Quintessential Pete Seeger Recordings?

Subject: Quintessential Pete Seeger Recordings?
From: GUEST,Animaterra at work
Date: 30 Aug 00 - 09:46 AM

The thread on Pete Seeger's lost-and-found banjo got me thinking. The person who found and returned the banjo had never heard of Pete Seeger! As a music teacher, I got to thinking- have I spend enough time naming the living legends of our time? I'm planning to introduce the kids (ages 5-11) to Pete's music but only have a few very old vinyl lps with songs mostly geared to kids. They are great, but there's much more to Pete. What would you recommend to a school with a limited budget if you could only buy one or two of Pete's recordings?

Subject: RE: Quintessential Pete Seeger Recordings?
From: Groucho Marxist (inactive)
Date: 30 Aug 00 - 09:50 AM

I'd suggest either of two double concert albums:

"We Shall Overcome: The Complete Carnegie Hall Concert 1963"

or

"Singalong, Sanders Theater, 1980."

Groucho

Subject: RE: Quintessential Pete Seeger Recordings?
From: bflat
Date: 30 Aug 00 - 09:53 AM

I would suggest the two CD set of his live Carnegie Hall performance. Forty songs with sing-alongs,stories etc. "We Shall Overcome" is the title.

bflat

Subject: RE: Quintessential Pete Seeger Recordings?
From: bflat
Date: 30 Aug 00 - 09:55 AM

Two in agreement. Sounds like a winner.

Subject: RE: Quintessential Pete Seeger Recordings?
From: catspaw49
Date: 30 Aug 00 - 10:22 AM

Make it three.

Spaw

Subject: RE: Quintessential Pete Seeger Recordings?
From: Anglo
Date: 30 Aug 00 - 10:25 AM

I've had the We Shall Overcome LP since 1964, when he did a similar concert in Manchester. One of the few I've kept that long. I should probably upgrade to the double CD though. Count one more vote.

Subject: RE: Quintessential Pete Seeger Recordings?
From: Wesley S
Date: 30 Aug 00 - 10:41 AM

By the way the paper this morning reported that Pete has treatable Lyme disease. Here's hoping that returned banjo can surround Lyme disease and force IT to surrender.

Subject: RE: Quintessential Pete Seeger Recordings?
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 30 Aug 00 - 10:45 AM

Great thread A A W.

I'd strongly suggest to anyone who's not aware just how skilled a banjoist Pete is to get "Goofing Off Suite". Listen to his picking on "Blue Skies", and try to remember that he did this in the very early fifties. Some picker!

Rick

Subject: RE: Quintessential Pete Seeger Recordings?
From: Sean Belt
Date: 30 Aug 00 - 10:49 AM

I'd agree that "We Shall Overcome: The Complete Carnegie Hall Concert 1963" is the one to use to introduce your students to Pete. It also presents a great springboard for discussion of the historical context of the Equal Rights Movement and the events of the times that made it necessary. It's great to know that there are teachers out there who recognize the value of this music. (Or any music for that matter!)

Bread & roses,
- Sean

Subject: RE: Quintessential Pete Seeger Recordings?
From: Charlie2
Date: 30 Aug 00 - 12:34 PM

I don't know. I'd have to suggest that best place to start with Mr. Seeger is with the Weavers. I still think that he was best as a team player. The weavers live at Carnegie Hall has such a potent sense of humor that I think he lost a bit in his solo efforts. Not that I don't like him solo of course.

Subject: RE: Quintessential Pete Seeger Recordings?
From: GUEST
Date: 30 Aug 00 - 12:41 PM

"We Shall Overcome" is quite political. The "Singalong-Sanders concert" is less so. For the age group I would also suggest "Family concert" and "Birds, Beasts Bugs and fishes" The latter is two old LPs combined on one CD

Subject: RE: Quintessential Pete Seeger Recordings?
From: AllisonA(Animaterra)
Date: 30 Aug 00 - 05:58 PM

Thanks- these all sound great! I'm going to look for "We Shall Overcome" and if I can't find it locally, I'll check in at Amazon and support the Mudcat all at the same time!

Subject: RE: Quintessential Pete Seeger Recordings?
From: Art Thieme
Date: 31 Aug 00 - 12:49 AM

There's no better way to teach history than with the songs and ballads of a given era. They are documents handed down in the words of the people who were there at the time. They are at least as accurate as history books. Pete did some wonderful ones.
Art Thieme

---------------------------------------------------

American Industrial Ballads (Folkways/Smithsonian)

Songs Of The Adirondaks (Folkways/Smithsonian)

Songs Of The Spanish Civil War--Lincoln Brigades(Folkways/Smithsonian)Pete and the Almanac Singers

In Concert (Stinson)

Tlkin' Union (Folkways/Smithsonian)Pete with the Almanac Singers

Gazette (Folkways/Smithsonian)

Americas Favorite Ballads (several volumes on Folkways/Smithsonian)