Hilary Schacht (fiddle and vocals), Richard Hardy (mandolin & mandocello), and Eric Carlson (guitar, vocals and harmonica)
Influences
My parents Richard and Marjorie, Peter Rowan, Tony Rice, Roshan Jamal Bhartiya, Ali Akbar Khan, John Hartford, Dirk Powell, The Grateful Dead, David Grisman, Norman Blake, Solas, Gerry Carthy, Phish, The Be Good Tanyas, Foghorn Stringband, John Coltrane, The Reeltime Travelers, Bob Dylan, Bob Marley, Toots and the Maytals, Jimmy Cliff, Mississippi John Hurt, Boubacar Traore, Nanci Griffith, Keith Frank, and many more...
Acoustic guitar-picker Eric Carlson of Santa Fe, NM plays original and traditional folk-music with old-time roots and some bluegrass seasoning as well as a tasty mix of musical styles from throughout the world. Originally from New England, Eric draws inspiration from the rich diversity of musicians he’s met since landing in Northern New Mexico nine years ago, but ultimately, Eric finds his source in the high-alpine meadows of the Southern Rockies. He performs regularly in Santa Fe and throughout the Southwest both solo, with "The Free-Range Stringband", "The Mystery Ship", and other groups as well. Recently, Eric placed First in the Flatpick Guitar Competition at the 2009 Santa Fe Bluegrass & Old-Time Music Festival.
Eric just released his latest CD as this river flows to the sea. The new CD reflects Eric’s efforts to tap into the various currents of traditional folk music that flow through the city of Santa Fe. All the material on the new CD was either composed here or learned directly from various friends and teachers in and around the area. According to Eric, “These traditions are all great rivers of musical creativity that go back to the beginning of creation, and all rivers flow to the sea after all. As globalization continues and people from all over the world continue to hear more music from other places, these diverse traditions can’t help but blend together.” Eric's lovely wife Heather Carlson graces two of the tracks with her mandolin.
As this river flows to the sea as well as 2008's The Ship in the Sky is available for sale at Hastings (542 N Guadalupe St, Santa Fe; 505-988-3973) in the folk/americana section and at all of Eric's performances. You can hear some of the tracks on the music player above on this page.
"Even though he's landlocked in New Mexico, his latest album is a near-boundless ocean of musical wealth. Swim in it."
-Rob DeWalt, Santa Fe New Mexican, Pasatiempo
Carlson's 2008 CD The Ship in the Sky contains original and traditional songs and instrumentals that explore a recurrent oceanic theme amid the desert southwest. Though seafaring music in the desert may seem ironic, the grand vistas and broad horizons of the ocean and the southwest share a vast, common spirit. Perhaps the new CD speaks to a deep memory of the ocean that we all share regardless of where we live. All life began in the sea after all, and some would say that it still runs through our veins, our blood having a salinity remarkably similar to that of the ocean. The land itself in the high desert retains the memory of the ocean that once lay above it long ago. One can find ancient marine fossils from the desert of Southern New Mexico to the peaks of the Rocky Mountains.
The Ship in the Sky features local Santa Fe musicians Hilary Schacht on violin and harmony vocals, Michael Lawless on mandolin, Richard Hardy on bass and mandocello, Michael Sheppard on dobro, and Eric’s lovely wife Heather on harmony vocals.
"Carlson and his ensemble prove themselves seaworthy messengers of bluegrassy Americana goodness."
-Rob DeWalt, Santa Fe New Mexican, Pasatiempo
"Carlson has caught a long ago past
with simplicity on Ship."
-Kyle Eustice and Patricia Sauthoff - Santa Fe Reporter
HELP ERIC!! I TOTALLY DELETED FAST HEART MART'S MYSPACE PAGE WITH 80,000 PLAYS!!! LAME! PLEASE PLAY SOME SONGS (THERE ARE SEVERAL BRAND NEW ONES UP) AND A MUSIC VIDEO FOR "MAYAN PROPHECY"! TELL EVERYONE TO COME AND ADD HIM!! THNX 4 SAVING MY ASS... xx Roblyn
Hey Eric. Thanks for the add. I enjoyed hearing and meeting you. If you're ever in town on the weekend, we meet to workshop songs every Sunday as The Albuquerque Songwriter's Cooperative. Email me for more info. "The deeper the canyon, the longer the story"-I hope I got that right.
Man, I just love your rendition of Sail Away Ladies. I stop by from time to time to listen. Maybe I should quit being a cheapskate and buy the frickin' CD. Later.
hey Eric, nice talking to you the other day! tunes sound good. check out the Power Of One http://www. myspace. com/powerofone2008 and our song, Tiny Reflections~ peace, melanie
Hey Eric, thanks again for letting me fill in for you at the baking co.Come check out The Unborn Soul Saturday july 12th@ Green Palace Tea House 209 palace ave.7:30ish hope to see you there! mike The Unborn Soul
Hey, we're playing at the Green Palace Friday Aug 2nd, Thanks for the suggestion! Bag of Money, yeah, we finally got around to recording that one. Thanks for stopping by!
Online Now!
