A few selections of Jeff Emery's KZSC 88.1 FM playlist of December 30:
Sunday, December 30, 2018
Sunday, December 16, 2018
John Rumsey's Top 10 (and more) folk releases from 2018
From John Rumsey:
"In the year of the woman exciting releases came from icons like Joan Baez, Eliza
Gilkyson, Kathy Mattea and Mary Chapin Carpenter. But the first release of self written material by Tracy Grammar was my favorite. Another year of spectacular music with inspiration provided by the dysfunctional White House. Thanks to all of you folk artists.
John Rumsey, Four Strong Winds KVMR Nevada City, CA
1 Tracey Grammer Low Tide Tracey Grammer
2 Rita Hosking For Real Rita Hosking
3 Mary Chapin Carpenter Sometimes Just the Sky Ambient Light
4 John McCutcheon Ghost Light Appalseed
5 Joan Baez Whistle down the Wind Razor & Tie
6 Eliza Gilkyson Secularia Red House Records
7 Andy & Judy Reflections Andy & Judy
8 Craig Bickhardt Home for the Harvest Stone Barn Records
9 Lowlily 10,000 Days Like These Mad River Records
10 Joe Jencks The Forgotten Turtle Bear Records
Honorable Mention:
Barwick & Siegfried Stones & Gravel FGM
These songs and as many more of my favorites for 2018 will be broadcast from 10 am to noon pst on 12/26 steaming on KVMR.org"
"In the year of the woman exciting releases came from icons like Joan Baez, Eliza
Gilkyson, Kathy Mattea and Mary Chapin Carpenter. But the first release of self written material by Tracy Grammar was my favorite. Another year of spectacular music with inspiration provided by the dysfunctional White House. Thanks to all of you folk artists.
John Rumsey, Four Strong Winds KVMR Nevada City, CA
1 Tracey Grammer Low Tide Tracey Grammer
2 Rita Hosking For Real Rita Hosking
3 Mary Chapin Carpenter Sometimes Just the Sky Ambient Light
4 John McCutcheon Ghost Light Appalseed
5 Joan Baez Whistle down the Wind Razor & Tie
6 Eliza Gilkyson Secularia Red House Records
7 Andy & Judy Reflections Andy & Judy
8 Craig Bickhardt Home for the Harvest Stone Barn Records
9 Lowlily 10,000 Days Like These Mad River Records
10 Joe Jencks The Forgotten Turtle Bear Records
Honorable Mention:
Barwick & Siegfried Stones & Gravel FGM
These songs and as many more of my favorites for 2018 will be broadcast from 10 am to noon pst on 12/26 steaming on KVMR.org"
Saturday, December 15, 2018
Saturday, December 8, 2018
Tuesday, December 4, 2018
Mike Regenstreif's Top 18 for 2018
"Here are my picks for the Top 18 folk-rooted or folk-branched albums of 2018..."
Thursday, November 29, 2018
Victor Jara's death was not in vain
Wednesday, November 28, 2018
The 20 Best Folk Albums of 2018
"The 20 Best Folk Albums of 2018" Jonathan Frahm & Elisabeth Woronzoff
Sunday, November 25, 2018
A review of a Gregory Alan Isakov concert
"Gregory Alan Isakov fills Royale with folk-music while supporting latest album" Morgan Hume
Can never pass up any opportunity to post this Isakov song:
"remember when our songs were just like prayers.
like gospel hymns that you called in the air.
come down come down sweet reverence,
unto my simple house and ring…
and ring.
ring like silver, ring like gold
ring out those ghosts on the ohio ring
like clear day wedding bells
were we the belly of the beast or the sword that fell…we’ll never tell.
come to me clear and cold on some sea
watch the world spinning waves…like some machine
now i’ve been crazy couldn’t you tell
i threw stones at the stars, but the whole sky fell
now i’m covered up in straw, belly up on the table
well i drank and sang, and passed in the stable.
that tall grass grows high and brown,
well i dragged you straight in the muddy ground
and you sent me back to where i roam
well i cursed and i cried, but now i know…now i know
and i ran back to that hollow again
the moon was just a sliver back then
and i ached for my heart like some tin man
when it came oh it beat and it boiled and it rang…
it’s ringing ring like crazy, ring like hell
turn me back into that wild haired gale
ring like silver, ring like gold
turn these diamonds straight back into coal."
Can never pass up any opportunity to post this Isakov song:
"remember when our songs were just like prayers.
like gospel hymns that you called in the air.
come down come down sweet reverence,
unto my simple house and ring…
and ring.
ring like silver, ring like gold
ring out those ghosts on the ohio ring
like clear day wedding bells
were we the belly of the beast or the sword that fell…we’ll never tell.
come to me clear and cold on some sea
watch the world spinning waves…like some machine
now i’ve been crazy couldn’t you tell
i threw stones at the stars, but the whole sky fell
now i’m covered up in straw, belly up on the table
well i drank and sang, and passed in the stable.
that tall grass grows high and brown,
well i dragged you straight in the muddy ground
and you sent me back to where i roam
well i cursed and i cried, but now i know…now i know
and i ran back to that hollow again
the moon was just a sliver back then
and i ached for my heart like some tin man
when it came oh it beat and it boiled and it rang…
it’s ringing ring like crazy, ring like hell
turn me back into that wild haired gale
ring like silver, ring like gold
turn these diamonds straight back into coal."
Wednesday, November 7, 2018
Remembering Terence Martin
Terence Martin passed on this day in 2011. His exquisite musical works live on:
"Remembering Terence Martin, A Gifted Singer-Songwriter"
Here is one of his most beguiling creations:
"where is the life the life we might have led
it started on the corner where we never met
I nearly turned to you you nearly turned to me
at the intersection of what is and what could be
what would have happened we'll never know
that's the way it didn't go
I saw a child who might have had our name
he passed me in a crowd just the other day
he spoke some words but none of them were clear
our shadows nearly touched as he disappeared
did he have your eyes? I'll never know
that's the way it didn't go
Ii'm not myself today & you're not who you are
we're one lane over riding in that car
they read a map but they don't recognize the road
and if they think about us they don't let it show
where did they turn? we'll never know
that's the way it didn't go
the door you didn't walk through
the girl you didn't talk to
the light you didn't run that day
the call you didn't answer
the unrequited dancer
you met her glance and turned away
put it down lightly you know how things can break
I can't forget the love we didn't make
the sun that didn't rise through
the window that's not there
the way it didn't fall
on your face and on your hair
what did you dream? I'll never know
that's the way it didn't go
what might have been? we'll never know
that's the way it didn't go"
"Remembering Terence Martin, A Gifted Singer-Songwriter"
Here is one of his most beguiling creations:
"where is the life the life we might have led
it started on the corner where we never met
I nearly turned to you you nearly turned to me
at the intersection of what is and what could be
what would have happened we'll never know
that's the way it didn't go
I saw a child who might have had our name
he passed me in a crowd just the other day
he spoke some words but none of them were clear
our shadows nearly touched as he disappeared
did he have your eyes? I'll never know
that's the way it didn't go
Ii'm not myself today & you're not who you are
we're one lane over riding in that car
they read a map but they don't recognize the road
and if they think about us they don't let it show
where did they turn? we'll never know
that's the way it didn't go
the door you didn't walk through
the girl you didn't talk to
the light you didn't run that day
the call you didn't answer
the unrequited dancer
you met her glance and turned away
put it down lightly you know how things can break
I can't forget the love we didn't make
the sun that didn't rise through
the window that's not there
the way it didn't fall
on your face and on your hair
what did you dream? I'll never know
that's the way it didn't go
what might have been? we'll never know
that's the way it didn't go"
Saturday, November 3, 2018
Remembering Al Grierson
On November 2 in 2000, Al Grierson passed. Certainly one of a kind and a literate songwriter who drew from spirituality, philosophy, history and more.
