 
Tracy Grammer’s new CD, “Flowers of Avalon,” features 10 songs, including nine previously unrecorded numbers by the late Dave Carter. Carter died of a heart attack in 2002, leaving behind Grammer and an impressive songbook of contemporary folk numbers. They were a rising duo on the scene when Carter died, but his music lives on. This album is as much a tribute to him as it is to Grammer’s simple, honest singing. Although Carter’s presence is strongly felt on “Flowers of Avalon,” the star of the CD is Grammer, who not only sings, but plays guitar, banjo, violin and dulcimer. She shows her versatility on the album, moving from the moody “Shadows of Evangeline” to the folksy “Gypsy Rose” to the tender gospel closer “Any Way I Do.” Carter’s songs are rich in imagery and psychologically complex. Grammer is a fine interpreter of his often-weighty and mystic lyrics, delivering them with graceful precision. She is an understated singer, who chooses to highlight the songs rather than herself. Mary Chapin Carpenter provides background vocals and liner notes on the CD produced by Grammer and John Jennings. -- D. Kimura
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Tracy Grammer