The Cumberland Trio
The Rise, Fall, and Rise of the Tennessee Folk Band
In the early 1960’s, at the height of the American Folk Revival, a quartet of friends and fraternity brothers came together as a band. Finding immediate success, but then falling victim to the poor business practices of others, these former college friends once again found their voices in the 21st century.
Formation and Early Career
The Cumberland Trio is not a Trio at all, but a quartet. However, it was not always this way. The band came together at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville in 1962.
As guitarist Jerre Haskew says in a recent interview with Suite101, “In the fall of 1962, a freshman, Andy Garverick, joined the frat [Delta Tau Delta]. He was already a terrific 5 string banjo player and lead/harmony singer. THAT really began the putting together of The Cumberland Trio.”
The original lineup was Haskew, Garverick, and Joe Ashley, grandson of influential banjo player Clarence Ashley. Ashley soon dropped out, and they soon added bassist Jim Shuptrine and Flamenco guitarist Tom Kilpatrick. It is the mellow thrum of Kilpatrick’s nylon stringed guitar, combined with Garverick’s resonator banjo picking and Haskew filling the middle with a high capoed guitar that gives the Cumberland Trio their unique sound.
Early Success for the Cumberland Trio, and “Hootenanny”
In December of 1963, the Cumberland Trio was selected to compete in the First National Collegiate Folk Festival contest in Jacksonville, Florida. As Haskew says, “We drove down there and won first place over some really stiff competition. THAT showed us we had a chance at making it to the big time.”
The Cumberland Trio’s career moved swiftly. In January of 1964, the Cumberland Trio performed on ABC’s “Hootenanny,” a popular show that showcased Traditional Folk Music and launched many a career. The Cumberland Trio received a standing ovation for their set.
In April of that year, the Cumberland Trio recorded 15 songs produced by famed musician Chet Atkins. The recording impressed RCA enough that they offered a contract. However, an up and coming record company called RIC offered a more lucrative contract, and the Cumberland Trio signed with them. This move would eventually doom their meteoric rise.
"The Bitter End" of the Cumberland Trio
The Cumberland Trio signed with RIC, and traveled to New York to record an album for them. While there, they performed at the landmark Greenwich Village club The Bitter End. Interestingly, their opening act at The Bitter End was a then unknown comic named Bill Cosby.
However, their dreams of stardom would soon be crushed. In the Summer of 1964, RIC went under and the Cumberland Trio‘s album would not be released. Normally this tragedy would not be a killing blow, but a momentous occasion occurred earlier that year that forever changed the direction of modern music.
On February 9, 1964, the Ed Sullivan Show featured a band of four funny-haired lads from Liverpool with a pun for a name, the Beatles. By the Summer of 1964--the same time that RIC was folding--Beatlemania had swept the country and Rock and Roll usurped the Folk Revival as the dominant genre in modern music.
The Cumberland Trio attempted to evolve with the change in music, but after a few attempts, realized that this was not their sound and disbanded.
“A Lion Named Sam” and the Cumberland Trio's Reunion
The members of the Cumberland Trio went on to separate careers outside of the music industry, though they still remained friends. However, an anniversary present would soon bring them back together.
For their 37th wedding anniversary, Jerre Haskew’s wife Barbara converted on of the Cumberland Trio’s songs, “A Lion Named Sam,” into a children’s book.
The book inspired Haskew to take the old RCA Folk recording done with Chet Atkins and have it remastered on CD. Soon they were invited to perform at the University of Tennessee’s homecoming in 2001. The reunion concert was a success, eventually being recorded into a CD and DVD. A subsequent album, “Back Where We Began,” was released in 2004.
After 35 years, the supremely talented band, whose chance at stardom was taken away by circumstance and time, is back and still touring. Old dreams--and old folkies--never die.
The Cumberland Trio Reunites
|
Cumberland Trio Performs on Hootenanny
|
Cumberland Trio in Concert
|
What do you think about this article?
Comments
Latest Articles