John Dwyer - Songs & Stories -Guitar List photos

Subject: RE: John Dwyer - Songs & Stories -Guitar List photos
From: Deckman
Date: 18 Jul 20 - 12:00 PM

MAGGIE … I NEGLECTED TO MENTION THE MOST MOVING MEMORY FIXED IN MY PEA BRAIN WHEN I SAW THE PHOTO OF JOHN'S GUITAR. IT COMES FROM HIS INCREDIBLE MEMORIAL SERVICE YOU HAD AT CAMP PARSONS, IN SEATTLE. WHAT A TURNOUT … I SWEAR HALF OF SEATTLE WAS THERE.

THIS HUGE ROOM HAD CHAIRS LINING ALL FOUR WALLS. AS I LOOKED AROUND AT THE CHAIRS, MY EYES CAME ACROSS ONE EMPTY CHAIR, WITH JUST A GUITAR PLACED UPRIGHT IN IT. MY FIRST THOUGHT WAS: "THAT'S AN OFF WAY TO SAVE A SEAT." THEN IT HIT ME, AS I SAW YOU SIT DOWN BESIDE IT … THAT CHAIR WAS RESERVED FOR THE LATE JOHN DWYER.

I HAD TO LEAVE THE ROOM AND GO OUT TO PARLING LOT FOR A BIT. BOB(DECKMAN)NELSON

Subject: RE: John Dwyer - Songs & Stories -Guitar List photos
From: Deckman
Date: 18 Jul 20 - 11:12 AM

MAGGIE … ( MY APOLOGIES FOR THE BIG LETTERS, BUT I DON'T SEE WELL ANYMORE) …. VIEWING THE PICTURES OF JOHN'S GUITAR AND SONG LIST BRINGS BACK A FLOOD OF MEMORIES. I WELL REMEMBER THE FIRST TIME HE SHOWED ME THE "FIRST EDITION" OF THOSE LISTS. IT WAS A WARM DAY, AT HIS BEACH FRONT HOME AT MISSION BEACH, WHERE I HAVE SPENT SO MANY HUNDREDS OF HOURS SINGING AND SHARING SONGS WITH JOHN AND SO MANY, MANY FRIENDS.

WHEN I FIRST SAW THE SNGS LISTED AND TAPED TO THE BACK OF HIS GUITAR, I SUGGESTED THAT HE ADD MORE SHEETS OF PAPER, IN LAYERS, LIKE A BOOK. TYPICAL OF HIS PUNNY HUMOR, HE REPLIED; "i'LL LEAF THAT ALONE!"   CHEERS, BOB (DECKMAN) NELSON

Subject: RE: John Dwyer - Songs & Stories -Guitar List photos
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 16 Jul 20 - 11:48 AM

Thanks, Bob, I was hoping you'd see this! Dylan cleaned the guitar and restrung it and said that while you can feel a tiny amount of warp along the frets it doesn't show and it's probably mostly from so much use. Over all of this time it remains a very nice guitar.

I still have the tuning fork he kept in that old case. It was part of the magic of the process when I was very young and Dad was learning to play, that striking of the tuning fork to his shoe or another object then touching it to the instrument.

Subject: RE: John Dwyer - Songs & Stories -Guitar List photos
From: GUEST
Date: 16 Jul 20 - 10:01 AM

MAGGIE … SEEING JOHN'S OLD GUITAR AND SONG LISTS BRINGS BACK MANY PLEASANT MEMORIES. BOB(DECKMAN)NELSON

Subject: RE: John Dwyer - Songs & Stories
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 15 Jul 20 - 07:09 PM

John M. Dwyer died in 1997, and his music and instruments and books and recordings went with various family members. My brother has the original guitar that Dad used for many years, and is preparing to take it to his daughter and her husband's family where there are lots of musicians. I asked him to please photograph the list of songs before it was out of his hands.

My son is a guitarist with several guitars of his own, so my brother took Dad's guitar to him to clean and restring, and they put it in a shiny new Amazon-ordered case (the old one was pretty crumbly but apparently did it's job in protecting the instrument all of these years.)

I remember reading remarks from people here at Mudcat about the lists of songs taped onto the back of his guitar, so I asked my brother to email them to me, saved them as non-lossy PNG files, and uploaded them to a file on Google Photos. I haven't used Google's uploaded Photos site much (I enjoyed Picasa, but that is a few years back now) and hope this stays the small set of photos I've uploaded now (and none of my dogs and garden populate it as time passes!)

