I just discovered Joan Baez

Subject: RE: I just discovered Joan Baez
From: hobbitwoman
Date: 30 Mar 06 - 08:08 PM

Congratulations, Amy - I was just about your age when I "discovered" Joan Baez, and I've been listening ever since. (36 years - yikes!! Has it been that long!?) I love the old, traditional songs, but I also like some of the things she has been doing more recently. I have had the great good fortune to attend two of her concerts in the past few years.

Joan Baez and this website... you've really stumbled onto a gold mine!:o)

Subject: RE: I just discovered Joan Baez
From: GUEST,Jaze
Date: 30 Mar 06 - 09:17 PM

I, too, envy your new find. When I first discovered Joan Baez, I wanted all her records. I have most of them,but there are still some I haven't heard. So I'm still discovering,too. While I prefer her early folk stuff, there have been some later ones that are still very good. Case in point is her newest CD-Bowery Songs. She does a lot of the old stuff with a new treatment. Her voice isn't as high and pure as it once was, lower and mellowed now, but she has a gift for phrasing like no one else. I think you'll find that her live ones are some of her best. She is one artist that often sounds better live than on her records. To me, that is the hallmark of a great singer.

Subject: RE: I just discovered Joan Baez
From: Don Firth
Date: 30 Mar 06 - 09:49 PM

My friend, Bob Nelson (Deckman) and I were in the San Francisco Bay area in late summer / early fall of 1959, sitting in the No Name Tavern in Sausalito, when Chicago folk singer Bob Gibson walked in. Bob (Nelson) and I had spent some time with him the year before when he was in Seattle, so he recognized us and came over. During the course of the conversation, he said that he had recently been to the Newport Folk Festival, and that there was a fantastic girl singer there. "You'll be hearing a lot about her pretty soon," he said.

True enough! The first time I heard Joan Baez' first record on Vanguard (started off with "Silver Dagger" and contained songs like "Fair Thee Well"), I was duly blown away! Great voice, excellent (and tasty) guitar.

The first time I saw her in person was during the Seattle World's Fair (Century 21) in 1962. She did a concert in the Seattle Opera House and packed the place (seats 3,100). A buddy of mine went backstage during intermission, managed to talk to her for a few minutes, and invited her to a party. He figured she'd say "no," but he asked just the same. Surprisingly, she said "yes." It seems she'd been in Seattle for about three days, didn't know anyone in town, and was feeling a bit lonely.

Big party at Dottie Broxon's big house on Capitol Hill. Joan didn't sing, because she'd already been singing for nearly two hours, but a lot of singing did go on, and we had a chance to converse with her some. Very enjoyable evening.

Then, in 1964, while attending the Berkeley Folk Festival, I was heading out for lunch after one of the workshops when I almost literally bumped into a small, dark-haired young woman wearing a T-shirt, cut-offs, and sandals just coming in. It was Joan. And darned if she didn't recognize me from the party two years earlier. We chatted for awhile, then went our separate ways. That evening she sang a terrific concert, then the following day participated in a couple of workshops.

Really nice person. Fine singer!

Don Firth

P. S. A bit of trivia that probably won't make the record books:   in early 1959, while I was singing at "The Place Next Door" in Seattle for $15.00 a night, she was making $10.00 a night at the "Club 47" in Cambridge. Shortly thereafter, our relative incomes from singing seemed to diverge a bit. . . .

Subject: RE: I just discovered Joan Baez
From: GUEST,Art again
Date: 30 Mar 06 - 11:59 PM

Don, great tales to hear...
I was getting $10.00 a night at Joe Moore's NO EXIT in Chicago -- actually Evanston --. Five sets a night. Nine, ten, eleven, twelve and one. Amazing times.

Art

Subject: RE: I just discovered Joan Baez
From: Hrothgar
Date: 31 Mar 06 - 04:59 AM

Amy, enjoy your great adventure - but don't try to be Joan. Just be Amy who learned a lot from Joan.

Wonderful, ain't she?

Subject: RE: I just discovered Joan Baez
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 31 Mar 06 - 06:24 AM

I first heard her beautiful voice in the mid-70s on records owned by a friend, & continued listening to tapes copied from these records until 1996 when I found folk was still alive. Admittedly I'd never looked for live music, so didn't realise it had never died!

I was forced to buy a CD player in 1998 when my absolute favourite tape (Joan Baez 5, 1964) was so wheezy from overplaying that I could no longer enjoy my favourite song, track 5 - Bachainas Brasilerias no. 5 - Aria. I had an agonised wait of a week before the CD shop could get this particular album, so I had to listen to 5 other CDs I'd bought, including Farewell Angelina.

I have 17 albums, I've replaced most of my copy & original tapes, & I carry around my list so I can buy missing albums.

I think I have most of her early stuff, but I'll check her website.

I'm now listening to Joan Baez 5 - bliss

sandra

Subject: RE: I just discovered Joan Baez
From: GUEST,Amy
Date: 31 Mar 06 - 09:12 AM

Hi Everyone,

Can someone please explain Joan's fingerpicking style? Is her guitar accompaniment difficult to eventually learn? I want to learn to do my own interpretation of her guitar style.

Amy

Subject: RE: I just discovered Joan Baez
From: Folkie101
Date: 02 Apr 06 - 08:03 PM

hi Amy,

others can probably explain her style better than i, but, as far as i can hear, it's lots of walking bass, hammer on and off, a unique fingerpicking style and picking out melodies within her songs. i saw her on tv recently in concert singing "Diamonds And Rust". she was accompanying herself on guitar alone on a big stage. it was a stunning performance.

