Pacific Northwest songs and stories

Subject: Folklore: Pacific Northwest songs and stories
From: GUEST,reggie miles
Date: 17 Jun 03 - 01:44 AM

I just got off the phone with a fellow who has received some grant money to do some research in the field of ethnomusicology. Songs and stories of the Pacific Northwest are his fancy. He told me about his grandfather who played musical saw and fiddle and told stories as a logger in the Northwest. Now he carries on his grandfather's traditions by doing likewise, using his grandfather's fiddle, saw and stories in his recordings and performances. I told him about this site as he was interested in old songs and history about this area here where we both reside, Washington State. He's familiar with Utah as a previous Spokane resident but would like to know of others who may have contributions previously unrecorded or otherwise unknown. He's also interested in researching Russian songs that may be lurking undisturbed in the crevices the Alaskan backwoods. It seems to me there must be plenty of stuff out there about Washington but I couldn't guess where he'd look to uncover 300 year old russian songs from Alaska. Perhaps there are those of you here who could lend your expert knowledge to this work.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Pacific Northwest songs and stories
From: Deckman
Date: 17 Jun 03 - 01:51 AM

Sounds very interesting Reggie. I'll PM you tomorrow! CHEERS, Bob

Subject: RE: Folklore: Pacific Northwest songs and stories
From: Benjamin
Date: 17 Jun 03 - 02:09 AM

For the Russian songs, he might want to look into the Aleuts. Russian missionaries married into their families some time back and they all have Russian last names. From what I'm told, the Russian Orthodox Church still has a prominant role in the community. That would be the best guess I could think of.
Later
Benjamin

Subject: RE: Folklore: Pacific Northwest songs and stories
From: Mark Cohen
Date: 17 Jun 03 - 05:19 AM

Have him check out Linda Allen's songbook, Washington Songs and Lore (currently out of print, but the link will let you order a copy from Amazon). It's an essential reference, and a wonderful collection. And I'd say that even if one of my very small songs wasn't in there! (incorrectly, I'm afraid...)

Aoha,
Mark

Subject: RE: Folklore: Pacific Northwest songs and stories
From: Haruo
Date: 17 Jun 03 - 05:24 AM

Second the vote for Linda Allen's book — and remember that a slightly-better-tuned version of Mark's alluded-to ditty is in my online collection:

Apple Maggot Quarantine Round

Haruo

Subject: RE: Folklore: Pacific Northwest songs and stories
From: GUEST,reggie miles
Date: 17 Jun 03 - 09:16 AM

He's mentioned Linda and her research and has been in contact with her. He hopes to follow in her footsteps to some degree. I don't know but I would think much of that aspiration has already been accomplished or attempted by others and though there may be those still out there with knowledge, songs or stories to share, much has been already been lost or overlooked due to the ravages of time and general lack of interest.

I the small town where I reside there was a gentleman named Don Fulcher. He lived just a couple of doors down from my home and was very much like, I imagine, this young man's grandfather. He was a character. He lived in his parent's house, which looked quite run down compared to the newer homes surrounding it. I was inside only once and it seemed frozen in time, somewhere about eighty or ninety years ago. He was a remnant of the past, bent with age and always walking about town with a permanent stoop due to spinal curvature. He used to be the town blacksmith he'd say and then the stories and humor would begin. Recitations memorized years before, as folks did to entertain each other in the days before modern conveniences like radios and tvs, would pour from his lips to any eager ears willing to listen for a few moments. Don's age made his telling of these stories and poems difficult to understand as he spoke but the twinkle in his eyes kept me riveted on more than one occasion. As I enjoy some of the same forms of early songs and stories, I hoped to record some of these as told by Don but his failing health soon made that impossible. I recognized many of the recitations having read them in books but it was a treat to hear them told by him.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Pacific Northwest songs and stories
From: GUEST,mg
Date: 17 Jun 03 - 03:31 PM

I would contact Hobe Kytr at the Ilwaco Museum..he is a great songwriter himself and might know of sources etc.

I would love to see them document the Native American songs..and the last of the Chinook jargon speakers (not the Chinook language, but that too), and the old Finnish and Norwegian fishing songs, if some exist, around here at the mouth of the Columbia.

Jon Pfaff in Seattle would be a good source. He ahs put on panels of NW songs at Folklife etc...they do tend to be more recently written but some are old..tend to be from B.C. via Phil Thomas.

mg

Subject: RE: Folklore: Pacific Northwest songs and stories
From: rangeroger
Date: 17 Jun 03 - 07:02 PM

Reggie, a small question. What does Utah have in common with being a Spokane resident?

rrfromjusteastofSpokaneinNorthIdaho

Subject: RE: Folklore: Pacific Northwest songs and stories
From: Art Thieme
Date: 17 Jun 03 - 08:18 PM

Utah (Phillips) used to live in Spokane.

Art Thieme

Subject: RE: Folklore: Pacific Northwest songs and stories
From: rangeroger
Date: 17 Jun 03 - 11:44 PM

God, Art, I really feel stupid. I knew that,but it didn't click in the context of Reggie's post.

