Friday, December 30, 2011

Danny Schmidt and "The Company of Friends"

Danny Schmidt has a number of terrific releases out -- the same with songs -- and it's past time for a highlight here.

Therefore, I'm going with "The Company of Friends" on his "Little Grey Sheep" offering.

Here is Schmidt's description of his creation:
"I wrote this song after the death of my friend, RB Smith . . . a beloved member of the Charlottesville community. So beloved, in fact, that at the viewing of his body before his burial ceremony, the line went from the funeral home, out to the street, and around the block. And it got me thinking what it's important to accumulate in life and what's not so important. This song is a re-evaluation thanks to RB."
It opens with:
"When I die, let them judge me by my company of friends
Let them know me as the footprints that I left upon the sand
Let them laugh for all the laughter
Let them cry for laughter’s end
But when I die, let them judge me by my company of friends ..."
Later, he details what he believes in. It's terrific and moving. Below is a video of the song.

Andrew Calhoun and John Prine

Can anyone name another folk song written by one singer-songwriter about another that steers clear of any and all obsequiousness and actually ventures into warts and all territory?

Andrew Calhoun's "Goin' Down To See John Prine" is the only one I can locate. A segment of his lyrics:
"... At the folkie's Sunday softball, for weeks they had it planned
John would come to play a game with his entire band
I had my year-old son there, we had brought him down to see
A man who just ignored him, and barely noticed me
He was out of shape and shouting, like his good time wasn't real
Then he headed out for a private thing with the boys in center field
And I wished it didn't matter, and I wished I didn't care
Just my tough luck to love someone who wasn't really there
On a sunny summer afternoon, for me the game was blown
Who'd believe this strung-out fool was the man who wrote "Sam Stone"? ...
The song is on Andrew's "Tiger Tattoo" release.

Here's a version:

Thursday, December 22, 2011

A great songwriters article

Evert Cilliers aka Adam Ash writes at the 3 Quarks Daily site about great songwriters -- he has but eight in his pantheon -- and laments that it has been some time since anyone emerged. It's a fascinating piece sure to have you muttering "but what about ..."

My sense is his life, minus Bob Dylan, has been bereft of exposure to the "underground" folk music genre with which we are familiar.

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Carrie Newcomer and "Bare To The Bone"

One of Carrie Newcomer's songs is especially spiritually striking (yes, actually many more than one) -- though not religious. It's message is of living life on a clearly loving basis or as she sings it "wrapped in hope and good intention and bare to the bone."

The title: "Bare To The Bone' (not to be confused with "Bad To The Bone"