Mark Abernathy plays music perhaps best described as Gospel meets Americana; heartfelt, powerful, raw, and on the edge. I’ve seen Mark perform and listened to his CDs. He has a unique talent that more might want to know about. Now you can.
Abernathy just launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise $22,000 for his next album featuring him and his current project the Sabre Rattlers. I’ve already pledged. Maybe you can do too.
The Sabre Rattlers is the current project of guitarist Mark Abernathy and features a rotating cast of contributing musicians and friends, including Bukka Allen (the Bodeans), Kim Deschamps (Cowboy Junkies), Glenn Fukunaga (Dixie Chicks, Bob Dylan), Warren Hood (the Waybacks), Teal Collins from the Mothertruckers and Grammy Award-winning producer Lloyd Maines playing dobro. The lush instrumentation you hear on these songs is the work of Abernathy and his hugely talented cast; utilizing the accordion, Hammond B3, Harmonium, pedal steel, fiddle and more.’Twixt Me and the Peaceful Rest is a collection of favorite hymns; performed with a widely-cast net of influences and personal experiences.
Filtered through all manner of musical Americana — gospel, blues, Appalachian folk, traditional country and early rock’n’roll — the early 19th century standards (“A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief”, “All is Well (Come, Come, Ye Saints”) come alive with timeless energy. The lyrics of these songs reflect the fervor, zeal and also despair of the people who struggled through the growing pains of a new nation.
PS My wife and Mark go way back. I know him a bit and really like his music.