I canât believe itâs nearly forty years since I parted from my college sweetheart Peggy Noonan. Forty years ⌠but whoâs counting? I would let go, but every time I turn on a television political news forum, or pick up … Continue reading →
(photo by K. Bigger) This is our second post on the ballad âBold William Taylor.â Â To read the first post, click here.When is a murder ballad not a murder ballad?The performance that brought âWilliam Taylorâ back to my attention (acknowledging … Continue reading →
    PETE SEEGER The Complete Bowdoin College Concert Smithsonian/Folkways 40184 Smithsonian/Folkways Website www.peteseeger.net  If it was a difficult year for Sing Out! magazine co-founder and longtime columnist Pete Seeger, youâd never know it from the buoyancy … Continue reading →
     BILL BURKE & FRED COON Black Bear On The Mountain oldtimeymusic.com www.oldtimeymusic.com  There is something special about listening to musicians who have played together for a long time. Bill Burke & Fred Coon met … Continue reading →
     PER ANDERS BUEN GARNAS Seljord Anno 1935 Talik 85 www.talik.no  GarnĂĽs, a Hardanger fiddle player, won Norwayâs annual folk music competition in 2010 and was offered a contract by Talik records, which suggested he … Continue reading →
      Bowing 9 Force Majeure Dimma 011 www.dimmaswe.com  It really is a string orchestra. Take six violinists, two viola players, a cellist and a bassist, all playing material composed for the group by members … Continue reading →
Illustration from âBilly Taylorâ broadside âThe Tragedy of the Press-Gang: Â A True and Lamentable Ballad callâd Billy Taylor, shewing the fatal effects of Inconstancy.â Transvestism! Â Seafaring! Â Betrayal! Â Murder! In my last full week of posts, I explored âThe Demon Loverâ … Continue reading →
     HEKLA STĂ LSTRENGA MakramĂŠ Talik 84 www.talik.no  Itâs Norwegian folk-rock. No, really, it is. A mix of the tradition and original material â both songs and tunes â all gussied up, amplified and brought out … Continue reading →
As we found out in the introductory post this week, âCold Rain and Snowâ, which most folks know as a staple in the Grateful Deadâs repertoire, is an American ballad written by an unknown author after a man murdered his … Continue reading →
     MJELVA/TAMNES Gi Mi Pols! Talik 89 www.talik.no  This is about as basic as it gets, an album of two Norwegian fiddlers exploring some of the traditions of the Røros area of the country. There … Continue reading →
