Concerts at Denver's SwallowHill

Subject: Concerts at Denver's SwallowHill
From: Lonesome EJ
Date: 12 Mar 99 - 04:07 PM

Many of you may be familiar with our Folk and Traditional music Headquarters here in Colorado. The joint location for Denver Folklore Center and Swallow Hill has just moved to 71 E Yale Ave in Denver, and they are having their Grand Opening this weekend. Tonight (Friday the 12th)Utah Phillips is performing at 8 pm. Tomorrow carla Sciaky, Mary Flower, and the Founder of the Folklore Center and Swallow Hill Harry Tuft will perform Saturday night.

Harry is a native of Philly, and came to Denver in 1960. He founded the Denver Folklore Center in 62 and was responsible for bringing folks like Joan Baez, Pete Seeger, and Arlo Guthrie to town. He has stoked the fires for the local acoustic music scene ever since.

The new center will feature Concert venues as well as a traditional music school and a store to puchase instruments and recordings.They currently have 350 students enrolled in group classes, including a class for young Mom's who want to learn traditional lullabies. Swallow Hill is taking a financial risk by expanding into this new, larger facility. They deserve the support of all Colorado (surrounding states welcome,too!) Mudcatters in the fine work they are doing!...LEJ

Subject: RE: Concerts at Denver's SwallowHill
From: katlaughing
Date: 12 Mar 99 - 06:28 PM

LEJ,

I am really excited about this. my dad, who lives in Utah, is a native of Colorado, as was his dad. When dad was quite young, his dad took him to an old fiddle maker and said teach him to play. He's been playing ever since, fiddle, banjo, keyboard, mando, and guitar.

What I am really excited about, though, is, at 82 yrs. old, he is a raconteur extradinaire, esp. when it comes to stories about growing up on a ranch in Colorado and being the son of a magnificiently eloquent man who was one of the founders of the Colorado Cattlemen's Assoc. and who once had a requested response published on the front page of the Denver Post regarding a cattlemen and sheepherder's dispute. His dad also wrote incredible cowboy poetry, while a rancher on the Western Slope, which dad is in the process of recording (homegrown) right now.

In Japan, the dub such people, "National Treasures". With his knowledge of Colorado history and his own personal experiences (his grandad and dad had the first threshing machine on the Western Slope, among other things), combined with his incredible delivery, I would certainly dub him a "Colorado Treasure" whether I was his daughter or not. His appeal is universal: he made a tape, one Christmas, of family history stories. We lived in Mass. and my son was a tennager. When he and his friends ditched out to Boston's punk scene they put Grandad's tape on the player in the van. They were spellbound and often asked to listen to it, again. IT is my hope to have this in book form with old photos sometime, soon.

As for lullabies, we have one in our family called the Prairie Lullaby which is beautiful. I taught it to a Grandma from Utah on Amtrak one time. We also have a story my grandad made up, which we've all gone to sleep to, "The Little Black Calfie".

I'm sorry I am rambling on so; it's just been one of my dreams to help dad as much as I can and to share him with others because he is so wonderful. I look forward to hearing more.My email is [e-mail]

Thanks for indulging me, everyone!

kat

He knows all of the old cowboy songs, the Colorado versions, as well as tons of other material, and entertains 2-3 times per week in nursing homes in Utah, as well as plays for fairs and weddings, etc. He is a fantastic teacher and likeable sort, who could be a valuable resource for Swallow Hill. Please let me know how to approach them with info on him and what he has to offer. I've been frustrated because it would mean so much to him to be recognized in the state his family helped to settle and because he is one of the vanishing resources which needs to be videotaped, preserved, etc. in anyway we can, besides pickling***grin***! He cannot travel a lot, but there is nothing dull about his mind and abilities.

Subject: RE: Concerts at Denver's SwallowHill
From: Lonesome EJ
Date: 12 Mar 99 - 07:04 PM

Kat..you can contact Swallow Hill at303-777-1003. Good luck!

Subject: RE: Concerts at Denver's SwallowHill
From: Sandy Paton
Date: 12 Mar 99 - 08:11 PM

Kat:

Harry Tuft's e-mail address is [e-mail]. He's working on a CD re-issue right now, and the merging of Denver Folklore Center and Swallow Hill may be keeping him pretty busy, but send him a note anyway, and tell him I gave you the address. He'll forgive both of us.

I'll get back to you with more, later.

Sandy