ok so reconnecting with and writing about Erica Wheeler made me remember what I used to do on Sundays and that was to create a two hour random playlist from my mp3 library. So today that’s what I did today and I listened to alot of artists that I haven’t heard for a while.
The mix started out with two songs by John Gorka from the album The Company You Keep. John is a great songwriter and he’s from New Jersey! The first song was “Morningside” and the second “What Was That” which is a favorite. I love the line “maybe I should pick a town, one where I haven’t made a mess”. John Prine “Illegal Smile” came up next no need to state my love of John’s music. Next came “Lonesome Road Blues” by Tim Lake from an album entitled “Kentucky Home” a two disc set filled with some great picking. I most associate this song with with Doc Watson, but I like this cover of the song. Mark Erelli came next with a song from his album The Memorial Hall Recordings. “Every Goodbye”. A singer songwriter from Alabama Dave Potts followed with a song called “Backroads” Dave is one of those song writers that really does create a “sense of place” in his music and this song as it describes a trip along Backroads does it well! On the was to the store I heard one of my favorites by Dave “One Mississippi” a great song! A track from a live set by the Celtic band Tempest recorded at the Philadelphia Folk Festival followed and provided a break from singer songwriters. The track was “Buffalo Jump/The Karfuki Set”. Tom Paxton’s song about Anita Bryant “Anita O.J.” from Best of the Vanguard Years was next up and is one of those songs that really didn’t have a long shelf life but it is still a good listen!
One of my favorite artists that I really haven’t written a lot about was next Slaid Cleaves and the song “Skunk Juice” from his album No Angel Knows. A song about a junk yard and it is a great song! Slaid was followed by another favorite who hasn’t been written about alot and that’s Tom Russell and the song was “U.S Steel”. Tom is on my short list of the top five storytelling songwriters and this song about the closing of the Homestead Steel Mills is one of his best! Dave Potts came up again with a track called “I Wish You Well” from an album entitled Days Like These. Another good storyteller Darryl Purpose,who is another artist that I haven’t written about was next with a song from his album Right Side of Zero. The song was “Paint the Sky” a very nice song from a very good album. The album was my introduction to Darryl’s music. Mark Erelli with a little swing tune “What’s Changed” again from The Memorial Hall Recordings” came next again a great song which showcases Mark’s versitility! “If I’m Lucky” from David Buskin’s self titled album followed on the way home. I’ve written about this album one of my favorites from the early 70s! Ironically “Spirit Lake” from Erica Wheeler’s album The Harvest followed again another song with a great “sense of place” about that special place that she goes to lay her burden down! An instrumental by Howie Bursen from an album called “Banjo Manikin” came next a good banjo tune! The trip ended with a cover of a folk classic the old Weavers tune “Well, Well, Well” covered well by Tom Paxton and Annie Hills on their album Under American Skies!
So the last song was number 17 out of 25 maybe I’ll listen to the rest and tell you more about them later!l
Here’s Tom Russell performing “U S Steel”
and John Gorka doing “What Was That”