info on Shep Slaszlow-songwriter

Subject: RE: info on Shep Slaszlow-songwriter
From: MAG
Date: 19 Jan 04 - 02:21 PM

Fred sang Judy B. Goodenough's "Parting Glass" -- (the one I sang a cappella at Singtime Frolics last year) I learned it from him. That's why I once put out a query about Judy B. on this list -- had never heard of her otherwise, and somebody knew she was a poet who died of cancer some time ago. How DID he dig all this great stuff up? His instincts were truly uncanny. Or maybe he just loved a piece enough to make it memorable.

On Kathy Kelly's webcast radio show tribute to Fred yesterday, she mentioned that he introduced the work of Eric Bogle and Gordon Bok to Chicago, and Holstein's was a venue for them later. The place was magic. I was there for the opening and regret not being there for the closing.

Subject: RE: info on Shep Slaszlow-songwriter
From: Art Thieme
Date: 18 Jan 04 - 11:18 AM

Nothing more than what we have expressed here.
Fred NEVER wrote songs that any of us in Chi knew of. He said that on several interviews etc. Strange, he and I were always collectors and singers of other people's songs---mostly trad and trad-sounding ones for me. Still, I recorded 3 that I wrote over 40 years.

I miss this guy a lot. We were friends but not real close---few were close to Fred. But we were parallel in Chicago all those years. Him in the bars and that nightlife saloon singing. I preferred caffeine and coffeehouses with less boisterous and more wide awake listeners.

Onward...

For us both.

Art

Subject: RE: info on Shep Slaszlow-songwriter
From: Joe Offer
Date: 18 Jan 04 - 02:45 AM

Hi, Art - I put on my investigator hat and looked long and hard for Ol' Shep. The only Internet mention of Slaszlow is in connection with this song. I even did a phone book search at switchboard.com, and came up with no Slaszlows anywhere in the area covered (the entire U.S., I think). That being the case, I figured it was a pseudonym. I wondered if Fred had written it himself.

I think I knew Mark Dvorak was a friend of yours, or else I just assumed that was the case - but I try to answer threads in a way that will serve anybody who might want the information in the future.

Has Mark told you anything about the song?

-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: info on Shep Slaszlow-songwriter
From: Art Thieme
Date: 17 Jan 04 - 10:03 PM

Thanks Joe. We are in touch with Mark; he is a friend. The lyrics and the song we have. Just want to find Shep Sl. for permission to quote from it in an obit. Shep seems to be an elusive gent. I wonder if it's a phony name for someone else. But this was way before the internet...

Art

Subject: RE: info on Shep Slaszlow-songwriter
From: Joe Offer
Date: 17 Jan 04 - 03:17 PM

Not much, Art - I tried various spellings at www.songfile.com, the onlicensing site for the Harry Fox Agency - no listing under the songwriter or song name. This Google search brings up four entries. Three are about the Gathering at the Earl of Old Town CD, but one is a review of a Mark Dvorak recording that has the same song. Maybe Mark can help. His website is http://www.markdvorak.com/

-Joe Offer-

Subject: info on Shep Slaszlow-songwriter
From: Art Thieme
Date: 16 Jan 04 - 06:15 PM

SHEP SLASZLOW is apparently the man who wrote a song we think is named The Man Who Sings Songs. Fred Holstein used to sing it quite often. Nothing in the DT or the forum...

Art Thieme