Obit: Len Chandler (1935-2023)

Subject: Obit: Len Chandler (August 2023)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 30 Aug 23 - 10:21 PM

From Dan Schatz:

I just learned that Len Chandler died on Monday, at the age of 88.
I met Len when I was 17 years old, at the winter People's Music Network conference that year. He was leading a workshop on "Songs of Changing Women and Men" or something of that nature, and I remember being blown away by his presence, songs, and voice, as well as his kindness in supporting and encouraging me as a young musician. At the time I didn't know what a rare treat it was to see him in person.
We connected through email a few times since then, and a couple times by phone. Every time we interacted I found him to be the same kind, supportive person I had met back in 1990.
After making two albums in the 60s, Len mostly stayed in Los Angeles, where he ran a songwriters workshop, rarely touring. But he remained, as ever, a mentor to younger musicians.
His songwriting was absolutely amazing. Many of us know his children's songs "Beans In My Ears" and "Green Green Rocky Road," but he did so much more than that. Len had a way of combining the personal and political seamlessly in a song, with deep sensitivity and gorgeous poetry. A song as simple as "I'm Going to Get My Baby Out of Jail" spoke volumes about the realities so many people lived during the civil rights movement.
A few years back i recorded Len's song "Keep On Keepin' On" on my "Song and the Sigh" album. Here's one verse:
"Some people always say what I should do -
Now that's something that they seem to know so well.
Ah, but it's what I've got to do that's on my mind
And they never seem to listen when I tell.
But it really doesn't bother me that no one seems to care ,
That the stairs are full of splinters and my tender feet are bare,
And I just can't keep from thinking that there's trouble everywhere,
So I guess I've gotta keep on keepin' on."
I'm not the only one moved by that song. There's a story that Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King's secretary was listening to that song in her office (maybe a Broadside recording?) and Dr. King came in, listened for a bit, and then said, "Huh. Keep on keepin' on." After that the phrase started showing up in his speeches.
If you ever see Len's LP "To Be a Man," grab it. (His other album "The Lovin' People" has great songs, but they're overwhelmed by the commercial production, which may be why Len never went back into the studio after that album came out. "To Be a Man" is just Len and his guitar.)
I can honestly say that listening to Len Chandler's songs has made me a better person. There aren't many songwriters about whom I can say that, even my favorites. But Len? Absolutely.
Rest in peace, and rest in power.

Subject: RE: Obit: Len Chandler (August 2023)
From: GUEST,Dick Weissman
Date: 31 Aug 23 - 03:45 PM

Len was an excellent musician, with a master's degree in oboe. he was also a fine, self-taught guitarist and songwriter, and one of the funniest people I ever met. One day he and i were at a music industry event, and a well-known performer, singer-songwriter came out and did a few songs.
Len looked at me and said, "how could someone play the guitar for 30 years and never play above the 5th fret? I just about swallowed my drink. Over the years I saw Len in various places or at different events. Never enough. RIP, my friend.
Dick Weissman

Subject: RE: Obit: Len Chandler (August 2023)
From: GUEST,Ashley James
Date: 31 Aug 23 - 09:18 PM

I first met Len Chandler at the Newport Folk Festival, which I was assigned to cover as a cub reporter for the Hartford Times. Len was a mythical singer/songwriter, a “who’s who” activist in the peace & civil rights movements. Len convinced Pete and Toshi Seeger to let me join the crew on the maiden voyage of the Clearwater, from Maine to NYC. Other adventures followed with him, including a nail-biting, gonzo cross-country trip in his 1959 Mercedes from New York to LA, just the two of us. Partly due to Len, I was able to realize what I really wanted to be: a photographer and later, a filmmaker.

Had the chance to re-unite with him shooting interviews in LA for THE NINE LIVES OF BARBARA DANE (Maureen Gosling, Jed Riffe & Nina Ménendez). Len changed my life and I can’t thank him enough.

One more time, thank you, Len Chandler. Hope to see you in my dreams.

Subject: RE: Obit: Len Chandler (August 2023)
From: Dan Schatz
Date: 01 Sep 23 - 11:58 AM

Thanks for posting this, Joe. I was going to do it myself but you got there first, and i'm glad you did. Meeting him was literally life changing (and at the time I didn't even know who he was), and his music has meant the world to me in the years since.

Dan

Subject: RE: Obit: Len Chandler (August 2023)
From: GUEST,Eileen Gunn
Date: 01 Sep 23 - 03:47 PM

Thank you for the memories of Len Chandler. He was a warm presence in the Boston/Cambridge folk scene in the Sixties. I remember him from the Club 47, and some of the songs mentioned above are among my favorite earworms. I had long since forgotten he wrote them. May he rest in peace.

Subject: RE: Obit: Len Chandler (1935-2023)
From: Waddon Pete
Date: 03 Sep 23 - 10:26 AM

Clearly Len was a wonderful man to know. Many happy memories. I have added his name to the "In Memoriam" thread and send my condolences to all those who know and love him. RIP Len.

Subject: RE: Obit: Len Chandler (1935-2023)
From: GUEST,Tunesmith
Date: 04 Sep 23 - 01:47 PM

Loved his Columbia album from the mid-60s, and in particular the song "Roll, Turn, Spin" which is beautiful. Roll, Turn, Spin

Subject: RE: Obit: Len Chandler (1935-2023)
From: GUEST,Frank Hamilton
Date: 05 Sep 23 - 12:55 PM

I remember hearing the Minority Report on AM radio where Len would come up with a song a week of topical interest. He was a great songwriter
and wonderfully entertaining. Woody would have liked it because that's
what Woody did on a daily basis. Woody had mile-high account books
filled with daily lyrics and sketches.

