Outside of the world of folk music aficionados--an admittedly small, but enthusiastic, one--the passing of Jean Ritchie, Will Holt, and Ronnie Gilbert may have gone unnoticed. For those who are old (and interested enough) to have been folk music fans before its short commercial fling in the early 1960's, these names will be rich in meaning, and their artistry deep in impact.
Jean Ritchie, who died on June 1st, was a true "ethnic," which was the highest ecomium that could be given to a "non-commercial" folk musician in the early 60's. Generally speaking, it meant someone who sang traditional songs, and didn't make money by changing a few lyrics and copyrighting it as their original compositions. Bob Dylan actually took one of the traditional songs Ritchie had introduced ("Fair Nottaman Town") and used it for the melody in his anti-war song, "Masters of War." Other Ritchie songs were (with credit) recorded by Johnny Cash ("The L&N Don't Stop Here Any More.") and by Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton, and Linda Ronstadt on their great album, "Trio" ("Dear Companion"). I became acquainted with Ritchie through her many live and recorded appearances with the wonderful and enduring Oscar Brand. Interestingly-and recently--a stand-in for Jean Ritchie loomed disproportionately large in the the Coen brother's film "Inside Llewyn Davis." Llewyn heckles the Ritchie-like character (calling her, among other things. "Grandma Moses," and encouraging her to "show us your panties.") For these efforts, he is handily beaten up by "Ritchie's" outraged husband, an incident which (unexplainedly) begins and (explainedly) ends the movie. This incident, by the way, never happened to Dave Van Ronk (the character who "loosely inspired" both Llewyn and the movie), or to Jean Ritchie, who--by that time was living and working in New York, both as a social worker and dulcimer maker with her urban husband. Anyone who wants to hear real "roots" music by a real Kentucky girl, should give a listen to some of Jean's fine recordings (either with Doc Watson, Oscar Brand, or just by herself).
Will Holt died on May 31st, and was someone whose original compositions achieved more fame than he ever did. While his song "Lemon Tree" (its own melody taken form a Brazilian composition) reached number one on the charts in the Trini Lopez rendition, it launched Peter, Paul & Mary's career, and, in my view, theirs was the best and most sophisticated version of that song. His lesser known, but equally good song, "Raspberries, Strawberries" was very well done by the Kingston Trio, and a song that I found myself playing just before I learned of Holt's death. I hadn't even realized he had written it, although I had enjoyed and admired it for years. It also turns out that he had written the words to that old folk staple "Sinner Man." Holt was also an accomplished writer of Brodway and off-Broadway musicals (e.g. "The me Nobody Knows) garnering both a Drama Desk award and Tony nomination. One of my good friends had his album, "The Exciting Artistry of Will Holt," which was my introduction to Holt and his music. In it, you can hear his impeccable taste in song selection. It introduced me to such songs as "Nobody Knows You when you're Down and Out," "That old Bilboa Room," and Weill's "Alabama Song." If you can find it, it's worth a listen.
Lastly, Ronnie Gilbert--a charter member of the Weavers--passed away on June 6th. Ronnie set the stage for women being an important part of folk groups. Groups like "Peter, Paul & Mary," "Ian and Sylvia," "The Big Three, "The Gateway Singers," "The Rooftop Singers," and countless others owned Ronnie a great debt of gratitude. I don't know any folk group whose sound was a distinctively wonderful (and original) as The Weavers, and that unique sound could never have been achieved without her. As with Will Holt and Jean Ritchie, Ronnie was a bright and accomplished person outside of the field of music. In addition to being an active feminist, she earned her Masters in Psychology and, for a time, was a therapist. In addition, she went on to record and appear with Holly Near, and brought her magic to a new generation of listeners. (In one of those unexplainable coincidences that link so many otherwise unconnected occurrences, the same college chum who introduced me to Will Holt's music was very friendly with a couple whose wife divorced her husband to become partners with Ronnie Gilbert. Ronnie had actually married her partner in a ceremony that was part of a series of marriages subsequently invalidated by California. Although she never (re)married her partner, she lived to see such marriages become legal in California.)
About seven years ago, I wrote a song called "The Folksingers' Sweet Bye-and-Bye," which was a paean to the many great folk singers who have passed away over the years. As the refrain says, "it's a ways left of Hillbilly Heaven," and indeed it is, but social consciousness informed each of the lives whose passing I celebrate in this blog today. Even though I have updated the lyrics, a song such as this--by definition-- becomes more dated with the passage of time. That said, it is especially sad when three such losses occur with a single week.
Alas, only Fred Hellerman remains as the last original Weaver, and groups such as "Peter, Paul & Mary," "The Kingston Trio," "The Limeliters," "The Chad Mitchell Trio," "The Journeymen," "The Rooftop Singers," and many others have lost one or more of their members. That said, we do have the records, and in those, Jean Ritchie, Will Holt and Ronnie Gilbert will live on forever. So, today I salute three people who enriched our lives and who--like the stars that they are--wink down at us from "The Folksinger' Sweet Bye and Bye."
