nora brown, “am i born to die
from: Doc Watson at 100, 2023
“And am I born to die,
To lay this body down,
And must my trembling spirit fly
Into a world unknown?
And must my trembling spirit fly
Unto a world unknown?
Soon as from earth I go,
What will become of me,
Eternal happiness or woe
Must then my portion be
Eternal happiness or woe
Must then my portion be.
A land of deepest shade,
Unpierced by human thought,
That weary region of the dead
Where all things are forgot
That weary region of the dead
Where all things are forgot.”
Nora Brown in now 19. She has been playing banjo since she was 6. Born in Brooklyn light years from the traditional music of eastern Kentucky. She appears on one of 2023’s most fascinating lps, Doc Watson at 100, a various artists tribute. A haunting, original prodigy. Unlikely how far and deep a talent can go in such a short time span.
“For her record, “Sidetrack My Engine,” released September 24, Brown utilized some home recording tools like many musicians during the pandemic. Unlike many musicians during the pandemic, though, her home is a cheese factory with 1850s fermenting tunnels beneath it: Brown’s parents own and operate Crown Finish Caves, a cheese aging facility located in the former lagering tunnels of the Nassau Brewery in Crown Heights.
Using an (extremely heavy) Ampex tape machine and vintage RCA ribbon mics, “Sidetrack My Engine,” which includes newly arranged versions of songs that Brown learned through the continued tradition of visiting elder musicians, from old records and from field recordings in archival collections, was recorded to tape in the underground caves in August 2020.”- Allison Rapp, Brooklyn Magazine