American Songcatcher

Latest Episodes:

Talkin' Blues // Andy Cohen Sep 18, 2020

Show notes

I'm so pleased to have my first guest on the podcast, the incredibly gifted multi-instrumentalist, teacher, musicologist and songster Mr. Andy Cohen. You may remember Andy from a mention in Episode 2 of American Songcatcher, as he was the mentor of my mentor, Joan Crane. Once a lead boy soaking in the shadow of Reverend Gary Davis, Andy's been playing music for 72 years. He's a virtuoso finger-style guitarist and pianist who has been described as "a walking, talking folk-blues-roots music encyclopedia." He has devoted his entire life to studying, performing, and promoting traditional blues and folk music, specializing in the pre-World War II era. Country Blues Magazine says, "One thing is for sure, the boy can play. There are few people around today who had a chance to pick it all up from the old generations, get this good at it, and continue to cherish and preserve the old traditions."⁠

Before we started, I had a load of questions for Andy, but as you'll hear, he holds the conversation without them. I took a backseat for this history lesson, so there's not many words from me. Andy plays a few tunes, tells how his librarian set him on a course, about his vast knowledge of many lesser known blues artists, and shares stories about the Reverend Gary Davis that I was unaware of. Fair warning, the audio from our Zoom chat isn't the best quality, I'm new at this.

More on Andy Cohen: Website | Videos | Discography | Biography

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Nicholas Edward Williams

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S1:E3 // They Call The Rising Sun Sep 04, 2020

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Season 1, Episode 3 // They Call The Rising Sun

Featured in this Episode:

Traditional - "Rising Sun Blues" or "House of the Rising Sun" (1:37)

Bessie Smith - "Tain't Nobody's Business" (16:46)

The Carter Family - "Wildwood Flower" (40:30)

Townes Van Zandt - "Pancho and Lefty" (1:04:17)

Blind Boy Paxton - "Nobody Cares For Me" (01:22:42)

Teaser:

Was there ever a "house of the rising sun" in New Orleans or elsewhere, or was it a myth brought from the UK? Raised by her sisters in deep poverty, a Chattanooga girl rises to be known as "Empress of the Blues" right before The Great Depression, gone too soon. How did one family become responsible for making mountain and country music mainstream in America? A Texas songwriter whose life paralleled the tragically poetic songs he wrote. Today, a young man who grew up in LA transports audiences to soundscapes of the 20's and 30's.

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"Shine A Light":

www.BalladofAmerica.org

Source Credits:

#1: American Blues Scene | The Vintage News | LA Times

#2: My Black History | NNDB | History.com

#3: NPR | Encyclopedia Virginia

#4: Traces of Townes | Texas Monthly

#5: The Bluegrass Situation | Village Voice

S1:E1 // If She Heard My Guineas Clink Jul 28, 2020

Show notes

Season 1, Episode 1 // If She Heard My Guineas Clink

Featured in this Episode:

Traditional - "Peggy O" (:28)

Jimmie Rodgers - "Waiting For a Train" (8:01)

Elizabeth Cotten - "Shake Sugaree" (15:23)

Dave Van Ronk - "Green, Green Rocky Road" (25:40)

Gillian Welch - "Everything is Free" (35:26)

Teaser:

A traditional Scottish song survives over 300 years, traveling thousands of miles before filtering through the Appalachian Mountains and becoming a folk "pass along" tune. "The Singing Brakeman" comes alive after witnessing the yodeling of Swiss emissaries, creating the original country music sound. A woman in her 60's falls into a household worker position for the Seeger Family, and they discover a talent left behind 30 years ago that would inspire generations of guitar players. A man who was bigger in person than the myths that followed him, personifying emotion through old songs. And a living legend, who punctures holes in hearts with her incomparable songwriting, transformed by The Stanley Brothers.

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"Shine A Light": GemsOnVHS

Source Credits:

#1: WhiteGum | Weeping Willow Guitar | The Jovial Crew

#2: Bluegrass Today | Official Website

#3: Folkways | Rainbow Quest

#4: The Vinyl District | Folkways | Elijah Wald | Guitar Workshop

#5: The Guardian | The New Yorker | Rolling Stone

S1:Trailer "American Songcatcher" Jun 30, 2020

Show notes

Tracing the roots of American music from its cultured past to artists playing it forward, join folk musician Nicholas Edward Williams in the audio documentary-style podcast series, American Songcatcher. Each episode uncovers the lesser-known journey behind one traditional song, followed by four stories of musicians in American roots music, up to someone carrying tradition today. From European and British isles immigrants who brought their music to Appalachia, to songs of the South: Gospel, Ragtime, Blues, Country, and the Folk music derived from it all. We'll go behind the curtain of legends, and shine the limelight on many integral lesser-known artists who have influenced generations, such as Bessie Smith, Ola Belle Reed, Blind Blake, Odetta and Dave Van Ronk. Here's to the songs of old, may they live on forever. Find American Songcatcher, available wherever you get your podcasts.

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