#4375: New Versions of 19th Century American Songs
Listen to contemporary versions of songs of the 19th Century - Henry Clay Work and Stephen Foster, as well as hymns and traditional folksongs that criss-cross the oceans and the centuries. Hear “Wake Nicodemus” by Henry Clay Work, an anti-slavery song from the time of the Civil War in a recording by Tim Curry (yes, THAT Tim Curry of Rocky Horror Picture Show fame.) Also, listen to a Stephen Foster tune, as sung by the late Nora York.
Then, hear "first lady of folk" Shirley Collins with Davey Graham, singing the English folk ballad “Pretty Saro,” about an immigrant who had to pick up and move somewhere else, leaving his beloved in the process (NYFOS.) Also, from a very recent recording, to be released in July 2020, hear another tune, as sung by the very same Shirley Collins. She sings ”Wonderous Love” whose tune comes from an English ballad about the infamous sea captain William Kidd, who was hanged for piracy in 1701. Some may also recognize it as a hymn melody.
Hear an old folk tune from trio Bonny Light Horseman (Anais Mitchell, Eric D Johnson, who leads the band Fruit Bats; and Josh Kaufman, who’s played with The National, Craig Finn, and many others.) There’s also music from all-star Scottish-English group called The Furrow Collective, whose four distinctive singers and instrumentalists - singer-songwriter Emily Portman, Lucy Farrell and Rachel Newton, and singer/guitarist Alasdair Roberts - all provide lead vocals on mostly bleak narrative ballads.
Plus, music from Quercus, featuring June Tabor, Huw Warren, and Ian Bellamy, where traditional British folk meets exploratory jazz in contemporary settings.
Program #4375: New Versions of 19th Century American Songs (First aired 6/4/2020)
ARTIST: Bonny Light Horseman
WORK: The Roving [1:00]
RECORDING: Bonny Light Horseman
SOURCE: 37d03d Records
INFO: 37d03d.com
ARTIST: Shirley Collins & Davey Graham
WORK: Pretty Saro [4:14]
RECORDING: Folk Roots, New Routes
SOURCE: Righteous#GDC-001, reissued in 1999 on Topic records #820
INFO: Available at Amazon.com
ARTIST: Shirley Collins
WORK: Wondrous Love [2:28]
RECORDING: Heart's Ease
SOURCE: Domino Recording Company
INFO: Due out July 2020
ARTIST: Matthew Olwell
WORK: Pretty Saro [3:38]
RECORDING: CyberTrad
SOURCE/INFO: matthewolwell.bandcamp.com
ARTIST: Nora York
WORK: Stephen Foster: Beautiful Dreamer [4:06]
RECORDING: New Sounds Live, April 2002
SOURCE: This performance not commercially available
INFO: norayorkmusic.com
ARTIST: Tim Curry
WORK: Henry Clay Work: Wake Nicodemus [5:10]
RECORDING: Read My Lips
SOURCE: A & M Records
INFO: Out of print. May be available as an import via Amazon.com
ARTIST: Bonny Light Horseman
WORK: The Roving [4:26]
RECORDING: Bonny Light Horseman
SOURCE: 37d03d Records
INFO: 37d03d.com
ARTIST: The Furrow Collective (Rachel Newton, Lucy Farrell, Emily Portman and Alasdair Roberts)
WORK: Handsome Molly [3:41]
RECORDING: At Our Next Meeting
SOURCE/INFO: thefurrowcollective.co.uk
ARTIST: Bill Morrissey ft. Suzanne Vega
WORK: Handsome Molly [3:27]
RECORDING: Legacy: A Collection of New Folk Music
SOURCE: Windham Hill Records
INFO: Out of print, but try Amazon.com
ARTIST: Quercus (ft. June Tabor)
WORK: Once I Loved You Dear (The Irish Girl) [5:43]
RECORDING: Nightfall
SOURCE: ECM Records
INFO: ecmrecords.com
ARTIST: Quercus (ft. June Tabor)
WORK: Once I Loved You Dear (The Irish Girl) [5:43]
RECORDING: Nightfall
SOURCE: ECM Records
INFO: ecmrecords.com
ARTIST: Bill Frisell, Greg Leisz
WORK: Hard Times Come Again No More [4:19]
RECORDING: New York Guitar Festival, 2002 at the 92nd St. Y
SOURCE: This performance not commercially available
INFO: billfrisell.com
