Ralph Trotto
Link Records 707 EP, Cincinnati, OH 45215
RITE Account #1480
14257 - My Feet Sometimes Stumble / Satisfied (sacred)
14258 - So Trust The Lord / Lord's Prayer (sacred / guitar solo inst.)
Ralph Trotto must have been very talented because this is an amazing record. Ralph's pleasant and soulful vocal, backed with a chorus, conveys a powerful message with deep feelings. "Satisfied" is an uptempo country gospel bopper that really delivers a punch. The real gold, however is "The Lord's Prayer" on the flip side of the record. Ralph performs this song as a guitar solo that is powerful and breathtaking. Do yourself a favor and find a copy of this record!
A slogan on the left side of the label says it's "An ADCO Sound" so I presume it was produced in conjunction with local Cincinnatian, "Hobo" Jack Adkins, owner of the Adco label which was very active at this time (1965) and also used RITE to press many of his releases.
As an interesting sidenote, in Lonnie Mack's biography, Lonnie mentions "blind guitarist, gospel singer, Ralph Trotto as his earliest musical mentor/ blues guitar influence." Although this must have occured many years earlier, this recording is a testament to the likelihood of that infulence.
As an interesting sidenote, in Lonnie Mack's biography, Lonnie mentions "blind guitarist, gospel singer, Ralph Trotto as his earliest musical mentor/ blues guitar influence." Although this must have occured many years earlier, this recording is a testament to the likelihood of that infulence.
As a long time Lonnie Mack fan, I'd read of Lonnie taking guitar lessons from one Ralph Trotto during Lonnie's formative years. With that as a background, during a business trip to the Cincinatti area in 1991 I spent a day at Ralph Trotto's house in nearby Aurora, Indiana. I spent the time visiting with his wife, who was taking care of Ralph who was bedridden and virtually comatose in the wake of a car crash that had nearly killed him a year or more before (a drunk ran into his car while he was on his way home from church). She was kind enough to allow me to make a cassette copy of a tape she had, with what was undoubtedly Ralph's last recording, a home session in his living room with him singing and playing his acoustic guitar. Later I also was able to find one of his gospel LPs, but I've been sure he must have recorded more than just that one LP, hence my excitement at learing of the EP shown on your website. BUT now I need to hear the music! So the question becomes: How can I get a cassette or Mp3 copy of the 4 tracks on this EP?
ReplyDeleteJohntberg@msn.com (Seattle)
I would also love to be able to hear anything of Ralph Trotto I have heard about him for years mainly through Lonnie Mack's comments and one of his gospel albums is mentioned in the liner notes to one of Lonnie's releases on the English Ace label .It would be a fitting tribute to him if his material was released so a larger audience could appreciate his music .It is unfortunately common that the tue innovators of American roots music never get the recognition they deserve ,
ReplyDeleteWhen I was a kid, my parents would drive to Aurora and pick Ralph up and he would come and stay with us. I never knew growing up how big of an influence he was. I remember me practicing the piano and he would come into the living room and tease me. He would bring out his guitar and we would sing. Everytime he went to church with us, he would always accompany my mother as she would sing The Lord's Prayer. It's the only version I ever knew. And now, I find that it was his version and he had recorded it. After he married Beatrice, we didn't see him much. But we were around for the wreck and everything. Ralph was such and awesome person. And SOOO funny. We still talk about all the things he would do when he was staying with us. I would love to know how to get ahold of some of his recordings. I too have a cassette of him, playing the Lord's Prayer. Never knew he actually recorded.
ReplyDeleteMelissa, I too had parents that took care of Ralph in the 70's and 80's... He spent many evenings at or home in Lawrenceburg In. My Mother took care of him at Shady Nook Nursing home until his passing.... I have many copies of all of his LP recordings... Contact me if you would..... cinater614@windstream.net or tgwfims@yahoo.com
ReplyDeleteI am still hoping that the moderator/poster of this site will upload the 4 tracks from this EP so the many of us fans can enjoy the music. Thanks in advance,
ReplyDeleteJohnTBerg@msn.com
I have 4 of Ralph's albums that were recorded in the early 70s that we just brought out of the closet to play on my son's new turntable he got for Christmas.
ReplyDeleteI knew Ralph Trotto personally back in the 1960's. We used to get together to play at Paul Livey's house and someone would bring him over to jam with us. That was in Rising Sun, Indiana. He would play for the local Revivals at the Churches of Christ. He played every year at the Northman's Dads and Sons Encampment in Michigan. I am pretty sure he played a Gretch Archhtop Electric. He could play anything by ear and make it really smooth and jazzy. He could really sing, too. He knew a lot of jazz cords all up and down the neck of the guitar and sang with deep feeling. As I recall, he refused to play anywhere they sold liquor. I hope someone posts some of his playing. I would love to hear him again.
ReplyDeleteDonald Potter, Odessa, TX
Don .. Ralph was actually found playing for change in a bar as the story goes. He was asked it he wanted to leave and play for God. He ended up in the Aurora Church of Christ until his death.. He played his guitar along with the piano for our service music..
DeleteI was honored to have Ralph give me his “So Trust The Lord” LP when he was playing for a revival at my home church, First Christian Church of Monticello, Illinois, in 1971. I still have it in my LP collection. He encouraged me to play my trumpet along with him, and he could instantly find the key I was in and fill in with his fabulous rhythm accompaniment!
ReplyDeleteSIDE ONE 33 1/3 RPM 807668A
1. So Trust the Lord
2. My Feet Sometimes Stumble
3. Preach the gospel
4. Gentle Hands
5. Sorry I Never Knew You
6. Gonna Trade My Old Guitar
SIDE TWO 33 1/3 RPM 807668B
1. Wayfaring Pilgrim
2.. Medley ---- The Old Olive Tree
The Eastern Gates
3. It was for you
4. Medley ----- Power in the Blood
Are You Washed in the Blood?
Nothing but the Blood of Jesus
5. Medley ----- Prayer Is the Key
Room at the Cross
6. Lord's Prayer
R.I.P. in the Lord's care, dear Ralph. We'll see each other in glory!
Roger_Wisegarver@msn.com
Monticello, IL
My dad and Ralph were really good friends. He came to our house on many occasions, the last being to sing at my dad's funeral. My best memories are of him and my dad playing guitars and singing together. Somewhere my brother has reel to reels of them singing. Great memories for sure.
ReplyDeleteRalph was my cousin and i had the great pleasure of being around him
ReplyDeleteI was lucky enough to meet Ralph back in the mid 60s. My uncle Herman Brown brought him to our house in Middletown Ohio. Herman played steel guitar doing gospel music and was associated with the Asbury Tabenacle in Cincinnati. My brother & I were learning guitar and ralph was kind enough to listen & comment.
ReplyDeleteI found some old records of ralph at a goodwill in ky. Has is address on one of them and the other has the writing "to Denise? from ralph...any comments
ReplyDelete