Songs From The Attic

Subject: Songs From The Attic
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 16 May 06 - 06:58 AM

I've been thinking of ideas for workshops for the NOMAD festival coming up in November, and this one appeals to me. I thought it might be a good nudge for all of us who are prone to think that we have to keep learning new songs, as performers. While there's a natural desire to learn new songs, many wonderful old songs get put in the attic and are forgotten. For the workshop, I've opened that old trunk and am dusting off perfectly good old songs and trying them on for size. Some may not fit any more and will need some retailoring, as I've changed a lot since I sang some of them. But it should be fun. A few that come to mind that I haven't sung in years are:

   Old Shoes and Leggins
   The Escape Of Old John Webb
   The Lazy Farmer Boy

   and many songs that I've written that I haven't sung in years..
   many of which I've never sung for an audience:

   Robert's Rooster
   Winter To Spring
   3 Speeds Forward and No Speeds Back
   Pebble, Wheel & Seed

I've put together a CD of old recordings of a whole batch of these songs, just so they don't slip away for good. I'll do some of them in the workshop, and I know many others will come to mind.

So, why not go up into your "attic", open that all trunk and see what treasures are stored there, half forgotten?

Jerry

Subject: RE: Songs From The Attic
From: greg stephens
Date: 16 May 06 - 07:10 AM

WEll, Jerry, that's a fine thought-provoking idea. Off hand, I seem to have kept most of my forty year old repertoire in circulation, with a few exceptions. I used to sing Sidney Carter's "Down Below" alot, but I n o longer move in circles where it would be though funny. I see you mention the Escpe of John Webb: that, and the MTA songs, are things from the Kingston Trio/Limeliters that I have never felt likere-visiting. Maybe I will now you've raised the subject: I think the Pogues or somebody had a go at the MTA song, didnt they?
   The songs I used to love, but never go near any more, are the rugby songs, which seemed very suitable in groups of all male 18-year old college boys. But I think they might cause raised eyebrows if I slipped one into the set at a folk festival.
    But generally speaking(because I'm very lazy about learmning new songs) I find all my early repertoire(virtually all skiffle) is still quite in use.
   If I find a suitable occasion to revisit "The Engineer's Wheel", "The Mayor of Bayswater", or "Dinah, Dinah, Show us your Leg", I will report back!

Subject: RE: Songs From The Attic
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 16 May 06 - 08:23 AM

Hey, Greg:

You're much more of a working musician than I am, so I'm not surprised that you keep your repertoire of older songs fresh. I don't perfomr all that often, so keeping songs fresh for me is just because I like to sing them... not from any pressure as an occasional performer.

By the way, I never felt the desire to sing MTA. Generally speaking, novelty songs lose their novelty real quickly, for me. I could imagine dusting off the Ballad Of The IRT, mostly because I like the song it was patterned after. The only novelty song that comes to mind that I used to do and could happily dust off is I'm So Tired. I'd have to do some real head-scratching to recall all the words' though.

I like The Escape Of John Webb just because it works out so well on finger-picked banjo... nothing resembling the Kingston Trio version where I learned it.

Guess I better dust off my banjo for this workshop, too.

Jerry

Subject: RE: Songs From The Attic
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 16 May 06 - 04:41 PM

I'm going to keep this thread alive for a little while, in hopes that some Catters who are planning to go to NOMAD are interested in being in the workshop.

Jerry

Subject: RE: Songs From The Attic
From: Barbara Shaw
Date: 16 May 06 - 05:25 PM

Hey Jerry, sounds like a good idea. Every once in awhile Frank and I find an old song in our songbook and say, "Hey, we haven't done that great old song in YEARS!" Maybe we could do a couple in the workshop. ShoreGrass (or as many of them as I can convince) will be there for some bluegrass, but this we could do as a duet.

Subject: RE: Songs From The Attic
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 16 May 06 - 10:09 PM

Sounds good with me, Barbara. If I can get another Catter or two, I'll submit it as a workshop. If not, I may, anyway..

Jerry

Subject: RE: Songs From The Attic
From: karen k
Date: 17 May 06 - 09:24 AM

I'll be at the Getaway this year but if I was going to be at NOMAD I would have loved to join in. Maybe you could do it next year as well.

karen

Subject: RE: Songs From The Attic
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 17 May 06 - 09:45 AM

I would certainly have enjoyed that, Karen... next year it is..

Jerry

Subject: RE: Songs From The Attic
From: Barbara Shaw
Date: 17 May 06 - 09:53 AM

Maybe if you got one of the editors to add NOMAD to the title of this thread, a few more people might take a look and broaden the possibilities...

Subject: RE: Songs From The Attic
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 17 May 06 - 10:01 AM

Man, we're smart, Barbara: I just thought that I should start a Who's Going to NOMAD thread...

Thanks,

Jerry