One of my West Coast friends recently showed me a 1981 Folkways Recording (#FSS 38550) of the stories and shanties of Hjalmar Rutzebeck. I've found it fasinating in that Hjalmar lived a full and spirited life as sailor/shantyman/I.W.W. agitator/thug/co-oper/author/farmer/and tax consultant until his death in 1980; I now have a tape and photocopy of this remarkable album that I've been listening to while reviewing the extensive notes.

Hjalmar's versions of traditional shanties are generally familar, but as Stan Hugil reflects sometimes there are radical variants which either are from his shipmates or his own adaptations. I am now surfing the used books internet sites for a copy of his MAD SEA (1956).

William Pint, Mary Malloy and Mark Bridgham did many of the interviews with Hjalmar in his last years, and do a find job of singing his songs.

I'm curious what others might think of this recording, or if they ran into Hjalmar himself.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble