John Cohen Interview and More

From the desk of Peter Crowley:

 

Everyone has their own mix of special interests, but it's a rare person who can make a living out of more than one or two of them - much less a serious mark on history. 

But it worked for John Cohen, a professional old-time musician, ethnomusicologist, photographer, filmmaker, painter and drawer. With Mike Seeger (Pete's younger half-brother) and Tom Paley in 1958, he formed the New Lost City Ramblers, a huge influence on purists in the New York City folk boom in the late '50s and early '60s. They had sway because they didn't just learn their songs from books or other city musicians; they went out and dug up the real stuff, brought it back and spread the word. America was full of regional musical gold mines in those days, and Cohen's superb skill as a photographer and moviemaker - as well as picker and field recorder - made it a lot easier for him to share his findings from such diverse places as Harlem, the Appalachians, England and the Carolinas.

Cohen's made something like 15 films, and his photos are in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. He also taught art at SUNY Purchase from the early '70s to the late '90s. Smithsonian Folkways released a Ramblers box set last week.

And now he's performing this coming Sunday at Hobofest, at Saranac Lake's Union Depot train station. Also on the bill are Frankenpine, Big Slyde, Brian Dewan, the Starlights, Just Jills and Steve Langdon.

My phone interview Cohen this week airs on this show. Among the highlights, he talks about well-intentioned but skewed obituaries for Mike Seeger, who died on Aug. 7 (here's one of the better ones); about rediscovering, just two weeks ago, a wire recording he made of Rev. Gary Davis in 1952, a year before the famous recording he made of the blind bluesman; and about a particularly fun train song he's working up for Hobofest.

Also, DJ Kelly Hofschneider joins me again, and we dig fairly deeply into some western swing and various kinds of blues, plus some new rock. Check out The Ditty Bops' "Bigger Fish to Fry" and Patterson Hood's incredible "Heavy and Hanging."

The Ten Dollar Radio Show - sounds like a million talents and plays for free.

This week's playlist:

 

Voices in My Head - Dr. John

TB Blues - Alice Gerard and Hazel Dickens

--John Cohen interview, part 1

If I Had My Way - Rev. Gary Davis

--John Cohen interview, part 2

Man of Constant Sorrow - Roscoe Holcomb

--John Cohen interview, part 3

Cackling Hen - New Lost City Ramblers

Cowboys Are Frequently, Secretly Fond of Each Other - Willie Nelson

Fort Worth Stomp - The Crystal Springs Ramblers

Brain Cloudy Blues - Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys

Pick Me Up on Your Way Down - Charlie Walker

T-Bone Rag - Speedy West and Jimmy Bryant

I Lost My Gal from Memphis - Tex Williams

Patricia - Ry Cooder and Manuel Galban

22 - Richard Buckner

Funnel of Love - Asylum Street Spankers

Bigger Fish the Fry - The Ditty Bops

Tonight You Belong to Me - Folk Uke

Alley Flowers - Jolie Holland

Heavy and Hanging - Patterson Hood & the Screwtopians

I Don't Live in a Dream - Jackie Greene

Wichita - The Jayhawks

Car Lights on in the Daytime Blues - Love

Somebody Ought to Write a Book About It - Ray Charles

Avalon Blues - Mississippi John Hurt

Too Tight Blues #2 - Blind Blake

Love My Stuff - Charley Patton

Stuff You Gotta Watch - Muddy Waters

The Natchez Burning - Howlin' Wolf

You Is One Black Rat (live) - Lightnin' Hopkins

Kitchen Man - Bessie Smith

 

 As always:
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-On the air from 6 to 8 p.m. Sundays on Rock 105 - 105.5 and 102.1 FM in the northern Adirondacks.

(Photo of John Cohen by Ed Grazda)