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Tales of Walt Robertson
Related thread:
Other 'Walt Robertsons'??? (7)
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Subject: RE: Tales of Walt Robertson From: SINSULL Date: 13 Feb 01 - 03:31 PM Not fair, Deckman! I am sitting at my desk in a very open office laughing out loud. |
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Subject: RE: Tales of Walt Robertson From: Deckman Date: 13 Feb 01 - 04:57 PM Hi Mudcatters ... This is to tell you that I am stopping my participation of "Tales of Walt Robertson." I started this thread on Feb. 1st. It's been 13 days and any more tales I could share are far too personal. I know you'll respect my wishes. This experience has been an education, and thanks to the quality of the Mudcat members, it's been very positive. I have NO regrets for having started this thread about Walt. First of all I was very impressed with your interest and obvious respect for the subject. Another aspect was the 'public' bringing together of many friends who knew Walt intimatly: Don, George, Ellen, Sandy, Idaho 50. One private frustration was the knowledge that there are many others who knew him, but they didn't want to participate. I can only respect that. As you have gathered from these fractured notes, Walt was a pivotal person in our lives. Did I love him ... you bet. Did I occasionally hate him ... you bet. At times we all struggled with the various challenges that happen whenever you choose to bring someone of this power and magnitude into your life. I really want to thank the Mudcatters who expressed encouragment to me in this process, and it has been a process. Many of you have e-mailed me personally. (by the way, NEVER put your personal e-mail on line. I made that mistake and some jerk is still trying to sell me a newsletter ... Oh well, someday I'll learn!) Before I started this thread, I communicated with several of the participants. They were very encouraging and wanted me to do it. I asked the question, "what if we give a party and no one comes?" Well, we've had quite a party, and I've enjoyed it. I will continue to monitor this thread for a bit, but I don't expect to add more. I have a special thanks to Sandy, who interrupted his busy schedule, many times to read my letters and offer his. Here's a special thanks to my friend Don Firth ... "Get that damned book finished and published ... it's time ... I love you. CHEERS TO ALL, and as Walt used to say ... "KEEP ON KEEPIN' ON" Bob Nelson |
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Subject: RE: Tales of Walt Robertson From: Idaho 50 Date: 14 Feb 01 - 12:16 AM Walt, being the master of many personalities and accents as an actor, had the most entertaining and varied messages on his answering machine. So much so that it was almost a disappointment to have him actually answer because it made us miss the latest crazy message and persona (he changed them frequently). For instance, he had a Dracula one for Hallowe'en with the proper sinister voice with Transylvanian accent. After the proper opening and set-up, he threatened "I vill come suck your blood" (with delicious empasis on each word) for failure to leave your name and number. |
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Subject: RE: Tales of Walt Robertson From: Jim the Bart Date: 14 Feb 01 - 12:32 AM Deckman - Thanks so much. Same goes to Don Firth, Sandy Paton, Ellen and all the rest who shared in this. I have been so d*mned focused on the political stuff lately that I almost missed this. I would have missed a lot. Walt Robertson is a name I didn't know before and now won't forget. Thanks again Bart |
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Subject: RE: Tales of Walt Robertson From: Tinker Date: 14 Feb 01 - 12:41 PM WOW, I just sat and read this from start to finish. Thank You. This is a wonderful read as well as an amazing picture of the ripples (well maybe splashes) one life can make. Kat, thanks for the shamless plug in another thread, I've been scanning to save time and almost missed this... Tinker |
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Subject: RE: Tales of Walt Robertson From: Peter T. Date: 14 Feb 01 - 02:10 PM Not to gripe, but we still haven't really heard WR's playing tips!!!! yours, Peter T. |
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Subject: RE: Tales of Walt Robertson From: Don Firth Date: 14 Feb 01 - 07:51 PM Here it is as promised. I hope nobody was expecting a magic formula or something, because I don't think there ain't no sech. Frequently over coffee somewhere, Walt and I talked about aspects of performance. I learned a lot from him: little things that can make a big difference. He gave me tips and suggestions that were good for concerts, hoots, singing at parties, just about anywhere. They were little bits of business he had figured out that I probably would have had to grub out by myself by trial-and-error, and many of them I may not have learned at all if Walt hadn't shared them with me. These are not so much rules as they are suggestions, general principles, and observations of what seems to work reliably. None of it is carved in stone. It's just good stuff to keep in the back of your mind when you're putting a program together. The first three are ones that Walt told me early on. Concert programming (the same general structure for sets, but shorter, of course). Start with a strong, fairly short, attention-grabbing song, preferably one that you're pretty sure most of the audience is not familiar with. Go right into it with no commentary. If it really needs one, do it after, but keep it brief. Then a quieter song, but also fairly short. The third song can be a humorous song or a longer narrative, but save the longer ballads until later in the program. (Word of warning: don't regard that first song as a "throw-away." People who don't know you or have never heard you sing before are just getting used to you -- just "tuning you in," so to speak, and as a result, they may not actually catch all that much of the song. But at the same time, that's your "first impression." Make it a good one.) Don't sing obvious pairs. If one song seems to remind you strongly of another, probably best to sing something else. Generally, alternate between short and long, fast and slow, funny and serious. Variety. Avoid singing two songs in a row in the same key. Some singers do several songs in a row -- sometimes a whole concert -- all in the same key. No matter how good the singer is or how interesting the songs are, a certain boredom begins to settle over the audience. They keep hearing the same set of notes over and over again, and that can get -- the word is "monotonous." Don't do it. If the demands of the program you have in mind make it unavoidable, insert a brief commentary