Tag: Dave Van Ronk

Basic Folk – Dom Flemons

Posted on by Shelby Williamson

Dr. Dom Flemons comes off as older than his 40 years and I think it’s because he seems like he is of a different era. This is thanks in part to his work in teaching and interpreting such old songs, such as his work with the Carolina Chocolate Drops which he was in alongside Rhiannon Giddens and Justin Robinson. Originally from Phoenix, Dom is considered an expert player on the banjo, guitar, harmonica, jug, percussion, quills, fife and rhythm bones. When he was 18 years old, he saw Dave Van Ronk in concert and was completely taken with the way Van Ronk told the stories and history behind the old songs he was playing. From then on, Dom also would give the background of the songs he performed in concert, leading to much intense research for songs and their backstories.

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He began work on his latest album Traveling Wildfire during the pandemic. He wanted “to figure out a way to give the listener a way to process the world around them without being too didactic.” The record is filled with Dom’s most personal songs about his family, history and, of course, interpretations of very old songs. We talk about all this and his strong style game, which, I’m sure, no one is surprised by.

Photo Credit: Shervin Lainez

LISTEN: Eliza Gilkyson, “Wanderin'”

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Eliza Gilkyson
Hometown: Taos, New Mexico
Song: “Wanderin'”
Album: Songs From the River Wind
Release Date: January 14, 2022
Label: Howlin’ Dog Records

In Their Words: “This is my adaptation of an old Irish ballad from the late 1800s that was passed along through the last century, picked up by Carl Sandburg in the 1920s and modified by folk singers in the ’60s such as Josh White, Dave Van Ronk and my dad, Terry Gilkyson, who covered it with his trio, the Easy Riders, in the ’50s. It was later recorded by Roger McGuinn and James Taylor in the ’80s. Typical of folk songs passed down through time, there are many verses and lyrics to be found for ‘Wanderin’.’ I have always loved this song, especially my dad’s version, but I wanted to rewrite it from a woman’s perspective. We women like to wander, too, but you rarely hear about that in those early folk songs and it seemed like the time was right for a woman to give it another point of view. I love the push and pull between loneliness and the sense of choosing that loneliness over ‘settling down.’ That might be the musicians’ creed right there! I set it in the Old West because that’s where I had my happiest roaming days.” — Eliza Gilkyson

Photo credit: Robert Jenson

LISTEN: Nicholas Edward Williams, “Shake Sugaree”

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Nicholas Edward Williams
Hometown: Rising Fawn, Georgia
Song: “Shake Sugaree”
Album: Folk Songs For Old Times’ Sake
Release Date: November 2, 2021
Label: EarthTone Records

In Their Words: “I’ve taken a keen interest in Elizabeth Cotten‘s famed ‘Cotten picking’ style starting back in 2016 with my mentor Joan Crane. I had no idea how to articulate what Elizabeth was doing and my first successful thumb-led syncopated bass lines — while adding the melody to ‘Freight Train’ with my forefingers — took nearly a year to wrap my mind around and get comfortable with. From there, Elizabeth laid the foundation for so many other fingerpicking styles that I’ve come to study, mostly thanks to Joan, who was an absolute whiz at Delta blues, country blues, and Piedmont blues on guitar.

“I love that Elizabeth actually wrote ‘Shake Sugaree’ with her grandchildren, asking each one to take the chorus home in their heads and figure out a verse before they went to bed. She had such a fascinating life story, and the music she put out was incredibly influential for American folk and blues guitarists in the 1960s when her album Freight Train and Other North Carolina Folk Songs was released, thanks in large part to the Seeger family. She won a Grammy at 90, just a few years before passing away, and directly influenced John Prine, Dave Van Ronk, John Fahey and countless other pickers, yet today, she’s not as well-known or revered as she should be. I’ve felt drawn to share her songs and stories for some time. This is just the first time I’m adding it on a record.” — Nicholas Edward Williams

Photo credit: Cypress Rae Photography

LISTEN: Andy Hedges, “Song of the Cuckoo”

Posted on by Editor

Artist: Andy Hedges
Hometown: Lubbock, Texas
Song: “Song of the Cuckoo”
Album: Shadow of a Cowboy
Release Date: April 16, 2019

In Their Words: “I first heard the name Billy Faier in Ramblin’ Jack Elliott’s song ‘912 Greens’ about an epic road trip he and some friends made across the Southern United States. I met Billy after playing a show in Alpine, Texas, immediately recognizing his name from ‘912 Greens.’ Billy was born in Brooklyn, spent most of his life based in Woodstock, but always wanted to live in the desert so as an old man he moved to Marathon, Texas. Billy had traveled with Ramblin’ Jack and Woody Guthrie on Woody’s last trip across the US. He was the first person to interview Dylan on the radio. He taught a song to Dave Van Ronk and Pete Seeger once said that he was the best banjo player he had ever heard. Billy and I became fast friends and had some great adventures together. When he passed a few years ago, I ended up with his beautiful old guitar. I played Billy’s guitar on this recording of his song and it seemed fitting to tag it with a line from ‘912 Greens,’ the song that connected me to Billy in the first place: ‘Did you ever stand and shiver just because you were lookin’ at a river?'” — Andy Hedges

Photo credit: David Tau