Charlie Parr Trucking Into Madison April 21 at the Brink
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Volume 38, No. 4 April 2012 Charlie Parr trucking into Madison April 21 at The Brink f you ever listened to ancient field re- which he describes as “...grief, poverty, death, ger picking and plaintive but wry songs have Icordings of eerie mountain music or social justice and hopefully a little humor once made him one of the most important contem- early scratchy blues recordings or the more stark in a while...” The humor is not hard to find, as porary protagonists of the American folk tradi- cuts of Harry Smith’s Anthology of American his website advertises him as “One Man, One tion.” Folk Music, or felt moved by some of the odder Guitar, One Foot In The Grave.” He has been - Bath International Music Festival pieces in the film Oh Brother, Where Art Thou, compared to Dave Van Ronk, and he does have and wondered where the spirit of that earthy some of Van Ronk’s characteristics, like the Charlie has trucked this great raw show all mournful music has gone, well, look no further. rough hewn persona and vocal delivery over a around the world, from Australia to England It has found a home in the performances and rock solid but unassumingly complex accom- back to Duluth, and now, on Saturday, April 21 recordings of Charlie Parr. paniment. Piedmont style fingerpicking -- the to the Brink Lounge in Madison. Charlie Parr, currently based in Duluth, thumb alternating on bass strings while the Minnesota, is one of those rare performers fingers play melody and embellishments, some- who is gaining a worldwide reputation for thor- what like stride piano -- is his instrumental forte, Mad Folk Concert Tickets oughly understanding and assimilating the won- his heroes of the guitar being such as Reverend When you see this symbol – ee derful and strange things that were happening Gary Davis, Bukka White, Mance Lipscomb, in folk, pre-country, and blues music, particu- Charlie Patton and Lightnin’ Hopkins, and – you’ll know that you’re read- larly in the south eastern part of America, back more recent blues style artists like fellow Min- ing about a Mad Folk sponsored when recordings were first being made in the nesotan Spider John Koerner. He also plays a event. Advance tickets for Mad field and for a few decades thereafter. This be- mean slide guitar. The banjo playing fits right Folk shows are available online gan for Charlie as an obsession instilled in him in somehow too though, bringing in the mood at www.madfolk.org and at these to a great degree by his father’s passion for such of old rural folksong wailers halfway drunk and music. As a boy in Austin Minnesota, Charlie being recorded in a chicken coop on a wire re- outlets: grew up listening to recordings his father had corder hooked to a truck battery. bought from the Smithsonian Folkways collec- As a matter of fact, Charlie Parr has made • Orange Tree Imports, 1721 Mon- tion and other sources of early country, folk, a number of his recordings in non-studio situa- roe Street and blues performances, from back in the days tions, like garages, store fronts, and the like. In when those genres were not very far removed an interview with Chris Mateer of Uprooted from each other at all, and in fact overlapped Music Review, Charlie said, “ I usually pick a • Spruce Tree Music, 851 East quite a bit in their raw and plaintive qualities. place based on how I feel first, then I’ll sit down Johnson Charlie’s father bartered for his son a Gibson and play there to see if the sound is good. If it 12-string guitar in exchange for a 9.9 horse- sounds like my kitchen, it’s a keeper...For me, Purchase tickets ONLINE for Mad power Johnson outboard when the boy was 7 it feels like a very honest way of recording.” Folk concerts via Brown Paper years old, and Charlie immediately began trying That kind of humble and genuine sentiment is to play like Lightnin’ Hopkins and Mance Lip- what adds so much to Charlie Parr’s recordings, Tickets: scomb. He picked up a banjo somewhere along but also to his live stage presence. “I’m prob- https://www.brownpapertickets. the way, and also, in his late teens, acquired a ably not playing good music,” Parr says, “but com/producer/10879 National resonator guitar. The resonator guitar I know I’m playing music that’s raw.” But the You can also purchase advance and the banjo seem like naturals for him, but very “rawness” of the music is what makes it tickets by mail. Send a stamped the 12-string guitar is his first love, and it shows. good. And the fact that he says it isn’t good Charlie Parr would be worth every penny only speaks well of his humility, because it’s not self-addressed envelope with just to hear play instrumentally, but when he only good