between the two songs and while seemingly playing aimless chords as you're talking, modulate through several keys other than the one the last song was in. Then, you can come back to it and go into your next song. There are other things as well, many of which I learned from Walt, and others that I learned from other performers, either by talking with them or just observing them and figuring out why they did some of the things they did. And there are a few things I doped out by myself. It's kind of a mush, but all I can say is that they've worked pretty well for me. I do know for sure that it was Walt who provided the nucleus, and got me thinking in these terms. None of these things (with the possible exception of avoiding two songs in a row in the same key without at least a short break between) are carved in stone, of course. Often "rules" are honored in the breach. But having a reliable set of principles to work from is helpful in that when you do deviate from the "rules" or "principles" or whatever you want to call them, you're doing it for a reason and you know what that reason is. More than once, Walt deviated from the guidelines he gave me. He suggested saving the longer ballads for later in the program, yet, the first time I heard him, he led off the concert with John Henry. That's a relatively long song, and it may not have a Child number, but it's a ballad if I ever heard one. And Richard Dyer-Bennet opened one of the three concerts he did during the Seattle World's Fair with The Golden Vanity. I think that once you've been performing for awhile, you get a feel for when you can get away with it. In the beginning, though, it's a good idea to "stick with the program." Walt's performances, particularly concerts, were carefully planned, but he would "read" and audience and stay flexible. He could lay down a terrific program and make it look as if the whole thing came right off the top of his head. And as far as "obvious pairs" are concerned, one of my best combinations, and one I got a lot of requests for, was Copper Kettle, modulating immediately, without stopping, into a new key and going directly into a particularly mournful version of Kentucky Moonshiner. Walt did occasional combinations, too. That sort of thing can work really well if you don't overdo it. Kind of a "mini-opera." There are some absolutes, though. For example, know a song before you add it to your active repertoire. Few things are more pathetic than going to a coffeehouse, a club, or, God forbid, a concert (!) and having to listen to somebody fumble around with a song they don't know yet. They should have done that a home and not wasted their audience's time. When there were just a few of us sitting around and swapping songs, Walt might try out something he was working on, but he never fielded a song in front of an audience that he didn't have down rock-solid. There was one thing I noticed that Walt didn't explain. In a room full of people, he always managed to get everybody's attention when he wanted it. There might be a half-dozen singers all eager to sing next, but when Walt cleared his throat or merely shifted position slightly and put his hands on his guitar as if he were about to play, all eyes swiveled to him. His control of a room seemed to be effortless. I had noticed this early on, of course, but I assumed that it was because everyone knew him. That was part of it, but not all. The same thing happened even when the people in attendance didn't know who he was and had never heard him before. How did he do it? I pondered this for quite a while and it didn't come to me right off. Eventually, I formulated a theory. I put it to the test -- and it worked. Most rooms have what might be considered a focal point. It depends on the layout of the room and the arrangement of furniture. In a theater, of course, it's the stage; but most living rooms, recreation rooms, or whatever, have one. In times gone by, it was probably near or in front of the fireplace. Each room is unique, but once you get the hang of it, a quick glance is usually all it takes. Apparently there are rules and principles behind this. Indeed, during the Seventies and Eighties, and perhaps still, many Yuppie self-help books came out about the importance of one's location within a suite of offices, one's desk within the office, or one's seat at a conference table. An individual who occupies the focal point can pretty much dominate the rest of the room if he or she so chooses. If the focal point was already occupied, Walt usually found a way to enhance whatever location he was in. When all the other singers in the room were sitting down, Walt would stand up, put his foot on a chair, and take over, simply by becoming taller than everyone else. I don't know if he did it consciously -- nevertheless, he did it. Growing out of the ideas that Walt planted in my head early on, I developed a few of my own. Nothing original, really, but I think they are important. You may feel that being a "folksinger" gives you a lot of leeway, and that's true -- if you are singing by yourself or for a few tolerant friends. But there is a difference between singing at a party or on your front porch and singing for an audience. If people are coming to hear you, especially if they are paying good money for the privilege, you owe them something. If you are singing for -- entertaining -- an audience, you have shifted into the minstrel tradition. You have to prepare like any professional. It was the job of a minstrel (his livelihood depended on it) to give his or her audience a good, professional quality performance. Go for repeat business. The more people you can draw to the marketplace to listen to you and toss a few coppers into your hat, or the longer the Lord of the Castle is willing to house you and feed you for the entertainment you provide, the better off you are. This is an ancient tradition. Give them the best you've got. Don't feel that this will spoil the fun of "singing for fun," or that the practice it takes to get a song down solidly won't have major rewards later on (I'm not talking financial here, but possibly that, too). Don't feel that you are "going commercial" and won't be able to sing the songs you want to sing in the way you feel they should be sung. That's exactly what you should do. But take the time to learn to do it well. I may be weird, but to me practice is fun. And, believe me, there are few things more rewarding than singing a good song well, then hearing the audience respond with a wave of enthusiastic applause. Talk about getting high! This kind of thing might make a good subject for a thread. There are lots of performing musicians out there and I think it would be interesting to hear their insights. Just a thought. * * * Well . . . it looks like the party's winding down. . . .
