An American folksong from Kentucky performed upon my vintage 1950's Iorio accordion, a 4/5 reed instrument in LMMH configuration. The sheet music is from "The Folksong Fake Book" published by Hal Leonard, a collection of over one thousand folk tunes from around the world. I remember listening to this song during the early 1960's Folk Revival, a time when so many folk artists were just coming into prominence. Some favorites from that era are Peter, Paul & Mary, Tom Paxton, Judy Collins, Pete Seeger, Bob Dylan, Eric Andersen, Dave Van Ronk, Ian and Sylvia Tyson, Phil Ochs and a host of other notable performers. I first heard Pete Seeger and the Weavers in the late 1950's and still marvel at their fantastic ensemble sound captured via historical recordings.
I remember the Folk Revival era from the late 1950's and early 1960's when folk music became such a popular style within our culture. The Kingston Trio had a series of hit singles and record albums just as new acts started to come onto the stage. My beautiful friend Gail introduced me to the folk music of Joan Baez and Bob Dylan, artists who were just emerging during the new decade of the Sixties. Previously I had been immersed in Classical music, Country music (Bluegrass), and Latin and European music. It was a startling sound to hear those glorious acoustic guitars and an occasional banjo accompanying the soloists and folk ensembles heard on the radio or via concerts or LP albums. There were many college and commercial radio stations in the New Jersey/ New York metropolitan area which broadcast folk music and featured shows highlighting the new acts as well as showcasing the more familiar names of that time. Gail loved Joan Baez and raved about the folk style which Joan perfected at that time. The lyrics were meaningful and poetic, words which stayed with you and spoke volumes to the heart and inner spirit. When Bob Dylan entered the scene with his first album, his songs became folk standards which captured the heart of an entire generation. Dylan's book "Chronicles" echoes some of the excitement and experimentation which occurred during those eventful years. This American folksong was one of the tunes I first heard during the early Sixties, and one which still manages to evoke the flavor and atmosphere of that remarkable era. I would like to dedicate this song to my friend Gail for revealing to me the lasting value and poetic richness of folk music.
Wasn't that a time....
I remember the Folk Revival era from the late 1950's and early 1960's when folk music became such a popular style within our culture. The Kingston Trio had a series of hit singles and record albums just as new acts started to come onto the stage. My beautiful friend Gail introduced me to the folk music of Joan Baez and Bob Dylan, artists who were just emerging during the new decade of the Sixties. Previously I had been immersed in Classical music, Country music (Bluegrass), and Latin and European music. It was a startling sound to hear those glorious acoustic guitars and an occasional banjo accompanying the soloists and folk ensembles heard on the radio or via concerts or LP albums. There were many college and commercial radio stations in the New Jersey/ New York metropolitan area which broadcast folk music and featured shows highlighting the new acts as well as showcasing the more familiar names of that time. Gail loved Joan Baez and raved about the folk style which Joan perfected at that time. The lyrics were meaningful and poetic, words which stayed with you and spoke volumes to the heart and inner spirit. When Bob Dylan entered the scene with his first album, his songs became folk standards which captured the heart of an entire generation. Dylan's book "Chronicles" echoes some of the excitement and experimentation which occurred during those eventful years. This American folksong was one of the tunes I first heard during the early Sixties, and one which still manages to evoke the flavor and atmosphere of that remarkable era. I would like to dedicate this song to my friend Gail for revealing to me the lasting value and poetic richness of folk music.
Wasn't that a time....
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