Old Folksinger's Pick
2020

A note from Bob

December 2020

COVID 19 has been as ill a wind as I’ve known in my 75 years. And yet it has blown into earshot more great folk music than I would have ever known was there. This sampler could have been twice as long.

As I wrote last year, “This is some of the best music I know, which is to say, these are a bunch of songs I really like – beauty residing firmly in the ear of the beholder. Since people’s taste in song is as diverse as their taste in, well, people, there are likely some pieces here that will elicit a head shake and a puzzled “what does he hear in that?” No worries: just click on the next title. It may be something you’ll love.”

When I used to tell people I was a folk singer, I wondered what kind of songs they thought I sang. Tom Dooley? If I Had a Hammer? I’s the B’y? In fact, folk music is as wide-ranging as music itself. I fell in love with it when I was 12 (Tom Dooley, If I Had a Hammer, I’s the B’y) and I have followed its branches and tributaries ever since. Like Picasso said of God, “He created the giraffe, the cat, the elephant. He has no style. He just keeps doing things.” Yup.

Do drop me a line and let me know what you like and what you don’t.

bob@bossin.com

P.S. Yes, I am still making music, I am just not gigging anymore. (These days, who is?) My most recent piece is Tea with Rosie, here.

A few notes on the songs:

In these internet-ed times, you can easily find most anything you want to know about the songs, the singers or the composers. Here are a few tidbits I just couldn’t resist.

01 Wayward Jane is a Scottish group. Would you have guessed?

04 This set is from Through the Seasons, Will Pound’s stage show and album of Morris dance tunes. Morris teams dancing to Irish jigs? Who knew? Pound is rightfully acclaimed for his harmonica wizardry, but be sure to listen to Fivey’s piano.

05 Nancy Kerr is Sandra Kerr’s daughter. Sandra Kerr, I learned when we were in England in 2018, used to sing my song Show Us the Length.

06 Chris re-wrote the traditional Hares on the Mountain. Andy wrote the tune that follows.

07 Johnny Cash wrote Get Rhythm as the B-side of a 1956 single. The A-side was I Walk the Line.

08 Yes, he is.

14 Written by Ewan MacColl.

15 and 16 were both written by Michael Smith who died this year. Smith was one of the best song-writers ever, IMO. He wrote Rose o’ Sharon for a musical adaption of “The Grapes of Wrath”. He is reputed to have said near the end, “If you are going to sing my songs, get the chords right.”

19 Written by John Tams based, as they say in Hollywood, on a true story.

20 Written by Les Barker, who else?

21 Written by Patty Griffin.

23 Scott Cook hales from Alberta. I find that comforting.