“Poor Blind Birds” and other Heartfelt Singles Celebrate Felice Brothers Ahead of “Felice County Fair”

Three new singles from Felice County Fair, a tribute record to Catskills-based folk band The Felice Brothers, were released today, Aug. 28. Spearheaded by Brandy Schultz, wife of The Lumineers’ Wesley Schultz, the Felice County Fair project features 26 songs from the Felice Brothers’ well-loved catalog, performed by a wide collection of musicians.

Long Island native Benny G covers “Poor Blind Birds,” a wistful song from the Felice Brothers’ 2019 album Undress. This rendition of the song foregrounds acoustic guitar, with Benny G’s strong, rich vocals highlighting deep feeling in the already poignant lyrics.

Michael Marcagi, a singer-songwriter from Cincinnati, OH, covers the Felice Brothers’ song “Take This Bread.” This version features a lyric change from the original, which has a second verse centering on a man dying after being shot by police. The Felice Brothers have performed an alternate version of the verse that builds on the story of the “neighbor Odetta” from earlier in the song, narrating her peaceful death and how the singer continues to remember her companionship; this gentler verse is the one Marcagi sings.

Finally, Willie Watson, a founding member of Americana string band Old Crow Medicine Show, features on the Felice County Fair version of “Saint Stephen’s End.” Now a solo artist, Watson brings his soulful voice to the Felice Brothers’ melancholy yet soothing lyrics.

In a post on Instagram from Jul. 17, Ian Felice writes that folk songs “should be passed along like family recipes, used and adapted.” The Felice County Fair project epitomizes this communal, collaborative approach to music. All three newly released tribute songs, as well as the seven singles already released from the album, pay homage to the Felice Brothers’ impactful music while allowing other artists to illuminate the tracks in their own unique ways.

“Poor Blind Birds,” “Take This Bread,” and “Saint Stephen’s End” can all be streamed on Spotify and other music platforms. The full Felice County Fair album will be released on Oct. 16. More information can be found on the Felice Brothers’ website.