"May you set your shoes to dancing in the hour of your death and meet it with the courage it deserves
May your shadow pass in pirouettes of such amazing grace that the tears of those who mourn you disappear without a trace
In a smoke that shapes their sorrow to the fading of your feet
In a ring around the rainbow where the circle is complete"
This is Ray Wylie Hubbard performing Grierson's "Resurrection"
"May you set your shoes to dancing in the hour of your death and meet it with the courage it deserves
May your shadow pass in pirouettes of such amazing grace that the tears of those who mourn you disappear without a trace
In a smoke that shapes their sorrow to the fading of your feet
In a ring around the rainbow where the circle is complete"
This is Ray Wylie Hubbard performing Grierson's "Resurrection"
Remembering Eva Cassidy
On November 2 in 1996, Eva Cassidy died. Her musical brilliance is evident in her performing covers more intimate and touching than the originals. A few examples:
Tuesday, October 30, 2018
"Peter Pan and Me" Moloney, Keane and O'Connell
Peter Pan and Me (by Mickey McConnell)
"We knew we faced the power that comes from money
When we marched against the empire's mighty schemes
They were armed with special powers and legislation
While we were armed with youth and foolish dreams
But it seemed so right in Derry all that summer
When we took them on and built our barricades
We were an army dressed in faded jeans and sandals
Too young and full of pride to be afraid
And we believed in things like justice, truth, and freedom
And we believed we had a right to liberty
And we believed that we could build a new tomorrow
That's how it seemed to Peter Pan and me.
But we soon learned the truth of street rebellion
As our city crumbled round us stone by stone
Betrayed by those who promised they would help us
Against tanks, and troops, and guns we stood alone.
The revolution is no game for foolish dreamers
For dreamers never know the price that must be paid
Before long we learned all power comes from a rifle
And we learned to bleed and die and be afraid.
And soon no one spoke of justice, truth, or freedom
And soon no one gave one damn for liberty
And all we hoped was that we might go on surviving
We grew up fast, young Peter Pan and me.
Then the empire dealt us death and fear and prison
There's no mercy from that military machine
And our street kids swapped their faded jeans and sandals
For hoods and guns with loaded magazines.
And now the years have wrought their cruel retribution
And our brothers and our sisters bear the pain
As both sides strive for violent solutions
And the politicians play their deadly games.
And among the dead lie justice, truth, and freedom
And among the dead lie hope and liberty
But if you care enough about brave new tomorrows
Pull up a chair, join Peter Pan and me."
"We knew we faced the power that comes from money
When we marched against the empire's mighty schemes
They were armed with special powers and legislation
While we were armed with youth and foolish dreams
But it seemed so right in Derry all that summer
When we took them on and built our barricades
We were an army dressed in faded jeans and sandals
Too young and full of pride to be afraid
And we believed in things like justice, truth, and freedom
And we believed we had a right to liberty
And we believed that we could build a new tomorrow
That's how it seemed to Peter Pan and me.
But we soon learned the truth of street rebellion
As our city crumbled round us stone by stone
Betrayed by those who promised they would help us
Against tanks, and troops, and guns we stood alone.
The revolution is no game for foolish dreamers
For dreamers never know the price that must be paid
Before long we learned all power comes from a rifle
And we learned to bleed and die and be afraid.
And soon no one spoke of justice, truth, or freedom
And soon no one gave one damn for liberty
And all we hoped was that we might go on surviving
We grew up fast, young Peter Pan and me.
Then the empire dealt us death and fear and prison
There's no mercy from that military machine
And our street kids swapped their faded jeans and sandals
For hoods and guns with loaded magazines.
And now the years have wrought their cruel retribution
And our brothers and our sisters bear the pain
As both sides strive for violent solutions
And the politicians play their deadly games.
And among the dead lie justice, truth, and freedom
And among the dead lie hope and liberty
But if you care enough about brave new tomorrows
Pull up a chair, join Peter Pan and me."
The inaugural RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Awards
The inaugural RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Awards recipients:
Best Original Folk Track "Along the Western Seaboard" - Declan O'Rourke
Best Traditional Folk Track "Bean Dubh A’ Ghleanna" - Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh
Best Folk Singer - Radie Peat
Best Emerging Folk Artist - Emma Langford
Best Folk Instrumentalist - Martin Hayes
Best Folk Group - Lankum
Best Folk Album Haven - We Banjo 3
Lifetime Achievement Award - Andy Irvine
Hall of Fame - Tom Munnelly and John Reilly
Here is Declan O'Rourke with his winner:
"Heavenly father could you hear the prayers I offer you today,
some of the people in the parish have been asking me to pray for them,
they have no strength to help themselves,
they need help fending for themselves,
and we do all we can do but there's so little that we can do,
and this is the worst winter I know of even worse than last,
the snow has stayed for too long on the ground and for the second year around,
now all across our little Island we give all our sweat and toil
and still the crops they have all rotted in the soil,
and all across the Western seaboard they await with open hands
for something to feed there children or a ship to foreign lands,
but there's nothing here to give them except for chicken feet and sand,
while Britannia rules the roost with iron hands
Lord what can we do now,
oh good Lord what can we do
when we need to feed so many and there's not even for the few,
Lord what can we do now,
Lord what can we do,
they are starving, they are freezing,
and their clothes have all worn through
Heavenly father your people need you more than ever now,
it is such a desperate situation that the nation's in somehow,
I can't see many pulling through because even if we had the food to feed them many have disease,
Lord I hope you hear our pleas,
they are scattered by the roadside,
in the towns and in the fields,
and there is not even food to work for,
nevermind beg, lend or steal,
and if we go by the predictions with starvation and eviction
some two million will be dead before we're through,
still all along the western seaboard they await with open hands
for something to feed their children or a ship to foreign lands,
for there's nothing here to give them except for chicken feet and sand,
while Britannia rules the roost with iron hands
Lord what can we do,
oh good lord Lord what can we do,
when we need to see so many but there's not even for the few,
Lord what can we do now,
Lord what can we do,
they are starving,
they are freezing,
and their clothes have all worn through,
they have no one else but you"
Best Original Folk Track "Along the Western Seaboard" - Declan O'Rourke
Best Traditional Folk Track "Bean Dubh A’ Ghleanna" - Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh
Best Folk Singer - Radie Peat
Best Emerging Folk Artist - Emma Langford
Best Folk Instrumentalist - Martin Hayes
Best Folk Group - Lankum
Best Folk Album Haven - We Banjo 3
Lifetime Achievement Award - Andy Irvine
Hall of Fame - Tom Munnelly and John Reilly
Here is Declan O'Rourke with his winner:
"Heavenly father could you hear the prayers I offer you today,
some of the people in the parish have been asking me to pray for them,
they have no strength to help themselves,
they need help fending for themselves,
and we do all we can do but there's so little that we can do,
and this is the worst winter I know of even worse than last,
the snow has stayed for too long on the ground and for the second year around,
now all across our little Island we give all our sweat and toil
and still the crops they have all rotted in the soil,
and all across the Western seaboard they await with open hands
for something to feed there children or a ship to foreign lands,
but there's nothing here to give them except for chicken feet and sand,
while Britannia rules the roost with iron hands
Lord what can we do now,
oh good Lord what can we do
when we need to feed so many and there's not even for the few,
Lord what can we do now,
Lord what can we do,
they are starving, they are freezing,
and their clothes have all worn through
Heavenly father your people need you more than ever now,
it is such a desperate situation that the nation's in somehow,
I can't see many pulling through because even if we had the food to feed them many have disease,
Lord I hope you hear our pleas,
they are scattered by the roadside,
in the towns and in the fields,
and there is not even food to work for,
nevermind beg, lend or steal,
and if we go by the predictions with starvation and eviction
some two million will be dead before we're through,
still all along the western seaboard they await with open hands
for something to feed their children or a ship to foreign lands,
for there's nothing here to give them except for chicken feet and sand,
while Britannia rules the roost with iron hands
Lord what can we do,
oh good lord Lord what can we do,
when we need to see so many but there's not even for the few,
Lord what can we do now,
Lord what can we do,
they are starving,
they are freezing,
and their clothes have all worn through,
they have no one else but you"
Tuesday, October 23, 2018
"Highway 4am (Driving) by Brother Sun
A Greg Greenway song as sung by Brother Sun. Love the metamorphosis of the relationship and especially these lines:
"It's a lonely romance
It's a desperate urge
to put something beautiful in this world"
and
"of found girls who want to save lost boys"
"As you lie sleeping, I will not stop,
headlights on the blacktop.