music, it’s great music. your check payable to Mad Folk, sings, his wild, weird, haunted, and heartbreak- For further inspiration, check out Charlie PO Box 665, Madison, WI 53701. If ingly genuine vocals and vintage songwriting on YouTube (search for Charlie Parr), and have all else fails, call 608-846-9214 for skills can send shivers up and down your back- a look at his website, www.charlieparr.com. information. bone, intensified by his ominous subject matter, “... [Charlie Parr’s] raw voice, lightning fin- Mad Folk News is published monthly by the Madison Folk Music Society, a non- Michael Cooney profit, volunteer-led society dedicated to fostering folk music in the Madison coming Wed. May 30th to play with area. Contact us at [email protected]. Learnaboutconcerts,membership, scho larships,andvolunteeropportunities at Lou & Peter Berryman www.madfolk.org. at The Brink banjo, 12-string guitar, and sometimes Madison Folk Music Society Board even ukulele or concertina, and with the Michael Cooney, born in 1943 and on knowledge of an ethnomusicologist, he DarleneBuhler...............President,Concerts, one of his now almost unheard of for- can take an audience on a spellbinding Advertising ays out of the rocky perch of his home trip through the marvels of folk and 846-9214 ~ [email protected] in Maine, is making a special detour to folk-like songs old and new. PegMichel….…..............................Treasurer Madison to share an evening on stage Michael is winding down his tour- 831-1876 ~ [email protected] with his old pals Lou and Peter Berry- ing drastically; you may never have the Tracy Comer ........Membership & Web Site man, on his way home from honoring chance to see him again in the Midwest. 729-4498 ~ [email protected] a special invitation by the Denver Folk- By his teaming up with Lou and Peter NorbertWodke….......................…Secretary lore Society to play for its 50th anniver- for the night, whom he helped so gen- 836-8422 ~ [email protected] sary celebration. Michael was with the erously in their early years of perform- DedeGoldberg..............................Newsletter Society when it formed, as he was an ing, an old, close, and giddy friendship distribution integral part of so many legendary folk on stage will be obvious and infectious, 246-4332 ~ [email protected] music scenes from California to New a reminder of the fundamental charm, Neil Morris....................................Newsletter York, beginning in the early 60s and ex- intrigue, and friendliness of folk music. editor tending through the decades. There is a Because of Michael’s schedule, the show 358-5855 ~ [email protected] reason for this. No one can convey the has to be on a midweek night, but never- Martin Potter................................Newsletter sheer fun of music like Michael Cooney. theless, you won’t want to miss this rar- editing assistant With a natural but beautiful voice and est of rare events. Michael Cooney and (414) 241-0615 ~ [email protected] a relaxed and happy delivery, with in- Lou and Peter Berryman, Wednesday, Meg Skinner.………................. Scholarship strumental skills unbelievable on the May 30, 7pm, at The Brink Lounge; tick- ets $14 advance, $16 day of show, avail- 238-6950 ~ [email protected] able at Spruce Tree Music, Orange Tree Ron Dennis …........….....................………. Imports, and www.madfolk.org, starting 226-9472 ~ [email protected] May 1. Vicky Jones .…................…..………….…. 215-7621 ~ [email protected] Uncle Bonsai returns to Madison! Coming to The High Noon Saloon April 1st! WORT-FM Community Radio is excited flinching portrayals to welcome Uncle Bonsai back to Madi- of life, love, and a son for the first time in over 25 years! guy named Doug. The popular Seattle-based trio comes to Opening for Uncle the High Noon Saloon on Sunday April Bonsai will be Mad- 1st at 7:00pm (no foolin’) to perform ison favorites The songs from over 30 years of recordings, Prince Myshkins! including their latest release, The Grim The Prince Mysh- Parade. This recording is a collection of kins are Rick Bur- live and studio performances, including khardt and Andy “The Baby’s Head,” “Loving Tommy,” Gricevich. Rick “The Fish is In The ...Freezer,” and 11 plays accordion and others, that showcases the group’s un- sings; Andy plays flinching portrayals on the passing of guitar and sings. They met in 1995 at tic readers and writers of experimental time, the passing the University of Illinois, where Andy poetry, and continue to perform political of genes, and the passing of pets -- the studied literature and philosophy and theater at every opportunity. The Prince truth of everything seemingly buried Rick studied music composition. Within Myshkins are proud members of AFM somewhere under the family tree.