stories, communities, music
I got to sit down with Highlander's librarian and archivist, Susan Williams, to talk about Zilphia's role -- her work and her legacy there. This video is part of an effort around a new Septima Clark Learning Center that the folks at Highlander will be building soon. In preparation, they're doing some videos about the... Continue Reading →
If you see this on the shelf somewhere, grab yourself one. In its pages, you'll find my discussion with Bream and Dylan expert Geoffrey Green about whether or not Self Portrait is one of Bob Dylan's greatest accomplishments or biggest head-scratchers. I think we decided it was somewhere in the middle. Regardless, the volume is loaded... Continue Reading →
Originally written for No Depression One of the oldest human possessions ever found is a flute. I'm talking somewhere in the area of 50,000 years ago, someone sat or squatted - presumably on the ground - playing a flute. The fact that these old flutes exist indicates the presence of music is much older. It... Continue Reading →
Originally published in The Bluegrass Situation There are many reasons to write music. Some songwriters work alone, others are at their best in collaboration. Sometimes lyrics pop into one’s head like a rhythmic mantra, other times the song floats in on a seemingly familiar melody. The place where songs come from is elusive and subjective.... Continue Reading →
Originally written for No Depression The punk kid inside Billy Bragg must have been amused (in some weird way) by the buzzing whirl of Taylor Swift superfans, who dotted the lobby of his Nashville hotel the weekend of this year's Americana Music Association Festival and Conference. He'd come to Nashville to play some music, catch... Continue Reading →
Originally written for The Bluegrass Situation “I don’t work on things that don’t mean something to me,” Buddy Miller says, and you know he means it. After all, you can’t fake that kind of dedication. You can hear it in the music and see it on the stage, in the way he bends a note... Continue Reading →
Video streaming by Ustream
Originally written for Folk Alley Let’s just get the Gillian Welch & Dave Rawlings comparison out of the way. Good, now we can listen more deeply. After all, Pharis & Jason Romero are artists unto themselves – instrument makers, songwriters, pickers extraordinaire. These two clearly have as much adoration and natural talent for the traditions of American... Continue Reading →
Last week, my friend Denise Kiernan tagged me in a post on her blog, effectively signing me up for this author meme that’s going around. Denise and her husband Joe are both fabulous writers whose work - together and apart - deserves your eyes. Her newest book The Girls of Atomic City - about the women... Continue Reading →
Originally written for Yes! magazine When a pair of writers expressed interest in publishing Pete Seeger: In His Own Words, one of Seeger’s first requests was “Don’t make me out to be a saint.” Banjo in hand, Seeger has championed causes from labor to civil rights to the environment, revived our oldest folk songs, and co-authored new... Continue Reading →