Jean Ritchie, who died on June 1st, was a true "ethnic," which was the highest ecomium that could be given to a "non-commercial" folk musician in the early 60's. Generally speaking, it meant someone who sang traditional songs, and didn't make money by changing a few lyrics and copyrighting it as their original compositions. Bob Dylan actually took one of the traditional songs Ritchie had introduced ("Fair Nottaman Town") and used it for the melody in his anti-war song, "Masters of War." Other Ritchie songs were (with credit) recorded by Johnny Cash ("The L&N Don't Stop Here Any More.") and by Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton, and Linda Ronstadt on their great album, "Trio" ("Dear Companion"). I became acquainted with Ritchie through her many live and recorded appearances with the wonderful and enduring Oscar Brand. Interestingly-and recently--a stand-in for Jean Ritchie loomed disproportionately large in the the Coen brother's film "Inside Llewyn Davis." Llewyn heckles the Ritchie-like character (calling her, among other things. "Grandma Moses," and encouraging her to "show us your panties.") For these efforts, he is handily beaten up by "Ritchie's" outraged husband, an incident which (unexplainedly) begins and (explainedly) ends the movie. This incident, by the way, never happened to Dave Van Ronk (the character who "loosely inspired" both Llewyn and the movie), or to Jean Ritchie, who--by that time was living and working in New York, both as a social worker and dulcimer maker with her urban husband. Anyone who wants to hear real "roots" music by a real Kentucky girl, should give a listen to some of Jean's fine recordings (either with Doc Watson, Oscar Brand, or just by herself).
Will Holt died on May 31st, and was someone whose original compositions achieved more fame than he ever did. While his song "Lemon Tree" (its own melody taken form a Brazilian composition) reached number one on the charts in the Trini Lopez rendition, it launched Peter, Paul & Mary's career, and, in my view, theirs was the best and most sophisticated version of that song. His lesser known, but equally good song, "Raspberries, Strawberries" was very well done by the Kingston Trio, and a song that I found myself playing just before I learned of Holt's death. I hadn't even realized he had written it, although I had enjoyed and admired it for years. It also turns out that he had written the words to that old folk staple "Sinner Man." Holt was also an accomplished writer of Brodway and off-Broadway musicals (e.g. "The me Nobody Knows) garnering both a Drama Desk award and Tony nomination. One of my good friends had his album, "The Exciting Artistry of Will Holt," which was my introduction to Holt and his music. In it, you can hear his impeccable taste in song selection. It introduced me to such songs as "Nobody Knows You when you're Down and Out," "That old Bilboa Room," and Weill's "Alabama Song." If you can find it, it's worth a listen.
Lastly, Ronnie Gilbert--a charter member of the Weavers--passed away on June 6th. Ronnie set the stage for women being an important part of folk groups. Groups like "Peter, Paul & Mary," "Ian and Sylvia," "The Big Three, "The Gateway Singers," "The Rooftop Singers," and countless others owned Ronnie a great debt of gratitude. I don't know any folk group whose sound was a distinctively wonderful (and original) as The Weavers, and that unique sound could never have been achieved without her. As with Will Holt and Jean Ritchie, Ronnie was a bright and accomplished person outside of the field of music. In addition to being an active feminist, she earned her Masters in Psychology and, for a time, was a therapist. In addition, she went on to record and appear with Holly Near, and brought her magic to a new generation of listeners. (In one of those unexplainable coincidences that link so many otherwise unconnected occurrences, the same college chum who introduced me to Will Holt's music was very friendly with a couple whose wife divorced her husband to become partners with Ronnie Gilbert. Ronnie had actually married her partner in a ceremony that was part of a series of marriages subsequently invalidated by California. Although she never (re)married her partner, she lived to see such marriages become legal in California.)
About seven years ago, I wrote a song called "The Folksingers' Sweet Bye-and-Bye," which was a paean to the many great folk singers who have passed away over the years. As the refrain says, "it's a ways left of Hillbilly Heaven," and indeed it is, but social consciousness informed each of the lives whose passing I celebrate in this blog today. Even though I have updated the lyrics, a song such as this--by definition-- becomes more dated with the passage of time. That said, it is especially sad when three such losses occur with a single week.
Alas, only Fred Hellerman remains as the last original Weaver, and groups such as "Peter, Paul & Mary," "The Kingston Trio," "The Limeliters," "The Chad Mitchell Trio," "The Journeymen," "The Rooftop Singers," and many others have lost one or more of their members. That said, we do have the records, and in those, Jean Ritchie, Will Holt and Ronnie Gilbert will live on forever. So, today I salute three people who enriched our lives and who--like the stars that they are--wink down at us from "The Folksinger' Sweet Bye and Bye."