In the words of Iris Dement's Our Town,
And you know, the sun's settin' fast But, then, that's not quite true. There are a lot of good things happening and it looks like they are going to last. The music goes on. Bob (Deckman) Nelson. I first met him in 1953, when he was still in high school. Take a look at some of the earlier re-runs of the TV show "Boy Meets World." Take Cory Matthews, put glasses on him and stick a guitar in his hands. Bob Nelson, 1953. Truth to tell, he hasn't changed all that much! I love that man, I do. In a lot of ways, he's been like a brother to me. We have to get together far more frequently and see if we can still wheeze out a song or two. I know about some of the obligations that Bob is under right now and some of the pressures that are on him. Yet, in spite of that, he started this thread and followed through brilliantly, ably aided and abetted by George, Sandy, Ellen, and Idaho 50, giving us insights into a unique (need I say?) individual -- an individual who strongly affected all of our lives. I think this thread has grown into something several degrees of magnitude beyond what we ever imagined. For as long as I knew Walt, and for as well as I knew him, I've learned a lot about him that I didn't know until just these past couple weeks. I have to get about my business, too, but I do have some closing thoughts -- so I'll be back on at least one more time. Talk to you then. Don Firth |
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Subject: RE: Tales of Walt Robertson From: SINSULL Date: 14 Feb 01 - 07:59 PM Thank you all. There really is nothing else to say. |
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Subject: RE: Tales of Walt Robertson From: Idaho 50 Date: 15 Feb 01 - 01:24 AM There is a parable about several blind men feeling an elephant and each drawing separate conclusions. The one feeling the tail concluded that it was a rope, the one feeling a leg interpreted it as a tree trunk, and the one feeling the tusk had some other conclusion. I think Walt with his separate and private lives was such an elephant. That is part of the emjoyment of this tracer that for old friends who each saw a different side, it is a synthesizing process. For Walt himself, facing the real end of his life, many years after going to Tonga, he synthesized himself. Fare thee well, Walt. |
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Subject: RE: Tales of Walt Robertson From: katlaughing Date: 15 Feb 01 - 02:24 AM Sitting here in incredible awe. Don, you have a superb way with words. Thank you all, once again. This has been magical. |
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Subject: RE: Tales of Walt Robertson From: Gervase Date: 15 Feb 01 - 04:36 AM Amen to that. Thank you Don, Deckman, Idaho 50 et al for sharing your memories with such eloquence. Walt Robertson may have been a remarkable man, but he was also blessed with some remarkable friends. |
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Subject: RE: Tales of Walt Robertson From: GUEST,Roger the skiffler Date: 15 Feb 01 - 04:42 AM I haven't posted to this thread before as I didn't want to interrupt the flow, but I agree with the other respondents. I hadn't heard of Walt but the stories brought him alive. I hope Sandy thinks again about his own memoirs -this thread has shown there is an eager audience waiting to lap up similar stories from Rick, Kendall,Sandy, Frank Hamilton, Art and the others with experiences that can enrich the lives of the rest of us. Many thanks from a non-singing, non-playing, largely non-folkie. RtS |
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Subject: RE: Tales of Walt Robertson From: Sourdough Date: 15 Feb 01 - 05:04 AM People often talk about different sorts of tributes to someone they respect and love. This thread is a kind of munument built by the people whose lives Walt Robertson touched so now, in a small way, he has touched mine. The thread is also like music with themes, solos and choruses. The main performers sure sounded good. Thank you. Sourdough |
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Subject: RE: Tales of Walt Robertson From: Peter T. Date: 15 Feb 01 - 02:34 PM Thanks for the wise words. I think I could speak for others and say that while this is a big audience, it would be nice to synthesize some of this into a reminiscence for publication, with pictures, and discography, etc. Not that you aren't busy. yours, Peter T. |
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Subject: RE: Tales of Walt Robertson From: Lonesome EJ Date: 15 Feb 01 - 02:50 PM Funny how you guys said Walt was the type to walk into a room and become the immediate center of attention. Seems to me his thread has done the same thing. My guess is he might have liked that. Thanks to all who joined in |
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Subject: RE: Tales of Walt Robertson From: Idaho 50 Date: 16 Feb 01 - 01:08 AM To answer you, SINSULL, in your message on Feb. 12, trying to figure out what kind of a person would want to die in a hut on a Tonga beach.... Animals often seek a secluded place to die.... Walt, being a very private person, must have wanted to go be anonymous somewhere.... The truth is he was suffering from emphysema. But in my experience no one ever dies from emphysema. They just suffer immensely from it for an interminable time and eventually die of something else. Years later in that suffering, he was probably wishing for a swifter end. When he was diagnosed with cancer, he ruefully observed, "Be careful what you wish for--you might get it". Actually he learned not to let emphysema restrict him from things he really wanted to do. He still took a role with a dancing routine. He would deftly disappear behind a pillar where he would get a whiff of oxygen and emerge on the next beat on the other side of the pillar and no one was the wiser. Ellen can share more of his extensive theatrical participation in the Hawaii era before his final return to the Northwest like a homing pigeon. Speak up, Ellen. |
