What fantastic weather we had this past weekend, and up through Tuesday! cool clear nights, night sky nearly blue, with a new yellow crescent moon....and days of no humidity, light breezes, fresh crisp air and warm sunshine you WANT shining on you to take the "brrr!" out! The crickets' chirps are slower, and the birds are furiously eating up the last of the berries and fruits on the bushes and trees.....the acorns are down, and the activity of the squirrels is robust.....even the leaves have started to turn. Fall is only two days away!
When autumn and crisp weather arrive, I always (somewhat wistfully!) think of New England, missing the bright extreme colors of the trees and frosty mornings......and I think of songs and artists having to do with, and from, New England.... having lived within walking distance of Harvard Square in the early 80's, I was privileged to catch a lot of folk song-sters who later gained some bit of fame....seeing Suzanne Vega at Passim was one such memory.
Another New England artist I followed back then is Cindy Kallet, who is still going strong! What a songstress! What an instrumentalist! Do yourself a favor and listen to Kallet, Epstein and Cicone....the vocal harmonies this trio conjures up are stunning. Check them out, if not by my recommendation, then: "Cindy Kallet is the very personification of the best of American folk music: her songs are rich, deep textured and often moving and her voice, as Gordon Bok put it, 'will give you the shivers,'" - Stone Soup" CLICK for more info!
Another wonderful artist from younger days is Billy Joel. Not someone you think of as a folk artist, at first - but the more you listen to his songs, the more you realize he's telling stories that stand the test of time, about common every day lives. I recently re-watched (for upteenth time) Billy Joel Greatest Hits video album (and the Essential Video Collection)....and each time I view it, Joel's artistry seeps into me even more. The videos bring new meaning and light to his story songs, and harmonies, and poetry....worth checking out!
Will leave you with a few articles, folk music resources, and interesting tidbits, as there is not much new to discuss in the work realm, just working on surveys, reports, and requests for members....
Hope your week goes well, and see you next week! SR
LA BOHEME: new production aims to capture the young crowd
Pressure on opera singers is leading to drug, alcohol abuse
Metropolitan Opera's 30th anniversary on PBS:Cast your votes for your favorite televised
moments from the Met. Browse a selection of video excerpts online from Met telecasts spanning 30 years, then vote for your top 10 favorites and rank your choices. The results of the vote
will create the line-up for the new program GREAT MOMENTS AT THE MET: VIEWER'S CHOICE, hosted by opera diva ReneeFleming, which will be broadcast this December on PBS (check local listings). Choose from a wide range of unforgettable performances, beginning with the very first LIVE FROM THE MET telecast of "La Boheme" in 1977, starring the young Luciano Pavarotti. Click HERE!
FOLK RESOURCES:
GIAMUSIC
GET AMERICA SINGING AGAIN
Library of Congress
SONGS for TEACHING
FED GOV FREE
