Great unpublished N Amer source singers?

Subject: Great unpublished N Amer source singers?
From: Dave Ruch
Date: 05 Oct 05 - 10:28 PM

There are many great "published" (commercially recorded) traditional singers from North America, i.e. Frank Profitt, Almeda Riddle and OJ Abbott, to name just a few - I wonder who you've heard, or heard about, from various folklore archives, private recordings, etc that has (had) that really compelling way of putting the song across?

I nominate George Edwards from the Catskill Mountain region of New York.

Subject: RE: Great unpublished N Amer source singers?
From: GUEST,.gargoyle
Date: 05 Oct 05 - 11:01 PM

I nominate XXXXrk XXXgers of XXco, XXXXda,

He chose not to be published, but after all his family becomes food for worms....several will be submitted....IF and when the DT...once again becomes more than hobby....and the Smithsonian seeks it's data base.

Sincerely,
Gargoyle

A flirtatious man, with a profound nackering, and a belly full of songs.

If the Smithsonian desires these plain, plains tapes 2.50 inch r-to-r, in the best tradition of e-bay. Bidding begins at 10,000 dollars (US) each - paid in advance - deposits accepted on the Isle of Jersey - account Hollucombe - rectory - cheritable contribution to the orphens.

Subject: RE: Great unpublished N Amer source singers?
From: GUEST,Pamela in Ithaca
Date: 06 Oct 05 - 01:47 PM

There are quite a few in the Helen Hartness Flanders collection...
but how are you defining "published"? Only commercial recordings?
Or also song texts in books? I think you're saying recordings - their voices available for us to hear. Any way, I've been quite captivated by
Elmer George of Calis VT. A great singer.

But if only a few can ever hear their voices, what's the point?
Directing each other to great sources?

best, Pamela

Subject: RE: Great unpublished N Amer source singers?
From: GUEST
Date: 06 Oct 05 - 02:49 PM

Pamela,

Yes, I guess what I'm asking is this - who were the really captivating singers from the Newfoundland collections? From the Michigan northwoods? From HH Flanders' collecting in New England? The list goes on and on. Of course, this is subjective, but that's kind of the point...I'm interested to learn of "new" sources, and why folks like them.

There are so many great regional collections of traditional folksongs of North America out there, and few if any of us will ever have the time or opportunity to hear most of them. A few are now available online, and hopefully (with time and funding) this trend will continue. In the meantime, just wondering who people have heard and liked.

Subject: RE: Great unpublished N Amer source singers?
From: Dave Ruch
Date: 06 Oct 05 - 02:50 PM

Oops...GUEST was me without cookie.

Subject: RE: Great unpublished N Amer source singers?
From: GUEST,Russ
Date: 07 Oct 05 - 01:41 PM

Still not entirely sure what you are asking.

A personal favorite of mine is Maggie Hammons Parker of Pocahontas County WV. Of the legendary (at least in WV) Hammons Family.

Almost nothing is avalable via commercial recordings.

I am working to remedy that.

Subject: RE: Great unpublished N Amer source singers?
From: GUEST,Bob Coltman
Date: 08 Oct 05 - 06:56 AM

I would have to nominate a couple of Virginians:

Abner Keesee, of Altavista, VA, who sang me "Far Fanil Town" and "The Fisherman's Daughter" in 1954 or 5. An old man then, with little time to live. An extraordinary roar of a voice, ears going deaf, one of the strangest, most wonderful performances I've ever heard.

And the man who sent me to him:

Ben C. Moomaw, from the hills near Hot Springs, VA, who served a term as president of the Virginia Folklore Society, but was himself one of the most extraordinary traditional singers I have ever heard. He never performed beyond a few concerts for Ladies' Aid and Rotary in and around Hot Springs and Roanoke, but he should have been heard loud and clear in every corner of this land. A great voice, with strong natural rhythm carrying a song so well that accompaniment would be superfluous.

Also an unnamed bedridden banjo picker and singer from a B&W TV documentary whose theme was looking for the ballad "The Two Sisters" / "Bow and Balance." This rangy old guy did a wonderful "Old Windy Bill" that I still do to this day, in a great rouser of a voice with scratch chording.

Finally I would have to add the hauntingly beautiful voices of Juanita and Yvonne Thomas of Leetown, VA, teens when I met them, who outdid the Louvin Bros. et al all hollow on oldtime standards like "Rosewood Casket."

Oh, and by the way, another amazing female duet, singers never otherwise taped, will shortly be making its debut on the forthcoming 5-CD set of Joe Bussard's Fonotone recordings: the Beechley Sisters (I knew a guy related to them), whose "Only The Wind" is one of the most beautiful songs of all time, sung with eerie beauty.

I could go on, but there's a start.

Bob

Subject: RE: Great unpublished N Amer source singers?
From: Dave Ruch
Date: 09 Oct 05 - 09:47 AM

Great descriptions, Bob. I wish I could hear them. I think that strong sense of rhythm is one of the defining things in the singers I seem to like best. George Edwards had it for sure, along with a whimsical way of telling the story in his slightly twangy but deep voice, and a great repertoire. Interestingly, he said he sang "five times better" before he lost his teeth.

Subject: RE: Great unpublished N Amer source singers?
From: RichM
Date: 09 Oct 05 - 10:49 AM

Pamela Morgan, Christina Smith and Jean Hewson, Jim Payne, Fergus O'Byrne, A Crowd of Bold Sharemen, Anita Best, Joan Morrissey, and something a little more contemporary, but rooted in tradition: Ron Hynes, Colleen Power ...just to name a few...

Subject: RE: Great unpublished N Amer source singers?
From: RichM
Date: 09 Oct 05 - 10:51 AM

forgot to mention that these are all Newfoundland singers

Subject: RE: Great unpublished N Amer source singers?
From: Anglo
Date: 09 Oct 05 - 11:01 AM

"...forgot to mention that these are all Newfoundland singers"

And I have CD recordings of most of them, so how do you consider them unpublished?