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From "MusicHound Folk: The Essential Album Guide", Visible Ink Press, Detroit, 1998.
Emily & Al Cantrell "The Cantrells"
Formed in 1983; Emily Cantrell, born in Memphis, TN; Al Cantrell (Al Ehlers), born in Corvallis, OR.
Biography:
Oregon-born Al Ehlers was raised along the shores of Washington's Puget Sound in a place with the picturesque name of
Three Tree Point, roughly midway between Tacoma and Seattle. The son of a church organist (his father), he traces his earliest
musical influences to the Bach fugues he heard while still in the womb. After a false start as a violinist in grade school,
he gravitated to rock and roll and the electric bass, with his introduction to country music coming by way of Grateful Dead
covers of Merle Haggard songs. Becoming disenchanted with the "fast lane" rock and roll life, he returned to the
fiddle and came under the influence of Idaho fiddler Teddy Jones. By the early 1980s, having absorbed the further influences
of fiddlers the likes of Vassar Clements and Johnny Gimble, he had made his way around the British Isles and Norway and had
returned to play throughout the Southwest as part of the Chuckwagons of the West shows. He was living in Estes Park, Colorado
in 1983 when he was invited to audition for a Boulder-based bluegrass band called The Tractors (not the same as the retro-country
band of the 90s). The band's leader was Emily Cantrell, and two years later they were married. They have been performing together
as a duo ever since, combining elements of folk, bluegrass, old time, western swing and whatever else suits their fancy into
their own distinctive brand of acoustic country music.
Emily Cantrell was raised in Nankipoo, Tennessee, a few miles north of her Memphis birthplace. She began playing the piano
at age four, and spent much of her childhood playing music with her older brother Jim. She also discovered at an early age
that she had a special voice, a clear, rich soprano that captivated listeners and has drawn comparison as an adult to Joni
Mitchell. Perhaps a more appropriate comparison, though, might be to the talented Nashville singer and songwriter Matraca
Berg, particularly in that like Berg, Emily Cantrell is also an accomplished songwriter - most of the songs on their two most
recent recordings are originals.
After moving to Boulder in 1980, she met Tim O'Brien, leader of the legendary neo-traditionalist bluegrass band Hot Rize,
and he asked her to sing harmony vocals on "Queen Of Hearts", on his solo album [Hard Year Blues] (Flying Fish,
1984, (rod. Tim O'Brien) [rated 3.5 bones, 5 bones being the top of the scale] .
She formed The Tractors in 1981, with Al joining two years later. Following the band's breakup, they remained a couple,
professionally as well as in private life, and Al took her name, Cantrell - "Little Singer". After hearing them
perform at a party, Robert Redford was so taken with their music that he included them on the soundtrack of "A River
Runs Through It", and Al and Emily themselves appear in the movie, playing their instruments in the church picnic scene.
Among the most versatile singers around, Emily Cantrell nearly redefines the word "chanteuse" - listening to her
brings the sense that she would be equally at home as the vocalist fronting a band for Bill Monroe, Duke Ellington or Bob
Wills.
Recommendation of first CD by artist to get, i.e., best/most representative: "Dancing With The Miller's Daughter",
(Sombrero, 1995, prod. Al and Emily Cantrell), [4.5 bones*] is a lean production, with no studio musicians backing Al's fiddle
and mandolin and Emily's vocals and guitar, but for this reason it gives a much clearer sense of the power and grace of the
music they produce as a duo - what it's like to hear them perform live. Seven of the ten tracks are Emily Cantrell originals,
including standouts like "Red Sombrero", "Alone At Last" and "Under The Rose". Emily's voice
is compelling, but pay attention to Al's fiddle and mandolin work as well. Their version of Cowboy Bob Nolan's "Still
Water Pool" is nicely done, too.
Choosing between their two other recordings is difficult, but to get a full picture of the versatility of the Cantrells,
make "[Under A Southern Moon" (Sombrero, 1988, prod. Al and Emily Cantrell), [4 bones*] the next choice. Originally
intended as a demo, this became their first album, featuring versions of old country and pop favorites (no original tunes)
ranging from "I Heard The Bluebirds Sing", to "Slow Boat To China", to "My Adobe Hacienda".
The backup musicians include "Ranger Doug" Green and Fred "Too Slim" LaBour (both from Riders In The Sky),
as well as banjo wizard Bela Fleck.
Also: "A New Language" (Turquoise, 1991, prod. Al and Emily Cantrell) [4 bones*]
Influences: Sons Of The Pioneers, Peter, Paul & Mary, Bob Dylan, Hot Rize, Vassar Clements, Johnny Gimble
Similar to: Matraca Berg, Eileen McGann, Robin & Linda Williams
Byline: John Lupton
*"bones" ratings are one to five "bones", five being the top rating
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