JuanCarlosVejar Posted February 8, 2012 Posted February 8, 2012 Elizabeth Cotten : who dares play those songs ? JC
jedzep Posted February 8, 2012 Posted February 8, 2012 Thanks for the memories... I might get myself into trouble here, as listening to EC play her tunes with such uniquely unassuming seemingly passionless style, still makes me want to take a nap. Nevertheless, it reminds me of a place and time, Poughkeepsie area in the early 70's, where there was a lot of great music to be seen and heard. We'd travel a few miles east just off the Taconic Pkwy. to a hole in the wall cafe that may have squeezed in 60 people, called 'The Towne Crier' (still up and running in a dif location). 5 bucks, great coffee and baked treats, beer too, if I recall, to hear the likes of David Bromberg, John Hammond, The Central Park Sheiks, (try looking them up, along with the late great Richard Lieberson's vids) Leon Redbone, Loudon Wainwright III, Rory Block, Roy Bookbinder and on and on, up close and personal. I took a friend, who was trying to impress a lady friend, to see Miss Cotton play her upside down geetar. Well, we all sat at a round table front left of the stage, when in walked a mother and young son, squirming and restless already. Moments later, in the last of six chairs next to me, sat down Mr. Pete Seeger, who still lives near there. I tried to be friendly and low key, but my mind was racing with chit chat I would love to fire up, knowing full well it would just ruin his night if I did. Turns out I didn't have to worry long, as the kid's fidgeting caused the Mom to give him a dope slap across the head. Pete quietly gathered up his boatswain's cap, stood up and parked it at a table in back. My companions, who were ready for a more lively performer, embarrassingly got droopy eyed early on, the kid was already asleep, so we slithered out in the middle of a really long drawn out 'Freight Train' singalong. Ol' Pete gave me a wink and a smile on our way past. My friend never heard from the gal again. The vid gave me nostalgic twinges. Nice! http://www.banjoben.com/Richard_Lieberson.htm There's a youtube vid available at the top of the long memorial page, if you care to check it out. That's some buxom beauty he's playing. You archtop guys should recognize it. Is it an L5?
BluesKing777 Posted February 8, 2012 Posted February 8, 2012 'If You Try And Play This You Might Lose Your Mind' Thanks for the clip, JC, and my mind was already gone, so... For the people that don't have a clue what Elisabeth Cotton is doing there - she is a lefty playing fingerstyle on a righty Martin with her fingers playing the bass notes and her thumb (and other fingers sometimes) playing the melody. (Upside down). And the woman interviewer looks like she was having one of those moments when you absolutely regret mentioning that you play guitar! BluesKing777.
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