Two Johns headline Will the Circle Be Unbroken legacy

If you’re a bluegrass and country fan, the upcoming John McEuen and John Carter Cash concert is a must-see.

Will The Circle Be Unbroken: A Tribute to the Carter Family celebrates the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s seminal 1972 Circle album and provides a behind-the-scenes look at the Carter-Cash family renowned classic music.

Running Thursday, Feb 19 at the Arden Theatre, the cast of six perform songs from the album against a larger-than-life montage of photos while McEuen and Cash relate personal behind the scenes stories.

“It’s like having someone for dinner and bringing home movies that are pretty broad. You can’t find it online or in stories,” says McEuen, 71, the concert’s driving force.

This project started in 2012 as the 40th anniversary of Circle, a two-album version was re-released. The album’s title was taken from an old Ada Habershon hymn that signified connecting two generations of musicians.

At the time of the original release, the Dirt Band folk-rock musicians saw Nashville changing. Traditional country stars were being passed over for younger, more hip vocalists.

McEuen, 19, was a big fan of Doc Watson, Merle Travis, Roy Acuff and “Mother” Maybelle Carter and he wanted younger fans to rediscover them. The Dirt Band agreed and the young, long-haired rockers thought it would be cool to bring the two generations together.

It took about five years to launch the project, but in the end the who’s who of bluegrass, gospel, folk and blues joined the rockers at Woodland Studios in Nashville to record 33 songs in six days.

Earl Scruggs was the first to jump on board and Roy Acuff often stated publicly he would sing country with anyone who asked. Once these two icons were confirmed, Doc Watson, Vassar Clements, Bashful Brother Oswald, Merle Travis, Jimmy Martin and Maybelle Carter followed.

“They were such fans of each other’s music and were happy to finally perform with each,” said McEuen, 71.

With limited resources and technology, the musicians recorded in two-track. Following Acuff’s studio policy, “Get it right the first time,” they usually recorded only once.

While the country greats relaxed with each other, the younger Dirt Band felt the pressure of keeping up with their mentors.

“We had moments of intensity when we were learning a new song and trying to remember it so we could support the iconic stars,” laughs McEuen at the fleeting memory.

Nobody involved in the project could have predicted the Circle’s ongoing popularity or longevity. However, it was an instant hit.

“We would make 25,000 records every week and they were a sell-out every week. It took a while to make a three-record set and sometimes we were short. It took on a life of its own like Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon.”

He often felt that its popularity stemmed from using acoustic instruments such as mandolin, guitar, banjo, and fiddle blended with two generations of voices.

In addition to music, the concert will be peppered with backstage anecdotes and photos of the recording. And John Carter Cash has dug into family archives to reveal how the three-generation dynasty has had a profound effect on American musical history.

McEuen describes the singer-songwriter-producer and caretaker of the Cash family legacy as very grounded.

“In my experience he picked up Johnny’s friendliness in accepting anyone and from June he’s got a sense of humour and is self-deprecating. If you met him on the street, you wouldn’t know he’s in show business or that he has famous parents.”

The travelling troubadours encourage audiences to join them in sharing musical history.

“We’re two generations and it doesn’t happen very often.”