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Subject: RE: Tales of Walt Robertson From: GUEST,ellenpoly Date: 16 Feb 01 - 07:51 AM unfortunately,i don't have my own computer here in london,so my time is limited.i have so enjoyed this thread,and would like to continue to add bits and bobs,but i really think the greater part of the story has been told enough in this kind of forum.forgive me,but like deckman,some of my memories are going to be left to myself.it may be selfish,but having come so late into walts' life..i treasure the time we had and need to hold it close.the mourning period isn't quite over...thank you all. |
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Subject: RE: Tales of Walt Robertson From: GUEST Date: 16 Feb 01 - 08:20 AM Wet blanket time. I know this is winding down but... If it keeps getting added to (and I hope it does), many of us have GREAT difficulty with threads over 100 posts in length. |
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Subject: RE: Tales of Walt Robertson From: catspaw49 Date: 16 Feb 01 - 08:37 AM I think we have all enjoyed the telling and I'd suggest to Leej that we add this to the Mudcat Classics on the Permathread. Tales of Walt may be over, but the contributions of all here need to go on to other people, other times......including themselves. Many thanks. Spaw |
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Subject: RE: Tales of Walt Robertson From: Deckman Date: 16 Feb 01 - 01:32 PM I didn't expect to add more, but I have just read the last comments from Idaho 50 and the beautiful Ellen. Walt was a lifetime smoker. His cigarette, dangling from his mouth, was almost a trademark. I remember early on, when he showed me one of his performers tricks ... perhaps you've seen this. When you change your guitar strings, leave the bottom E string and inch long. Use this as a cigarette holder. I can well remember watching spellbound as as he sang a long ballad, while his cigarette was speared and smoking, on the head of his guitar. He used this theatric to the fullest. It was often a contest to see if he would finish the song before the ash fell ... he never lost! As Idaho 50 said, he suffered terribly from emphysema. The last few years of his life was an ongoing struggle for breath, although by now he had successfully quit smoking. He had to medicate himself frequantly. And yet throughout this period, he managed to keep working. He also managed, amazingly, to keep performing on stage. And it was as Idaho 50 said, he'd occasionally duck behind a piece of stage scenery so a stage hand could give him a whiff of oxygen. And yes, he could occasionally still belt out a song, but it took a lot out of him. On our last fishing trip together, after he had moved back to the Northwest from Hawaii, I had to piggyback him out of the woods to the truck ... but he was smiling because he'd caught a trout! I knew Walt was very ill. He called me on a Tuesday. He'd just returned from a Doctor's appointment. He invited himself (hisself, as he used to say) to my home for the weekend, but he laid out the rules: "I'll be there Friday, I want a hoot Saturday, and we'll talk Sunday, BUT ONLY ON SUNDAY." That Sunday he told me that he'd been diagnosed with smokers cancer and it was terminal. (smokers cancer is NOT lung cancer. but cancer of the pancreas). They had done all the tests. The average length of life after the diagnosis is 90 days ... Walt lived 89 days. One very telling part of this story was that he was very concerned about ME! The previous year, I had lost two very dear friends, one in January and one in September. He knew how it impacted me. So here he was, telling me of his news, and he was concerned about ME! (Again, as he often said ..."shhheeeeez!") As the final weeks sped by, he did agree to a few treatments, but only in an effort to improve his quality of life. I also know he was concerned about the strain he was causing on friends. During those final weeks, we talked about a lot of stuff ... including the impact of cigarettes. And this is the reason I'm posting this final message. If you know someone who smokes, try to help them quit. I can't close this thread without mentioning how fortunate Walt Robertson was to have two very dear and devoted friends move in and help him through the final process ... we should all be so lucky! CHEERS and BEST WISHES ... Bob Nelson
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Subject: RE: Tales of Walt Robertson From: Don Firth Date: 16 Feb 01 - 06:30 PM After Walt returned from Hawaii, he came to Barbara's and my apartment a number of times for dinner, general gab, and sometimes a song or two. Bob, I think you were there some of the times too, such as when he brought the videotape that we all watched. It was of the production of Shadowlands that he was in. He had the major supporting role of C. S. Lewis's irascible Oxford don friend and critic. One evening he came by himself, and that's when he told Barbara and me that he had just recently learned that he had cancer. It was all calm and matter-of-fact, and then we went on to talk of other things. But I felt so damned . . . helpless! There were a couple of out-of-print books that he had read when he was real young and he wanted to re-read them. Barbara works at the Seattle Public Library and she also knows a lot of used book dealers around town, so he asked her if she would try to find them for him. One of them was the lives and times of archy and mehitabel, which he used to read from with great relish and to the delight and guffaws of whoever was listening. Barbara found both books and got them to him. After the last hoot at Bob's house, once again we asked Walt if he would like to come to our place for dinner. He said he would, and we set it up for the following weekend. But sometime during the week his sister Liss called and said that Walt sends his apologies, but he was too sick to come. She invited us to come there, but -- well, I've walked with aluminum forearm crutches all my life (every step, a push-up) and in 1990 my shoulders just gave out and I had to take to a wheelchair. Walt's apartment was up a flight of steps and there was no elevator in the building, so that took care of that. Sometime during those brief few weeks, Bob and I and several other singers got together