A friend and picking buddy of Tommy Makem is still carrying on the tradition of home made music in Atlanta. You can find his story on video here https://vimeo.com/811044489, Frank Hamilton and the American Folk Revival. Frank will turn 90 in August but he still drops by my house every Friday for a jazz jam with friends.
I just heard this morning from my dear friend Eamonn McCann in Derry:
“Susie . . . I think of you often.
“Tommy also wrote “The Four Green Fields” and first played it at a thousands-strong rally behind the barricades in Free Derry in the summer of ‘69.
“A bit too nationalist for my liking. But a great song. There’s film of it somewhere, but my stubby fingers and foggy mind can’t find it.
“I cannot stop myself mentioning that I chaired the Bogside gathering.
“Eamonn who”
You know, Eamonn is famous for politics, but he is also a huge music lover, collector, critic. I told him to send me whatever he’s listening to now! Nothing makes me happier for this St Paddy’s weekend than to hear from him. I produced his memoir for Audible, “War in an Irish Town” — just to listen to his voice is such a gift.
This is a great post -- I also grew up with a lot of folk music, and don't sing myself.
I ended up watching up a couple of videos on youtube and finding this which you might appreciate -- film of a concert organized by Billy Bragg including Dick Gaughan (who's version of "Four Strong Winds" is very good) and Andy Irvine: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sIp_aW0hzY
When I posted that comment I was about halfway through the concert and, having now watched the whole thing, it's really well done. There are some great performances of Ewan MacColl songs, and when Martin Carthy comes out at the end it's a great moment.
A friend and picking buddy of Tommy Makem is still carrying on the tradition of home made music in Atlanta. You can find his story on video here https://vimeo.com/811044489, Frank Hamilton and the American Folk Revival. Frank will turn 90 in August but he still drops by my house every Friday for a jazz jam with friends.
Aren’t you the lucky one! I love the quote in that video: “You couldn’t tell who were the ‘singers’ and who were the ‘organizers.’ TRUE and RIGHTEOUS
I just heard this morning from my dear friend Eamonn McCann in Derry:
“Susie . . . I think of you often.
“Tommy also wrote “The Four Green Fields” and first played it at a thousands-strong rally behind the barricades in Free Derry in the summer of ‘69.
“A bit too nationalist for my liking. But a great song. There’s film of it somewhere, but my stubby fingers and foggy mind can’t find it.
“I cannot stop myself mentioning that I chaired the Bogside gathering.
“Eamonn who”
You know, Eamonn is famous for politics, but he is also a huge music lover, collector, critic. I told him to send me whatever he’s listening to now! Nothing makes me happier for this St Paddy’s weekend than to hear from him. I produced his memoir for Audible, “War in an Irish Town” — just to listen to his voice is such a gift.
This is a great post -- I also grew up with a lot of folk music, and don't sing myself.
I ended up watching up a couple of videos on youtube and finding this which you might appreciate -- film of a concert organized by Billy Bragg including Dick Gaughan (who's version of "Four Strong Winds" is very good) and Andy Irvine: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sIp_aW0hzY
Ooo, thanks for the link
When I posted that comment I was about halfway through the concert and, having now watched the whole thing, it's really well done. There are some great performances of Ewan MacColl songs, and when Martin Carthy comes out at the end it's a great moment.