Woody Guthrie 2.0

Producing our American Icons story on “This Land Is Your Land” allowed me to meet some great people.  As I trawled through Woody-land, I spoke with his daughter, Nora, and sang with his friend, Pete Seeger.  I also stumbled upon this cool project by the folk-rock band Akron/Family called 'Woody Guthrie's America.'

The band members asked a bunch of their friends and fans to create music for lyrics they wrote about Guthrie, and versions poured in from around the world.  My favorite is Jane Cramer’s simple, jazzy version, the only one to really nail that slightly awkward chorus line.