Some years ago I was given an old fiddle by a friend. It was his mother’s violin, but it had a sad and traumatic history. His mother was not always sane and used the instrument to punish and put fear into her children. It was painful for my friend to even talk about this, and he wanted to be free of it, but also give it to someone who might love it and bring new life back into it. Continue reading “Soul of a Fiddle, by Stewart Hendrickson”
According to legend, coffee was discovered in Ethiopia in the ninth century, first roasted, ground, and brewed by the Turks, then brought to Europe by Venetian traders. Coffee quickly spread throughout Europe and the first coffeehouse in England opened around 1650. Coffeehouses became known as “penny universities” because one could get a fairly good education sitting with a cup of coffee (a penny a cup) and listening to learned men as they discussed matters of great import. Not many years later, coffeehouses opened in Boston and Philadelphia, and were frequented by artists, poets, philosophers, and revolutionaries—like Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Paine. Continue reading “Seattle Coffeehouses during the “Folk Revival” of the 1960s, by Don Firth”
Seattle Coffeehouse Live! – a virtual CD of performers recorded at the Wayward Coffeehouse (and a few at the Couth Buzzard) in 2009-2010.
SEATTLE COFFEEHOUSE LIVE!
In March, 2008, the Pacific NW Folklore Society began a monthly series of Coffeehouse Concerts. Starting at the Kaffee Shachor in Green Lake, and then the Library Cafe on Crown Hill, we moved to the Wayward Coffeehouse in Greenwood from October, 2008 through April, 2010. In May, 2010 we moved to Couth Buzzard Books/Espresso Buono, also in Greenwood, for our concerts every 2nd Friday of the month. All tracks on this CD were recorded live at the Wayward Coffeehouse, except # 7, 16 at Couth Buzzard Books. (cover photo, Wayward Coffeehouse)
Play all tracks (streaming mp3 files). Pull up a comfortable chair, turn the lights down low, relax with a cup of coffee, glass of wine or a beer, close your eyes, imagine you’re in your favorite coffeehouse, and enjoy this 70 min. concert.
1. Barbara Allen (Trad.) (5:26) Ginny Reilly 6/12/09. Ginny is half of Reilly & Maloney, one of Seattle’s favorite folk duos. PLAY DOWNLOAD
2. I Won’t Bleed (Alice Stuart) Alice Stuart 1/9/09. Began her singing career in Seattle coffeehouses in the ‘60s. Favorite Seattle blues musician with her band The Formerlys. PLAY DOWNLOAD
3. Leaving Home (Charlie Poole) (4:27) Down The Road 10/9/09. A trio of bluegrass musicians (Cathi and Gary Davidson, guitars and vocals, and John Tubbs, mandolin and vocals) from the towns of North Bend and Snoqualmie, east of Seattle. PLAY DOWNLOAD
4. Cowboys on the Skyline (JW McClure) (3:47) JW McClure 2/12/10. JW, a veteran of the ‘60s coffeehouses, from Snohomish Co. JW, guitar, vocal; Thaddeus Spae, guitarron. PLAY DOWNLOAD
5. Ain’t Got No Home (Woody Guthrie) (2:46) Smalltime String Band 1/8/10. A Seattle family band made up of Oliver (12, fiddle, vocal), Eli (8, banjo), Mom (guitar) and Dad (fiddle). PLAY DOWNLOAD
6. Whiskey and Wine (Charlie Beck) (3:30) Squirrel Butter 1/8/10. Charlie Beck (fiddle, vocal) & Charmaine Li-Lei Slaven (guitar), also part of Tall Boys, Seattle’s favorite old-time band. PLAY DOWNLOAD
7. Franklin D. Roosevelt Back Again (Anon.) (3:25) Jerry Middaugh & Orville Murphy 7/9/10, at Couth Buzard. From Seattle and Kirkland, WA, singing together for several years. Jerry, lead vocal, guitar; Orville, harmonica, vocal). PLAY DOWNLOAD
8. Old Crow Blues (Eliza Manoff) (3:05) Eliza Manoff 8/14/09. Talented finger-style guitar player, songwriter and singer from Everett. PLAY DOWNLOAD
9. ‘Till the Elephant Sings (Eliza Manoff) (3:46) Eliza Manoff & Kim Ruehl 8/14/09. Kim is a freelance music writer and Seattle musician. Kim, lead vocal; Eliza, guitar, vocal. PLAY DOWNLOAD
10. Lady Julianna (Val James) (5:29) Val & Mike James 4/10/09. From Port Townsend, singing together for over 20 years – folk to jazz and blues. Val, vocal, guitar; Mike, guitar. PLAY DOWNLOAD
11. Wiki Waki Shack (Michael Guthrie) (3:00) Michael Guthrie 2/13/09. Talented multi-instrumentalist, singer and songwriter from Seattle. PLAY DOWNLOAD
12. Marmaduke’s Hornpipe (Trad.) (2:23) Sarah Comer 3/13/09. Award-winning (WA Old Time Fiddlers) traditional fiddler from Pierce Co., WA. Emmett Comer, guitar. PLAY DOWNLOAD
