Just sadness comes after hearing about the loss of the tallest tree in our forest. And though he was a singular presence, his falling makes tremendous thundering music for us all to hear every time we pick one of his collected works now available in these latter days on the many CDs of his caught songs from Rounder Records. I saw him frail and in his wheelchair in Cleveland at the Folk Alliance gathering a while ago; asked him to race me across the hotel lobby since I was in one too. He couldn't respond, but even diminished by strokes, he was a giant. He set a towering standard (along with his father) that defined what THE TRADITION was---and is. Alan Lomax and his work personified and delineated that definition of the word folksong that propels many of us here---to the consternation of modern people intent on heading into the future instead of looking to the past for lessons and inspiration. And that's great. As Joe Campbell said, "Follow your bliss." (We all will and did do that anyhow.) It's how we got from there to here-----from then to now. ---------------
Just remember, any time you want to jump into a real time machine, simply use the devices that Alan Lomax has left with us. The artifacts he found on his treasure hunts can allow us to do all that and more. Now we can meet with real ghosts---and we can learn their songs too.

Love to you all,

Art Thieme