Farewell Trion, in open C tuning. Alabama fiddler Joe Blaylock (born 1854) wrote this tune after being laid off from the Trion, Georgia mill. James Bryan added a third part and was the first to record it.
This lovely tune with its wordless three-part melody somehow seems to perfectly convey everything I have experienced in the past few months. I am just now overcoming a mysterious sickness that left me unable to sing - and for the most part, talk comfortably - since mid-November. It was a dark time, but despite the difficulty I am now able to look at it as a sort of teacher. To accommodate the condition I made drastic improvements to my diet, stopped drinking alcohol and caffeine, stopped singing, cancelled gigs and recording dates, and engaged in various activities to reduce stress. I’m not sure what caused the condition, and I am not sure what fixed it. But moving forward I am hopeful to continue to treat my body and mind with respect, and to take music - and life in general - a whole lot less seriously. I am glad to be saying farewell to the sickness, and am glad to also be saying farewell to the other parts of my being that no longer serve me. Sure, the condition might come back, but I am hopeful that the darkness I brought with it will not.
Sometimes we can write a beautiful tune that stands the test of time only after we overcome the difficulty of saying farewell. Changes are coming. Stay tuned. And in the meantime, Farewell Trion.
