Last weekend, I stumbled upon the seven-months-old Wild Child album by Charlotte Morris. Halfway through the opening cut, “Tennessee,” I fell in love—not with her, mind you, but the song and her voice, the way it flies high one moment and glides low the next. The tracks that followed only furthered the feeling so, as I sometimes do with such discoveries, I spotlighted the set as part of my Delayed Plays series. I assumed that would be it, honestly, until I learned that she was slated to play in Hillsborough, NC, last night as part of the Colonial Inn’s free spring/summer “Concert on the Courtyard” series.
Whether serendipity, fate or a combination thereof, I can’t say. All I know is that Morris made magic before a few dozen folks in a small courtyard and more who listened from the inn’s patio, where drinks were allowed. Accompanying herself on guitar, she opened with one of the album’s highlights, the dramatic “Breathe,” and then led us down the backroads of “Tennessee.”
The 75-minute (give or take) set featured songs from the Wild Child album, a half dozen new songs, old favorites, plus a sterling cover of Bob Dylan’s “Make You Feel My Love.”
Morris displayed a charming personality while setting up the songs, giving us a glimpse into what led to them. The new songs were as strong as the ones we knew, including “As Is” and a humorous yet serious ode to being single in one’s 20s.
She also recounted the fun she had while touring with the Lonesome Traveler concert troupe, which included Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul and Mary for a spell, and then its followup, I Dig Rock & Roll Music. The former chronicled folk music from Woody Guthrie to Bob Dylan, while the latter trekked through the folk-rock boom of the late ‘60s and onward to the present—and, in keeping with that theme, allowed a few of the performers to sing their own protest songs. Morris’ choice was “Freedom,” about the Trump administration’s immigration policies. She recounted how one night a couple stormed out midway through the song and yelled at the venue’s manager, apparently okay with the protests of the past but not those of the present. (The story reminded me somewhat of the furor that CSNY faced on their 2006 Freedom of Speech tour.)
Here’s the one-off single of “Freedom,” which she released in 2019:
The (early) evening ended with a celebration of the many gin joints to be found in Nashville, “Neighborhood Bar,” and the uptempo “Your Number One,” which she mentioned is her dad’s favorite tune from Wild Child. He didn’t realize, she said, that it details the painful whys and wherefores of her relationship’s end.
After the show, we met Morris by the merch table, bought her CD as well as the last of her small mugs, which looks to be a perfect match for my espresso needs. We did forget to ask where in suburban Philly she grew up, given that we lived there most of our lives, but c’est la vie. Next time. As Diane observed on our way home, she’s reminiscent of Mary Chapin Carpenter circa the early 1990s, when we saw her quite often, but (and this is my observation) with a dash of Joni Mitchell mixed in.
When/if she comes to your town, don’t think twice. See her.
The Old Grey Cat 
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