In the wee hours of my thing,
driving, driving.
When we first met how I must have seemed,
a young man in a boy's dream.
No information, just desire, higher, higher
It's a lonely romance
It's a desperate urge
to put something beautiful in this world.
There are moments in a night's success
when something rises from the emptiness
and stirs the brave hope of a young desire,
higher, higher
(hey yey yey)
As you lie sleeping, I will not stop,
headlights on the blacktop.
In the wee hours of my thing,
driving, driving.
You have shown me the equal and opposite force
of found girls who want to save lost boys.
They know that longest road is never done alone,
they give them a way, a way back home.
It's a lonely romance
It's a desperate urge
to put something beautiful in this world.
As you lie sleeping, through the misting rain,
high beams in the fast lane,
in the wee hours of our thing driving driving."
"It's a lonely romance
It's a desperate urge
to put something beautiful in this world"
and
"of found girls who want to save lost boys"
"As you lie sleeping, I will not stop,
headlights on the blacktop.
In the wee hours of my thing,
driving, driving.
When we first met how I must have seemed,
a young man in a boy's dream.
No information, just desire, higher, higher
It's a lonely romance
It's a desperate urge
to put something beautiful in this world.
There are moments in a night's success
when something rises from the emptiness
and stirs the brave hope of a young desire,
higher, higher
(hey yey yey)
As you lie sleeping, I will not stop,
headlights on the blacktop.
In the wee hours of my thing,
driving, driving.
You have shown me the equal and opposite force
of found girls who want to save lost boys.
They know that longest road is never done alone,
they give them a way, a way back home.
It's a lonely romance
It's a desperate urge
to put something beautiful in this world.
As you lie sleeping, through the misting rain,
high beams in the fast lane,
in the wee hours of our thing driving driving."
"Friend of Mine" Betty Elders
So eloquent and touching. The cello background adds so much. What a gift to listeners!
"For ten long years of running
You have been my one companion
Friend of mine
You are courage you are wisdom
There is no one who stands taller
In my eyes
Now your hair is turning silver
Near the lines my weakness left upon your face
And you walk a little slower
Than the restless one who tries to set the pace
All the times you filled my needs before your own
I never once heard you complain
Time and again
You were my friend
I wrote songs for different lovers
Distant lands and countless others
None for you
I've been linked to some old memories
By the chains that bind
But never chained to you
All these flaws you never mention
Serve to edify your gentle selfless grace
And it was never my intention
You should ever have to suffer for my ways
All the times I could have told you
Well I guess perhaps I thought perhaps you knew
Time and again
You were my friend
All the times I should have told you
Well I guess somehow I thought perhaps you knew
Love without end
You are my friend"
"For ten long years of running
You have been my one companion
Friend of mine
You are courage you are wisdom
There is no one who stands taller
In my eyes
Now your hair is turning silver
Near the lines my weakness left upon your face
And you walk a little slower
Than the restless one who tries to set the pace
All the times you filled my needs before your own
I never once heard you complain
Time and again
You were my friend
I wrote songs for different lovers
Distant lands and countless others
None for you
I've been linked to some old memories
By the chains that bind
But never chained to you
All these flaws you never mention
Serve to edify your gentle selfless grace
And it was never my intention
You should ever have to suffer for my ways
All the times I could have told you
Well I guess perhaps I thought perhaps you knew
Time and again
You were my friend
All the times I should have told you
Well I guess somehow I thought perhaps you knew
Love without end
You are my friend"
Monday, October 1, 2018
Saturday, September 29, 2018
Wednesday, September 26, 2018
An excellent feature on Ferron
"A candid interview with Ferron, an unsung Canadian treasure" Andrea Warner
Ferron is hitting Seattle, Portland and California in October on her current tour.
Ferron is hitting Seattle, Portland and California in October on her current tour.
Wednesday, September 12, 2018
Oldies but goodies from Fred Small
Here are a pair of Fred Small (make that Rev. Fred Small now) songs certainly applicable today:
"We have cleared off the table, the leftovers saved,
Washed the dishes and put them away
I have told you a story and tucked you in tight
At the end of your knockabout day
As the moon sets it's sails to carry you to sleep
Over the midnight sea
I will sing you a song no one sang to me
May it keep you good company.
Chorus:
You can be anybody you want to be,
You can love whomever you will
You can travel any country where your heart leads
And know I will love you still
You can live by yourself, you can gather friends around,
You can choose one special one
And the only measure of your words and your deeds
Will be the love you leave behind when you're done.
There are girls who grow up strong and bold
There are boys quiet and kind
Some race on ahead, some follow behind
Some go in their own way and time
Some women love women, some men love men
Some raise children, some never do
You can dream all the day never reaching the end
Of everything possible for you.
Don't be rattled by names, by taunts, by games
But seek out spirits true
If you give your friends the best part of yourself
They will give the same back to you.
Chorus"
"The echoes of childhood whisper violence
Cold wind beating out of the past
Rage in your throat, muffled silence
Hold on, I will stand fast
In the darkness your guardians had left you
Cold wind beating out of the past
None to hear your cries, none to defend you
Hold on I will stand fast
I will stand fast, I will stand fast
You are safe in the daylight at last
Nightmare and fear, they have no power here
I will stand fast
I will listen to the terrors that tried you
I will cradle the child that breathes inside you
Though you take the shape of a hundred ancient horrors
Though you strike at me and flee into your sorrow
Hold on I will stand fast
I will stand fast, I will stand fast
You are safe in the daylight at last
Nightmare and fear, they have no power here
I will stand fast
Birds flash upon a branch in winter
Cold wind beating out of the past
Ice in the sun begins to splinter
You will walk with no fetters to bind you
Cold wind beating out of the past
All the love you have wanted will find you
I will stand fast, I will stand fast
You are safe in the daylight at last
Nightmare and fear, they have no power here
I will stand fast
I will stand fast"
"We have cleared off the table, the leftovers saved,
Washed the dishes and put them away
I have told you a story and tucked you in tight
At the end of your knockabout day
As the moon sets it's sails to carry you to sleep
Over the midnight sea
I will sing you a song no one sang to me
May it keep you good company.
Chorus:
You can be anybody you want to be,
You can love whomever you will
You can travel any country where your heart leads
And know I will love you still
You can live by yourself, you can gather friends around,
You can choose one special one
And the only measure of your words and your deeds
Will be the love you leave behind when you're done.
There are girls who grow up strong and bold
There are boys quiet and kind
Some race on ahead, some follow behind
Some go in their own way and time
Some women love women, some men love men
Some raise children, some never do
You can dream all the day never reaching the end
Of everything possible for you.
Don't be rattled by names, by taunts, by games
But seek out spirits true
If you give your friends the best part of yourself
They will give the same back to you.
