Folklore: Cowboys: Katie Lee and Gail Gardner

Subject: Folklore: Cowboys: Katie Lee and Gail Gardner
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 11 Dec 07 - 05:22 PM

The audio file, "Katie Lee Sings Cowboy Songs with Gail Gardner," is one hour 22 minutes of talk and song by these two great westerners.
Audio is poor, but this tape, part of the Arizona Memory Project put online by the Sharlot Hall Museum, is a must for those interested in the West. It is reminiscent of evenings around the campfire, singing and telling stories.

Katie Lee and Gail Gardner

Several interesting audio tapes in the collection, including talks "Life among the Apache Indians," "Fr Kino Comes to Arizona," and others.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Cowboys: Katie Lee and Gail Gardner
From: katlaughing
Date: 11 Dec 07 - 05:44 PM

Thank you!

Subject: RE: Folklore: Cowboys: Katie Lee and Gail Gardner
From: Art Thieme
Date: 11 Dec 07 - 09:35 PM

We brought Katie Lee to Chicago to do a concert for our presenting group. (The mid to late 1970s.) We called ourselves "AURAL TRADITION" and it was the first time ever that ORAL TRADITION was spelled as if it were AURAL. She was a polished singer with a real love for cowboy songs and lore.

I first heard Katie in a dark little wannabe night spot/folk bar in Evansville, Indiana about a block from the Ohio River---circa early 1060s.) That place had been named Allez Rouge, I think it was. To find the entrance, one had to go through a rather rancid downtown alley. Few came to see her as I remember the night I went. That club didn't last long at all. It was there before Evansville was ready for it.

Katie Lee wrote a really marvelous book called "Ten Thousand Goddam Cattle". It was full of great songs and the tales behind them. It is truly worth finding this volume used if you are into cowboy stuff told vividly and well!

She was the first person I ever heard sing "Gallo Del Cielo" by Tom Russell. Also, that magical song about the ghost town I've heard Utah Phillips sing to great effect: "OLD DOLORIS" --- and also the song "Maria Consuelo Arroyo" -- a sad one about a woman aging.

Some said her voice was a little too up-town, or country, or Western, or whatever. But her presentation always was right to my taste. (And, in the old days, she was a very sexy lady who seemed to enjoy being macho in the cowboy sense---i.e. the title of her book.

All that said, whenever I saw her with Gail Gardner it seemed they were both a bit too bent out of shape by people who had recorded Mr. Gardner's song called "Tying Knots In The Devil's Tail" or "The Siery Peaks" with less than the "correct" lyrics. ----- I can see their point; folks ought to do their homework. But, hell, that's the folk process! Right? ;-)

Art Thieme

Subject: RE: Folklore: Cowboys: Katie Lee and Gail Gardner
From: Art Thieme
Date: 11 Dec 07 - 09:39 PM

That ought to read "1960s - not 1060s)

art (sheepishly)

Subject: RE: Folklore: Cowboys: Katie Lee and Gail Gardner
From: Stringsinger
Date: 12 Dec 07 - 04:50 PM

I was one of those who didn't do my homework and learned about Gail Gardner, the cowboy poet. His song about "The Devil's Tail" is accurate in describing the various watering holes around Prescott, AZ. He and Katie both called me out on this and they were right. Gail was one of the great cowboy poets and songwriters.

I still think the song is a great one and uses cowboy venacular expertly.

Since the time I recorded the song (which I don't think I did badly) I learned a bit about horses and riding and now know enough to stay off them. You can really get hurt even if you know about 'em.

I am ambivalent about cowboys in general. I don't support the beef industry and the real cowboys are a rough bunch and capable of violence. However, they have produced through the means of the Cowboy Poetry gatherings and folks like John Lomax, Katie Lee and others some of the great American literature and music. Their legacy is important American history.

Now I wish they'd shut those stockyards down.

Frank Hamilton

Subject: RE: Folklore: Cowboys: Katie Lee and Gail Gardner
From: Art Thieme
Date: 12 Dec 07 - 11:07 PM

Frank,
That was a great LP album---FRANK HAMILTON---THE FOLKSINGER'S FOLKSINGER. I used to have it. I learned "Blue Mountain" from your recording of it, and it wound up on my first LP. And it was a variation of your tune for "Geordy" that I used for my doing of "Robin Hood's Death."

(I guess I still think it was less than kind/classy of K. and G. to so publicly make fun of those sincere renditions by others.)

Is that old LP available on CD? It sure ought to be...
And your solo instrumental version of "Meadowlands"---the time you did it in 1961 at the U. Of Illinois-Chicago-Navy Pier concert; I've always loved the tape I had of that song from back then. The LP called Nonesuch you and Pete did for Folkways was good---but just your solo performance just blew mw away. Geez, that was a long time ago!!!

Art