We recently had the pleasure (nay, honour) of spending the evening with Shirley Collins and her presentation of 'America across the water', at Rye Community Centre. For those who don't know, it's basically about her collecting trip with Alan Lomax in the Appalachians and deep South in 1959. An absolutely superb evening. Her website has forthcoming dates. Do try to see it.

I can only begin to imagine the emotions engendered upon discovering, right out of the blue, someone like Mississippi Fred McDowell.