Foremost interpreter of Guthrie songs-24 June (UK)

Subject: RE: Foremost interpreter of Guthrie songs-24 June (UK)
From: GUEST,Joel Rafael
Date: 26 Jan 13 - 11:27 PM

Thanks for all the input . The Green Note was awesome. So was Glastenbury.
I am coming back to Glastenbury in 2013.
BTW. The word "foremost" is not from me. Maybe authentic works, but I don't do a Woody Guthrie show. I have 5 co-writes with him from the Guthrie family, and try to write socially relevant stuff . That's it.
Cheers!
JR

Subject: RE: Foremost interpreter of Guthrie songs-24 June (UK)
From: GUEST,billhudson
Date: 22 Jun 10 - 10:32 AM

My two cents..
I think Sammy Walker has done a great job in doing Woody's music but I cannot understand at times the thing of who is the best and all that. It always starts with the words and what Woody had to say.

Subject: RE: Foremost interpreter of Guthrie songs-24 June (UK)
From: Folknacious
Date: 21 Jun 10 - 07:59 PM

Chris Wood is on at the Green Note the night before this chap. No disrespect to the late great Woodie, but Chris is much more relevant to these times in this country . . . unless we have a lot of dustbowls I haven't noticed on my travels. And I don't know about you but I'm rather tired of tribute bands, even one-man ones . . . only one rung above karaoke.

Subject: RE: Foremost interpreter of Guthrie songs-24 June (UK)
From: Arkie
Date: 21 Jun 10 - 07:45 PM

Joel Rafael is certainly worth a listen. I have heard him and enjoyed listening to him. That he has enough interest in Woody's music to keep singing Woody's songs is to his credit. He does not try to mimic Woody. He sings Woody's songs.   He does not put an American Idol or Taylor Swift spin on them. He lets the songs stand on their own merit. We all know that promoters put their spin on their events. The time to question their description of an artist is after one has listened to the artist. Then one is justified in commenting on whether they lived up to the billing.

Subject: RE: Foremost interpreter of Guthrie songs-24 June (UK)
From: catspaw49
Date: 21 Jun 10 - 07:24 PM

Woody must be taking England by storm these days. There's Bragg (who I personally think blows whales), the dude with the one-man show which some other guy is also doing.........and now this whatever it is.

I think Arlo needs to book a tour..........


Spaw

Subject: RE: Foremost interpreter of Guthrie songs-24 June (UK)
From: GUEST,Gerry
Date: 21 Jun 10 - 07:10 PM

I'm hoping to be recognized as the hindmost interpreter of Guthrie songs.

Subject: RE: Foremost interpreter of Guthrie songs-24 June (UK)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 21 Jun 10 - 06:14 PM

Yeah, but Joel Rafael does a good job, and he's worth a listen.
Country Joe McDonald is another excellent Woody interpreter. For that matter, so is Arlo.

And Matt, since we are a folk music forum, we do encourage posts publicizing folk music events (although I agree that the post does sound like a press release not like one one human being actually communicating with others).
-Joe-

Subject: RE: Foremost interpreter of Guthrie's songs-24 June
From: Larry The Radio Guy
Date: 21 Jun 10 - 06:13 PM

Matt, I'm not sure why that would classify as spam. I guess if "Guest" was a mudcat member, or even used a name, and was communicating about a great interpreter of Woody Guthrie songs whose merits were up for discussion---that wouldn't be spam, right?   Is it the fact that he/she didn't leave his name that makes it Spam?

Subject: RE: Foremost interpreter of Guthrie's songs
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 21 Jun 10 - 05:36 PM

I suspect that (unlike Dylan) the foremost interpreter of Woody's songs would be Woody---and just about everything he sang is available on CD.

Subject: RE: Foremost interpreter of Guthrie's songs
From: matt milton
Date: 21 Jun 10 - 05:17 PM

irrespective of the merits or demerits of Joel Rafael (who might indeed be totally amazingly brilliant for all I know) I really don't like SPAM.

