This is Chapter 4 of Stagolee: A Digital Compendium. Ā Ā See also Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, and Chapter 5 Introduction Our online compendium celebrating the great American folk song and tale āStagoleeā has grown now and, though Iām not … Continue reading →
Country music legend George Jones, also known as āThe Possumā has reportedly passed away today. This comes after reports came last week of Jones suffering from a fever and irregular blood pressure. Jones, 81, was in the midst of a … Continue reading →
Dave Van Ronk, Joan Baez, Leonard Cohen, Judy Collins, and Chad Mitchell(this photo looks a little off to me, I canāt vouch for its authenticity) As I mentioned in the first post this week, my friend, Cayce, put me up … Continue reading →
Bob Brozman, the steel-guitar innovator and ethnomusicologist who got his start playing on the streets of Santa Cruz, has died. Details have not yet been confirmed, but he was discovered at home yesterday (April 24th). He was 59. Bob was … Continue reading →
Itās that time of the week again. The weekly festival update of whatās going on around you this weekend.Ā Sing Out! provides an international listing of folk music festivals and camps, which can be found at https://www.singout.org/fests.html. But hereās a … Continue reading →
Ian & Sylvia Tyson In this weekās second post, weāre going to give a relatively quick listen to āKaty Dear.ā Itās in the same song family as āSilver Dagger,ā although with a different focus and a more gruesome end. The … Continue reading →
One of folk musicās most iconic interpreters, the man who captivated a generation with his extended improvised performance of āFreedomā to open the Woodstock Music Festival in 1969, has passed away at the age of 72. Richie Havens died of … Continue reading →
Morning SunĀ by Edward Hopper (1952) When I meet new people, itās just a matter of timeāsometimes more, sometimes lessābefore I mention this murder ballad hobby of mine. I recently started a new job. (You may have inferred as much from … Continue reading →
Moments after New Zealandās parliament announced the passing of legislation legalizing gay marriage, the gallery erupted into a hauntingly beautiful rendition of a traditional love song, āPokarekare Ana,ā in itās indigenous Maori language. This was met with resounding applause by … Continue reading →
A gravestone from the Battlefield of Culloden It is easy to write about violence, the causes of it, the effects of it, in the abstract. Glib, throwaway statements are profoundly easy to produce. My aim in writing this second part … Continue reading →
