I've been listening to CD Texas Sheiks issued recently by Geoff Muldaur. Muldaur is a Texas musician who has been interviewed on local public radio (KERA-FM) as well as on Terry Gross' Fresh Air and probably several other public radio venues.

I have an old cassette tape of Michael Cooney with a lot of interesting songs that he discussed in their social and historical context. (He was on Sesame Street, if his name is not familiar in the folk context. Think the Alligator king.) I believe Cooney is from Arizona.

And then there is Art Thieme, a denizen of the Chicago folk scene, and again, one who records great regional songs with historic significance. He shares the songs' lore with his audience with such humor and grace that they don't realize they're actually learning something.

They all do that. Each of these guys is a great performer, they love to research the songs they sing, and they share their love of the song with their audiences.

So have they ever met? Performed together? Does anyone else hear the same kind of timbre in their voices, the same kind of understandable words and a colloquial accent (to say nothing of being multi-talented with various instruments)?

I'm not articulating this clearly, because I'm not a folklorist or an ethnomusicologist. But any time I listen to a recording by one of these guys I always think of the other two. And they're in great company.

Anyone else want to step in here and mull over the similarities? I find these voices all very appealing, down home, articulate, and the musical skills are second to none. There is an Everyman quality that is speaking through each. Pardon me if this is embarrassing, Art, but there is a sexy earthiness to the recordings and the voices that is very appealing. And all of these performers have me tapping a foot, or if I'm doing something like cooking or washing the dishes, dancing in place to the songs.

Wouldn't it be an amazing occasion if all three of these guys got together to share songs? What wouldn't I give to be the fly on that wall!

Maggie (SRS)