Jean Ritchie Field Trip

Subject: Jean Ritchie Field Trip
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 26 Jul 01 - 10:42 PM

Once upon a time, about a half-century ago, a lovely red-haired lady made a Fullbright Scholarship tour through England, Ireland and Scotland. Equipped with a tape recorder and a magnificent repertoire of traditional Kentucky songs, she swapped songs with the likes of Ella Ward, Jimmy MacBeath, Seamus Ennis, Jimmy Stewart, Liz Cronin, Dianne Endicott, Johnny Pickering, Sarah Makem and Jeannie Robertson.
And then she blessed us all with an LP that presented these swaps, in the format of direct comparisons of versions of the same songs. THe LP was released in 1954.
Well it's back in CD format, which is just as well, as my LP is worn to the point of being unlistenable. I highly recommend it.
(Yes, CAMSCO carries it, but you should buy a copy even if you shop elsewhere, for some reason or other).

Subject: RE: Jean Ritchie Field Trip
From: MMario
Date: 26 Jul 01 - 11:14 PM

so - we should just go into a shop and ask for the cd by the lovely red-haired lady on a fullbright scholarship? or could we have a title? *grin*

Subject: RE: Jean Ritchie Field Trip
From: Amos
Date: 26 Jul 01 - 11:20 PM

Maybe "Jean Ritchie: Field Trip"????

A

Subject: RE: Jean Ritchie Field Trip
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 26 Jul 01 - 11:22 PM

The title is Field Trip (Greenhays 726). If you call CAMSCO, you could ask for the CD by the lovely red-haired lady on a Fullbright scholarship. With other vendors, I don't know.

It's $12.98. I suspect Kytrad is too modest to plug it, but she should.

Subject: RE: Jean Ritchie Field Trip
From: MMario
Date: 26 Jul 01 - 11:25 PM

(sorry - it's late and I'm brain dead)

Subject: RE: Jean Ritchie Field Trip
From: catspaw49
Date: 26 Jul 01 - 11:31 PM

What does "being late" have to do with it Mario?

I'll call....Hope there is great demand for this wonderful album.........I do love Jean Ritchie!

Spaw

Subject: RE: Jean Ritchie Field Trip
From: katlaughing
Date: 26 Jul 01 - 11:50 PM

I'll, too, thanks for letting us know, Dick!

Subject: RE: Jean Ritchie Field Trip
From: Sorcha
Date: 27 Jul 01 - 12:12 AM

MMario, go to bed......worry about it tomorrow. (grin)

Subject: RE: Jean Ritchie Field Trip
From: Banjer
Date: 27 Jul 01 - 06:25 AM

I'm goin' for it....Will have it ordered by the end of the day....may even check my local sources first so as not to have to wait for shipping time....Can't wait to hear it!!! BTW...for any that have not yet read the book by Jean, Singing Family Of The Cumberlands, I highly recommend it. It gives a good background of Jean in her own words. It lets us share an insight into her life, a fascinating journey!

Subject: RE: Jean Ritchie Field Trip
From: AllisonA(Animaterra)
Date: 27 Jul 01 - 06:27 AM

Dick, will you have it at Champlain Valley FF?

Subject: RE: Jean Ritchie Field Trip
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 27 Jul 01 - 11:08 AM

Animaterra- Sorry, but I won't have a booth at Champlain--I'm going to listen to the music.

Subject: RE: Jean Ritchie Field Trip
From: Pinetop Slim
Date: 27 Jul 01 - 11:17 AM

Sounds like something to order as soon as my budget is balanced -- nah, can't wait that long.

Subject: RE: Jean Ritchie Field Trip
From: MMario
Date: 27 Jul 01 - 11:20 AM

3 hours after reading it, I finally manage to get 'spaws comment. yes, you're right. it being late evidently has/had/has/will have nothing to do with it.

Subject: RE: Jean Ritchie Field Trip
From: Ron Olesko
Date: 27 Jul 01 - 11:36 AM

Does anyone have a phone number or website for CAMSCO? I have heard of them, but I've never been in touch with them.

I have a cassette version of the field recording that is starting to wear out. I would love to get my hands on a CD!

Thanks

Ron

Subject: RE: Jean Ritchie Field Trip
From: katlaughing
Date: 27 Jul 01 - 12:18 PM

Ron, Dick Greenhaus is Camsco and you can reach him at www.camsco.com. There is an 800 number listed at the website.:-)

Subject: RE: Jean Ritchie Field Trip
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 27 Jul 01 - 02:04 PM

CAMSCO MUSIC 800/548-FOLK (3655) [e-mail]

Subject: RE: Jean Ritchie Field Trip
From: GUEST,BANJOBETH
Date: 27 Jul 01 - 04:19 PM

I'm on my way to look for the cd and the book...and some new strings for my banjo. Glad I stopped in on this thread. Thanks all for the info.I've been a Jean Ritchie fan for years, but have been out of circulation while raising my kids. This'll be a great way to slide back into the world of music again.

Subject: RE: Jean Ritchie Field Trip
From: SINSULL
Date: 27 Jul 01 - 04:40 PM

Jean Ritchie singing Bobby Burns will appear in the auction this weekend. And to make up for thread drift, I will buy a CD from Dick.

Subject: RE: Jean Ritchie Field Trip
From: Joe_F
Date: 27 Jul 01 - 05:46 PM

www.camsco.com -- but the only "Field Trip" I can find there is listed under A. L. Lloyd.

