Indian Neck Memories

Subject: RE: Indian Neck Memories
From: GUEST,Charlie Taylor
Date: 02 Oct 09 - 05:08 PM

I looked at some of the photos of the early festivals, and was reminded of a couple of things: Everbody looks pretty straight by later standards-like a bunch of Yalies and their girlfriends-which many of the spectators were, including myself.So much for 'folks', but you gotta start somewhere.And Bob Dylan, whom I heard, and didn't think much of.Just another middle-class kid trying to sound down home.I was a big fan of the Country Gentlemen,who were real hillbillies singing real hillbilly music.They wouldn't have been caught dead at Indian Neck-if it had occured to anyone to invite them.On the other hand, I also liked the New Lost City Ramblers, who could hardly have been accused of being 'authentic', even if their music did sound liked it crawled out of 'some dark holler'.This authenticity business was complicated-still is.

Subject: RE: Indian Neck Memories
From: GUEST,Tim Woodbridge
Date: 09 May 12 - 04:15 AM

I just came across "Indian Neck Memories" which certainly jogged some of my own. In 1961, John Swope, a fraternity brother of mine at Amherst, and I were in our first year at Yale Law school. Sometime during the Spring, we began noticing signs around the Yale Campus advertising a concert at Woolsey Hall to feature performers from the Indian Neck Folk festival. I no longer recall the details, but somehow John and I learned that the festival was to be held at the Montowese House, a rambling 19th century Victorian Hotel on Indian Neck Point in Branford, Connecticut. It being Friday, we decided to check the place out. When we arrived there were only a few people there setting the place up. I was carrying my clunky Gibson L50 guitar in a battered case and probably the workers just figured we were invited. As time went on, more and more people arrived, giving us additional cover. Eventually I took out my guitar and was probably fooling around on something when I was approached by a guy about my age carrying a banjo case, who introduced himself as Hank Schwarz and asked if I wanted to play some tunes, which we proceeded to do. It turned out that he was to be one of the performers at the Woolsey Hall Concert that night, and he asked me if I would like to play guitar with him. Since he was one of the best banjo players I had ever heard, I jumped at the offer. While a lot of people probably wondered who the hell I was, I don't recall anyone challenging my presence. There was no Indian Neck the following year, but Hank got me on the list for the next festival and, with the exception of two or three years, I have been to every one since.

Subject: RE: Indian Neck Memories
From: GUEST,WILLIAM TAYLOR, GLOUCESTER, MA.
Date: 18 Oct 15 - 10:27 AM

I made a reel to reel tape at Indian Neck and it had "Robert Zimmerman"playing on it...I gave it to Peter Rowan in the 1980"s and have no idea what has happened to it. I have not seen Peter in a decade or more.

Subject: RE: Indian Neck Memories
From: Sourdough
Date: 19 Oct 15 - 03:07 PM

There was what sounds like another reel to reel tape recorded, I think I.B. was connected to WYPC, the Yale radio station. It too was lent to someone years ago and has disappeared.

The mention of the concert at Woolsey Hall at Yale jogged some memories. I stage managed the event and so was backstage with the increasingly restless performers as the show ran longer and longer, as each act went over their budgeted times. Standing out most vividly in my mind from that time are Harry and Jeannie West. They were lovely as well as patient and I loved their music. Also, Rick Lee who had come down with his soon-to-be wife, Lorraine. Rick and I became good friends and worked together for many years at WGBH, the PBS station Boston and stayed in touch right up until the end. He was one of my favorite people to sit and play with. His knowledge of music and music history was extraordinary and he shared it freely and was much appreciated by all who got to partake of it. Also on the bill that concert night was the first fretless banjo player I had ever heard and a woman whose frailing set the standard for me of what a frailed banjo sounds like. Unfortunately, I don't know who either of them were.

Regardigng authenticity: In retrospect this aspect of the folk music revival at least at Yale was rooted in a recognition that there were things wrong in America. There wasn't a feeling of rebellion, as i remember, only a shocked recognition that there were serious injustices around us and somehow the appreciation of music that had come up through the people, the expressed joys and fears filtered through the creativity of generations of working people and their families was more authentic than the manufactured music, the product of an soulless industry.

Sourdough

Subject: RE: Indian Neck Memories
From: GUEST,Marcia Segal
Date: 06 Jul 22 - 08:04 PM

If anyone still visits this thread and is interested: there are two collections at the American Folklife Center with Indian Neck recordings (and some from The Exit and elsewhere): one is the Indian Neck Folk Festival collection (AFC 2016/002) and the other is the Christopher Moore collection of Indian Neck Folk Festival and other recordings (AFC 2016/055). I'm processing the second one. Sadly, Chris Moore passed away a few months ago. Many people mentioned and/or posting here are in the recordings. The recordings aren't online but if you have questions you can email me (mseg at loc dot gov) or folklife at loc dot gov.

Good music, good times.