Hootenanny was a nonsense word that Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie first heard in Seattle.   They brought it back east and tacked it onto the social gatherings that brought people together to sing. Hootenannys took place in various settings.

The DVD & CD that is mentioned in the first posting contains a clip from the old ABC-TV series "Hootenanny". The show traveled to various college campuses and mixed local talent with nationally known names. The Cumberland Trio were from Tennessee and they were a hit. After this appearance, they went into an RCA studio with Chet Atkins and made some memorable recordings.   Unfortunately, they decided to sign with another record label instead of RCA and things did not work out so well. The record company went bellup, and the Trio eventually disbanded.

A few years ago the Trio reunited for a concert at the University of Tennesse. The group sent me a copy of their reunion concert, plus a CD of their original RCA recordings. I was very impressed.   IF they had a bit more luck, I do believe we would have remembered the Cumberland Trio as we do other successful collegiate groups of the time - The Kingston Trio, The Highwaymen, Chad Mitchell, etc.   There had some beautiful original tunes that I feel stand up to any song from that era.    As for their reunion concert, you can see the genuine love for the music shine through. Unlike that cheesy PBS special where many of these groups walked through their songs, the Cumberland Trio really showed how much they loved what they are doing, and they are not doing it to make a buck like other groups of that era.   

I realize that this style of "folk" music is not to everyones likeing, especially with the traditionalists here on Mudcat. However, I find the Cumberland Trio to be a really refreshing reminder of what was GOOD about those times. It wasn't all commercial claptrap. There were people who were genuine in their love of the music, and while their performance may be a bit theatrical for some tastes - you can't argue with the fun they were having. Isn't that one of the best reasons to enjoy music?