Folks,
Many of you know that the late BOB GIBSON was a very important early musical influence on me. When I first heard Bob, in 1959, at the Gate of Horn folk club / night spot in Chicago, I was eighteen years old--a senior in high school. His music simply blew me away. It was just one guy with a Pete Seeger model long-neck Vega banjo! (The big 12-string guitar wouldn't happen for several more years. Bob's shows then become a huge hit; --- long lines of fans at Chicago Avenue and Dearborn St. stretched around the block. --- Here's the rub though: Bob was getting the accolades singing the real traditional American folk songs. --- There were several Long-Play albums issued back then -- on Stinson, Riverside and Elektra Records. Most of that music has been unavailable for a long time.

Fast forward to 2011. Allan Shaw's FOLK ERA RECORDS has, somehow found and issued a 1957 concert---Bob Gibson Live At Cornell University.

Once again, this is Bob Gibson at his best. He was only playing his banjo behind his songs back in 1957. The 12-string guitar wasn't played by Bob back then.

People, I've been sitting here for the last three days just soaking up this marvelous 2-CD set (actually 3 CDs) of Mr. Gibson when he was, in my humble opinion, just about a perfect folksinger! Hearing these songs again is a huge nostalgia trip for me, yes, but I'm truly glad that many of you now have the chance to hear what I've been trying so hard to say in several of these Mudcat threads. --- Allan Shaw deserves a gigantic THANK YOU for making this whole gestalt possible.

The songs on Disc One are:

Sail Away Ladies
The Squirrel
Abilene
Dance Boatman Dance
Workin' On A Pushboat
Erie Canal
Michael Row The Boat Ashore
Devil And The Farmer's Wife
Ol' Bill
Springfield Mountain
Day-o
Wheel A-Matilda
John Riley
Go Down To Bimini

Disc two contains:

I Come For To Sing
Greenwood Side
Shady Grove
Snake Cure
Once Was A Poor Young Man
Horse Named Bill
Andalusian Dance
Songs of Marital Advice
Katey Morey
Lily of the West
Delia
Money Is King
Linstead Market
Must Come In At The Door
Oh Ananias
Rock-a My Soul
Mighty Day
Going To Leave Old Texas
Sinner Man
Take This Hammer
Wayfaring Stranger

The bonus disc contains an after the concert get-together and song swap with Bob and members of the Cornell Folk Music Club. It is rather amateurish, but a nice touch nevertheless.

from:
Folk Era Records
705 S. Washington St.
Naperville, IL 60540-6654
www.folkera.com
(630) 637-2303