Old Folkie Missing in action

Subject: Old Folkie Missing in action
From: Bobert
Date: 02 Jan 02 - 03:49 PM

Anyone know the whereabouts of Paul Seibel, who had a couple nice albums in the 70's. He also wrote "Louise" that Leo Kotkee popularized, but Paul just seems to have vanished. He was a heck of a song writer as I recall.

Subject: RE: Old Folkie Missing in action
From: Wesley S
Date: 02 Jan 02 - 04:43 PM

I seem to remember that he was mentioned in a thread a few months ago. I think he retired from the music business in disgust, but I could be wrong. Someone will come along who knows more about it.

Subject: RE: Old Folkie Missing in action
From: Michael S
Date: 02 Jan 02 - 04:46 PM

I was fortunate enough too see Seibel perform in the late 1970s.There was a feature on him in the June/July 1996 issue of Dirty Linen magazine. He performed into the early '80s, but his muse left him (he felt) and he grew increasingly uncomfortable with performing despite an inability to come up with new material. Regarding his career, he said, "I wasn't getting anywhere. So I stopped."

At the time of the article, he was working as a bread baker in a "cafe/store in Maryland," and seemed happy to discuss his career in music. Perhaps he's still there.

Your question ties in nicely with the article's closing lines. When asked how he'd like to be remembered, Seibel said, "Well, 'He was a guy who wrote a couple of pretty good songs. Whatever happened to him?' I guess it's gonna go down something like that."

You can get both of Seibel's great albums through Amazon. Woodsmoke and Oranges (now retitled simply "Paul Seibel") has been reissued by Rounder. Jack Knife Gypsy is available as an import. Fine, fine records.

Subject: RE: Old Folkie Missing in action
From: Jerry Dingleman: The Boy Wonder(inactve)
Date: 02 Jan 02 - 06:02 PM

I believe that Paul is still hauling buns in Baltimore. The CD "Paul Siebel" that Michael S mentions is actually "Woodsmoke and Oranges" plus five of the ten songs from "Jack Knife Gypsy."

BTW, I've always thought that "Woodsmoke and Oranges" was one of the greatest singer-songwriter albums of all time.

Jerry

Subject: RE: Old Folkie Missing in action
From: Bobert
Date: 02 Jan 02 - 06:16 PM

Thanks, Michael. I have both albums and also was lucky enough to hear him around '73 or '74 at the Cellar Door in Washington, D.C. where I got a table right at the edge of the stage. I have been singing "Legend of the Captain's Daughter" (...and time is now and will be long ago... and "Jasper" ( last time I saw Jasper, he was runnin down the road, his boots put on backwards just in case it snowed...) longer than I'm willing to admit. If you can find that article, I think it would be cool to pay the guy a visit to talk music, life, etc.

Subject: RE: Old Folkie Missing in action
From: Bobert
Date: 02 Jan 02 - 06:17 PM

Me too, Jerry...

Subject: RE: Old Folkie Missing in action
From: BlueFolk
Date: 03 Jan 02 - 11:45 AM

Read http://www.futuris.net/linen/feature/64siebel.html a good and recent article about the great Paul Siebel

Subject: RE: Old Folkie Missing in action
From: Sorcha
Date: 03 Jan 02 - 12:06 PM

Dirty Linen article 1996. (clickie for above link)

Subject: RE: Old Folkie Missing in action
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 03 Jan 02 - 12:17 PM

I am familiar with his name, but don't ever remember hearing him. His story sounds similar to an old legend of jazz guitar who suddenly "dissappeared. Tal Farlow regularly was voted best jazz guitarist of the year by Downbeat magazine in the 50's and cut several magnificent albums that I wore smooth, playing them. He decided that he'd had enough of touring, and became a sing painter in his home town in New Jersey. For at least twenty years. Finally, he decided he was ready to come back and recorded his first album in many years: A Sign Of The Times. He hadn't lost anything. I heard him on a double bill with George Shearing, five or six years ago, and even though Shearing was in his eighties, I thought that he was far better than when I bought his albums in the 50's. I know it ain't folk music, but the principle applies... some people burn out young, or just get sick of the road. We're blessed when some of them come back, like Tal.

Jerry

Subject: RE: Old Folkie Missing in action
From: Fortunato
Date: 03 Jan 02 - 12:32 PM

JohnDLoudermilk,

Did you ever know a guitar player, nylon string mostly, Country and Flamenco, named Dave Parker? He was in Nashville for some years, originally from Savannah, I think. I seem to recall he told a story about Don Gibson and you and a Dracula suit one Halloween. Regards, Fortunato