Buddy Tabor Music

Subject: RE: Buddy Tabor Music
From: Ebbie
Date: 05 Mar 12 - 10:39 PM

Refresh

Subject: Buddy Tabor Music
From: Ebbie
Date: 04 Mar 12 - 07:13 PM

Buddy's Anthologies, Volumes I, II and III, are on CDBaby now with previews of each song. It breaks my heart to listen to them- he sounds so alive.

A couple of us transcribed all the lyrics of the Anthologies and had them bound in a book for $15.00 and that is available too. All proceeds go to Jeanette.

Ken Melville's eulogy at the funeral:

I've heard
Buddy's songs
everywhere
in the last weeks
their tunes and lyrics
come unbidden to my mind

but we are here today because
while his music lives
we mourn and miss
the man

He inspired friendship
in people
wherever he went
because he was loving
forgiving
and attentive
he met people on equal terms
his empathy opened doors for him

he gave of himself

if you were sick
he cared for you
if you grieved
he comforted you
and if you were imprisoned
he visited you

Buddy could be difficult
trying the patience
of family and friends
restless angry and stubborn
criss-crossing North America
on his perennial odysseys
raging against wrongs
real or perceived
persisting in his way
resisting argument and reason

yet
every facet
was somehow essential
without them
how could he have written
about America's
people
landscapes
and lonely epics
joyous or
broken hearts
the homeless
downtrodden
and aggrieved

poetry is a way of knowing
and Buddy Tabor
was learned in poetry
and scripture
saturated in America's
great music traditions
folk gospel and blues
student of
Hank Williams
Bob Dylan and
Townes Van Zandt
wise in words
and guitar chords

Buddy sometimes
called me his teacher
but in the weeks
before he died
i asked him to teach us
he replied
I'll show you how it's done

he did
with love and forgiveness
thought and prayer
was there anger
a little
was he stubborn
sometimes
did he indulge in
the dark humor
he loved
yes
but above all
there was dignity

if death is a lesson
it is also a journey
though last familiar things
a conversation
a cup of coffee
or a kiss

Jeanneatte has asked us
to share with you
the music Buddy listened to
on his last great drive
around Juneau
seeing familiar sights
and old friends

this is
Called to the Foreign Field