If I wanted to read a press release I'd go and buy NME or something.

Subject: RE: Foremost interpreter of Guthrie's songs
From: catspaw49
Date: 21 Jun 10 - 05:13 PM

Amos, I think "Foremost" is just his latest level in interpretive voicings. He's hoping to be even bigger within the next few years and will achieve "Fivemost" status..........

Spaw

Subject: RE: Foremost interpreter of Guthrie's songs
From: Charley Noble
Date: 21 Jun 10 - 05:09 PM

Billy Bragg also deserves credit for setting several Guthrie songs to tunes, in cases where no tune was specified in the manuscripts.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Foremost interpreter of Guthrie's songs
From: peregrina
Date: 21 Jun 10 - 05:07 PM

I thought Woody wanted *everyone* to sing his songs, and even wrote various things about them really being your songs/the peoples' songs.
For me, the 'best' interpreter is the one who gets us all singing along to Woody.

Subject: RE: Foremost interpreter of Guthrie's songs
From: Acorn4
Date: 21 Jun 10 - 04:25 PM

Over this side of the pond, Billy Bragg has recently covered a lot of WG material.

Subject: RE: Foremost interpreter of Guthrie's songs
From: PoppaGator
Date: 21 Jun 10 - 04:22 PM

"But Joel Rafael is certainly worth a listen if he's recommended by Nora Guthrie."

That's pretty much what I was thinking ~ but even more convincing, to me, was the mention of Arlo as a participant in the recording.

...not to mention those other backup singers Browne, Crosby, and Nash!

Subject: RE: Foremost interpreter of Guthrie's songs
From: Amos
Date: 21 Jun 10 - 04:05 PM

I am sure he is!! But I don't quite know what "foremost"really means in this context. Foremost in PR? In sounding like the original? In commercial success? In short-term memory?


A

Subject: RE: Foremost interpreter of Guthrie's songs
From: Charley Noble
Date: 21 Jun 10 - 01:01 PM

And I was thinking that Cisco Houston and Ramblin' Jack Elliott did some good covers of Guthrie songs.

But Joel Rafael is certainly worth a listen if he's recommended by Nora Guthrie.

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Foremost interpreter of Guthrie's songs
From: wysiwyg
Date: 21 Jun 10 - 12:11 PM

This is a nice promo, Guest.

IMO the foremost interpreter of Guthrie's songs is the newest one to pick up a tune and make it their own. I suspect he'd see it that way too.

~Susan

Subject: Foremost interpreter of Guthrie's songs
From: GUEST
Date: 21 Jun 10 - 12:07 PM

Southern California-based singer-songwriter JOEL RAFAEL is celebrated as one of music's foremost interpreters of the work of American folk icon Woody Guthrie. Rafael has previously released two acclaimed compilations of Guthrie's songs. Nora Guthrie, Woody's daughter and the director of the Woody Guthrie Archives, has said, "I think the thing I find refreshing in Joel's interpretations is the simplicity of them. I find myself strangely comforted when I listen to Joel's recordings of my father's songs."

Joel Rafael's first recorded tribute to Guthrie, Woodeye: The Songs of Woody Guthrie, Volume 1, was originally released in 2003. Volume 2 followed in 2005. In its review Rolling Stone wrote, "Don't miss the moving version of Guthrie's 'Stepstone,' which finds Rafael sharing vocal duties with Jackson Browne and another Guthrie admirer by the name of Arlo."

Joel Rafael's previous album "Thirteen Stories High" was released on Inside Recordings – Jackson Browne's own label in 2008. The lead single, 'This Is My Country', an instant classic protest song, features backing vocals from David Crosby & Graham Nash.

Live THIS THURSDAY (24TH JUNE)

At: Green Note, 106 Parkway, London, NW1 7AN

Tickets and more info: Green Note