The Haden Triplets Share Harmonies and Family Lineages on ‘The Family Songbook’
Henry Carrigan
Posted On January 24, 2020
Vince Gill once said that there’s no harmony like family harmony because the blood line of the singers is the same. The Haden Triplets — Petra, Rachel, and Tanya — display the sublime beauty of blood harmony in the ethereal and transcendent harmonies in these songs, many of them written, or collected, by another family member, their grandfather, Carl Haden. Their uncle, Carl Haden, Jr., discovered the songs, as well as a songbook, Favorites of the Haden Family, which contained songs by The Carter Family and others.
The Family Songbook opens with a haunting, almost otherworldly, version of “Wayfaring Stranger” that captures the “only-passing-through-this-world” character of the song. The Triplets linger over each line of every verse as Bill Frisell’s guitar and Greg Leisz’s pedal steel coalesce in shimmering waves of sound. The Triplets depart from the family songbook momentarily for a spare, Flamenco take on Kanye West’s “Say You Will,” but their harmony is so seamless that the song fits comfortably within the songbook. The Triplets open the traditional “Didn’t Leave Nobody but the Baby,” which they title “Pretty Baby,” with a call and response as it blossoms into a soaring a cappella noir-ish lullaby. Their grandfather memorializes Will Rogers in “Memories of Will Rogers,” who was killed in the plane crash Haden mentions in the opening lines of the song. The Triplets deliver a stomp and shuffle Everly Brothers-like version of the song, featuring Doyle Bramhall II and Woody Jackson’s swampy guitars; on the bridge the singer’s vocals mimic the slide guitar, creating a mournful pitch. The album closes with a stately and transporting take on the well-known gospel song “I’ll Fly Away.”
The Haden Triplets’ exalted harmonies move and inspire and transport us with their perfect splendor. It’s easy enough to imagine the Triplets coming across the airwaves on a Saturday night radio show in the 1920s, or sitting around trading songs with the Carter Family. Their exquisite vocals shine brightly, lighting the way with brilliance and warmth.
