David Mallett (born April 21, 1951) is an American singer-songwriter best known for his authorship of the "folk standard" composition " Garden Song". He has recorded for

independent record label An independent record label (or indie label) is a record label that operates without the funding or distribution of major record labels; they are a type of small- to medium-sized enterprise, or SME. The labels and artists are often represented ...

s for most of his career.

Biography

A resident of

Maine Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and north ...

for most of his life, in the 1980s Mallett relocated to

Nashville Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and the ...

, and released two albums with the folk and blues label

Vanguard The vanguard (also called the advance guard) is the leading part of an advancing military formation. It has a number of functions, including seeking out the enemy and securing ground in advance of the main force. History The vanguard derives fr ...

. He has since moved back to Maine and established his own label, North Road Records. Mallett's songs have been recorded by more than 150 artists, including:

Pete Seeger Peter Seeger (May 3, 1919 – January 27, 2014) was an American folk singer and social activist. A fixture on nationwide radio in the 1940s, Seeger also had a string of hit records during the early 1950s as a member of the Weavers, notably ...

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, Bok, Trickett, Muir, and

Liam Clancy Liam Clancy ( ga, Liam Mac Fhlannchadha; 2 September 1935 – 4 December 2009) was an Irish folk singer from Carrick-on-Suir, County Tipperary. He was the youngest member of the influential folk group the Clancy Brothers, regarded as Ireland's ...

. "Garden Song" was even recorded by the Muppets.

"Garden Song"

Mallett wrote "Garden Song" when he was in his early twenties. He'd been listening to the radio when he went to help his father plant the garden at his homestead in

Sebec, Maine Sebec is a town in Piscataquis County, Maine, United States. The population was 665 at the 2020 census. Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which, of it is land and is water. Demographic ...

. With "music in his head and work at his hands," the first verse came while planting: ::Inch by inch, row by row ::Gonna make this garden grow ::All it takes is a rake and hoe ::And a piece of fertile ground Mallett walked around the yard humming it. The next day, he wrote the second verse at a friend’s house. Being only the third or fourth song he'd written, Mallett regards "Garden Song" as a gift, one that altered the course of his life. It was recorded by

Peter, Paul and Mary Peter, Paul and Mary was an American folk group formed in New York City in 1961 during the American folk music revival phenomenon. The trio consisted of tenor Peter Yarrow, baritone Paul Stookey, and contralto Mary Travers. The group's repertoir ...

, and other acts. The song is likely why the

University of Maine The University of Maine (UMaine or UMO) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Orono, Maine. It was established in 1865 as the land-grant college of Maine and is the Flagship universities, flagshi ...

gave Mallett an honorary degree in 2014.

Performance

Mallett frequently performs with violinist Susan Ramsey and bassist Michael Burd, with sound by Tom Gordon. He has recorded 17 albums, including ''The Fable True'' in 2007, based on

Thoreau Henry David Thoreau (July 12, 1817May 6, 1862) was an American naturalist, essayist, poet, and philosopher. A leading transcendentalist, he is best known for his book ''Walden'', a reflection upon simple living in natural surroundings, and hi ...

's last expedition in 1857. and ''Alright Now'' a collection of songs including "Beautiful," dedicated to his daughter Molly. He has performed in town halls and folk clubs across America and Europe in addition to major venues such as Barns of Wolf Trap, Newport Folk Festival, and ''

Prairie Home Companion Prairies are ecosystems considered part of the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome by ecologists, based on similar temperate climates, moderate rainfall, and a composition of grasses, herbs, and shrubs, rather than trees, as the ...

''. The ''

Bangor Daily News The ''Bangor Daily News'' is an American newspaper covering a large portion of central and eastern Maine, published six days per week in Bangor, Maine. The ''Bangor Daily News'' was founded on June 18, 1889; it merged with the ''Bangor Whig and ...

'' recognized him as one of the 58 most memorable Mainers of the 20th Century. The readers of '' Folkwax'' voted him "2003 Artist of the Year" and his album ''Artist in Me'' as "2003 Album of the Year".

Legacy

His sons, Will and Luke, perform as The Mallett Brothers Band. The Mallett Brothers Band have a new album, "Live in Portland, Maine" available March 2019.

Discography

David Mallett has released seventeen albums: *1978: ''David Mallett'' *1979: ''Pennsylvania Sunrise'' *1981: ''Hard Light'' *1983: ''Open Doors and Windows'' *1986: ''Vital Signs'' *1988: ''For a Lifetime'' *1993: ''This Town'' *1995: ''In the Falling Dark'' *1997: ''Parallel Lives'' *1999: ''Ambition'' *2003: ''Artist in Me'' *2006: ''Midnight on the Water'' *2007: ''The Fable True'' *2009: ''Alright Now'' *2012: ''Greenin' Up'' *2015: ''The Horse I Rode In On'' *2016: ''Celebration''

References

External links

Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mallett, David 1951 births Living people People from Piscataquis County, Maine American singer-songwriters Vanguard Records artists Singers from Maine Songwriters from Maine American harmonica players Foxcroft Academy alumni Flying Fish Records artists