A little background: Dad took guitar lessons from Don Firth in Seattle. I think Don is probably also the one who recommended the guitar that he purchased and used for all of those years. (He had other instruments, but when arthritis became a problem he stopped playing and sold the newer instruments). Don also advised a lot on song collection, performance, etc. and one of the interesting things (I've asked if he'll send it to me) in the guitar case was a small notebook. I put up the photo I was sent, and it includes a note Dad kept for himself from Don about how to put together a set list. This is probably a very old note that just always stayed in the case.

The photos should enlarge or download if any of you are interested to see his typed list and hand-written notes. John M. Dwyer guitar - taped song title lists.

Subject: RE: John Dwyer - Songs & Stories
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 13 Aug 19 - 01:33 PM

The contents of my home office were rapidly packed into boxes in June (2019) when I needed to do major repair construction on a couple of rooms. The result is that as I put everything back I'm trying to be more orderly about where I place the various parts of my father's collection. There are boxes of books, of cassette tapes he recorded at many live events in the Pacific Northwest and in Vancouver, B.C., and boxes of notebooks, files, LPs, and even reel-to-reel tapes.

I retired a year ago and am to the point where I can tackle this job. Those of you who knew John Dwyer know he was a retired community college reference-librarian-pack-rat so the books are various and obscure. In the past I have used his books and notes to look up the words to songs for people, and now I may be in a better position for that, though the biggest task ahead is to build an Access database to catalog the contents of the cassette tapes.

When I get started I'll probably start a new thread for keeping people apprised of the progress or to ask questions they might have. This is a head's-up that I'm finally tackling the job.

Of less importance to me right now, but possibly of interest to Mudcat members, are all of the obscure cassette tapes he bought or was given by other people. I'll make a list of what they are, but as I work will decide how many layers of this onion I have to peel to end up with a good representation of his work in collecting and performing folk music in the Pacific Northwest. I'll have to determine if he learned songs from those cassettes or merely kept a robust collection. I suspect he had his own lending library going - there are quite a few things that say "Return to John Dwyer" on them. Old habits die hard.

Maggie

Subject: RE: John Dwyer - Songs & Stories
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 16 Jul 14 - 02:29 PM

Hey, Bob. Thanks!

Subject: RE: John Dwyer - Songs & Stories
From: GUEST
Date: 16 Jul 14 - 01:26 PM

Hi Maggie ...

The Pacidic Northwest Folklore Society puts out a bi-monthly on-line publication called "The Hoot." I've started a series of articles titled "Those Who Led The Way." And your father John certainly was one of the leaders. This next issue will feature Walt Robertson. After that, I'd like to feature Don Firth, and then your late father John Dwyer. I'll be in touch with you as I write that article. CHEERS, bob(deckman)nelson ... still safely hiding in Everett, Washington, where I see your father's beach house often.

Subject: RE: John Dwyer - Songs & Stories
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 16 Jul 14 - 09:52 AM

There has been a steady trickle of interest in a few of Dad's songs to do with Pacific Northwest History. I have in my hands a book sent by Ms. Waring that is designed for use in home school settings. Westward Ho!: The Heart of the Old West is a beautiful book with a CD that has as its first half explanations of historic places, events, and activities, and the back of the book is the music and words to each song that illustrates the history. I'll read, listen, and post a review later.

Dad's song about the San Juan Pig War is the one used in this book.

SRS

Subject: RE: John Dwyer - Songs & Stories
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 03 Feb 14 - 06:34 PM

I'll send you an email. Thanks!

Maggie

Subject: RE: John Dwyer - Songs & Stories
From: maeve
Date: 03 Feb 14 - 05:45 PM

Guest: A message has been sent.

Subject: RE: John Dwyer - Songs & Stories
From: GUEST,Diana Waring
Date: 03 Feb 14 - 05:43 PM

Could someone help me connect with John Dwyer's daughter, Maggie? I am seeking permission to use John's song, "San Juan Pig War" in a small book publication, and need to contact someone with his estate.

Please contact me here:
[e-mail]


Thanks!

Subject: RE: John Dwyer - Songs & Stories
From: GUEST
Date: 03 Feb 14 - 05:35 PM

I'm trying to find Maggie Dwyer, concerning permission to use her father's "San Juan Pig War" in a reprint of a publication. If anyone can point me in her direction, I would be grateful!