Subject: RE: I just discovered Joan Baez
From: GUEST,Wesley S
Date: 02 Apr 06 - 08:21 PM

Amy - Have you listened to Judy Collins yet ? If you haven't then you might consider giving her a listen too. An equally amazing singer. I would think that if you enjoy one then you might enjoy the other too.

Subject: RE: I just discovered Joan Baez
From: Northerner
Date: 03 Apr 06 - 05:14 AM

I was yet another person who loved Joan's voice. I also still have the long hair! I never sang her songs at the folk clubs though - I quickly discovered that the majority of singers at the clubs sang traditional British songs (I live in the UK).

Subject: RE: I just discovered Joan Baez
From: GUEST,Amy
Date: 03 Apr 06 - 08:06 PM

Hi Tunesmith,

Thanks for pointing me to Carolyn Hester! A unique talent for sure! I also like her sparse guitar accompaniment. I thought I wanted to stay in my punk band, but, Joan Baez, traditional folk music and this site, has changed my life forever! I'm listening to Carolyn Hester now. I read how she almost became the folk queen in the early 60's.

Wesley S. - I purchased two Judy Collins folk albums today at my local thrift store ($1.00 each). I will listen to her shortly. Thanks everyone for sharing your Joan Baez memories and stories.

Peace,
Amy

Subject: RE: I just discovered Joan Baez
From: Hrothgar
Date: 04 Apr 06 - 05:43 AM

Next, Amy, discover Maddy Prior!

Subject: RE: I just discovered Joan Baez
From: TinkerandCrab
Date: 08 Apr 06 - 02:55 AM

Still searching around for a digital copy of "Folk Singers 'Round Harvard Square"... anyone? anyone? (Bueller?) I love that version of "On The Banks of the Ohio", too. I think there's a version on Joan Baez Vol. 2, but I want the earlier one... it's so breathtaking...

Subject: RE: I just discovered Joan Baez
From: GUEST,Tom
Date: 08 Apr 06 - 03:40 AM

this thread certainly brings back the memories! i was a freshman in college and was walking across campus when i heard this absolutely clear beautiful voice coming out of a window and i just stopped and was knocked flat! i stopped at the room and found out that it was JB singing Long Black Veil. I wore out that record the next 2 years; I'm afraid my roommates didn't like her as much as I did. Their tastes ran to the Beachboys.
   
also 'discovered' judy collins shortly thereafter. if you are looking for a comparable voice nowadays, check out Priscilla Herdman!

Subject: RE: I just discovered Joan Baez
From: PoppaGator
Date: 08 Apr 06 - 09:56 AM

Martin Scorsese's recent film on Bob Dylan, "No Direction Home," includes quite a bit of footage of Joan Baez, some from the sixties and more from a recent interview.

The older material is almost all performaces, both solo and duets with Bob; while no songs are included in their entirety, the excerpts are long enough to reveal the basics of Joan's guitar-playing technique and, of course, to show off her voice.

The current-day interview footage is pretty interesting, too, revealing Joan's wry attitude about her long-ago relationship (or non-relationship!) with The Bob when they were both young and stupid.

"No Direction Home" was produced for PBS (US public television) and orginally broadcast in several segments as a sort of mini-series. It's available now as a two-DVD set.

Subject: RE: I just discovered Joan Baez
From: Folkie101
Date: 08 Apr 06 - 02:24 PM

hi Amy,

there's a singer who's name is Odetta. she also appears in the Dylan dvd "No Direction Home". she's an incredible artist. i think you'll find her of interest. she also has a unique strumming style!

p.s. if you like the stunning performance of Odetta in the dvd, it can be found on her first album "Odetta".

Subject: RE: I just discovered Joan Baez
From: GUEST,Daniel
Date: 15 Apr 06 - 03:06 AM

Yay! A teenager who also listens to Joan Baez, Go Amy! :D
I'm 17, and didn't take a liking to Joan Baez's folk songs until last year. My dad always played JB, along with Peter,Paul, and Mary, and Gordon Lightfoot, on the stereo for us when we were young. So listening to folk songs brings back such fond memories of a not-so-long ago childhood. I only wish i could have started liking her sooner.
Her music really is extremely beautiful, and though she wasn't as expressive and forceful a singer as Judy Collins, Baez's musical sense and harmonizations are very pleasant to the ear. In fact, it's almost nearing the point of addiction; I've memorized all of the 50 songs I bought from itunes that were by her, many of them ballad songs. (Too bad they stopped printing "Joan Baez Ballad Book" because that had all the good traditional songs on it.)
I feel really good knowing that there are more teenagers like us who listen to her, because her music and voice is very rare and is not something to be disregarded and forgotten. Hehe, sometimes, i wish i was born in the 1960's xD. This forum is awesome!! =}

Subject: RE: I just discovered Joan Baez
From: Mr Red
Date: 15 Apr 06 - 08:08 AM

better than an un-Baezed opinion

Subject: RE: I just discovered Joan Baez
From: clairerise
Date: 15 Apr 06 - 10:34 AM

brilliant mr red.

i saw joan baez in york awhile back. she was wonderful.

Subject: RE: I just discovered Joan Baez
From: Franz S.
Date: 15 Apr 06 - 10:43 AM

Partially recovered memory: In 1978, a month after the assasinations of George Moscone and Harvey Milk in San Francisco, my wife and I took our two daughters (aged 2 and 4) down to the steps of SF City Hall one evening (I think it was Christmas Eve, but I'm not sure of that) to sing with Joan Baez. I remember there being several hundred people there, may have been more. The city was still in shock over the assasinations and the Jonestown tragedy. Hundreds of candles and all that, but they hadn't yet become a cliche. We sang for a long time (she had a microphone; the rest of us didn't. Nobody talked about healing in those days, but that's what happened .