I guess it was a mind of state and not person.

rr

Subject: RE: Folklore: Pacific Northwest songs and stories
From: GUEST,Dave Michaels
Date: 18 Jun 03 - 10:54 AM

For authentic logging and mining songs of old, check out Paul Roseland. He's a Norweigian transplant to Anchorage and has recorded some truly old and mostly forgotten songs. For contemporary story songs about Alaska, check out Mike Campbell. He's another transplanted Alaskan with a great voice and a very funny sense of humor.    D.M.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Pacific Northwest songs and stories
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 18 Jun 03 - 10:59 AM

I have a lot of stuff, collected for many years by my father, John Dwyer. What is the duration of this grant project? I don't have much unpacked at this point, and would only contribute copies or info, not original materials.

SRS

Subject: RE: Folklore: Pacific Northwest songs and stories
From: Art Thieme
Date: 20 Jun 03 - 10:59 PM

JON BARTLETT and RIKA RUEBSAAT, the fine duo from British Columbia, have two wonderful new CDs out.

Volume TWO is made up of songs from the Phil Thomas collection. These BRITISH COLUMBIA songs and ballads paint a vivid picture of that province along the North American continent's Northwest coastlands.

songs are:
The Young British Rancher
The Truck Driver's Song
Taku Miners (my personal favorite)
The Young Man From Canada
Old Faro
Know Ye The Land
Teaming Up The Cariboo Road
Klondike
Way Up The Ucletaw (no, this is my personal favorite)
The Greenhorn
The Kettle Valley Line
The PGE Song

Volume ONE is Come To Me In Canada and is a collection of Canadian songs from across the country.

songs are:
Logdriver's Waltz (by Wade Hemsworth)
Nous Sommes Trois Freres
Willie Drowned In Ero
Peter Amberley
Dondaine La Ridaine
Lumberman's Alphabet
The Kangaroo
Springhill Mine Disaster (Peggy Seeger)
'Twas Out In Alberta
Dans Ls Prison De Londres
Henry Hudson
Mussels In The Corner
The Unquiet Grave
Come To Me In Canada
Le Sirop D'erable

These are all great songs that tell of the land and the people and how they intertwined. It was silly of me to think of picking favorites. These people (Jon and Rika) are pure taste. On another of their recordings, their rendition of Wade Hemsworth's song "THE WILD GOOSE" just blew me away.

Art Thieme

Subject: RE: Folklore: Pacific Northwest songs and stories
From: GUEST,Gene
Date: 21 Jun 03 - 12:59 AM

How about a cut from an old DR. DEMENTO SHOW from the late
70s or early 80's

something like "Godzilla ate up Tukwilla"
(then he went down and ate renton for dessert,
he drank up Lake Chelan, and then piddled on Spokane,
and then he went down and ate Yakima).

Subject: RE: Folklore: Pacific Northwest songs and stories
From: johnross
Date: 21 Jun 03 - 10:55 PM

It would be a very good idea for this un-named collector to make contact with Willie Smyth at the Washington State Arts Commission in Olympia. He is the State Folklorist, and in contact with most of the other people who are collecting folk songs in this state.

Also, Jill Linzee, the Director of Public Programs at Northwest Folklife in Seattle works with many other folklorists and collectors in the region.

In Oregon, the Oregon Hsitorical Society in Portland is doing some folklore projects, and there's a very large collection at Oregonn State University in Eugene.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Pacific Northwest songs and stories
From: mg
Date: 22 Jun 03 - 07:08 PM

The weekend of July 11, I believe, the Ilwaco Museum is putting on a series of things..stories etc..about trains in the area..they are putting a locomotive in as an exhibit and are looking for people who remember the Clam Shell Railroad up the peninsula here...come on down...mg

Subject: RE: Folklore: Pacific Northwest songs and stories
From: GUEST,reggie miles
Date: 23 Jun 03 - 12:08 AM

John and everyone, the fellow in question is Bob Antone his email is [e-mail]

I pointed him in the direction of this site but don't know if he explored it thoroughly.

I'm emailing him with a link to the thread so that he can read some of this and contact those of you with ideas.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Pacific Northwest songs and stories
From: GUEST,MMario
Date: 19 May 04 - 08:57 AM

from the help forum:
From: Haruo
Date: 19-May-04 - 12:10 AM

I keep trying to post the following to the thread "Folklore: Pacific Northwest songs and stories" and it keeps not showing up.

I spent the weekend in Portland at the 6th annual Chinuk Lu7lu. This is the main gathering of speakers, learners and teachers of the Chinook Jargon or Chinuk Wawa, the native trade language (and creole) of the Pacific Northwest. We had open mike at the Red & Black Café Friday night, and also sang some songs in the sessions at Portland State University's Native American Student Center.

The "Whiskey Song" and "Tomorrow" are old CJ favorites, I'll try to write them up in Mudcat-accessible form sometime soon. We sang several others, including what I guess was an adaptation of "Are you washed in the Blood of the Lamb", and there were a couple of really neat blessing songs.

Haruo
(or lilEnd, as I call myself in CJ; the E is a schwa)

Subject: RE: Folklore: Pacific Northwest songs and stories
From: Haruo
Date: 19 May 04 - 08:08 PM

Thanks, MMario.

I submitted that message here four times in a row. Nice to have friends who read the Help Desk!

Haruo

Subject: RE: Folklore: Pacific Northwest songs and stories
From: GUEST
Date: 20 May 04 - 04:50 PM

Sounds like a "Don't miss it" sorta evenin'.

G. U.