at George Austin's house. George has some really good recording equipment. We gathered to tape a bunch of songs that Walt wanted to hear us sing. I remember that one of the songs Walt wanted was George singing Before They Close the Minstrel Show, and George closed out the tape with that. (He also sang it at the very end of the memorial Song Circle for John Dwyer. I love the way George sings that song, but now whenever he sings it, I -- and a few other people, I suspect -- can't help but get a bit choked up.) Then, one morning, Liss called us and told us that Walt was gone. I had just finished writing the following on my word processor, then accessed Mudcat and opened the thread to cut-and-paste it into the reply window when I read Bob's last post. I felt impelled to add what I have just written above. Now. . . . This will probably be my last post to this thread (Guest is right -- this is now taking a long time to load). I'll keep checking back, and I'll certainly be around Mudcat, poking my snoot in here and there. But for now, I have to get back to writing the book I'm working on, a few chunks of which (between the dash-lines) are in my posts above. It covers the whole hairy scene in and around Seattle during the Fifties and Sixties, at least from my viewpoint as I moved through it. I shouldn't say the "whole" hairy scene, because Idaho 50's analogy about the elephant also applies here. I'm only one blind man groping my way around the beast. I hope to include a bunch of pictures and a bunch of songs, but first I just hope to get the thing finished. It'll be a while yet. When and if I get it published, I'll post a "Shameless Self-Promotion" note. I keep nagging Bob Nelson to write it up his experiences too -- our lives have crossed, diverged, and crossed again many times -- but he demurs, saying he doesn't consider himself to be much of a writer and he doesn't have the time. Granted, I'm retired and he isn't yet, but as for his not being much of a writer, I think he let the cat out of the bag in this thread, don't you? And Sandy. I would hate to put pressure on him because it is a lot of work and it does take time, but he has a wealth of knowledge and experience, he clearly has a way with words, and it is pretty rewarding once you get into it. At least think about it, will you, Sandy? I'd read it avidly, and obviously hordes and multitudes of others would too. As Rick Fielding has noted above, There probably were a dozen or so "major" folk communities in North America during the mid fifties through the sixties . . . that few people in other parts knew anything about. And on into the Seventies, Eighties, Nineties. . . . That's a big hunk of our heritage. Let's write it up, before it all goes into history's Dumpster! Special thanks to Rick, kat/katlaughing, Art Thieme, catspaw49, Spot the Dog, IvanB, Sinsull, Lonesome EJ, Bill D, bflat, John Hardly, Sourdough, Bartholomew, Tinker, Peter T., Gervase, Roger the skiffler, and Lonesome EJ who have offered much encouragement, many nice words, and some really insightful comments. You, like the children of Lake Wobegon, are all above average. Way above. And thanks, too, to those who read, but didn't feel impelled to post. And now. . . . What all I have learned from Walt Robertson outside of music, both directly and by example (occasionally, I must confess, by negative example -- Walt was human, after all) would be impossible to catalog and measure. I recently heard a sort of aphorism put forth by one of the self-help gurus who occasionally manifest themselves during PBS pledge breaks -- it may have been Wayne Dyer, but I'm not sure. When I heard it, my immediate response was, "Well, that sounds kind of hokey." But the more I thought about it, the more it resonated with me. I decided, "Yeah, hokey it may be, but that is a pretty good way of looking at things." "Your life," said the guru, "is like a movie. Have the courage to be the star." And you might say that that was the key to Walt Robertson. He had the courage to be the star in his own movie. * * * Musically speaking: despite the fact that he didn't consider himself to be a teacher, he gave me a good start on the guitar. When he felt he had taught me all he could, I was still begging for more, so he recommended a classic guitar teacher he'd heard of who could teach me what he knew I wanted to learn, even though he, himself, had serious misgivings about applying classic technique to folk song accompaniments. He also taught me a great deal about performing, as I have outlined above. But there is even more than that: He taught me that one must not be proprietary about these songs. The whole point was to learn them, sing them, and pass them along. To a singer of folk songs, this is the equivalent of a knight's Code of Chivalry. This became so instilled in me that I was shocked, surprised, and outraged the first time I met a folksinger (up from Berkeley back in the mid-Fifties, spending a summer in Seattle) who, when I expressed an interest in a song he had sung, told me "Why should I teach it to you? Go find your own damned songs!" Others heard him say it, and he couldn't figure out why, from that point on, people around here treated him pretty coldly. "Slow down!" Walt yelled as I raced through The Fox during a lesson, playing and singing as fast as I could. "Lope, don't gallop. Let people hear the words!" When I went on to study classic guitar, he taught me that less is more. An accompani-ment should be like a frame for a drawing: it should set it off and enhance it, not overpower it. Technical razzle-dazzle may satisfy the ego, but usually it distracts and detracts from the song. He showed me that less is more in other ways, too. The way he sang Johnny, I Hardly Knew You. It's very much an anti-war song. In some versions it has several angry, almost strident verses. The DT database gives seven verses, and I have often heard it sung this way -- with great energy, almost quick-march, flogging the audience with its already obvious message. Sometimes the audience (the already converted) responded with shouts, whistles, foot stomp-ing, and roars of applause. All hyped up to rush out and fight for Peace.
