Pete Seeger” Review Pg
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THE COLUMBUS FOLK MUSIC SOCIETY, INC.! MARCH, 2014 WHAT’S INSIDE: March Folkside Coffeehouse “Tribute to Pete Seeger” review pg. 2 presents A Film starring one JON MOSEY of our own pg. 3 We have a special treat He has toured the United CFMS & Mozart’s for our March States and Europe as a co-sponsor local Coffeehouse: Jon Mosey. solo bluesman/guitarist/ music night pg. 4 hailing from Akron, OH, singer-songwriter. His Calendar of Events he has been Described as and announcements pg. 5 “one of the great musical warm voice, guitar skills, treasures of Northeast distinctive songwriting, Kirby Scholarship pg. 6 Ohio.” So come on out on and powerful New Venue review pg. 7 Saturday, March 29 – the performances have show begins at earned him a reputation approximately 8 p.m. – after our live auction as fresh, rootsy and benefiting the Central original. His HOW TO JAM A Ohio Folk Festival. See performances have details on page 5. brought rave reviews from FARMER’S by D. Boston sources as diverse as Sing Out!, The Jon Mosey plays original New Cleveland Plain Dealer, Dirty Linen, The MARKET Akron Beacon Journal and Ian Anderson Roots Music and Blues, Ragtime, Old- by Tom Nagel! Time, Western Swing, Bluegrass, of Jethro Tull. The Cleveland Plain Cajun/Zydeco, and the list goes on. Dealer said of him, “A really amazing Winter See Jon Mosey! page 4 or summer, every Saturday Pete Seeger: a Man a number of CFMS folks gather for a jam at the Remembered 1919-2014 worthington farmer’s market. And these guys are faithful; We were all saddened by the Africa. In memory of Pete, what except for falling rain, they death of Pete Seeger on January 27 at follows is a reprint of a article written always show up. If you see the age of 94. Pete’s grandson, Kitama any of them, offer them a by Scott Alarik in 1996 entitled “No hearty thanks. They spread a Cahill-Jackson, said that prior to his six More Awards! Pete Seeger”. lot of joy and cheer to day stay in the hospital, his grandfather passer-bys and the kids love it. was still as active as ever, even out “No More Awards! chopping wood ten days before. !Larry Staats organized the Pete Seeger” by Scott Alarik The York Times stated: “Response Worthington Squares Farmer’s and reaction to Seeger's death quickly “Too many awards,” Pete Seeger Market Jam a few years ago with poured in. Bruce Springsteen said of said a little glumly, “After this, if the main purpose to have a good Seeger's passing ‘I lost a great friend somebody wants to give out awards, time.! Secondary purposes were to and a great hero last night, Pete they can give them to somebody else. give!the CFMS some exposure to Seeger’ before performing “We Shall If they want me to come and sing for the general public and recruit new Overcome” while on tour in South them, I'll come sing.” See Seeger ! page 2 Farmer’s Market ! page 6 CONTACT US AT: VOICEMAIL 614"470"3963 PAGE 1 A DIFFERENT STRUMMER! MARCH, 2014 Hundreds Fondly Remember Pete Seeger by Simply Singing by Bill Cohen melodies.! That harmony symbolized the community spirit More than 300 people packed the Columbus Mennonite that Pete was so well-known for promoting with his music. Church February 16 to honor the life of Pete always wanted folk music to be folk music icon and activist Pete Seeger.! accessible to all.! So, in that spirit, the sing- They did it the way Pete would have liked along was free.! But we “passed the hat,” – not so much by putting him in the and the crowd showed its appreciation by spotlight but by singing songs of peace, giving us enough money to make a social justice, and joy. donation to the church and to carry on the !The church rafters echoed with the work of the CFMS. strains of many songs that Pete himself !Near the end of the nearly 2-hour-long wrote or helped to popularize:! “If I Had hootenanny, many in the crowd were a Hammer”, “We Shall Overcome”, tearful as they viewed a video of Pete “Turn Turn Turn”, “Little Boxes”, and Photo courtesy of Linda McDonald singing a song about facing death, !“To “Where Have All the Flowers Gone”. My Old Brown Earth.”