Shawn Camp’s latest release The Ghost of Sis Draper, largely co-written with the late, great Guy Clark, is a remarkable work of story and song. Even without the link to Clark, the songs weave together a fascinating narrative of Sis Draper, a legendary Arkansas fiddler from Camp’s childhood. All the tracks were co-written by Camp and Clark except “New Cut Road,” written by Clark before the pair met, and “Old Hillybilly Hand-Me-Down,” which got a hand from Verlon Thompson, too.
The album evokes parlor pickings and barns dances set to old-time standards—those named directly in “Big Foot Stomp: “Arkansas Traveler,” “Soldier’s Joy,” “Spider Bit the Baby,” or the “Boston Boy,” as well as those that weave their way through the melodies themselves—“Shady Grove,” “Amazing Grace,” and “Cluck Old Hen.” Perhaps one of the best-known songs from Clark’s canon, “Soldier’s Joy 1864” delivers the traditional fiddle tune in a minor key, producing a somber effect.
