sarah siskind, “modern appalachia”
from: modern appalachia, 2020
“I heard the sound of Dolly sing - and I breathed in every note
Stories told through melody with equal pain to hope
It was modern appalachia - so ancient, so free
It began to sew the fabric of me
(Then) I heard the voice of Mahalia and I beamed with a childish grin
She sang to me about her Jesus and I wanted to know Him
It was modern appalachia - so old, so new
When the sacred met the sorrow, (i knew) it was true
Finding out who we are - Finding out who we are
Every day we’re finding out
Then I heard the sound of Bill Frisell - I stopped right there and wept
Without a word, just notes he played, painted pictures on the fret
It was modern appalachia - so ancient, and so free
Speaking straight to every color in me
I heard the voice of Paul Brady and every hair did rise
I wondered how a sound so pure was this side of the skies
It was modern Appalachia - so old, so new
It became part of the landscape I view
Finding out who we are
We’re finding out who we are
Every day we’re finding out”
Ernest Hemingway wrote a short story “A Clean, Well Lighted Place,” that may be an appropriate way to characterize Sarah Siskind’s voice. It paints a picture of a tavern that draws patrons in with peace and respite. Her singing is similarly clear, welcoming, almost reverential like the space EH is extolling. She name drops details of several celebrity personas to spice up the recuperative spirit: guitarist Bill Frisell (who plays on the piece,) Mahalia Jackson the gospel icon and Irish singer Paul Brady. Then there are the ongoing challenges posed by extremes of Modern Appalachia. If you have been to Eastern Kentucky you can understand how much it could benefit from the optimistic aura Ms. Siskind creates.
Guitar visionary Bill Frisell