I guess that first I ought to comment on the general topic, and agree mightily with my new friend Jerry. It really has to do with understanding the role you play and how important it is. It is the tale being told that is important, but it is the accompanying instrumentation that gives it depth and enhances the minds eye abilityh to be able to "see" the story and feel the emotion. It is a rare gift to understand that, and act on it in a way that directs the attention of the audience to the story being told and not to oneself.

Now to Edd Trickett. Not only is he one of the masters of the bardic craft, he truly understands and promotes the idea that it is about the music. And he truly cares about "passing it on". To illustrate why I have first hand knowledge of this, let me tell you about the first time I met him.

It was at my first FSGW Getaway weekend. Jeri, Kath Westra, and I, performed a song that was written by Brendan Nolan which was titled "Far From Their Homes". The topic of the song was the passage of the Irish in the coffin ships. It is a long and beautifully crafted song. And it is a very emotionally difficult song to sing, as it evokes strong feelings in the interpreter. When we were done, Edd asked me where this song came from, and I told him that it was Brendan Nolan's. He then grabbed a guitar and took me out side. He sat on the hood of a car and sang a song for me about the famine roads in Ireland. The song absolutely knocked me out. Upon returning home, Ed sent me a tape of the song. To the best of my knowledge, it has never been recorded.

As an aside, the song was written by one Brian Flynn. He was visiting Ireland and walked the famine road in Co. Clare. When he reached the end, visited the monument, and turned to walk back, he was struck by the sight of these very carefully cut and placed stones. He realized that each stone on this road was touched by hands that were hungry. It came to him that each stone was placed by people desperate to save their starving families. As he wrote the song of his feelings, the song evolved from that desperate vision. Because he realized that even in this horror, there was an abstract good. And that was that our people went out into the world to places like the USA, Australia, England, New Zealand....all over the world.....and contributed and benefitted in ways far beyond their numbers. So his song goes from desperation to hope, and seeks to remind those of us who are the grandchildren of Ireland that "every road we've ever walked, was built by hungry hands".

Back to Ed. That is the song that he gave me that night. Can you imagine what that meant to me? Here I am, a guy from Michigan who sings folk songs in local joints and festivals, and a singer like Ed Trickett, whose music I adore, gives me a song. But that is Ed's heart, and it shows that he is truly what our craft is about. Ed believes in passing it on. He understands what it is really about. As I have grown in my music, and listened to more and more of Folk Legacy's collection, I have become less surprised each time I hear Ed's unique voice, or his guitar work, or his hammered dulcimer work, helping others to bring their music to life. That is what he does.
And folk music is blessed by his presence.

All the best,

Mick