I introduced a friend to Utah Phillips - Good Through! & the Tribute CD.

He retired to the country about 5 years ago & doesn't get to many clubs or festivals now because of bad health. We normally only meet once a year, but talk regularly & I keep him up to date with life in the big folky city & the www. He bought a dud computer when he retired but didn't persevere with it when it played up & will get another one day cos he knows what he's missing - good stuff like Mudcat!

He has a very broad knowledge of folk, he's been collecting songs, albums & song books since he discovered folk as a teenager in the 50's. A stewardess friend used to bring back odd & obscure LPs from UK in the 60s but she never travelled to US, so he missed the less commercial American artists.

Utah was one of the people he hadn't heard of when I first mentioned him, tho he did know some of his songs.

I took a few albums with me of people I'd mentioned & what was better (worse?) a list of my 600+ CDs so I'll know what to bring on my next visit

He raved about Utah's songs & voice & delivery, & the whole tribute album & recorded Big Mick's contribution as he's been looking for the full words for years (had he but mentioned this I could have found them!) He also said he would love to hear Rosalie Sorrels at a session, he loved her voice. I wish I could remember all his other comments.

I'll be buying both albums for him.

Another treasure I took with me was Pete Seeger's "Where have all the flowers gone - A Singalong memoir". Pete sent it to me when I wrote to him as Secretary of the Bush Music Club (Australia's oldest folk club) on the occasion of his 90th birthday & the Club's 55. Pete visited the Club in 1963 on his world tour & I sent him several journals of the period that mentioned his visit. I hadn't realised that zillions of folks write to him since he's become famous & treasure the two hand-written form letters I received in reply. They're now in the Secretary's archives, & the book will be returned to the Club's archive, but I've kept the padded mailer cos he addressed & signed it!!! & the book has been reviewed as requested.

We'll both be buying a copy.

sandra