Subject: RE: John Dwyer - Songs & Stories
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 12 Nov 09 - 11:07 PM

I'm sure he'd have been a Mudcat regular, had it been around when he was. Yes, Bob, Burma. I found a note with the photo, I think his father sent the framed photos to his mother. It seems to say something about the Amazon, but perhaps that is a joke. :)

Subject: RE: John Dwyer - Songs & Stories
From: Charley Noble
Date: 12 Nov 09 - 08:48 PM

Sound like a person I'd loved to have met. Damn!

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: John Dwyer - Songs & Stories
From: Leadfingers
Date: 12 Nov 09 - 08:37 PM

100

Subject: RE: John Dwyer - Songs & Stories
From: Don Firth
Date: 12 Nov 09 - 08:02 PM

Thanks for posting that, Maggie.

Yup, that's John, all right! I'd recognize him anywhere.

Don Firth

Subject: RE: John Dwyer - Songs&Stories
From: mg
Date: 12 Nov 09 - 06:08 PM

I would like the words to tugboat cook if possible. We are going to be making a tugboat CD. mg

Subject: RE: John Dwyer - Songs&Stories
From: Deckman
Date: 12 Nov 09 - 06:05 PM

Hi Maggie ... thanks for posting John's picture ... sure is a younger version, eh! My memory says he was an Army medic and served in BUrma? bob (BTW ... this is the SECOND TIME I've tried to post to this thread???)

Subject: RE: John Dwyer - Songs&Stories
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 12 Nov 09 - 10:23 AM

Originally posted (first attempt) Nov. 11, 2009. Last night it apparently didn't take.

It was Veteran's Day yesterday, and it is 12 years since my father's death, late in the evening of Nov. 11, 1997. Jean Smith and I did the math to figure this out, according to phone calls, email messages, and checking with places where he had appointments in the next few days. "Your father didn't keep his appointment" meant he couldn't get there--he never just blew off appointments and he was always on time.

He died instantly, the coroner reported, of a pulmonary embolism. Probably didn't know what hit him, and certainly didn't feel any pain. And though it took a few days before the neighbor found him, and a few of us had been emailing, asking "did you get my last message?" we all figured he was out of town at one of the many folk festivals or workshops that he loved to attend, sometimes as a student, sometimes to teach. Tom decided too much time had passed and checked on him about a week later.

Dad was a veteran of WWII, though he didn't speak of it often. I think he enjoyed the time he spent in Asia; he had some things he picked up in Burma and those were about the only stories he told us. I have a "portable" wind-up gramophone that he found sitting in the middle of the road, wound down, with a lacquer record on it. He thought perhaps it had been left behind by the British, who had marched out of this tiny village hours earlier, possibly to the sound of this music. It's just strange enough it might be true. I think he appreciated that border where East met West, for all of it's messiness.

Probably a family photo of John Dwyer, in uniform. This is through an "unlisted" Picasa album, but I think the link is supposed to be durable.

I was going through a trunk recently and found a couple of photos in a leather bound case, meant to travel and probably be set on a bureau in whatever room one finds oneself. It probably belonged to his father, and on one side is Dad in uniform, and the other he is stooped down beside his hunting dog, rifle in hand and a couple of pheasants on the ground. The guitar came into his hands about 15 years later.

SRS

Subject: RE: John Dwyer - Songs&Stories
From: emjay
Date: 16 Feb 05 - 02:24 PM

refresh

Subject: RE: John Dwyer - Songs&Stories
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 23 Jan 05 - 09:31 PM

Refresh, for those folks who were out of town or otherwise away from their computers over the weekend. Please PM me if you want to be considered a resource for this organization of papers and songs.

SRS

Subject: RE: John Dwyer - Songs&Stories
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 22 Jan 05 - 10:00 PM

Hello, all,

The time has come for me to start some serious research. I'm quite sure I'll start a new thread or two here at Mudcat before I finish. (One to come up very soon has to do with library finding aids and the disposition of collections.) Over the holiday I put up one more set of shelves in my office, and this was the set that finally put me in a position to move books around and clear out a tall double-wide bookcase for all of the stuff that came from my father's house. Not counting his books or LPs.