!! It was indeed sad !The crowd also sang many other songs that Pete and to hear Pete himself and then a full choir sing about him many folk musicians have imbedded in our memories and giving the earth and sky “these last few molecules of ‘I.’” hearts:! “Jet Plane”, “Down by the Riverside”, “Strangest !Still,! other feelings in the air overrode the sadness – our Dream”, and “Blowin in the Wind”. gratefulness at being touched by Pete’s songs, our feeling of !Literally and figuratively, there was harmony, as people community that singing together helped to generate, and our improvised new parts that complemented the long-familiar joy at simply being alive.! !Thanks for the gifts, Pete.! Rest in peace. From Seeger! page 1 “Well, I guess I did take Fine Arts time working with the student union The legendary American folk 1-A,” he said cheerfully, as if trying than with his studies, starting an singer has always been a most to help bolster Harvard's case for the underground paper called The iconoclastic icon, and the awards award. “Learned that the name for Harvard Progressive, and becoming heaped on him recently are heady the curve on a Greek pillar is entasis. furious with a professor who always fare indeed: the National Medal of used the biggest, densest words Arts from the National Endowment possible; what Seeger has ever since for the Arts, the Kennedy Center called “scholar-gawk.” Lifetime Achievement Honor, the Musically, he was not admitted to Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. the jazz band because he couldn't As uncomfortable as he is with sight-read quickly enough (“I've been this kind of attention, he was strictly an ear musician all my life”). genuinely pleased and honored when He did join the Banjo Club, but its asked to accept the second Harvard policy of learning just one tune at a Arts Medal (Jack Lemmon received time, practicing it exclusively until it the first in 1995): “My wife, Toshi, was performed – or wearing tuxedos and I decided years ago that I would while performing – greatly Photo of Pete Seeger by Anthony Pepitone. abbreviated their association. refuse any honorary degrees, since Used with permission. I'm not really part of academia, but This month [April of 1996], that we would make an exception if Gives a sense of weight, they said. Seeger is also celebrating a new Harvard asked.” Fine Arts 1-A.” printing of his wonderfully vivid, An arts award seems to sit better His brief Harvard career actually anecdote-rich and properly song- with the [then] 76-year-old Seeger revealed much of the man he would filled memoir “Where Have All the than an honorary degree, since he become. He recalled attending Flowers Gone?” (Sing Out), and his spent less than two years at Harvard, classes with what is perhaps best first studio recording in 17 years: the dropping out in 1938. described as a defining sense of deliciously Seeger-esque “Pete” on independence, spending much more Paul Winter's Living Music label. He See Seeger! page 3 PAGE 2 ! www.ColumbusFolkMusicSociety.org A DIFFERENT STRUMMER! MARCH, 2014 Seeger ! "om page 2 Wine” and “How Can I Keep watch a professional jokester. I've said the project was Winter's idea, from Singing?” It is always pretty been on a campaign recently to since many of his more recent and, though sometimes heavy on get the papers to pay more songs had not been recorded. the choral arranging, all the more attention to participation sports. Seeger's fame as crowd-pleasing quintessentially Seeger for They're part of the problem, not folksinger, human rights advocate including so many voices. the solution, if all they talk about are stars. And the supreme and environmental activist often “My main purpose in life is not stupidity is a husband and wife eclipses his songwriting. He has to put songs in people's ears but to sitting there watching a penned some of the most put them on their lips,” he said. “I professional lover pretend to kiss a memorable tunes in the American think singing together is professional lover on TV. Is that song-bag: “Where Have All the important, whether it's a mother what living is all about? No, you Flowers Gone?,” “If I Had a singing to a child or a family want to do something in this Hammer” (with fellow Weaver singing together or a choir. world, not just watch other people Lee Hays), “Turn, Turn, Because it's a way people can doing things. And singing, well, Turn” (lyrics from Ecclesiastes). relate to each other besides singing can lead to other things.” His voice has suffered from talking. Now, talking is good, but it what he calls a “wobble” for some has its limitations. My father called it the lingo-centric years, but sounds great here, rich No More Awards! Pete Seeger, April 26, in texture and personality. Pete- predicament. The world is full of 1996. From: Deep! Community: Adventures purists may find it a bit people who say, 'Aw, you can't talk in the Modern Folk Underground, by Scott Alarik. Reprinted with permission. overproduced, laced with Winter's to them, they don't make any sax, Joanie Madden's tin whistle sense.' Or, 'The only language they understand is guns.' and three separate vocal choruses.