Chorus"
"The echoes of childhood whisper violence
Cold wind beating out of the past
Rage in your throat, muffled silence
Hold on, I will stand fast
In the darkness your guardians had left you
Cold wind beating out of the past
None to hear your cries, none to defend you
Hold on I will stand fast
I will stand fast, I will stand fast
You are safe in the daylight at last
Nightmare and fear, they have no power here
I will stand fast
I will listen to the terrors that tried you
I will cradle the child that breathes inside you
Though you take the shape of a hundred ancient horrors
Though you strike at me and flee into your sorrow
Hold on I will stand fast
I will stand fast, I will stand fast
You are safe in the daylight at last
Nightmare and fear, they have no power here
I will stand fast
Birds flash upon a branch in winter
Cold wind beating out of the past
Ice in the sun begins to splinter
You will walk with no fetters to bind you
Cold wind beating out of the past
All the love you have wanted will find you
I will stand fast, I will stand fast
You are safe in the daylight at last
Nightmare and fear, they have no power here
I will stand fast
I will stand fast"
Sunday, September 9, 2018
Two special offerings from Carrie Newcomer
Carrie Newcomer is one of the few artists who melds spiritual content with accompanying music and delivery making such genuinely accessible and inviting to all:
"No you can't always tell one from another
And it's best not to judge a book by it's tattered cover
I have found when I tried or looked deeper inside
What appears unadorned might be wondrously formed
You can't always tell but sometimes you just know
'Round here we throw geodes in our gardens
They're as common as the rain or corn silk in July
Unpretentious browns and grays the stain of Indiana clay
They're what's left of shallow seas, glacial rock and mystery
And inside their shines a secret bright as promise
All these things that we call familiar
Are just miracles clothed in the commonplace
And you’ll see it if you try in the next stranger's eyes
God walks around in muddy boots, sometimes rags and that's the truth
You can't always tell, but sometimes you just know
Some say geodes were made from pockets of tears
Trapped away in small places for years upon years
Pressed down and transformed, 'til the true self was born
And the whole world moved on like the last notes of a song
A love letter sent without return address
No you can't always tell one from another
And it's best not to judge a book by it's tattered cover
I don't open them to see folks 'round here just like me
We have come to believe there's hidden good in common things
You can't always tell but sometimes you just know
You can't always tell but sometimes you just know"
and
"Here I am without a message
Here I stand with empty hands
Just a spirit tired of wandering like a stranger in this land
Walking wide-eyed through this world
Is the only way I've known
Wrapped in hope and good intention and
Bare to the bone
There is nothing I won't show you
There is nothing I can hide
I've risked it all and dreamt it all
And seldom questioned why
You took me in when I was hungry
When my spirit ached and groaned
Laid wide open and defenseless
And bare to the bone
When I rise, I rise in glory
If I do, I do by grace
Time will wash away our footprints
And we'll leave without a trace
Between here and now and forever
Is such precious little time
What we do in love and kindness
Is all we ever leave behind
When my eyes are slowly fading
When the light is softly waning
When the evening sun is setting
And the world is barely breathing
Then your voice will call me
And your hands will lead me home
Like a newborn awed and naked
And bare to the bone
When I rise, I rise in glory
If I do, I do by grace
Time will wash away our footprints
And we'll leave without a trace
Between here and now and forever
Is such precious little time
What we do in love and kindness
Is all we ever leave behind
Here I am without a message
Here I stand with empty hands
Just a spirit tired of wandering
Like a stranger in this land
Walking wide-eyed through this world
Is the only way I've known
Wrapped in hope and good intention and
Bare to the bone"
"No you can't always tell one from another
And it's best not to judge a book by it's tattered cover
I have found when I tried or looked deeper inside
What appears unadorned might be wondrously formed
You can't always tell but sometimes you just know
'Round here we throw geodes in our gardens
They're as common as the rain or corn silk in July
Unpretentious browns and grays the stain of Indiana clay
They're what's left of shallow seas, glacial rock and mystery
And inside their shines a secret bright as promise
All these things that we call familiar
Are just miracles clothed in the commonplace
And you’ll see it if you try in the next stranger's eyes
God walks around in muddy boots, sometimes rags and that's the truth
You can't always tell, but sometimes you just know
Some say geodes were made from pockets of tears
Trapped away in small places for years upon years
Pressed down and transformed, 'til the true self was born
And the whole world moved on like the last notes of a song
A love letter sent without return address
No you can't always tell one from another
And it's best not to judge a book by it's tattered cover
I don't open them to see folks 'round here just like me
We have come to believe there's hidden good in common things
You can't always tell but sometimes you just know
You can't always tell but sometimes you just know"
and
"Here I am without a message
Here I stand with empty hands
Just a spirit tired of wandering like a stranger in this land
Walking wide-eyed through this world
Is the only way I've known
Wrapped in hope and good intention and
Bare to the bone
There is nothing I won't show you
There is nothing I can hide
I've risked it all and dreamt it all
And seldom questioned why
You took me in when I was hungry
When my spirit ached and groaned
Laid wide open and defenseless
And bare to the bone
When I rise, I rise in glory
If I do, I do by grace
Time will wash away our footprints
And we'll leave without a trace
Between here and now and forever
Is such precious little time
What we do in love and kindness
Is all we ever leave behind
When my eyes are slowly fading
When the light is softly waning
When the evening sun is setting
And the world is barely breathing
Then your voice will call me
And your hands will lead me home
Like a newborn awed and naked
And bare to the bone
When I rise, I rise in glory
If I do, I do by grace
Time will wash away our footprints
And we'll leave without a trace
Between here and now and forever
Is such precious little time
What we do in love and kindness
Is all we ever leave behind
Here I am without a message
Here I stand with empty hands
Just a spirit tired of wandering
Like a stranger in this land
Walking wide-eyed through this world
Is the only way I've known
Wrapped in hope and good intention and
Bare to the bone"
Saturday, August 18, 2018
Wednesday, August 1, 2018
Heather Taylor's "Undercurrents" release
Katie Halligan reviews Heather Taylor's new release "Undercurrents":
"Heather Taylor's new album, "Undercurrents," is a holistic celebration of self-acceptance and love. It's an expression through the lens of a feminine Appalachian storyteller. The 10-song album was recorded at Echo Mountain Recording Studios in Asheville, North Carolina, with the help of Grammy Award-winning producer Julian Dreyer, using live tracking to capture the natural grit and honesty of Taylor's music..."
Tuesday, July 31, 2018
NPR's 200 Greatest Songs By 21st Century Women
"The 200 Greatest Songs By 21st Century Women+" -- NPR
"This list is part of Turning the Tables, an ongoing project from NPR Music dedicated to recasting the popular music canon in more inclusive – and accurate – ways. This year, our list, selected by a panel of more than 70 women and non-binary writers, tackles history in the making, celebrating artists whose work is changing this century's sense of what popular music can be. The songs are by artists whose major musical contributions came on or after Jan. 1, 2000, and have shifted attitudes, defied categories and pushed sound in new directions since then.
Our list includes songs performed by women and non-binary artists. The use of the term "Women+" is part of our engagement in a movement to recognize a wide spectrum of gender identities coming to greater light in the 21st century."
Before listing the folk music artists who made the cut, it is necessary to note that Dar Williams is somehow absent. Granted, a portion of her musical releases occurred prior to January 1, 2000 but not this song:
"This list is part of Turning the Tables, an ongoing project from NPR Music dedicated to recasting the popular music canon in more inclusive – and accurate – ways. This year, our list, selected by a panel of more than 70 women and non-binary writers, tackles history in the making, celebrating artists whose work is changing this century's sense of what popular music can be. The songs are by artists whose major musical contributions came on or after Jan. 1, 2000, and have shifted attitudes, defied categories and pushed sound in new directions since then.
Our list includes songs performed by women and non-binary artists. The use of the term "Women+" is part of our engagement in a movement to recognize a wide spectrum of gender identities coming to greater light in the 21st century."