The first time I heard this song, it was Walt who sang it. But that was not the way he sang it. Now, Walt certainly knew of all the other verses, but he chose to sing only these four, at a moderate, conversational tempo, almost like a funeral march, but not too slow: His soft, emotionally restrained delivery paints a simple but graphic picture of intense, personal tragedy. He usually left an audience in a long moment of hushed silence at the end of that song. Message delivered, quietly and without bombast. Power in simplicity. His talent as an actor came to full flower later, but the actor's insight was there early on. He wouldn't just memorize a song, fiddle out an accompaniment, then haul off and sing it. He would often study a song for a long time. When he finally did sing it, he brought out shadings and nuances that frequently escaped other singers. It was almost uncanny the way Walt could sing an old, familiar song and make you feel like you were hearing it for the first time. Several times Walt took me with him when he performed, introduced me, and gave me a chance to sing from my small, but growing repertoire. I was not the only one he did this for, either. He inspired me, taught me, and encouraged me, then he rejoiced at my successes when I began performing on local television, in coffeehouses, and in concerts. But in the long run, at least as important to me as the satisfactions and rewards of a "singing career" were the hundreds of hootenan-nies and songfests -- and the feeling of sheer "tickledness" the first time I was able to spring a song on Walt that he had never heard before -- and he asked me to teach it to him. Beyond his singing, Walt was widely read, very knowledgeable, and possessed a rapier-like wit. He had an almost universal sense of humor, and I consider him one of the world's great raconteurs. He could take an otherwise simple joke and turn it into an epic tale that would leave a roomful of people howling with laughter. He had a real knack with a story, serious or funny. I guess that's part of the minstrel's art. I owe much of my love for singing to him. There has been, and will always be, a piece of him in every song that I sing. Someone once said that, whether our names are remembered or not, we find our true immortality in how we affect other people. Through concerts, hootenannies, or just sitting together of an evening and handing a guitar back and forth, Walt affected many people by passing his love for folk music on to them. His love and enthusiasm was highly contagious. We learned the songs he sang, then we went out and learned more songs, the way he had. And we sang. Some of us sang only at home alone, some sang at parties and hoots, some sang in coffeehouses, clubs, concerts, on television, and anywhere else we could. And from this, others -- many who never even knew Walt -- caught that same fire from us and, in turn, passed it on to still others. It becomes an endless chain. So, in this very real sense, Walt Robertson has become immortal. Don Firth ". . . let there be plenty of cheap red wine, and let there be a joyful noise. Still let the amenities and courtesies of the old hoots prevail. Honor each other and let the music honor all. . . ."
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Subject: RE: Tales of Walt Robertson From: Deckman Date: 17 Feb 01 - 03:24 PM refresh |
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Subject: RE: Tales of Walt Robertson From: Amos Date: 17 Feb 01 - 04:44 PM Amen. Amen. And thank you, all... for a great, geat story and a gift of great measure. I have never seen a human being, contray, lively, fired and flawed and all, so well portrayed in letters. Whew!!! A |
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Subject: RE: Tales of Walt Robertson From: Alice Date: 17 Feb 01 - 07:02 PM This thread is already on Memorable Mudcat Thread links. Great one. Thank you. Alice |
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Subject: RE: Tales of Walt Robertson From: rangeroger Date: 18 Feb 01 - 07:10 PM Just read this entire thread last night. WOW Thank you all and the Mudcat. Also a refresh as it was about to fall off the bottom. rr |
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Subject: RE: Tales of Walt Robertson From: Ebbie Date: 19 Feb 01 - 05:21 AM What a fascinating story of vivid, vital people. Thank you. Ebbie |
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Subject: RE: Tales of Walt Robertson From: SINSULL Date: 19 Feb 01 - 10:27 AM I am just back from Annamill's gathering. This thread came up in our conversations. Annamill and I agreed that it left us with a certain regret that we were "born too late". The most fascinating part of it for me is how much I have learned about the authors who were trying to tell what they know about a Walt Robertson. Don't apologize for keeping the more personal moments to yourselves. It would be a betrayal not to. |
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Subject: RE: Tales of Walt Robertson From: Don Firth Date: 21 Feb 01 - 11:57 AM Sinsull, Reading your last post (above) about you and Annamill feeling "a certain regret that we were 'born too late'," set me to thinking. In just about any field, we often hear people, usually older than we are or who have been involved longer than we have, talking about things that happened before we came on the scene. We hear of amazing things and legendary people -- and it can make us feel that we got there too late -- after the Golden Age had waned. But after reading the "Annamill's gathering 02/17-02/19" thread, particularly your description (posted 20-Feb-01 - 10:45 AM) and some of the other descriptions (I wish I'd been there!), it sounds a lot like some of the bashes we used to have during the Fifties and Sixties. Or more recently, some years ago, the "First