instruments. But when Ricky Skaggs joined up in 1974, the band recorded J.D. Crowe & the New South, an acoustic album that became Rounder’s top-seller up to that time. With Rice on guitar and vocals, Crowe on banjo and vocals, Jerry Douglas on Dobro, Skaggs on fiddle and mandolin and Bobby Slone on bass, the band’s energy, as well as their instrumental and vocal drive have rarely been matched.
Around this time Rice met mandolinist David Grisman, who played with Red Allen during the ‘60s and was now working on some original material that blended jazz, bluegrass and classical styles. Rice left the New South and moved to California to join Grisman’s all instrumental group. As part of the David Grisman Quintet, Rice expanded his horizons beyond three chord bluegrass, studying chord theory, learning to read charts and expanding the range of his playing.
In 1979, he left the group to pursue his own music. He recorded Acoustics, a guitar-oriented record, and then Manzanita which collected some favorite folk and bluegrass vocals. In 1980, Rice, Crowe, Bobby Hicks, Doyle Lawson and Todd Phillips formed a highly successful coalition, attacking bluegrass standards under the name the Bluegrass Album Band. This group recorded six volumes of music.
Rice’s solo career hit its stride with Cold on the Shoulder, a collection of bluegrass vocals. With this album, Native American and Me & My Guitar, Rice arrived at a formula that incorporated his disparate influences, combining bluegrass, the songwriting of folk artists like Ian Tyson, Joni Mitchell, Phil Ochs and especially Gordon Lightfoot, with nimble, jazz-inflected guitar work. Simultaneously, he pursued his jazz and experimental “spacegrass” with the Tony Rice Unit on Mar West, Still Inside and Backwaters.
Two highly regarded albums with traditional guitar virtuoso Norman Blake gained a great deal of acclaim, as well as two Rice Brother albums that reunited him with his younger brother, Wyatt. Tony Rice remained one of bluegrass’ top instrumentalists and singers, bringing originality and vitality to everything he played.
Official Website: Tony Rice
Church Street Blues
Tony Rice Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Watchin' good time Charlie friend is drivin' me insane
Down on shady Charlotte Street the green lights look red
Wish I was back home on the farm in my feather bed.
Get myself a rockin' chair
To see if I can lose
Them thin dime hard times
Hell on Church Street blues.
Found myself a picker friend who's read yesterday's news
Folded up page twenty-one and stuck it in my shoe
Gave a nickle to the poor my good turn for the day
Folded up my own little folder threw it far away.
Lord I wish I had some guitar strings Old Black Diamond brand
I'd string up this old Martin box and go and join some band
But I guess I'll just stay right here just pick and sing a while
Try to make me a little change and give them folks a smile
The lyrics of Tony Rice's song Church Street Blues paint a picture of a man who is struggling to make a living while being away from his home. The opening lines indicate his frustration of being out in the rain and hanging out with someone who is causing him distress. The reference to the green lights looking red on Charlotte Street suggests that things are not going his way and he is not finding any opportunities there. He then expresses his longing for home and the comfort of his feather bed.
The second verse introduces a new character - a picker friend who is reading yesterday's news and gives a nickel to the poor. This character contrasts with the earlier one who caused him stress. The singer too tries to do good by giving a little something back. In the last verse, the singer expresses his desire to join a band and make music with his guitar. However, he seems resigned to staying where he is and continuing to play music despite the difficulties. The song is a reflection on the challenges of making a living, finding a sense of belonging, and the role of music in providing solace and joy in difficult times.
Line by Line Meaning
Lord I been hangin' out of town in that low down rain
I have been stuck in this town during a depressing time.
Watchin' good time Charlie friend is drivin' me insane
My acquaintance 'Good Time Charlie' is ruining my experience in this town.
Down on shady Charlotte Street the green lights look red
I am in a bad part of town where even the green lights look foreboding.
Wish I was back home on the farm in my feather bed.
I long for the tranquility of my farm and comfortable bed.
Get myself a rockin' chair
I need to find something to help me relax and unwind.
To see if I can lose
I hope that with my relaxation, my anxiety and stress will lessen.
Them thin dime hard times
Financially, I have been struggling quite a bit lately.
Hell on Church Street blues.
This is a particularly difficult time in my life and it is represented by these blues.
Found myself a picker friend who's read yesterday's news
I befriended someone who is a musician like myself and is up-to-date on current events.
Folded up page twenty-one and stuck it in my shoe
I've saved an article about something that I find interesting and am keeping it in my shoe so I won't forget it.
Gave a nickle to the poor my good turn for the day
I performed a small act of charity by giving money to someone who could use it.
Folded up my own little folder threw it far away.
I have let go of something that was bothering me and have discarded it.
Lord I wish I had some guitar strings Old Black Diamond brand
I wish I had better equipment to play with, like a set of Old Black Diamond strings.
I'd string up this old Martin box and go and join some band
If I had better strings, I would put them on my old Martin guitar and potentially join a band.
But I guess I'll just stay right here just pick and sing a while
Until I can improve my equipment or be invited to join a band, I'll continue to play here by myself.
Try to make me a little change and give them folks a smile
I am going to try to make a little bit of money and entertain some people with my music.
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Norman Blake
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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