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April/May 2022 News

This Spring newsletter is packed with pictures and links to the concerts I’ve been doing with folk music friends. But before I look back at “how I spent my Spring,” let me look ahead to the first concert of the Summer...

Posted: to General News on Tue, Jun 14, 2022
Updated: Tue, Jun 14, 2022

What's Goin' On

Lindsey Wilson and I will be taking a clear-eyed musical view of these murky times in a show we call “What’s Going On.” For those of you who’ve tuned into the many episodes of “Odd & Unpredictable Love Songs,” this will be a different tack. Join us for a night that sheds some new light on old problems and gives voice to our rage and our joy about “what’s going on.” Reserve your online tickets here.

April May

My February/March newsletter referenced a song bearing that title from the pens, throats, strings and bellows of the wonderful Lou & Peter Berryman. (They also wrote a title song for this newsletter – talk about luck - and you can listen to it here.) I then went on to present tundra-like pictures that dramatized our chilly winter here in beautiful Shelburne Falls. Well, that frozen-solid river melted with a vengeance in April and over- topped the dam that our village is named for.

Since then, Spring has been mostly a pleasure here in the village – long walks with Candace and outdoor, mask-free circles with friends.

Odd and Unpredictable Love Songs Episodes 5, 6 and 7

As promised, the O&ULS series rolled on, starting with an episode with Colleen Kattau – but more about Colleen below. Episode #6 featured the wonderful duo of Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer, including some of the zaniest O&UL Songs yet - some heart-throbbing classics as well. And you can hear it all here.

# 7 had me teamed up with my former union president and long-time touring star, Tret Fure.  What is it about Tret?  We ended up with a night of almost all heartfelt ballads.  Don’t believe me?  Check it out.

And then there was Colleen.  Not only was she my guest for O&ULS #5 (an episode that included some furry friends to sing Fred Small’s “If I Were a Moose”… ) but also, she traveled to New England for a weekend of concerts in Connecticut & Massachusetts.

It was a welcome change to shift to an evening of “hard-hitting songs for hard-hit people,” and a more than welcome chance to sing to live audiences two nights in a row. There’s a quality recording of our New London CT performance which you can watch here. Fast forward to 11 minutes to where the music begins.

A Tribute to Leon Rosselson

On the heels of those 2 fine nights came a Sunday afternoon international tribute to one of my all-time favorite songwriters, Leon Rosselson. Leon was joined by a cast of some of the finest performers from both sides of the Atlantic, as you can see from this poster.

Leon is best known for his song about the 17th century radicals, the Diggers, a song entitled The World Turned Upside Down. The bidding was active for who got to sing that classic, but we all agreed that Billy Bragg was the strongest candidate. A tip of the hat from one folk legend to another.

A Milestone and What's On the Horizon

Which brings me to the last event of April May. On May 27 I turned 75, and that feels like a bit of a milestone. To quietly celebrate that, Candace and I once again wended our way to a favorite spot, an island in Lake Champlain, for relaxation, reading, long walks, tasty meals and a chance to sit and take in one of our favorite views.

As for what lies ahead - many grim clouds on the horizon and I’m wondering every day what to think, say, write and sing about those. Lindsey Wilson & I will be singing about it all on June 29. And while you’re saving the date for that, mark your calendar for a July 27 concert that I’ll be doing with Andy Gricevich of Prince Myshkin fame. Stay tuned.

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