13. Foolish Questions (additional verses, Greg Canote) (4:30) Canote Brothers 5/8/09. Greg (lead vocal) and Jere Canote (guitar, vocal), Seattle’s favorite old-time music duo. PLAY DOWNLOAD
14. Thing That Fell Off The Kettle (Dan Carollo) (3:56) Dan Carollo 7/10/09. Talented Seattle finger-style Celtic guitar player. PLAY DOWNLOAD
15. The Conversation (Carolyn Cruso) (4:51) Carolyn Cruso 4/9/10. From Orcas Island, a talented multi-instrumentalist, composer, singer and songwriter. PLAY DOWNLOAD
16. Don’t Say Goodbye (Jillian Graham) (3:48) Jillian Graham 6/11/10 at the Couth Buzzard Bookstore. Seattle singer, songwriter. Jillian, guitar, vocal; Jim Graham, upright bass. PLAY DOWNLOAD
17. Blue Water Run Down (Hank Payne) (4:16) Hank Payne & Claire Favro 12/11/09. Seattle duo – ”beautiful harmonies with entangled guitar accompaniments.” PLAY DOWNLOAD
18. What Else Can We Do? (Carolyn Cruso) (3:15) Carolyn Cruso 4/9/10. PLAY DOWNLOAD
© Pacific Northwest Folklore Society, Seattle, WA, 2010.
This CD is free to listen to or download. If you’ve enjoyed this, consider making a donation to the Pacific Northwest Folklore Society. Thanks.
Recently some Irish musicians have been composing tunes in odd meters such as 7/8. One example of this is the “Road To Barga” (starts at about 1:47 on the video) by Cillian Vallely of the Irish band Lunasa.
After a bit of difficulty, I learned this tune, and like to play it on fiddle at jams (hear me play it)
The response I get is very interesting. Guitar players want to play along, but they get thoroughly confused with the rhythm, hopelessly out of beat, or just plain give up. Continue reading “Odd Meters, 7/8 Anyone? by Stewart Hendrickson”
Update, 9/22/16: Since running this article I haven’t seen a groundswell of volunteers. This time I’d like some advice and feedback: What are we doing well? What could we do better? What new directions could we pursue? How can we improve the way we promote concerts? Ideas for new exciting performers to book. New articles for the NW HOOT – any volunteers to write them? Please respond through comments or email, and meet me at the Couth to talk over a cup of coffee or tea (my treat). Thanks, Stewart
The Pacific Northwest Folklore Society was founded in 1953 by Walt Robertson and friends in the University District of Seattle to support the understanding and development of the folklore and folk music of this region. After a rough beginning during the turbulent years of the McCarthy “Red Scare,” the Society became inactive by the early ‘60s. Fast forward to 2007. Don Firth and Bob Nelson, two founding members of the Society in 1953, and I decided to revive it. Our first event was a house concert with Jeff Warner, a world-class folklorist and folk singer from New Hampshire. He had trouble finding a venue in Seattle, and we thought it was time to revive the Society in order to present and preserve the more traditional folk music and provide a venue for traditional folk musicians, particularly those from our region. Don Firth has now passed on, and Bob Nelson is no longer active in the Society. I will turn 80 next year and am not sure how much longer I wish to continue. We need new people to help carry it on. Continue reading “Future of the Pacific Northwest Folklore Society, by Stewart Hendrickson”
Silver Threads Among the Gold, copyrighted in 1873, was a popular song in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The lyrics are by Eben E. Rexford, and the music by Hart Pease Danks: “Darling I am growing old/ Silver threads among the gold/ Shine upon my brow today/ Life is fading fast away.” It was recorded by Richard Jose in 1903, and later by Bing Crosby in 1948. A beautiful but very sentimental song, it was destined to be the tune for many silly nonsensical parodies throughout the early to mid twentieth century. Continue reading “Midnight on the Ocean and Other Nonsensical Songs, by Stewart Hendrickson”
What’s your musical genre? Have you consciously chosen one? Do you really know all about it? How does it differ from others? Can you describe its nuances? Every genre and sub-genre or style of music is characterized by specific features, some obvious and some quite subtle, without which it just isn’t really authentic. Many nuances may be completely overlooked by players who don’t realize they are important, and maybe don’t hear them, because they aren’t familiar enough with the genre and don’t know what to listen for. Continue reading “Genre And Style – How Much Do You Know? by Laurie Riley”