Undeniably, one America's greatest areas of music heritage is a small quadrant of Southwest Virginia just north over the state line from Kingsport, TN. From here, at the foot of the great Clinch Mountain in Maces Springs, came the original Carter Family.

The Carter Family III carries on the tradition. The sound is richly steeped with the musical heritage of Dale Jett and John Carter Cash's ancestors.

A.P. Carter and Sarah Carter's grandson Dale Jett has been making music his whole life long. His voice echoes with the same timber and quality of his grandparents, true and strong. Dale's Autoharp rings with a beauty and clarity that echoes with the tone his grandmother Sarah made with hers.

Maybelle Carter's grandson John Carter Cash, more often a music producer than performer, likewise clings tightly to family tradition. His style, uniquely his own, remains deeply rooted in his family's music.

Now Dale and John Carter join with John Carter's wife Laura Cash to form the Carter Family III, the third generation of the Carter Family. Laura is a champion fiddler and accomplished singer, her heart tightly connected to the music of the Original Carter Family.

Past and Present, the new CD, is a collection of songs from the heart. There is new music within, composed by Dale and John Carter, as well as some songs from the family catalog, and others chosen for the project because of strong heart's connection and meaning.