Still Beautiful

The other day, I posted a John Prine recording from the Grammy-winning album, Beautiful Dreamer, a collection of Stephen Foster songs each recorded by different popular artists.  The songs ranged from classics to those unknown today.  This is one of the latter -- and one of the loveliest, "Nellie was a Lady."  The song stands out for another reason, as well.  The liner notes describe why it's also an especially rare song.  This is one of the very few popular songs of its day that express a sympathetic and loving relationship between a black man and a black woman.

It's performed here by Alvin Youngblood Hart, who the year before received a Grammy nomination for Down in the Alley, as Best Traditional Blues Album.