Frank Fairfield - legit old-timey soul

Subject: Frank Fairfield - legit old-timey soul
From: GUEST,pan
Date: 31 Jul 11 - 04:50 PM

give this guy a listen, he's pretty awesome.


Click here

Subject: RE: Frank Fairfield - legit old-timey soul
From: Fred McCormick
Date: 01 Aug 11 - 05:22 AM

Isn't he just! Some of the best goddamn old timey music I've heard in a long time. Just wait till he tours the UK.

Subject: RE: Frank Fairfield - legit old-timey soul
From: GUEST,matt milton
Date: 01 Aug 11 - 10:08 AM

I have mixed feelings about him.

I agree, on the one hand, that he is really brilliant at what he does. And I bought both his albums.

On the other, I think the way he sings often sounds a bit contrived and stagey (he sings like Granpa Simpson, with a hillbilly accent, even though he's a 25 year old from Los Angeles). Forget about the accent (I've discussed that to death elsewhere), it's more the faintly bizarre singing-like-an-old-man thing.

To give an analogy, it would be a bit like if Jim Causley were to practice and practice practice until he could do an absolutely perfect impression of Cyril Poacher, as heard on the Musical Traditions CDs. You'd applaud him for the effort and results, but you'd feel a bit weird watching a performance of it.

I guess what I'm saying is, I think he's very good indeed right now, but what would really take him up an emotional register would be if he was more himself and less a stylised, expert rendition of his old 78rpm records.

Subject: RE: Frank Fairfield - legit old-timey soul
From: Fortunato
Date: 01 Aug 11 - 10:16 AM

I see he's playing the Freight and Salvage. I wonder if he has an agent and a publicist? Anybody know?

Subject: RE: Frank Fairfield - legit old-timey soul
From: GUEST,steve s.
Date: 01 Aug 11 - 02:22 PM

hmmmm...

competent, has done his homework, but if you walk around the campground at Clifftop this week, you'll hear literally thousands of people doing the same schtick with great expertise.

I prefer to listen to recordings of the original performances (LOC, Anthology), but also enjoy the music of folks who have used the old examples as templates (eg M. Seeger, Conte, Molsky) and people who act as direct links (eg Greene from half of Kentucky, Leftwich from Jarrell, Baron from Wine, etc).

If you can get a gig at freight and salvage, cool...

s.