Before listing the folk music artists who made the cut, it is necessary to note that Dar Williams is somehow absent. Granted, a portion of her musical releases occurred prior to January 1, 2000 but not this song:
Sunday, July 22, 2018
St. Christopher in song and music
"When I was young I spoke like a child, and I saw with a child's eyes
And an open door was to a girl like the stars are to the sky
It's funny how the world lives up to all your expectations
With adventures for the stout of heart, and the lure of the open spaces
There's 2 lanes running down this road, whichever side you're on
Accounts for where you want to go, or what you're running from
Back when darkness overtook me on a blind man's curve
I relied upon the moon, I relied upon the moon
I relied upon the moon and Saint Christopher
Now I've paid my dues cuz I have owed them, but I've paid a price sometimes
For being such a stubborn woman in such stubborn times
Now I've paid my dues cuz I have owed them, but I've paid a price sometimes
For being such a stubborn woman in such stubborn times
Now I have run from the arms of lovers, I've run from the eyes of friends
I have run from the hands of kindness, I've run just because I can
But now I'm grown and I speak like a woman and I see with a woman's eyes
And an open door is to me now like the saddest of goodbyes
It's too late for turning back, I pray for the heart and the nerve
And I rely upon the moon, I rely upon the moon
I rely upon the moon and Saint Christopher
I rely upon the moon, I rely upon the moon
I rely upon the moon and Saint Christopher"
"It's the back end of the season and the wind is bitter cold
It's just the sort of morning to make young bones feel old
The tanks are all topped off, we've got the permits free and clear
One more good haul could see us through until we start next year
Well it's my call alone to make and one I'd hate to blow
Six families now including mine dependent on the things I think I know.
I know the wind and water and I am not afraid
But living off the ocean is a complicated trade
I never get my profit margins or my pride confused
With the safety of this vessel or its good and hearty crew
But the time is now or never and the weather looks to hold
So I gather up the crew on deck, we bow our heads and pray before we go
St. Christopher protect us from the cold and stormy sea
Watch over all these fishermen who've put their trust in me
Never mind the salty spray or crashing of the waves
Bring us safely to our families and keep us from the grave
St. Christopher we call on you this day
I've fished in weather worse thatn this at least a hundred times
But I still can't shake the shivers that we are crawling up my spine
Eleven hours out the swells are getting deep
We can't put the nets out and it's too damn rough to sleep
If we stick it out 'til morning things may calm down with the light
But if it turns against us we'll be lucky if we see another night
St. Christopher protect us from the cold and stormy sea
Watch over all these fishermen who've put their trust in me
Never mind the salty spray or crashing of the waves
Bring us safely to our families and keep us from the grave
St. Christopher we call on you this day
Well it was on a night like this my father went away
Even though my mother begged and pleaded him to stay
I was standing there and waving as his trawler left the docks
Saw the pictures of the wreckage that they found upon the rocks
Seven men were rescued of the nine that left that day
The last they saw their captain he was on the bridge they swear they heard him say
"St. Christopher protect us from the cold and stormy sea
Watch over all these fishermen who've put their trust in me
Never mind the salty spray or crashing of the waves
Bring us safely to our families and keep us from the grave
St. Christopher we call on you this day"
Now the difference between bravery and foolishness is small
And a healthy sense of fear can bring perspective to us all
I know you men are hungry for the cash this catch could bring
And if we go back empty we'll be real tight come spring
But I've learned history's lesson and it isn't worth the pain
The things we stand to lose are so much greater than the things we have to gain
St. Christopher protect us from the cold and stormy sea
Watch over all these fishermen who've put their trust in me
Never mind the salty spray or crashing of the waves
Bring us safely to our families and keep us from the grave
St. Christopher we call on you this day
St. Christopher we call on you
Christopher we call on you
St. Christopher we thank you for this day."
Thursday, July 19, 2018
Dave Carter's Day
On July 19, 2002 at age 49, Dave Carter physically left this world. His creations, the words and music, thankfully remain present (see his discography below).
A humble musical wizard, Carter (and Tracy Grammer) provided an experience which will remain an inspirational highlight until my departure: first hearing the song "When I Go" minus any knowledge of Carter and Grammer and their brilliance. It was as if a world of transcendent beauty beckoned directly to me.
"come, lonely hunter, chieftain and king, i will fly like the falcon when i go
bear me my brother under your wing, i will strike fell like lightnin when i go
i will bellow like the thunder drum, invoke the storm of war
a twistin pillar spun of dust and blood up from the prairie floor
i will sweep the foe before me like a gale out on the snow
and the wind will long recount the story, reverence and glory, when i go
spring, spirit dancer, nimble and thin, i will leap like coyote when i go
tireless entrancer, lend me your skin, i will run like the gray wolf when i go
i will climb the rise at daybreak, i will kiss the sky at noon
raise my yearnin' voice at midnight to my mother in the moon
i will make the lay of long defeat and draw the chorus slow
i'll send this message down the wire and hope that someone wise is listenin when i go
and when the sun comes trumpets from his red house in the east
he will find a standing stone where long i chanted my release
he will send his morning messenger to strike the hammer blow
and i will crumble down uncountable in showers of crimson rubies when i go
sigh, mournful sister, whisper and turn, i will rattle like dry leaves when i go
stand in the mist where my fire used to burn, i will camp on the night breeze when i go
and should you glimpse my wand'rin form out on the borderline
between death and resurrection and the council of the pines
do not worry for my comfort, do not sorrow for me so
all your diamond tears will rise up and adorn the sky beside me when i go"
+++++
Snake Handlin' Man (1995 self release)
"Cowboy Singer"
"Snake-Handlin' Man"
"Red (Elegy)"
"The Promised Land"
"Hey Tonya"
"The River Where She Sleeps"
"Long Black Road Into Tulsa Town"
"Texas Underground"
"Workin' For Jesus"
"Gun-Metal Eyes"
"Sarah Turn 'Round"
When I Go (self-release 1998, 2002)
"When I Go"
"Don't Tread on Me"
"Annie's Lover"
"Grand Prairie TX Homesick Blues"
"Kate and the Ghost of Lost Love"
"The River, Where She Sleeps"
"Lancelot"
"Frank to Valentino"
"Little Liza Jane"
"Elvis Presley"
Tanglewood Tree (2000)
"Happytown (All Right with Me)"
"Tanglewood Tree"
"The Mountain"
"Farewell to Saint Dolores"
"Hey Conductor"
"Crocodile Man"
"Walkin' Away from Caroline"
"Farewell to Fiddler's Rim"
"Cat-Eye Willie Claims His Lover"
"Cowboy Singer"
"Farewell to Bitterroot Valley"
Drum Hat Buddha (2001)
"Ordinary Town"
"Tillman Co."
"Disappering Man"
"The Power and Glory"
"236-6132"
"41 Thunderer"
"Gentle Arms of Eden"
"I Go Like the Raven"
"Highway 80 (She's a Mighty Good Road)"
"Love, the Magician"
"Merlin's Lament"
"Gentle Soldier of My Soul"
Flower of Avalon (2005) Carter songs sung by Tracy Grammer
"Shadows of Evangeline"
"Gypsy Rose"
"Laughlin Boy"
"Hard to Make It
"Hey Ho"
"Mother, I Climbed"
"Preston Miller"
"Winter When He Goes"
"Phantom Doll"
"Any Way I Do"
Seven Is The Number (2006)
"Seven Is the Number"
"Snake-Handlin Man"
"Red (Elegy)"
"The Promised Land"
"Hey Tonya"
"Texas Underground"
"Gas Station Girl"
"Long, Black Road into Tulsa Town"
"Workin for Jesus"
"Gun-Metal Eyes"
"Sarah Turn 'Round"
American Noel (2008)
Go Tell The Fox
Bring A Torch, Jeanette Isabella
Lo, How A Rose E'er Blooming
Footsteps Of The Faithful
The Ditching Carol
Giddyup Said Santa Claus
The Coventry Carol
American Noel
Little Blue Egg (2012)
Better Way
Hard Edge Of Livin’
Way Over Yonder In The Minor Key
Hard To Make It
Cross Of Jesus
Amazon
Three-Fingered Jack
Any Way I Do
Till We Have Faces
Gypsy Rose
September Sea
Joy My Love (2012)
Wild Gardenias
Hey Diddle Diddle
You Must Slumber
Celia Says
Merlin's Lament
Sunday, July 15, 2018
Two looks at Juarez, Mexico
Brad Colerick's "Juarez":
"I was done out of money
I was dry as a bone
Standing on a corner in Juarez, Mexico
Outside Camila's Cantina
I caught a glimpse of hope
When a gentle man began to speak to me
He said he used to travel to El Norte
To work the San Joaquin
A locket from his mother would ease the suffering
There were days as dry as ashes
And nights as cold as hell
But faith and desperation served him well
If you see him you will know him
By the look upon his face
His left eye kinda twinkles
From the light of peace and grace
He said he speaks in any language
But he favors Español
Oh, Jesus lives in Juarez, Mexico
Well I could see it in his fingers
I could hear it in his voice
The years had not been kind to one
Who clearly had no choice
He was baptized in the waters
Of the restless Rio Grande
Now he's found a peaceful place to call his home
If you see him you will know him
By the look upon his face
His left eye kinda twinkles
From the light of peace and grace
He said he speaks in any language
But he favors Español
Oh, Jesus lives in Juarez, Mexico
Then it suddenly came clear to me
Just who this wise man was
I wondered if I'd get to see
The miracles he does
So I started in to tell him just where my life went wrong
But it didn't seem to matter anymore
If you get down to El Paso
Be sure to cross the border
Especially if you need
To get your life in order
Outside Camila's Cantina
That's where you can save your soul
Oh, Jesus lives in Juarez, Mexico
If you see him you will know him
By the look upon his face
His left eye kinda twinkles
From the light of peace and grace
He said he speaks in any language
But he favors Español
Oh, Jesus lives in Juarez, Mexico
He can speak in any language
Pero el mas prefierde Español
Oh, Jesus lives in Juarez, Mexico"
Tom Russell's "Juarez":
"Juarez, I couldn't sleep tonight
Juarez, you made me weep tonight
Across the Rio Grande, I saw your poverty lights
Goodnight, Juarez, good night
Juarez, I used to paint the town
Now you've gone and turned it upside down
Into a dark and bloody battleground
Goodnight, Juarez, goodnight
Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows
Just caught the last bus out
She said, "Seven sorrows used to fit the bill
But I'd need ten thousand now"
The mariachi horns are silent
The guitars don't make a sound
The children have all disappeared
Or they're hiding underground
The tourist market's empty now
You wouldn't recognize this town
Why, they even tore the bull ring down
Goodnight, Juarez, good night
Vuela, vuela, palomita, you old ragged
And torn Dove of Peace
Fly across this burning desert
Where the bodies lie beneath
Bring me back one faded rose
A sign of love and hope
And drop it down on this broken city
Before it all goes up in smoke
Juarez, I had a dream today
The children danced as the guitars played
And all the violence up and slipped away
Goodnight, Juarez, goodnight"
"I was done out of money
I was dry as a bone
Standing on a corner in Juarez, Mexico
Outside Camila's Cantina
I caught a glimpse of hope
When a gentle man began to speak to me
He said he used to travel to El Norte
To work the San Joaquin
A locket from his mother would ease the suffering
There were days as dry as ashes
And nights as cold as hell
But faith and desperation served him well
If you see him you will know him
By the look upon his face
His left eye kinda twinkles
From the light of peace and grace
He said he speaks in any language
But he favors Español
Oh, Jesus lives in Juarez, Mexico
Well I could see it in his fingers
I could hear it in his voice
The years had not been kind to one
Who clearly had no choice
He was baptized in the waters
Of the restless Rio Grande
Now he's found a peaceful place to call his home
If you see him you will know him
By the look upon his face
His left eye kinda twinkles
From the light of peace and grace
He said he speaks in any language
But he favors Español
Oh, Jesus lives in Juarez, Mexico
Then it suddenly came clear to me
Just who this wise man was
I wondered if I'd get to see
The miracles he does
So I started in to tell him just where my life went wrong
But it didn't seem to matter anymore
If you get down to El Paso
Be sure to cross the border
Especially if you need
To get your life in order
Outside Camila's Cantina
That's where you can save your soul
Oh, Jesus lives in Juarez, Mexico
If you see him you will know him
By the look upon his face
His left eye kinda twinkles
From the light of peace and grace
He said he speaks in any language
But he favors Español
Oh, Jesus lives in Juarez, Mexico
He can speak in any language
Pero el mas prefierde Español
Oh, Jesus lives in Juarez, Mexico"
Tom Russell's "Juarez":
"Juarez, I couldn't sleep tonight
Juarez, you made me weep tonight
Across the Rio Grande, I saw your poverty lights
Goodnight, Juarez, good night
Juarez, I used to paint the town
Now you've gone and turned it upside down
Into a dark and bloody battleground
Goodnight, Juarez, goodnight
Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows
Just caught the last bus out
She said, "Seven sorrows used to fit the bill
But I'd need ten thousand now"
The mariachi horns are silent
The guitars don't make a sound
The children have all disappeared
Or they're hiding underground
The tourist market's empty now
You wouldn't recognize this town
Why, they even tore the bull ring down
Goodnight, Juarez, good night
Vuela, vuela, palomita, you old ragged
And torn Dove of Peace
Fly across this burning desert
Where the bodies lie beneath
Bring me back one faded rose
A sign of love and hope
And drop it down on this broken city
Before it all goes up in smoke
Juarez, I had a dream today
The children danced as the guitars played
And all the violence up and slipped away
Goodnight, Juarez, goodnight"
Saturday, July 14, 2018
Monday, July 9, 2018
Another song of loss
Here's Cheryl Wheeler with another song of loss:
"I can see the place where I came from
I can hear those sounds right now
I can find the paths I used to run
And believe I still know how
Then I shake my head, clearing my vision
I keep those scenes at bay
And I can see the place where I came from
Slipping further and further away
And I can feel the way I used to feel
When the world was small and green
And you sang a song of soft appeal
And I curled into my dream
Then I shake my head, clearing my vision
I keep those scenes at bay
And I can feel the way I used to feel
Slipping further and further away
Time keeps moving faster and faster
I'm not losing track
I'm afraid that something's forgotten
So I keep looking back
I can hear the songs you used to sing
I can swear I won't let go
You were strong and you knew everything
That was all I had to know
Then I shake my head, clearing my vision
I keep those scenes at bay
And I can hear the songs you used to sing
Slipping further and further away"
Life moves swiftly
John Flynn
It starts off early in a sandbox
We blink as sand gets in our eyes
We blink up at the sun in wonder
We blink and somehow time just flies
We blink and we are in a schoolyard
We blink and drive dad's Chevrolet
We blink and we stand at an altar
And soon a baby's on the way
We blink and toddlers are teenagers
We blink and grandkids say hello
And in their eyes we see our parents
And in our hearts we miss them so
We squint and look around for glasses
to read that some old friend has died
We blink them as our eyes grow tired
And all too soon we close them wide
We blink like summer evening fireflies
Out on eternity's front lawn
and though we vanish in a moment
the love we share keeps shining on
I blink in disbelief that heaven
has given me these precious years
with you and I will still be grateful
long after we have blinked...
back tears
Sunday, June 24, 2018
Garnet Rogers' "The Lost Ones"
To those special ones we miss and didn't appreciate and celebrate enough:
The shadows beneath the trees do grow,
The sun's embers die away.
The hush of night falls o'er these hills
At the turning of the day.
It was on nights like this we'd gather here,
Brief crowded hours to fill
In kinship and good harmony,
In my dreams, I can see us still:
By candlelight, by whiskey's glow,
Each shining upturned face
Would raise a voice, would raise a glass
In those wild and tumultuous days,
When we neither cared, nor lacked for time,
When all the world was wild and new.
