Tracy Nelson

Mother Earth singer on her latest guest-packed solo set

How come you’re back now? I had a big bag of tunes that I wanted to record, and an album every 10 years isn’t pushing things too much. Tell us about it. It’s more like the early Mother Earth records, when we had the freedom to do whatever struck our musical fancy. Were there any amusing episodes during its creation? My producer, Roger Alan Nichols, is one of the funniest motherfuckers that I know. We laughed all the time – swapping jokes and just finding weird things funny. It made the whole process a joy.

How long did it take?

There were starts and stops due to Covid – eight months. What have you been up to during the interregnum? Playing festivals and gigs, and recording with friends – Corky Siegel’s Chamber Blues, which is glorious, as are

The Blues Broads.

Where have your most successful markets been? The US East and West coasts.

What’s been the standout moment?

Gigs with The Nighthawks, The Bel Airs, The Sing It Trio, Marcia Ball, Irma Thomas and Mariachi Mestizo. They backed me on Lola Beltran’s La Paloma Negra, which was thrilling, and Jazmin Morales performed my Down So Low, which was stunning. Did you ever feel like jacking it all in?

Every couple of months, for the past 50 years. Who’s been the biggest inspiration?

Ma Rainey, Bessie Smith, Robert Johnson, Charlie Patton, Mavis Staples, Aretha Franklin, Joe Tex, Irma Thomas.

What do you put your longevity down to?

Not doing drugs or alcohol to any significant degree, being too lazy to work or tour too hard, and good Scots/ Irish/norwegian genes.

What would a biopic’s tag-line be?

Life Don’t Miss Nobody.

What’s next?

My grandmother, who was a superb stride piano player/ singer, did a gig the night before she died, in her late eighties. I think that I’ll stop a little short of that, but who knows? Still a lot of songs in that bag.

Tracy Nelson Life Don’t Miss Nobody is on BMG.