Subject: RE: Jean Ritchie Field Trip
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 27 Jul 01 - 07:57 PM

Joe F-

CAMSCO sells any folk recording that's in print. It's clearly impossible to have an up-to-date website. If there's something you're interested in, E-mail ([e-mail]) or call (800/548-FOLK)

Subject: RE: Jean Ritchie Field Trip
From: forty two
Date: 28 Jul 01 - 05:52 AM

Just a "by the way"

A few years ago I went to the most amazing concert in Belfast. Organised by David Hammond, it was a get together with Jean Ritchie, Tommy Makem and David of course and backed up by Donal Lunny on bodhran.

The concert went on for nearly 4 hours as a lot of it was story telling and reminiscing. And of course a lot of the Ritchie collection.

heaven.

Subject: RE: Jean Ritchie Field Trip
From: Robin2
Date: 29 Jul 01 - 01:09 AM

Hi,

Just returned from KY Music Weekend tonight, and had a chance to talk to Jean about some of the music on her re-release. "Rattling Bog", one of our favorite songs, I discovered was one of the songs she researched on her Fullbright Scholarship tour. I found out more in 5 minutes from her than I had learned in the 5 years of performing this song!
Wonderful lady, and I'm always in awe of her knowledge and humor. I am going to run back over there tomorrow and pick up this CD!
(Jean, you are reading this, your set was wonderful.)

Robin

Subject: RE: Jean Ritchie Field Trip
From: Susan of DT
Date: 29 Jul 01 - 02:58 PM

I just played my Folkways vinyl Jean Ritchie Field Trip for Dick and found out that it is entirely different from the newly released Greenhays CD. There seem to be 2 different recordings of the same title. The folkways one has all people Jean collected, rather than Jean singing herself. The other, I understand, is a songswap between Jean and the people she was collecting.

Subject: RE: Jean Ritchie Field Trip
From: Mike Regenstreif
Date: 29 Jul 01 - 06:04 PM

Ron,

If you need the CD for your radio show, you should be able to get an airplay copy from Rounder. They have one in the mail to me for my show.

Mike Regenstreif

Subject: RE: Jean Ritchie Field Trip
From: WFDU - Ron Olesko
Date: 29 Jul 01 - 08:23 PM

Thanks Mike! I will check with them.

Ron

Subject: RE: Jean Ritchie Field Trip
From: kytrad (Jean Ritchie)
Date: 09 Aug 01 - 01:49 PM

Hello Everybody...glad someone told me about this thread (Pinetop Slim I believe). And thank you, Dick G., for your good words. The reissuing of "JR Field Trip" is a blessing for me, bringing back all those wonderful memories as it does. What a year that was! Pre-revival visits with those folks (who became dear friends after one song traded) who still sang slowly, told the story without studio arrangements and overkill. Yes- I'm not entirely innocent along this line, myself; I HAVE experimented with such "overkill," didn't like the experiments, so have given up those trials. Tried them because part of me wants to show that I can do it, too- if I want to!

I'm sorry that anyone is having trouble finding the CD. I just assumed everybody knows he/she can go to my website and order stuff. Just www.jeanritchie.com Can use Paypal, or download the order form and use personal check. All items autographed on request!!!

(The Unmodest) Jean

Subject: RE: Jean Ritchie Field Trip
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 09 Aug 01 - 07:17 PM

Jean, IMO, has little to be modest about.

Subject: RE: Jean Ritchie Field Trip
From: kytrad (Jean Ritchie)
Date: 10 Aug 01 - 08:09 PM

Two comments I didn't address: Sinsull- I think that the Robert Burns singer is Jean Redpath, and thanks for the comparison! She's a fine singer and good friend, and her initials ARE JR...

Susan of DT- ALMOST the same title, but not quite. Jean Ritchie Field Trip was the first effort, all work done by ourselves, and we called our "label" Collector Limited Editions (very fancy!). The Folkways series came later. We had readied a series of three 12" lps: Field Trip Ireland, Field Trip England, and Field Trip Scotland. The first two were issued by Folkways,on the Scottish one we lost our steam and never put it out. Still have the master, though, so maybe someday... Smithsonian/Folkways should be able to supply the Irish and the English ones as special make-up CDs, if anyone wants to have them.

Subject: RE: Jean Ritchie Field Trip
From: Susan of DT
Date: 11 Aug 01 - 10:47 AM

(dick greenhaus here)

I vividly remember, back in '54, when the late lamented (?) Folksingers' Guild in NYC presented a seminar series at my old loft on West 17th Street, and Jean accepted an invitation to appear (as I recall, we charged 50 cents, had seating for 104 and turned all proceeds over to the artist.) She played tapes of her trip, and sang. It was the first time I had ever heard her sing "country" as well as folk and I was much impressed. That's where I first heard of the Field Trip recording: I bought one eagerly, and subsequently played it to death.

Thanks, Jean, for a wonderful evening, and a whole bunch of hours of happy listening.

Subject: RE: Jean Ritchie Field Trip
From: kytrad (Jean Ritchie)
Date: 12 Aug 01 - 06:33 PM

Dick, what does IMO mean? Have to protect my reputation...

Subject: RE: Jean Ritchie Field Trip
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 13 Aug 01 - 12:13 PM

Jean-
IMO = In My Opinion

some folks use IMHO, but there's nothing humble about my opinions.