Len's voice will be missed.

Subject: RE: Obit: Len Chandler (August 2023)
From: GUEST,Dick Weissman
Date: 31 Aug 23 - 03:45 PM

Len was an excellent musician, with a master's degree in oboe. he was also a fine, self-taught guitarist and songwriter, and one of the funniest people I ever met. One day he and i were at a music industry event, and a well-known performer, singer-songwriter came out and did a few songs.
Len looked at me and said, "how could someone play the guitar for 30 years and never play above the 5th fret? I just about swallowed my drink. Over the years I saw Len in various places or at different events. Never enough. RIP, my friend.
Dick Weissman

Subject: RE: Obit: Len Chandler (August 2023)
From: GUEST,Ashley James
Date: 31 Aug 23 - 09:18 PM

I first met Len Chandler at the Newport Folk Festival, which I was assigned to cover as a cub reporter for the Hartford Times. Len was a mythical singer/songwriter, a “who’s who” activist in the peace & civil rights movements. Len convinced Pete and Toshi Seeger to let me join the crew on the maiden voyage of the Clearwater, from Maine to NYC. Other adventures followed with him, including a nail-biting, gonzo cross-country trip in his 1959 Mercedes from New York to LA, just the two of us. Partly due to Len, I was able to realize what I really wanted to be: a photographer and later, a filmmaker.

Had the chance to re-unite with him shooting interviews in LA for THE NINE LIVES OF BARBARA DANE (Maureen Gosling, Jed Riffe & Nina Ménendez). Len changed my life and I can’t thank him enough.

One more time, thank you, Len Chandler. Hope to see you in my dreams.

Subject: RE: Obit: Len Chandler (August 2023)
From: GUEST,Eileen Gunn
Date: 01 Sep 23 - 03:47 PM

Thank you for the memories of Len Chandler. He was a warm presence in the Boston/Cambridge folk scene in the Sixties. I remember him from the Club 47, and some of the songs mentioned above are among my favorite earworms. I had long since forgotten he wrote them. May he rest in peace.

Subject: RE: Obit: Len Chandler (1935-2023)
From: GUEST,Tunesmith
Date: 04 Sep 23 - 01:47 PM

Loved his Columbia album from the mid-60s, and in particular the song "Roll, Turn, Spin" which is beautiful. Roll, Turn, Spin

Subject: RE: Obit: Len Chandler (1935-2023)
From: GUEST,Frank Hamilton
Date: 05 Sep 23 - 12:55 PM

I remember hearing the Minority Report on AM radio where Len would come up with a song a week of topical interest. He was a great songwriter
and wonderfully entertaining. Woody would have liked it because that's
what Woody did on a daily basis. Woody had mile-high account books
filled with daily lyrics and sketches.

Len's voice will be missed.

Subject: Obit: Len Chandler (August 2023)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 30 Aug 23 - 10:21 PM

From Dan Schatz:

I just learned that Len Chandler died on Monday, at the age of 88.
I met Len when I was 17 years old, at the winter People's Music Network conference that year. He was leading a workshop on "Songs of Changing Women and Men" or something of that nature, and I remember being blown away by his presence, songs, and voice, as well as his kindness in supporting and encouraging me as a young musician. At the time I didn't know what a rare treat it was to see him in person.
We connected through email a few times since then, and a couple times by phone. Every time we interacted I found him to be the same kind, supportive person I had met back in 1990.
After making two albums in the 60s, Len mostly stayed in Los Angeles, where he ran a songwriters workshop, rarely touring. But he remained, as ever, a mentor to younger musicians.
His songwriting was absolutely amazing. Many of us know his children's songs "Beans In My Ears" and "Green Green Rocky Road," but he did so much more than that. Len had a way of combining the personal and political seamlessly in a song, with deep sensitivity and gorgeous poetry. A song as simple as "I'm Going to Get My Baby Out of Jail" spoke volumes about the realities so many people lived during the civil rights movement.
A few years back i recorded Len's song "Keep On Keepin' On" on my "Song and the Sigh" album. Here's one verse:
"Some people always say what I should do -
Now that's something that they seem to know so well.
Ah, but it's what I've got to do that's on my mind
And they never seem to listen when I tell.
But it really doesn't bother me that no one seems to care ,
That the stairs are full of splinters and my tender feet are bare,
And I just can't keep from thinking that there's trouble everywhere,
So I guess I've gotta keep on keepin' on."
I'm not the only one moved by that song. There's a story that Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King's secretary was listening to that song in her office (maybe a Broadside recording?) and Dr. King came in, listened for a bit, and then said, "Huh. Keep on keepin' on." After that the phrase started showing up in his speeches.
If you ever see Len's LP "To Be a Man," grab it. (His other album "The Lovin' People" has great songs, but they're overwhelmed by the commercial production, which may be why Len never went back into the studio after that album came out. "To Be a Man" is just Len and his guitar.)
I can honestly say that listening to Len Chandler's songs has made me a better person. There aren't many songwriters about whom I can say that, even my favorites. But Len? Absolutely.
Rest in peace, and rest in power.

Subject: RE: Obit: Len Chandler (August 2023)
From: Dan Schatz
Date: 01 Sep 23 - 11:58 AM

Thanks for posting this, Joe. I was going to do it myself but you got there first, and i'm glad you did. Meeting him was literally life changing (and at the time I didn't even know who he was), and his music has meant the world to me in the years since.

Dan

Subject: RE: Obit: Len Chandler (1935-2023)
From: Waddon Pete
Date: 03 Sep 23 - 10:26 AM

Clearly Len was a wonderful man to know. Many happy memories. I have added his name to the "In Memoriam" thread and send my condolences to all those who know and love him. RIP Len.