Those of you who knew him know he recorded everything. He kept copious notes. He kept published journals, posters, albums, books, cassettes. He bought and was given recordings by friends. He has tapes and CDs from performers who visited the Northwest. He made recordings of albums--some that he didn't have or couldn't get--others that he wanted to study until he could get the LP for himself. Some perhaps to have the duplicates of his albums so he could listen to them in the car. His earliest recordings are on reel-to-reel tapes, the most recent are CDs, and there is everything in between.

I have been unpacking those 13 U-Haul moving boxes of his stuff this weekend, and the sheer volume of wonderful material is staggering. I'm finding recordings that go back to the late 1950s. So many familiar names, and in many instances, faces, when there are photos tucked in with the paperwork. There are files of songs in progress (including some of his parodies!), the folders from events that he helped plan, and notes about things he was working on over the years. He was a reference librarian, so it is no surprise that he kept master lists of several sorts, and I am about to take the plunge, into transfering his floppy disks to CD to preserve the data and to begin to sort it out. I also have some old computer stuff that hasn't been cranked up in years, but will be given space and hopefully I can download the data easily.

It has been just over seven years since Dad died, and just under a year since I was in the Northwest to scatter his ashes. Because of the Mudcat disarray, political and social, I know that a number of people who might help me with this have dropped out. But if you're one of that folks who I've spoken with about Dad's music, or someone who I've missed but who wants some information that you think is contained in his files, please send me a PM and let me know your email address so I can keep in touch as I get started on this work. And please pass the word that I'm beginning to sort this all out. I would prefer to communicate with people through regular email, but send the PM to get it started and I'll know to add your name to my email directory. (That way you can still get through if I have to torque up the spam filter!)

Tonight (to name a few I'll listen to this weekend) I found a tape of his mother's songs that Paddy Graber recorded for Dad, and tapes of Don Firth from the late 1950s, Peggy Seeger in Seattle in the 1970s, and some recordings (copies?) made of Art Thieme's--maybe from albums. Walt Robertson is in there, Merrit Herring, Bob Nelson, and so many other names I grew up with and/or have become aquainted with here at the Mudcat. I see Jean Smith's work throughout the collection as well as Suzi MacAleer and Flip Breskin.

Wow. Such riches! And I have a lot of work to do!

Maggie Dwyer (SRS)

Subject: RE: John Dwyer - Songs&Stories
From: Deckman
Date: 07 Apr 04 - 03:49 AM

Hi Maggie, I would suspect that was indeed what your Dad was doing. Being the librarian that he was, it was always my impression that he kept his music material very well organized and in order. Bob

Subject: RE: John Dwyer - Songs&Stories
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 07 Apr 04 - 01:12 AM

I'm another step closer to working on Dad's collection. I was in Calgary for a few days visiting with my aunt and uncle. They had moved into a condo recently and had stuff rattling around in the trunk of my aunt's car that they didn't need but that "were too good to give to the Goodwill." One of those things was a reel-to-reel tape recorder that works just fine. I looked like a bit of a nut lugging that thing through the airports, but I made it!

I don't know what to expect from them, but I do have quite a number of Dad's tapes from back in I would guess were the 1960s and early 1970s. This includes a stack of tapes that was in his living room and clearly things he wanted to keep, and a stack from his back room that he intended to tape over. My theory is that those back room tapes are the raw data that was edited and copied onto the others.

Would this have been the practice? Make the original tape, then copy the "good parts" over onto a new tape? Is this what others of the Seattle folks were doing at that time?

Maggie (SRS)

Subject: RE: John Dwyer - Songs&Stories
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 27 Feb 04 - 01:15 AM

I sent in a few more photos, including one of Dad. At the same link as above. There are some remarks on this new thread.

SRS

Subject: RE: John Dwyer - Songs&Stories
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 23 Feb 04 - 11:20 AM

I will let a photo speak those thousand words: I sent a couple of shots from my recent Seattle trip to Pene Azul, who has set up the page here.

I included a photo on the ferry, and a photo taken at Rainy Camp of Paddy Graber, because I didn't have anyplace else to put it. I have another Rainy Camp photo I'll send Jeff as soon as I have all of the names.