Annual Lillawap Folk-Sing and Clam-Bake" (or whatever we called it) weekend at Gary and Molly Oberbillig's place on Hood Canal (unfortunately, it was the only "annual" one -- Gary and Molly now live in Olympia). Or the ones at John Dwyer's place in Marysville before he died a few years ago. Or the get-togethers we still have, such as the song-fests and barbecues at Bob and Judy Nelson's house in Everett or at Alice Lanczos's place here in Seattle (Alice sometimes likes to have them catered, ye gods! It's not that she's wealthy. She just has a slightly [but gloriously] warped sense of style!). It may very well be that sometime in the future, when new people become involved, they will hear stories of gatherings like the one Annamill just hosted, and of the talents and abilities of the people who were there. And they will hear many other stories of remarkable people who were around, and of wonderful things that happened before they arrived on the scene. . . . Then, it will be you and Annamill and the others who were at that gathering who may very well be the legendary people. Just a thought, Don Firth |
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Subject: RE: Tales of Walt Robertson From: SINSULL Date: 04 May 02 - 03:38 PM I never stopped looking and... a copy of "Island Bound" is headed my way. If anyone is interested, I will be happy to send it on once I have had a chance to see it. I love having a reason to refresh this thread. |
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Subject: RE: Tales of Walt Robertson From: Deckman Date: 05 May 02 - 02:39 AM HOLY SMOKE ... GOOD GRIEF ... AM I SURPRISED! I would LOVE to have a copy. I've never seen it in it's completeness. I did see some 'previews' of it while it was in production. I had given Walt my work raincoat ... he thought it was 'worn' enough that he could wear it as a fitting costume. I'd like to see my olde raincoat again. I'll mail you privately to make arrangements. Thank you again ... VERY MUCH. CHEERS, Bob(deckman)Nelson |
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Subject: RE: Tales of Walt Robertson From: Art Thieme Date: 05 May 02 - 05:11 PM Way to go !!! |
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Subject: RE: Tales of Walt Robertson From: SINSULL Date: 06 May 02 - 11:42 AM Art - I am forwarding the movie to Bob. PM your address to him and he can send it on to you. Anyone else interested? |
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Subject: RE: Tales of Walt Robertson From: Don Firth Date: 06 May 02 - 12:35 PM Yep! But I'll check with Bob and see if I can look over his shoulder. Don Firth |
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Subject: RE: Tales of Walt Robertson From: Art Thieme Date: 24 Jul 02 - 11:46 AM refresh-------------------'cause this is worth saving!! How often this entire scenario repeated in different places at diiferent moments and with different folks !!! And they were all just as fantastic. Steinbeck and Ed Rickets (Doc in "Canary Row") in Monterey, CA, Hemingway in Spain and Cuba, Van Ronk & Dylan in N.Y., Wolf, Muddy, Butterfield and Bloomfield and Little Walter in Chi, Kweskin and Baez and Rick VonSchmidt in Harvard Square----maybe some of us in Chicago too; and the other ponds where the folk-fish swam, spawned, sang and spilled their sonic seed on the ground fertile to mnake it fertile. The poverty and the roacy mattresses never mattered and the music we made was all there was that had any importance at all. We didn't choose this. It just happened 'cause it demanded our full attention---and our voices. The new folks here ought to read this one----and then read it again. Art Thieme |
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Subject: RE: Tales of Walt Robertson From: Deckman Date: 24 Jul 02 - 01:22 PM Art ... I just read your posting and I want to thank you for it and for refreshing Walt's thread. You said something the really hit me ..."the music we made was all there was that had any impotance." So very, very true, my friend. I spent increasing amounts of time with Walt during the last years of his life. During one stay with him in Honolulu, he started bequeathing me things. Small items, including many letters, journal entries, etc. While we both knew he was a shortimer, I was puzzled by this. Then he explained that he wanted me to write his biography. I didn't take him seriously at first, then when I realised he was very serious, I freaked out as I've never considered myself any kind of a writer. In fact, the very first piece of serious writing I EVER did was Walt's obituary for Sing Out, and Don Firth and Sandy Paton know how much I sweated writing that! In retrospect, starting this thread, and contrubuting to it, and drawing others out, probably is my statement to Walt. Thank you again Art for bringing this up. CHEERS and BEST WISHES ... Bob(deckman)Nelson ((as Walt would say ... "KEEP ON KEEPIN' ON)) |
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Subject: RE: Tales of Walt Robertson From: SINSULL Date: 24 Jul 02 - 05:02 PM Deckman. I am shocked! You have all the material for a great biography about a fascinating man in fascinating times and you think we are going to let you off with a few posts? Shame on you! Art - this is one I have printed and re-read often especially when some fool tells me that Mudcat is mediocre. Thanks for refreshing it. SINS |
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Subject: RE: Tales of Walt Robertson From: Amos Date: 24 Jul 02 - 07:17 PM Art: You are one mother of a great soul, man! You got the song, words, music, the whole kielbasa. Thanks for being you. A |
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Subject: RE: Tales of Walt Robertson From: Art Thieme Date: 24 Jul 02 - 11:06 PM I don't understand-----but thanks I guess. I didn't do nothin'... Art |
