The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #108252   Message #2250863
Posted By: GUEST,irishenglish
01-Feb-08 - 05:14 PM
Thread Name: Pianos In Folk Music
Subject: RE: Pianos In Folk Music
Richard Bridge-Let Her Go Down, and Gone To America are by Steeleye Span, not Fairport Convention. Ditto to those who have mentioned Beryl Marriott, Reg Hall, and as played by Cape Breton musicians. As for the rest of you, I subscribe to the feeling that ANY INSTRUMENT can be used effectively on ANY GIVEN SONG or tune if the arrangement the performer uses calls for it. Take a well known song, say something like Star Of The COunty Down. Now I have heard that by everyone from Van Morrison to the Oysterband, and from harp players to lush string arrangements. Take your pick which version you like for yourself best, but what that proves is these songs are adaptable to many different arrangements and instrumentation. Last night I saw Richard Thompson's 1000 Years of Popular Music. The opening song of which I forget the title, he performed on hurdy gurdy. Later Judith Owen played a stunning version of Down By The Sally Gardens that was piano based, with sparse help from Richard and Debra Dobkin. I have heard that song many times, but hands down, that will now be my favorite rendition, because in the hands of that performer, the song worked with piano. This brings me back to Tim Hart's famous quote about folk rock being as anachronistic to the folk movement as the guitar (Spanish) and the banjo (African). Does piano always work-no it may not, but then again, maybe what a song needs is not fiddle or accordion as well. BOttom line, if it works, it works and you know it when it does!