SRS

Subject: RE: John Dwyer - Songs&Stories
From: Deckman
Date: 21 Feb 04 - 12:56 AM

Maggie, I'm sure the photos would be a delight to all. I just PM'd you on how to do it! Bob

Subject: RE: John Dwyer - Songs&Stories
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 20 Feb 04 - 11:31 PM

Where to post this remark? I have some nice photos from the concert at Rainy Camp, from the ferry ride on Monday to scatter Dad's ashes, and of Bob Nelson (Deckman) in his living room with guitar. Bob--I won't post anything of you unless I run it past you first--but I would like to send a photo or two from Rainy Camp or the ferry to be posted on Mudcat.

SRS

Subject: RE: John Dwyer - Songs&Stories
From: Deckman
Date: 18 Feb 04 - 10:39 PM

Subject: RE: John Dwyer - Songs&Stories
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 18 Feb 04 - 12:47 AM

Despite a typical drizzly Pacific Northwest afternoon, I don't think our short ferry ride and memorial to scatter Dad's ashes in Puget Sound could have gone any better. Good friends turned up for the ferry ride, and, as Paddy Graber told me as we parted, because some years had passed, we were beyond the grief and it was a time to celebrate the joy we all knew from knowing Dad and his love of folk music.

I'll post more of a description later. I'm back in Fort Worth, and tired after a day of travel, for those of you keeping track. I was so glad you were all there!

Maggie

Subject: RE: John Dwyer - Songs&Stories
From: Deckman
Date: 13 Feb 04 - 04:06 AM

WHAT? Speak LOUDER. I can't HEAR YOU! Bob

Subject: RE: John Dwyer - Songs&Stories
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 13 Feb 04 - 01:13 AM

I arrived safely in Seattle with the ashes. Today's weather was glorious (I had the best view of the city I've ever had, as we did a leisurely circle over the city before landing). Thanks all, who have send PMs. I'm looking forward to seeing those who can make it on Monday.

How are the accoustics inside the ferry?

Maggie

Subject: RE: John Dwyer - Songs&Stories
From: Deckman
Date: 12 Feb 04 - 01:49 PM

Subject: Lyr Add: OLD SETTLER'S SONG / ACRES OF CLAMS
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 11 Feb 04 - 01:02 PM

A change of venue is necessary, because Mr. Fletcher (a very nice fellow at the Washington State Ferry system office) says that the Mukilteo run is too short for this kind of event.

We have moved it south, and earlier in the day. I will be taking the 1:30 Edmonds-Kingston ferry and they'll stop the boat briefly so the ashes can be scattered. Here is a map to the terminal.

I'll be there at least 15 minutes early, and will walk on board (there's an overhead walkway, new since I last rode that ferry). Once on board and underway, I'm to flag down a crew member and let them know I'm there and they'll pass word to the captain. He/she still has the final say, but barring really bad weather, there is likely no hindrance to the event.

I don't have anything in particular in mind to say, but if anyone has any remarks or a song to offer, let me know and we will make time to say it or sing it. Maybe a nice chorus of "The Old Settler's Song?"

I've traveled all over this country
Prospecting and digging for gold
I've tunneled, hydraulicked and cradled
And I have been frequently sold

For each man who got rich by mining
Perceiving that hundreds grew poor
I made up my mind to try farming
The only pursuit that was sure

So, rolling my grub in my blanket
I left all my tools on the ground
I started one morning to shank it
For the country they call Puget Sound

Arriving flat broke in midwinter
I found it enveloped in fog
And covered all over with timber
Thick as hair on the back of a dog

When I looked on the prospects so gloomy
The tears trickled over my face
And I thought that my travels had brought me
To the end of the jumping-off place

I staked me a claim in the forest
And sat myself down to hard toil
For two years I chopped and I struggled
But I never got down to the soil

I tried to get out of the country
But poverty forced me to stay
Until I became an old settler
Then nothing could drive me away

And now that I'm used to the climate
I think that if a man ever found
A place to live easy and happy
That Eden is on Puget Sound

No longer the slave of ambition
I laugh at the world and its shams
As I think of my pleasant condition
Surrounded by acres of clams

Maggie

Subject: RE: John Dwyer - Songs&Stories
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 11 Feb 04 - 09:31 AM

Exactly!

Subject: RE: John Dwyer - Songs&Stories
From: Deckman
Date: 11 Feb 04 - 09:01 AM

Maggie, This will be so very fitting. Your Father loved the water, the mountains, the islands, and as you mention, the fish. And all those things will be there in plain view on Monday. I'll be talking to you! Love, Bob (I'll bet we can even see his house from the boat!)

