Welcome to the 'Cat---Jean Ritchie

Subject: RE: Welcome to the 'Cat---JEAN RITCHIE
From: Little Neophyte
Date: 24 Dec 00 - 06:21 AM

Howdy Jean and Jon
Lots of wonderful folks around here and now we have 2 more! Guess you guys are the Mudcats special Christmas gifts this year.

Little Neo

Subject: RE: Welcome to the 'Cat---JEAN RITCHIE
From: AllisonA(Animaterra)
Date: 24 Dec 00 - 06:11 AM

I'll add my voice to the delighted crowd.
Allan, if you've ever heard the words to "Simple Gifts" sung or heard a lap dulcimer north of the Mason-Dixon line, you've seen just a small part of the way Jean Ritchie has contributed to American music. Others have also contributed, and this is not to diminish them, but Jean has had a lot to do with us Yanks knowing a little more of the riches of the music of Appalachia.
Allison

Subject: RE: Welcome to the 'Cat---JEAN RITCHIE
From: CarolC
Date: 24 Dec 00 - 03:13 AM

Cool.

Welcome to the Mudcat Jean and Jon!

Best wishes,

Carol

Subject: RE: Welcome to the 'Cat---JEAN RITCHIE
From: catspaw49
Date: 24 Dec 00 - 03:02 AM

Alice and Banj......I can see I have to start saving more e-mails instead of flushing them. Thanks for sharing those. And Pinetop, Mark, I was figuring you'd be here if you saw it!

Spaw

Subject: RE: Welcome to the 'Cat---JEAN RITCHIE
From: GUEST,bflat
Date: 23 Dec 00 - 10:54 PM

Wow, this place has gained further gound when the esteemed Jean Richie lends her knowledge and experience. Saw you, Jean, at the NJ Folk Festival back two years or so. Dynamic!! And your workshop on the dulcimer was terrific. Happy to know you are here.

bflat

Subject: RE: Welcome to the 'Cat---JEAN RITCHIE
From: Ma-K
Date: 23 Dec 00 - 10:49 PM

Welcome to the Ritchies. Jean did you ever do a concert in Cody Wyo? I saw a young women in the 1940s play the dulcimor and sing. It was so beautful. I got my first ducimor 15 years ago. I never forgot that beautiful sound. Thank you for bringing it to us....Mary

Subject: RE: Welcome to the 'Cat---JEAN RITCHIE
From: Banjer
Date: 23 Dec 00 - 10:36 PM

Alice, I too dug back in the archives and this one was dated 11-28-98. It was this E-mail that I made reference to in my earlier post. You can see the words of encouragement that come not from someone trying to sell you something, but from the heart of one who really believes what she says.

Dear Ray, We, my husband and I, have been away from home for several weeks, finding your good letter upon our return. Good news that you have conquered the dulcimer- yes, it's MUCH easier to plan than guitar or banjo... one CAN make it very complicated, but playing the easy way sounds just as good to me. Keep at it- when you get really confident on the dulcimer, the banjo just may be a lot easier!

All the best
Jean Ritchie

How right she was!!!

Subject: RE: Welcome to the 'Cat---JEAN RITCHIE
From: GUEST,LEJ
Date: 23 Dec 00 - 10:17 PM

Jean,I've been a fan of yours since seeing you on A Prairie Home Companion some 16 years ago.Welcome!

LEJ

Subject: RE: Welcome to the 'Cat---JEAN RITCHIE
From: Jimmy C
Date: 23 Dec 00 - 09:56 PM

Welcome Jean and Jon. I have admired your songs for a long time now. I still use your dulcimer book a lot.

Nice to have you amongst us.

Stay awhile !

Subject: RE: Welcome to the 'Cat---JEAN RITCHIE
From: Pinetop Slim
Date: 23 Dec 00 - 09:56 PM

When I heard Madonna was marrying into royalty I figured Guy Ritchie must be related to Jean. What a wonderful thing for Mudcat to have such company drop in -- foremost traditional ballad singer, first lady of the dulcimer, custodian of the magnificent Ritchie family collection, co-founder of the Ritchie-Pickow collection at Galway, writer of some great contemporary folk songs... It's exciting to see the interest you've taken in these threads. And thanks for that wonderful Christmas gift to the world: "The Holly Carol" is one of the most joyous ever.

Subject: RE: Welcome to the 'Cat---JEAN RITCHIE
From: Mary in Kentucky
Date: 23 Dec 00 - 09:37 PM

Hello Jean and Jon,

I said it before, and I'll say it again, Welcome!

Subject: RE: Welcome to the 'Cat---JEAN RITCHIE
From: Alice
Date: 23 Dec 00 - 09:07 PM

Well, Jean, I dug out an email I sent to you and your reply from April '98, not sure if it was still in my archives, but I found it. I am so glad you have joined in. Here's the history of my reference to you about Mudcat!:

From - Mon Apr 20 15:56:52 1998

Dear Alice, After much travelling, having hosts of company from England, and many other Interruptions to Living, I've found a minute...looked up the mudcat discussion forum and was so pleased at all the good things you said of me, and was further pleased to read all the discussers of other things, many of those discussers being friends of mine... it looks like getting involved would be either the frying pan, or the fire, and I'll hold my contributions for now, with thanks! Looks most interesting, though, and someday, who knows, I may dive in... Best, Jean

I'm happy to "see" you here, Jean!

