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Jeanie Stanley -
Baby Girl
by Gracie Muldoon
 Jeanie
Stanley, youngest daughter of Bluegrass Pioneer & Legend Carter
Stanley of The Stanley Brothers fame, has chosen to honor her
father by a Tribute CD entitled Baby Girl. This
project comes on the 40th year anniversary of Carter's passing.
Jeanie also credits her mother, via liner notes, for her
day-to-day keeping of the family and household while her father
was singing, traveling, and living out his musical destiny.
Jeanie adds her own "original mountain-inspired" voice with that
of her Uncle Ralph Stanley, cousin Ralph Stanley II, and other
guest performers include Joe Isaacs and Stacy York.
Additional talent on the project is provided by John Rigbsby on
mandolin & vocals, Steve Sparkman on banjo, Todd Meade on
fiddle, Jack Cooke on bass and James Alan Shelton on lead
guitar. Joe Isaacs produced the project. Jeanie has
told me that she financed the entire project from her own
pocket.
The real surprise on this musical treasure is two "lost" songs
written by none other than Carter Stanley over 40 years ago.
Written on thin, "whispy" paper with what appears to be a few
blood stains on it, he writes "Jesus Is Precious" and "Two
Sides To A Story." Jeanie discovered the works in an
old suitcase after her mother's death while cleaning out an
attic. Jeanie's joy of finding these two songs was like a
gift from the Heavens for her. Another great piece that is
inserted in the project is the final song, a live recording from
1961 with Carter Stanley singing solo on Dream of a Miner's'
Child with Jeanie's voice dubbed into the recording,
singing a beautiful mountain harmony along with her father.
It is reminiscent of the Nat King Cole/Natalie Cole
Unforgettable duet. I got chills and choked up on that
last song. Wow.
After Jeanie's discovery, she wanted to share these songs with
the world. Her Uncle Ralph solos acappella on Jesus Is
Precious. The title track, Baby Girl, was
written by Carter Stanley for his oldest daughter, but Jeanie
felt it was an appropriate title for her CD since she was just
that, his Baby Girl. However, she doesn't sing lead on the
title song; it is her cousin, Ralph II, who does it beautifully.
Carter Stanley passed away at the young age of 41, when Jeanie
was only 4 years old. She honors him as she knew him,
musically, in the mountain tradition.
She is the only one out of her five siblings that sings or plays
music. It appears that this was her destiny to record this
tribute to her father, a man she only remembers through his
music. You simply must hear this CD.
Gracie's Rating:
For more information or to order
her CD, visit her website at
http://www.jeaniestanley.com
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