Subject: RE: John Dwyer - Songs&Stories
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 11 Feb 04 - 01:02 AM

I will be in the northwest over the weekend, and I think it's time to scatter Dad's ashes. Since many of you will be involved with Rainy Camp, I don't want to conflict with that schedule. My plan is to walk onto the Mukilteo Ferry on Monday, Feb. 16, and scatter them on the way out, then take the return trip back. Tonight I tracked down the direct number of the ferry guy who can give me all of the answers. I'll talk with him tomorrow (Wed). Anyone who is interested in walking on and participating, consider this a "heads up" that we'll be doing this sometime on Monday. Good thoughts, stories, songs, are welcome. We don't practice a religion, so nothing along those lines is planned. We'll just ease him gently on his way to go mingle with his beloved salmon and sea-run cutthroat.

Considerations: Monday the 16th is President's Day--I'll have to see what they expect traffic-wise. Taking an evening run would allow folks to get there after work, but it would be dark. The ferry system folks may prefer daylight, and do prefer "non-peak" runs, so there is a good possibility that I'll have to go in mid-afternoon. I'll post my final itinerary here when I know it. This is a link to the ferry system information regarding memorial services.

I've spoken with a couple of Dad's friends who have spoken to a couple of more of his friends and the plan has been met with enthusiasm--so I think the prudent thing to do is to let the momentum build and say this is a "Go" unless the weather prevents it. I am not sure how many siblings will be there, but since this is the only time I can do it, and I'm bringing the ashes, this is the plan. His folk family carries a lot of weight in my deciding to do this now and in this way--all of you were very important to Dad.

There is no food on the ferry, and Ivars at the terminal is closed due to storm damage. I wasn't planning anything more than the ferry ride, but if someone knows anyplace with good pie and coffee between Mukilteo and I-5 it would be nice to stop for dessert and a chat. PM me here at Mudcat or email at dwy5812syc at sprynet dot com

I hope to see a few of you on the ferry! Here are a couple of his favorite sloppy-weather ditties, to set the mood. You can hear his voice even when you read them:

Sing hey, and sing ho, and sing down-a-down-derry,
Oh, what is so merry
As missing the ferry!

A nice wintry morning
So jolly and freezing.
A dear little cold keeps you coughing and sneezing;
And everyone mirthful and happy and gay,
As we all watch the ferry go puffing away.

Sing hey and sing ho and sing down-a-down-derry,
Oh, what is so merry
As missing the ferry!


Emma Rounds, "The Ballad of the Merry Ferry"


Winter is icumen in,
Lhude sing Goddamm,
Raineth drop and staineth slop,
And how the wind doth ramm!
Sing: Goddamm.
Skiddeth bus and sloppeth us,
An ague hath my ham.
Freezeth river, turneth liver,
Damn you, sing: Goddamm.
Goddamm, Goddamm, 'tis why I am, Goddamm,

So 'gainst the winter's balm.
Sing goddamm, damm, sing Goddamm,
Sing goddamm, sing goddamm, DAMM.


Ezra Pound, "Winter is icumen in"

Maggie Dwyer (Stilly River Sage)

Subject: RE: John Dwyer - Songs&Stories
From: Deckman
Date: 31 Jul 03 - 02:48 PM

Subject: RE: John Dwyer - Songs&Stories
From: Phil Cooper
Date: 30 Jul 03 - 03:57 PM

Thanks for refreshing the thread. I was going around work thinking about John the other day, so I guess great minds think alike.

Subject: RE: John Dwyer - Songs&Stories
From: Deckman
Date: 30 Jul 03 - 01:57 PM

Hi Maggie. You bet there are. I'll pm you. CHEERS, Bob

Subject: RE: John Dwyer - Songs&Stories
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 30 Jul 03 - 11:08 AM

Just a note to say that I've opened the first of 13 U-Haul boxes of Dad's music. I wanted to take a peek, but I'm not set up for doing anything with it yet. (At least it is finally out of storage!) This first box is filled with cassette tapes by all sorts of performers, probably sold at concerts or folk gatherings. I recognize one on the top by Flip Breskin, for example, but some of the others I don't know at all. A couple of folks have sent PM to ask about what is in the collection. Since this box is apparently commercial tapes, there probably aren't any rare items in here, but if there are specific things you'd like me to keep an eye out for as I poke through the boxes, let me know.