Alice Flynn

Subject: RE: Welcome to the 'Cat---JEAN RITCHIE
From: Matt_R
Date: 23 Dec 00 - 09:06 PM

Didn't Jean Ritchie do "Summer of My Dreams"? Heh heh before I did? lol

Subject: RE: Welcome to the 'Cat---JEAN RITCHIE
From: InOBU
Date: 23 Dec 00 - 08:56 PM

Ms. Ritchie:
As a life long folkie, born into an Irish ballad family, I have number of times when traditions have come alive for me... reading your wonderful book was one, seeing you at Cooper Union with Oscar Brand was another, now that all said, welcome to this little party of mad folk. Irreverant and articulate, the muck and mire fly as fast as the gems, and all equally fun, I hope... Welcome to the table.
Cheers,
Larry
PS Did you know Oscars late friend Thomas Scott, who played with Woody Guthrey? Thom died in the early 60's. I used to play in a trio with his daughter Suki.

Subject: RE: Welcome to the 'Cat---JEAN RITCHIE
From: Allan C.
Date: 23 Dec 00 - 08:53 PM

It has been cold on Mars lo these many years. I guess that is where I have been because, although I have heard your name, I don't know that I have ever heard your music. From what I gather, I have a real treat ahead of me.

I am glad you stop here from time to time and hope it will become a regular thing for you. It is obvious that you have a lot to share.

Allan C.

Subject: RE: Welcome to the 'Cat---JEAN RITCHIE
From: dwditty
Date: 23 Dec 00 - 08:48 PM

BTW, Jean, be sure to read the Newcomers thread. It would be absolutely wonderful to hear you on PalTalk.

dw

Subject: RE: Welcome to the 'Cat---JEAN RITCHIE
From: kendall
Date: 23 Dec 00 - 08:43 PM

THE Jean Ritchie right here among us..wow!

Subject: RE: Welcome to the 'Cat---JEAN RITCHIE
From: katlaughing
Date: 23 Dec 00 - 08:39 PM

Spaw, what a wonderful thing to bring to our attention! Thank you. You know I am just a youngster compared to the rest of you old phoakies (big grin) and am catching up on the non-specific-to-Colorado folk music I never knew much about before. I've read about Jean and her family and music a bunch on here, from you, Sandy and the rest of the lot and know what esteem you all have for her.

What a pleasure it is to know that you, Jean, and you, Jon, have started to post and share your knowledge and stories with us. Thank you and a GREAT BIG WELCOME TO THE MUDCAT from Big Ole' Wyoming! Please join us as often as you can and desire; it is truly a pleasure to have you here.

katlaughng aka kat - Spaw's *good* twin! LOL!!

Subject: RE: Welcome to the 'Cat---JEAN RITCHIE
From: John Hardly
Date: 23 Dec 00 - 08:33 PM

I was so stunned to see the name of a writer I admire so that I just assumed it was someone writing under her name!

Ms Ritchie,
Yours songs are among my FAVORITES to play!

John Hardly

Subject: RE: Welcome to the 'Cat---JEAN RITCHIE
From: dwditty
Date: 23 Dec 00 - 08:30 PM

Welcome Jean. Any friend of Dave Van Ronk's is at home here, at least from my point of vies.

dw

Subject: RE: Welcome to the 'Cat---JEAN RITCHIE
From: Banjer
Date: 23 Dec 00 - 08:21 PM

Jean Ritchie answered an e-mail of mine several years ago. I asked told her about my lap dulcimer that I had built and my struggles to learn banjo. It was her encouragement that convinced me to keep at it. I took her advice and put the banjo aside for a while and played with the dulcimer. She was right, playing tunes on the dulcimer and then picking up the banjo again made a world of difference. If she said the world was flat and the sky was green, I'd believe her!! Great lady!! I was flabbergasted that she would take the time to respond to my e-mail..Thank you bunches, Jean, and welcome to the Mudcat...

Subject: Welcome to the 'Cat---JEAN RITCHIE
From: catspaw49
Date: 23 Dec 00 - 08:12 PM

Well, she and her son Jon have been keeping a low profile on another thread (Click Here) but Jean Ritchie has been visiting us and I thought it might be a good idea to start a separate thread as we usually do. Some of us welcomed her there, but the thread was getting long and creeping badly!

We have some fine, well known, folkies in our regular and semi-regular contingent here including Sandy and Caroline, Art, Frank, Hedy West, Margaret MacArthur.........On all of those list threads for "Most/Best/Significant, many of us have always included her and as she has always been one of my personal favorites, its a pleasure to see Jean show up here at the 'Cat. Welcome again, Jean and Jon.

Spaw