I've started writing a polemic for this thread several times tonight. I've deleted them all.

All I can say is that Pete Seeger has been a bright beacon for me, musically and socially, over all the years. Following his leads has made me a much better human being. In all that time, he has never ever developed the proverbial feet of clay. The Kingston Trio has, on the other hand, has given me nothing except a true realization of how I NEVER want to present American folk songs and ballads. The only positive thing they showed me was that wearing vertical stripes is more slimming than wearing horizontal ones). For that I take this opportunity to thank them heartily. Pete's banjo style is one I emulated and sought to make a bit more old-timey over those same decades. It was perfect for the big story songs I loved so much. Now that I can't pick worth a steaming turd any more, the good old open-G tuning and Pete's basic strum keep me keeping on albeit with a diminished spinal cord (or chord).

I can now see that I got past the K.T. the moment I leared to play my fourth chord. Pete is simply the best--pure taste--never lost the story to the glitz. His GOOFING OFF SUITE showed my I could actually try to fool around and try off-the-wall things like San Antonio Rose, The Theme From Tammy And The Bachelor, The Bells Of St. Mary's, Lazy Bones, and As Time Goes By on my banjo. When Frank Hamilton and Pete did their fine NONESUCH LP of duets, Frank taught the song "Singin' In The Country" (later became "Living In The Country") to the class I was in and gave me permission to play beyond the third fret for the first time. (Frank, thanks !!! That's still the only music lesson I ever had. You left Chicago to join the Weavers after that lesson on a Saturday afternoon at the North Avenue O.T.School.)

I've said more than I planned to say---but there is no way I can ever thank Pete Seeger enough for all I learned from him about playing the banjo, hopefully, maybe half as tastefully as he did.

Time to end.

Art Thieme