This is the second post on “Maria Marten” and other songs inspired by the Red Barn Murder in Polstead, England in 1827. The first is here. The third is here. It is time for my confession.  Don’t worry. It’s nowhere near as … Continue reading →
This is the first of three posts about songs more or less related to the infamous Red Barn Murder in Polstead, England in 1827. This post introduces the song and the background story. The next post explores the song’s “career.” … Continue reading →
Today the music world mourns the loss of Magic Slim, a famed Chicago bluesman who held true to his rough and ready Mississippi roots. After a 58-year long career, Mr. Slim died February 21, 2013 following surgery concerning a bleeding … Continue reading →
The role Dave Van Ronk played in influencing and benefiting the folk music boom of the 1960s cannot be overstated. Slightly more than a decade after his passing, well-regarded directors, Joel and Ethan Coen, have announced they will be releasing … Continue reading →
This is the second post concerning the ballad Child 4. Â See also Part 1. Introduction In my first post this week, I looked briefly at the history of the ballad Francis Child cataloged as his #4, known by many names; … Continue reading →
Famed folk singer and Sing Out! co-founder Pete Seeger and his wife, Toshi Seeger, were honored by Beacon High School, New York, in a ceremony that named their school theater after the Seeger family. The newly named âSeeger Theaterâ was … Continue reading →
The artistry of Woody Guthrieâs voice has graced our ears for over 80 years, and for the first time, it is reaching us in narrative form. Written in 1947, House of Earth is Guthrieâs only full-length novel and has recently … Continue reading →
This is the first post concerning the ballad Child 4. Â See also Part 2. Introduction I love this image; it’s so evocative! Â What secret does this young gentle lady want her pretty parrot to keep? Well, you know the title … Continue reading →
Adam McCulloch (r) “A rip-roaring yarn” Earlier this year, when researching my posts for “Babylon” (Child 14), I came across a terrific Scottish recording of the tune, “The Bonnie Banks of Airdrie” by Adam McCulloch. Â McCulloch’s album In These Times, … Continue reading →
Jeffrey Foucault and Mark Erelli This is the second post this week on Norman Blake’s “Billy Gray.”  Read the first here. Outlaw Rhetoric That I haven’t read Aristotle‘s Poetics yet is a gap in my education.  I’ll need to get right … Continue reading →