Nights heady as a glass of wine,
And our mornings filled anew.
So it was, those wild and scattered years,
We reckoned not the cost,
But those who light burned truest and bright
Would be numbered amongst the lost.
And on chance-met street, or crowded bar
We few, now left behind, would raise
Not a glass, but a rueful brow
At the passing of our kind.
So now I stand beneath these garden walls,
The moon above me wheels.
The stars are cast through the field of night,
And the wind like a drunkard reels
Through the empty gate and the silent house,
The windows dark and blind
But what slips like sand through desperate hand
Is treasured yet within the mind.
For those lost ones still before me stand
All present as of old,
In the tangled skein of passing years
They shine like threads of gold.
So here's a health to those no longer near,
And a glass to those departed
Who yet shine on through our darkening years
The brave and gentle-hearted.
The shadows beneath the trees do grow,
The sun's embers die away.
The hush of night falls o'er these hills
At the turning of the day.
It was on nights like this we'd gather here,
Brief crowded hours to fill
In kinship and good harmony,
In my dreams, I can see us still:
By candlelight, by whiskey's glow,
Each shining upturned face
Would raise a voice, would raise a glass
In those wild and tumultuous days,
When we neither cared, nor lacked for time,
When all the world was wild and new.
Nights heady as a glass of wine,
And our mornings filled anew.
So it was, those wild and scattered years,
We reckoned not the cost,
But those who light burned truest and bright
Would be numbered amongst the lost.
And on chance-met street, or crowded bar
We few, now left behind, would raise
Not a glass, but a rueful brow
At the passing of our kind.
So now I stand beneath these garden walls,
The moon above me wheels.
The stars are cast through the field of night,
And the wind like a drunkard reels
Through the empty gate and the silent house,
The windows dark and blind
But what slips like sand through desperate hand
Is treasured yet within the mind.
For those lost ones still before me stand
All present as of old,
In the tangled skein of passing years
They shine like threads of gold.
So here's a health to those no longer near,
And a glass to those departed
Who yet shine on through our darkening years
The brave and gentle-hearted.
Wednesday, June 13, 2018
"When I Go" -- Willie Nelson and Judy Collins duet
Dave Carter and Tracy Grammer
Just came across this excellent cover of the late Dave Carter's signature song.
Plus this:
Dave Carter Legacy Project
Monday, June 11, 2018
Wednesday, June 6, 2018
An interview with John Gorka.
"Spotlight: Folk Singer John Gorka"--Lauren Dailey
It's background on Gorka plus a Q-and-A.
He issued a new release back in January:
Song premiere prior to Eliza Gilkyson's upcoming release
Song Premiere: Eliza Gilkyson, "Solitary Singer"
"Renowned Austin folksinger, Eliza Gilkyson will release her 20th album, SECULARIA, on July 13 via Red House Records. Gilkyson’s music, in the classic folk music tradition, has always offered a vivid reflection of the times we live in..."
"Tom Russell – Old Songs Yet to Sing" reviewed by Mike Regenstreif
"Tom Russell – Old Songs Yet to Sing" reviewed by Mike Regenstreif.
This is Tom Russell's latest release.
Sunday, May 13, 2018
Folk songs evoking feelings, Part One
Below is Part One of my selections of the most emotive folk songs. Prepare to be moved:
It begins with Dar Williams' timeless look at self-discovery "After All":
There are two entries from John Prine: "Sam Stone" --"There's a hole in daddy's arm where all the money goes"-- plus "Christmas In Prison."
Danny Schmidt's exhilarating "Stained Glass":
"...Cause in every pane of glass was all the joy and pain of man . . .
There was every fearful smile, there was every joyful tear
There was each and every choice that leads from every there to here
There was every cozy stranger and every awkward friend
And there was every perfect night that’s left initials in the sand
There was every day that filled so full the weeks would float away
And there was all those days spent wondering what to do with all those days
There was every lie that ever saved the truth from being shamed
And every secret you could ever trust a friend to hide away
There was the fortune of discovering a new face you might adore
And the thrill of coming home to find her clothes upon the floor
And the prideful immortality of children in the home
That the storm can’t grind the mountain down, it can only shift the stones
And there was everything your mouth says that your lips don’t understand
And every shape inside your head you can’t carve with your hands
And every slice of glass revealed another slice of life
Emblazoned imperfections in a perfect stream of light
It all flooded through the window like rapids made of fire
And then God rode through on sunshine and sat down cause he was tired
He was tired.
As the thunder and the hardwood settled back into its place
God removed his veil and there were scars across his face
And some folks prayed in reverence and some folks prayed in fear
As all the shades and chaos in the glass became a mirror"
Mary Chapin Carpenter's tale of transformation in "The Moon and St. Christopher":
"Now I have run from the arms of lovers, I've run from the eyes of friends
I have run from the hands of kindness, I've run just because I can"
Ferron's enlightenment opus "Cactus":
"When I was young I was in service to my pain.
On sunny days you'd find me walking miles to look for rain.
And as many times I swapped it all just to hop a moving train.
Looking back, it was a most expensive way to get around"
Bill Morrissey's "Birches" is insightfully honest about relationships:
"And she stood up in the heat. She twirled around the room.
And the shadows they saw nothing but a young girl on her honeymoon.
And she knew the time it would be short; the fire would start to fade.
She thought of heat. She thought of time. She called it an even trade."
Andy M. Stewart, the absolute best interpreter of celtic songs, and his "The Land O' The Leal":
Richard Shindell's gloriously uplifting "Transit":
"She entered the common room and their was her choir
Altos and baritones, basses and tenors
Car thieves and crack dealers, mobsters and murderers
Husbands and sons, fathers and brothers
And so it began in glorious harmony
Softly and tenderly – calling for you and me
With the interstate whining way off in the distance
And the sun going down through the bars of the prison
They poured out their souls, they poured out their memories
They poured out their hopes for what's left of eternity
To sister Maria – her soul like a prism
For the light of forgiveness on all of their faces"
Bob Franke's and his existential masterpiece "Hard Love":
"There's a hole in the middle of the prettiest life
So the lawyers and the prophets say
Not your father nor your mother
Nor you lover's gonna ever make it go away
And there's too much darkness in an endless night
To be afraid of the way we feel
Let's be kind to each other
Not forever but for real"
It begins with Dar Williams' timeless look at self-discovery "After All":
There are two entries from John Prine: "Sam Stone" --"There's a hole in daddy's arm where all the money goes"-- plus "Christmas In Prison."
Danny Schmidt's exhilarating "Stained Glass":
"...Cause in every pane of glass was all the joy and pain of man . . .
There was every fearful smile, there was every joyful tear
There was each and every choice that leads from every there to here
There was every cozy stranger and every awkward friend
And there was every perfect night that’s left initials in the sand
There was every day that filled so full the weeks would float away
And there was all those days spent wondering what to do with all those days
There was every lie that ever saved the truth from being shamed
And every secret you could ever trust a friend to hide away
There was the fortune of discovering a new face you might adore
And the thrill of coming home to find her clothes upon the floor
And the prideful immortality of children in the home
That the storm can’t grind the mountain down, it can only shift the stones
And there was everything your mouth says that your lips don’t understand
And every shape inside your head you can’t carve with your hands
And every slice of glass revealed another slice of life
Emblazoned imperfections in a perfect stream of light
It all flooded through the window like rapids made of fire
And then God rode through on sunshine and sat down cause he was tired
He was tired.
As the thunder and the hardwood settled back into its place
God removed his veil and there were scars across his face
And some folks prayed in reverence and some folks prayed in fear
As all the shades and chaos in the glass became a mirror"
Mary Chapin Carpenter's tale of transformation in "The Moon and St. Christopher":
"Now I have run from the arms of lovers, I've run from the eyes of friends
I have run from the hands of kindness, I've run just because I can"
Ferron's enlightenment opus "Cactus":
"When I was young I was in service to my pain.
