Stephen Colbert is ending his long-running comedy show, The Colbert Report, tonight. Although, not a music show per se, the Report has been home to plenty of artists, such as Pete Seeger, Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Costello, Dom Flemons, Emmylou Harris, … Continue reading →
VARIOUS ARTISTS Songs of the Civil War Smithsonian/Folkways www.folkways.si.edu The Spanish Civil War, often referred to as the “dress rehearsal” for World War II, was waged between 1936 and 1939 and ended in victory … Continue reading →
Ronald D. Cohen and Rachel Clare Robinson Roots of the Revival: American and British Folk Music in the 1950s University of Illinois Press 978-0-252-08012-8 www.press.uillinois.edu From chain-gang work songs and the skiffle music of Lonnie … Continue reading →
I spent Sunday morning with Pete Seeger thanks to YouTube and the good folks of the San Francisco Folk Music Club circa 1980. As a performer and organizer dedicated to spreading the joy of community singing, I was thrilled to … Continue reading →
Robert Elfstrom Pete Seeger: A Song and A Stone Weinderworld Dvd www.weinerworld.com View Pete Seeger: A Song and a Stone for a slew of engaging glimpses of one of the greatest Americans of the … Continue reading →
WFDU-FM’s TRADITIONS July 13, 2014 HOST: Ron Olesko Two musical “families” were showcased on today’s show, the Ramones and the Seegers. Starting a show with a memorial tribute to a member of the seminal punk band the Ramones might seem … Continue reading →
Introduction Ken started us last week on a new, short, and lighter path for a few posts – murder ballad comedy. We learned the obvious from John Cleese – that indeed, dark humor can be good humor, and really has … Continue reading →
The weekend prior to Pete Seeger’s passing at the age of 94, an ironic, and in retrospect, provocative call came from Oscar Brand. This before I had any knowledge of Pete’s illness. “Hello Roger, this is Oscar. I’m calling to … Continue reading →
Back in 1971, the late Harry Chapin created a notable song called “Circle.” Originally written for his brother Tom’s TV show “Make a Wish,” the song has entered our folk canon partially due to the powerful lyrics describing a life … Continue reading →
Note: This is Part 1 of a two-part series on “Delia’s Gone” – See also Part 2 Introduction – “O, I am fortune’s fool!” I wonder if you’ve seen that ‘meme’ that goes in part like this – “Romeo and … Continue reading →