Maggie

Subject: RE: John Dwyer - Songs&Stories
From: Deckman
Date: 05 Jan 03 - 11:42 AM

Yes, I think it was the early 70's. Also, I think I remember that the name "Myrick (sp?) was important to that story. It may have been the tombstone in the photo. Jean or Suzzie may well know. BOB

Subject: RE: John Dwyer - Songs&Stories
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 05 Jan 03 - 11:17 AM

I have a smallish box from Dad's that is packed separate from the rest of the papers in my U-Haul movers boxes. I think it may have been his box and I just added it to my stack to leave things in his order, rather than emptying the contents into one of my larger boxes. Throughout his collection there are lots of binders around with pages of words, and there are lots of scribbles in files. When I glanced in this box, it looks a little more like journal stuff. I remember when he took that trip. Early 1970's, I think? I'm painting today, but if I get a chance I'll poke through that one.

Maggie

Subject: RE: John Dwyer - Songs&Stories
From: Deckman
Date: 05 Jan 03 - 10:28 AM

Gawd, did your Dad love to sing that one! He would draw out the "blood" to something like "BLOOOOD". I did some reading on Car Sandburg, of "Songburg's Sandbag" fame, and I learned that it was also one of his favorite songs. I would be curious to learn if he kept detailed noted during his trip to the East coast many years ago to research his family. It was during that trip he found a tombstone marking an important figure in the tale of "Springfield Mountain." I know he returned with several new verses and really enjoyed singing them and telling the story. CHEERS, Bob (by the way, I'm in the process of obtaining a copy of a book my great GrandFather wrote about his own experiences as a prisoner in Andersonville Prison. during the civil war). CHEERS, Bob

Subject: RE: John Dwyer - Songs&Stories
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 05 Jan 03 - 12:34 AM

OOooo, Bob! I just found an old one I learned as a kid. One of the ones they hoped we didn't notice, so of course we learned it on the first hearing. "Blood on the Saddle." Thusly:

"There was blood on the saddle
There was blood all around
And a great big puddle
Of blood on the ground."

"Oh, pity the cowboy,
All bloody and red,
For his bronco fell on him,
And bashed in his head."

etc.

Not exactly the wording I remember, but close enough. This particular arrangement is by Norman Cazden in a book called A Book of Nonsense Songs with the cover note "A collection of all-time favorites as well as unfamiliar songs that will make all gay occasions gayer." Some word usages change over time, don't they?!

Maggie

Subject: RE: John Dwyer - Songs&Stories
From: Deckman
Date: 04 Jan 03 - 01:09 PM

Now you listen here MAGGIE! You are NOT to enjoy yourself. This is supposed to be pure labor, all work, and no smiles or the occasional giggle. I want you to quit your job, sell your children, and get about what is REALLY important here! CHEERS, Bob

Subject: RE: John Dwyer - Songs&Stories
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 04 Jan 03 - 01:03 PM

Bob, I've been digging through disks this morning looking for it. It's so easy to get distracted reading some of this stuff. He has lots of local folk stuff, then there are things like Too Many Songs By Tom Lehrer with not enough drawings by Ronald Searle. "Smut," "The Vatican Rag," all witty favorites to chuckle over instead of organizing. I have a stack of disks from when I handled the estate, so I'll go through those this afternoon, looking for that list. I may put it into a table to make it easier to read. Does anyone remember if Mudcat tolerates tables?

Maggie

Subject: RE: John Dwyer - Songs&Stories
From: Deckman
Date: 04 Jan 03 - 07:55 AM

Hi Maggie, I'd sure like to see that list when you have time. Knowing John's work, I'll bet it will be an immense treasure. CHEERS, Bob

Subject: RE: John Dwyer - Songs&Stories
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 03 Jan 03 - 12:17 PM

I'll refresh this thread rather than offer remarks on other northwest threads, dangling tidbits of news.

I've just begun unloading the boxes of my Dad's books. Some of my siblings took the larger, "charismatic" books in the collection (Child, Lomax, etc.) but they left all of the little books that were obscure to them. So I have quite a selection here of smallish, often locally produced books. Jean Smith sat down and made of list of them before they were picked over, and if I can find that list I'll annotate it and post it. Mostly this is a FYI sort of posting, but it could spawn an exchange of information. I haven't forgotten John Ross' generous offer (I just haven't started anything with the boxes of cassettes yet).

Maggie