On sunny days you'd find me walking miles to look for rain.
And as many times I swapped it all just to hop a moving train.
Looking back, it was a most expensive way to get around"
Bill Morrissey's "Birches" is insightfully honest about relationships:
"And she stood up in the heat. She twirled around the room.
And the shadows they saw nothing but a young girl on her honeymoon.
And she knew the time it would be short; the fire would start to fade.
She thought of heat. She thought of time. She called it an even trade."
Andy M. Stewart, the absolute best interpreter of celtic songs, and his "The Land O' The Leal":
Richard Shindell's gloriously uplifting "Transit":
"She entered the common room and their was her choir
Altos and baritones, basses and tenors
Car thieves and crack dealers, mobsters and murderers
Husbands and sons, fathers and brothers
And so it began in glorious harmony
Softly and tenderly – calling for you and me
With the interstate whining way off in the distance
And the sun going down through the bars of the prison
They poured out their souls, they poured out their memories
They poured out their hopes for what's left of eternity
To sister Maria – her soul like a prism
For the light of forgiveness on all of their faces"
Bob Franke's and his existential masterpiece "Hard Love":
"There's a hole in the middle of the prettiest life
So the lawyers and the prophets say
Not your father nor your mother
Nor you lover's gonna ever make it go away
And there's too much darkness in an endless night
To be afraid of the way we feel
Let's be kind to each other
Not forever but for real"
Saturday, April 28, 2018
Tracy Grammer and her new release 'Low Tide'
"Tracy Grammer, 'Low Tide'"-Elena See
"Tracy Grammer—Low Tide"-Music Matters
"Quick Q and A with Tracy Grammer"-Kathy Sands-Boehmer
David Francey, the painter
"Three-time Juno winner and folk singer Francey takes his paintings on tour"-Tim Arsenault
Per an order from his doctor, David Francey is on a singing hiatus but there's another element of his artistry being featured
Saturday, March 24, 2018
Versions of "Hard Love"
Bob Franke is going first here since he wrote the song. Martin Simpson's is the most affecting.
Tuesday, March 20, 2018
Sunday, February 4, 2018
Tuesday, January 16, 2018
Top 25 Albums Of 2017 - 88.1 WVPE Public Radio
Top 25 Albums of 2017 - Selected by the hosts of The Back Porch at
88.1
ARTIST ALBUM
Alice Howe You've Been Away So Long
Alison Krauss Windy City
Amilia K. Spicer Wow And Flutter
Anna Tivel Small Believer
April Verch April Verch Anthology
Audie Blaylock and Redline Road That Winds
David Holt & Josh Goforth Good Medicine
Fiddle Whamdiddle Not My Monkey
Gibson Brothers In The Ground
Hardened and Tempered Trailer Sessions
Heather Pierson Acoustic Trio Singin'
Jeni Hankins The Oxygen Girl
KC Groves Happy Little Trees
Mark Dvorak Back Home
Mark O'Connor Band O'Connor Band LIVE!
Old Salt Union From Where I Stand
Ordinary Elephant Before I Go
Rayna Gellert Workin's Too Hard
Steel Wheels Wild As We Came Here
Tim Grimm And Family Band A Stranger In This Time
Tim O'Brien Where The River Meets The Road
Trout Fishing in America The Strangest Times
Will Dudley Heartsong
Wyatt Easterling Divining Rod
Zoe & Cloyd Eyes Brand New
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Virus |
Sunday, January 7, 2018
Scott Cook's song "Further Down The Line"
Once again,
Scott Cook's song "Further Down The Line" with a very provocative question:
Aren't some people just famous for being famous?
Isn't that about all that they do?
And couldn't the radio leave you feeling aimless?
Just a nameless person like you
But I sure heard the words Woody Guthrie sang
Even when they didn't quite rhyme
He knew the heart was the stuff, they'd ring close enough
Further down the line
I've painted houses, mopped floors, and washed dishes
Taught kids, cut grass and moved gear
Swung hammer, cleaned toilets and dug ditches
And I even sang songs to sell beer
But it was all for someone else's dream,
'Til I set out after mine
Said, "take this hammer, take it to the captain
Tell him I'm further down the line"
I crossed the Fraser, the Columbia, the Mississippi,
The Allegheny and the Ohio
Saint Lawrence, Susquehanna, Chattahoochee,
The Hudson and the Colorado
I saw the big rigs sleeping in the starry desert
Saw the snow piled 'round the Yukon pines
But I couldn't hang around too long in New York Town
Without lookin' further down the line
Some of the joints in New Orleans ain't pretty
But the waitresses'll call you "hon"
And a cop'll stay on the white side of the city
'Cause they paid for his hat and his gun
And there's a Gulf War vet by the overpass
Who says "Bro, can you spare a dime?"
Who's he kidding? These days a dollar won't be getting
You any further down the line, boys
I saw the stars and bars flying in Dixie
And doomsday prophets on capitol hill
I saw a fast food mall named after Walt Whitman
And Gettysburg ghosts wandering still
If our families are so broken,
How do we make a family out of humankind?
We still got promises to break
And miles to go before we wake further down the line
I saw the homeless and the houses sitting empty
I heard the explanations of learned men
Nowadays they'll rob you with a computer
'Cause it's faster than a fountain pen
And if smarter people haven't found a gap in the armour
Why do I keep trying?
I still believe there's a world dying to be born
Further down the line, friends
Further down the line
Aw Woody, I been through all kinds of weather
Been searching all the faces for a sign
As you know, love's hard to keep together
As the miles and the years unwind
And you never run out of blacktop
Nah, you just run out of time
That ribbon of songs keeps on winding along
Ever further, down the line
Scott Cook's song "Further Down The Line" with a very provocative question:
Aren't some people just famous for being famous?
Isn't that about all that they do?
And couldn't the radio leave you feeling aimless?
Just a nameless person like you
But I sure heard the words Woody Guthrie sang
Even when they didn't quite rhyme
He knew the heart was the stuff, they'd ring close enough
Further down the line
I've painted houses, mopped floors, and washed dishes
Taught kids, cut grass and moved gear
Swung hammer, cleaned toilets and dug ditches
And I even sang songs to sell beer
But it was all for someone else's dream,
'Til I set out after mine
Said, "take this hammer, take it to the captain
Tell him I'm further down the line"
I crossed the Fraser, the Columbia, the Mississippi,
The Allegheny and the Ohio
Saint Lawrence, Susquehanna, Chattahoochee,
The Hudson and the Colorado
I saw the big rigs sleeping in the starry desert
Saw the snow piled 'round the Yukon pines
But I couldn't hang around too long in New York Town
Without lookin' further down the line
Some of the joints in New Orleans ain't pretty
But the waitresses'll call you "hon"
And a cop'll stay on the white side of the city
'Cause they paid for his hat and his gun
And there's a Gulf War vet by the overpass
Who says "Bro, can you spare a dime?"
Who's he kidding? These days a dollar won't be getting
You any further down the line, boys
I saw the stars and bars flying in Dixie
And doomsday prophets on capitol hill
I saw a fast food mall named after Walt Whitman
And Gettysburg ghosts wandering still
If our families are so broken,
How do we make a family out of humankind?
We still got promises to break
And miles to go before we wake further down the line
I saw the homeless and the houses sitting empty
I heard the explanations of learned men
Nowadays they'll rob you with a computer
'Cause it's faster than a fountain pen
And if smarter people haven't found a gap in the armour
Why do I keep trying?
I still believe there's a world dying to be born
Further down the line, friends
Further down the line
Aw Woody, I been through all kinds of weather
Been searching all the faces for a sign
As you know, love's hard to keep together
As the miles and the years unwind
And you never run out of blacktop
Nah, you just run out of time
That ribbon of songs keeps on winding along
Ever further, down the line
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