BS: Thought for the Day -- August 21

Subject: BS: Thought for the Dday -- August 21
From: Peter T.
Date: 21 Aug 08 - 07:40 AM

Not a new thought for everyone around here, but I have just been listening to Art Rosenbaum's sampler "Art of Field Recording" (from Dust to Digital) covering lots of the highlights of his travels (though I guess one has to buy the 6 disc collection to get Scrapper Blackwell!), and I was thinking of what a debt one owes to songcatchers like him. I remember the first field recording I ever heard -- Son House playing with some pals in a garage by a railway track (Lomax at work) -- and being completely carried away by it, and one thing led to another, and I arrived at Mudcat. Similarly, I have been listening to the collection from Dylan's radio hour, now on CD, and also being charmed by the sheer luck and skill that ending up in the recording all these long gone people -- capturing talented voices that would have been gone forever but aren't! A tip of the hat to songcatchers everywhere (some hereabouts).

yours,

Peter T.

Subject: RE: BS: Thought for the Dday -- August 21
From: Wolfhound person
Date: 21 Aug 08 - 08:23 AM

On this day, 40 years ago, I was with a group of young people crossing the border from Finland into Russia, destination Leningrad. All we knew of what was happening in Czechoslovakia was the Russian papers.

It was interesting, but scary. We managed to lose our official guide, but as so few of us had any Russian it was difficult to communicate. We had to assure people we were English, not American, before they would speak to us.

I'm glad I went & saw it though, it was an eye opener.

Paws

Subject: RE: BS: Thought for the Day -- August 21
From: katlaughing
Date: 21 Aug 08 - 09:53 AM

It's gone step further, in some cases, Peter, with youtube making so many old videos available. Some of my favourites include Libba Cotton on Pete Seeger's tv show. Songcatchers are the Salt of the Ear(th)