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Subject: RE: Tales of Walt Robertson From: Stilly River Sage Date: 24 Jul 02 - 11:37 PM Bob, Proofread your posts! You talked last about your music and it's "impotance." I understood what you meant, but I can never resist a good typo! (Neither could Dad!) Talk about a Freudian slip! Maggie (chuckling in Fort Worth) |
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Subject: RE: Tales of Walt Robertson From: Deckman Date: 25 Jul 02 - 12:00 AM "LORD LOVE A DUCK", Maggie. That certainly was a slip. I can hear your Dad laughing over that one. Maybe that's why my slip of the fingers happened, so that you and I could have a good chuckle. Nice to see your name. CHEERS and HUGS, Bob |
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Subject: RE: Tales of Walt Robertson From: Don Firth Date: 25 Jul 02 - 12:00 PM My first impulse was to comment on that too, but I thought, we-e-e-e-l-l-l-l. . . . Thanks for pulling this up again, Art. I reread it and--my gawd I'm long-winded! Don Firth |
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Subject: RE: Tales of Walt Robertson From: Lonesome EJ Date: 25 Jul 02 - 12:19 PM Art, Amos suffers from a rare disorder in today's world...he likes people, and feels compelled to voice that affection. I think that was the trigger for his post above, not anything specific that you did. Have patience...although there isn't much hope of Amos recovering from his disorder, there's a slim hope the rest of us might catch it. I understand its fairly painless. :>} |
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Subject: RE: Tales of Walt Robertson From: Stilly River Sage Date: 25 Jul 02 - 06:47 PM Don, No, you're not long-winded. But you do need to direct those words into a BOOK! Maggie |
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Subject: RE: Tales of Walt Robertson From: Amos Date: 25 Jul 02 - 07:21 PM Bob: If your gonna play that sort of music you should wear a tux when you play. If you're gonna soun' impo'tant, ya should look impo'tant, Ah sez!!! A |
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Subject: RE: Tales of Walt Robertson From: Amos Date: 26 Jul 02 - 06:25 PM Thaks, LEJ -- your scintillating precision of thought and word is impeccable, as always!! Best of infections to you and yours!! LOL!! A |
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Subject: RE: Tales of Walt Robertson From: GUEST,Masha Date: 12 Oct 02 - 07:21 PM I have just arrived at these wonderful Tales Of Walt Robertson. Have I come to heaven? My late husband and I knew and loved Walt also. We knew him starting in the very early 60's in Sacramento. During that time he was living in San Francisco and coming here to perform at a small (tiny) coffee house run by friends and at a small theater that held about 150. I recall two songs that I learned from him in those early days "The Wheel of Fortune" and "Zoom, Zoom, Cuddle and Croon." (I never heard anyone else sing the latter one.) He stayed with us when he was in town . Later on he came and stayed here on his way to and from the northwest. I have one memory of a particular night after a concert. The three of us were (as I recall) sitting on the floor with a jug of very bad red wine talking about having heard that the Smothers Brothers had written a parody verse or two to "The Streets of Laredo." We took off from there and the laughter and the wine and the verses flowed deep into the night. (I think Deckman can post the song if he has not done so already.) A postscript to the story is that when Walt left here after that visit he was heading up to Portland and had no place to stay there. We gave him the phone number of good friends of ours up there who would certainly welcome him. Did not hear from Walt or our friends (John and Vivienne Olson) except for a note with an "alternative line for the second to the last verse and a new final verse. More memories are flooding in. I'll be back. Marge |
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Subject: RE: Tales of Walt Robertson From: Joe Offer Date: 12 Oct 02 - 07:34 PM Hi, Marge - good to see you finally got onto Mudcat. You gave me the song years ago, and I posted it in Mudcat here (click) in 1998. That's how Deckman found out you had known Walt. Small world, eh? -Joe Offer- |
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Subject: RE: Tales of Walt Robertson From: Deckman Date: 13 Oct 02 - 03:33 AM Hi Marge! Hi Joe! Yes indeed, it is a very small world sometimes. Besides meeting Marge through that song Joe posted, Bride Judy and I also renewed our friendship with Mike Nelson (of Pamir House fame), thanks to MUDCAT. After years of disapearance, he surfaced on a MUDCAT posting. Now he is a reguliar at our hoots and our table. Hmmm, a small world indeed. CHEERS, Bob(deckman)Nelson |
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Subject: RE: Tales of Walt Robertson From: Stefan Wirz Date: 01 Jan 03 - 02:13 PM not one single tale, but one portrait (as man's an eye animal) plus a little more info about the two Folkways LPs of the man, that's the little someone from far Germany can add to this thread: Walt Robertson discography ... and to all 'catters a Happy New Year !!! Stefan |
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Subject: RE: Tales of Walt Robertson From: Deckman Date: 01 Jan 03 - 03:15 PM Hello Stefan... Merry New Year to you also! I appreciate all your work assembling the list. For years I've heard rumors of an earlier recording that Walt did. It was a 10" LP on the Stinson label. I don't remember hearing it, but I know I've seen it as I can remember that the record was red in color. It would be interesting to see if a copy of this album surfaces! CHEERS, Bob(deckman)Nelson |
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