Heard Jeff Black on NPR this evening. He is already using podcasting to distribute new music every week. This model explodes the frequency of even an Ani DiFranco who puts out a new CD every year as well as bootlegs every few months.
Black's music was pleasant and interesting to listen to -- as professional as almost any other singer/songwriter I have listened to. Only because he is using the technology medium to reach new people, which made him interesting to NPR, did I hear of him.
The NPR page has links to several songs as well as to more information about podcasting.
On the other extreme, Jane Siberry now sells all - ALL - of her music via downloads. No more CDs, no more cassettes, no more physical inventory.
I predict that more leading edge singer/songwriters like DiFranco will start creating and distributing podcasts.....soon
Not Forest and Sun. Forest Sun. Based in San Francisco, he travels all around the US.
Heard God's Breath this afternoon from his CD Plenty. Awesome lyrics. Deep strong, soul-full voice and guitar.
Do you know why your here?
Do you know from where you've come?
Do you know what you came to do?
And leave behind you when your gone?
Life's song is a skeleton
Rhythm skull and bones
It's your voice that fills the flesh in
It's God's breath that gives it soul
Don't want to cry for what might have been
Don't want to hope for what might be
Just want to wake in my own skin
And feel you here right next to me
Life's song is a skeleton
Rhythm skull and bones
It's your voice that fills the flesh in
It's God's breath that gives it soul
Yeah it's God's breath that gives it soul
Reminds me of a Psalm (Note: any Psalm - not the one linked. I linked to one of my favorite Psalms) Reminds me of William Heyen or Donald Hall.
Some of his songs, like Sing Me to Sleep from For the Story are more jazzy, soulful, and bluesy (if that is a possible combination. Reminiscent of Van Morrison but not quite. But others are rooted in acoustic guitar. Hard to pin down.
He also has his own label, Painted Sun.
We might need to remember some of these older songs like Talkin in Vietnam Talking Blues by Johnny Cash
One mornin' at breakfast, I said to my wife,
We been everywhere once and some places twice,
As I had another helping of country ham,
She said "We ain't never been to Vietnam,
"And there's a bunch of our boys over there."
So we went – to the Orient: Saigon.
Well we got a big welcome when we drove in,
Through the gates of a place that they call Long Vinh.
We checked in and everything got kinda quiet,
But a soldier boy said: "Just wait 'til tonight,
"Things get noisy. Things start happenin'.
"Big bad firecrackers."
Well that night we did about four shows for the boys,
And they were livin' it up with a whole lot of noise.
We did our last song for the night,
And we crawled into bed for some peace and quiet,
But things weren't peaceful. And things weren't quiet.
Things were scary.
Well for a few minutes June never said one word,
And I thought at first that she hadn't heard.
Then a shell exploded not two miles away,
She sat up in bed and I heard her say: "What was that?"
I said: "That was a shell, or a bomb."
She said: "I'm scared." I said "Me too."
Well all night long that noise kept on,
And the sound would chill you right to the bone.
The bullets and the bombs, and the mortar shells,
Shook our bed every time one fell,
And it never let up; it was gonna get worse,
Before it got any better.
......
So we sadly sang for them our last song,
And reluctantly we said: "So long."
We did our best to let 'em know that we care,
For every last one of 'em that's over there.
Whether we belong over there or not.
Somebody over here love's 'em, and needs 'em
Well now that's about all that there is to tell,
About that little trip into livin' hell.
And if I ever go back over there any more,
I hope there's none of our boys there for me to sing for;
I hope that war is over with,
And they all come back home,
To stay.
In peace.
A bit of talking blues history
One source cites Christopher Allen Bouchillon as the originator of this song form. Dylan's early work including talking blues, but his source was John Greenway
Via Folk Alley, I learned that Shindell's new CD, recorded in Argentina, Vuelta, is out and available in the usual places
Can't wait to hear it.
You probably thought you'd never see a post about a male singer/songwriter again.....
Heard Ben Demerth from his only cd, Jack of Fools. He's now a member of the bluegrass band Northern Lights
Here's the trail....Jack of Fools was produced by David Chalfant, who used to be the bassist with The Nields, a group from Pioneer Valley in Massachusetts. I came across them in the 1990s when I heard Dar Williams and Richard Shindell. No surprise then, that I would eventually come across Demerath; it's only odd that I didn't find him sooner.
Today, in honor of the US Democrat nominee for President:
Mark Erelli sings Blue-eyed Boston Boy:
He was just a blue eyed Boston boy
His voice was low with pain
I'll do your bidding comrade mine
If I ride back again
But if you ride on and I should fall
You'll do as much for me
Mother at home is awaiting the news
So write her tenderly
.....Straight way was the course to the top of the hill
The rebels they shot with shot and shell
Ploughed furrows of death through the toiling ranks
And guarded them as the fell
There soon came a horrible dying sound
From the heights they could not gain
And those that doom and death had spared
Rose slowly back again[Blue-Eyed Boston Boy, from Memorial Hall Recordings, 2002]
While Blue-Eyed Boston Boy is a traditional tune that reminds me of one of themes of the Convention in Boston: Revolution, in fact, Blue-Eyed Boston Boy is a Civil War song that has its origins in Kentucky and Arkansas.
Other folks who have recorded this song include Mike Seeger, Hazel Dickens and Alice Gerard, Jerry Garcia and David Grisman,and Bob Dylan.