Category: Americana

Dave Gunning-from Canada’s East Coast-No More Pennies

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dave gunning

Redicovering Dave Gunning

The other night when I was reviewing the East Coast Music Association 2013 Awards, several of the nominees were familiar. One of the familiar artists was Dave Gunning. I don’t remember when I came across his name, but I remember listening to his 2009 release We’re All Leaving.

I remember I enjoyed it, but evidently it was one of those albums that I may have listened to all too briefly, and as I listen to it now, I can’t figure out why?? Because what I hear is great.

Award-Winning Songwriting

Anyway Dave was nominated in several categories and  “These Hands” a song he co-wrote with George Canyon was awarded Song of the Year at the 2013 East Coast Music Awards!

Here’ some awards that he’s won…..

His previous release, “… a tribute to John Allan Cameron” was honored with a prestigious 2012 Juno Award nomination and was the winner of two 2011 Canadian Folk Music Awards and two ECMA Awards.

He was the winner of the Indie International Song Contest (for his song, “Hard Workin’ Hands, co-written with Ron Hynes) and a finalist in the Great American Song Contest, the USA Songwriting Competition, the John Lennon Songwriting Contest and the International Songwriting Contest.

  All of the hardware and certificates aside, however, it is the personal connection that Gunning’s music engenders that is the greatest testament to his craft.

no more pennies - dave gunng

All this has led  Greg Quill, The Toronto Star to write:

“Dave Gunning is the next big thing in the True North of Song, an artist as compelling, as assured and attentive to every nuance of the writing process as Lightfoot, Cockburn and Stan Rogers before him.”

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Listening to No More Pennies

So over the last coupled of days I’ve been listening to Dave’s latest release No More Pennies and really loving his songs about people and life… at times as I’ve been listening I’ve been reminded of the music of Rod Picott (and that’s a good thing!) Here’s some more about No More Pennies from Dave’s website:

Dave’s 10th album No More Pennies is inarguably his finest collection of songs to date. The record celebrates the journey and pays tribute to the trials and tribulations, the highs and lows and the goodness at the heart of people

On No More Pennies, Dave has proven to be a deft arranger and a songwriting master craftsman with co-written gems with George Canyon, Jim Dorie, David Francey (duet), Lennie Gallant, Bruce Guthro, Karine Polwart (duet) and record producer, Jamie Robinson.

The lead signature track, These Hands co-written with George Canyon is a ‘call to action’ style song reminiscent of classic Pete Seeger to inspire us to make good in this world. Dave and his song, These Hands were awarded Song of the Year at the 2013 East Coast Music Awards and picked up nominations for Folk Recording and Fans Choice Entertainer of the Year.

Songs About People

In his review Bob Mersereau of CBC – East Coast Living writes”

Dave Gunning’s at it again. Defining our lives, baring our souls, telling what it’s like on the East Coast these days, or for people from the East Coast. From retired railway men to hard-core hockey fans to those who’ve had to pack up and go to Alberta, Gunning’s speaking for them, telling their tales Read more.

This is one young artist to check out….I know that his music is not going to be forgotten this time around!!

Artist’s Website
Facebook
Instagram
YouTube
Amazon

Here’s Dave performing the award-winning song “These Hands” and if you’d like you can watch Hard Workin’ Hands here

2026 Update

Looking back, I can see why Dave Gunning’s music appealed to me immediately. Like so many of my favorite songwriters, he writes about ordinary people and everyday life with honesty and compassion.

Reading this post also reminded me how interconnected the Canadian folk scene really is. Dave co-wrote with Ron Hynes, David Francey, Lennie Gallant, Bruce Guthro, George Canyon, and others—many of whom I’ve come to appreciate over the years.

At the time I compared Dave’s songwriting to Rod Picott’s, and I still hear that same ability to tell stories about working people and real life. Those are exactly the kinds of songs that continue to draw me back to folk music.

Trout Steak Revival – Flight

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Trout Steak Revival – Flight

So if you’re like me and sometimes you need some good old-time mountain music, check out Trout Steak Revival! Their latest album Flight, is now number 15 on the Folk DJ Charts and it’s a good one!

The band calls Denver Colorado home and members hail mostly from Colorado and the mid-west. The band formed in 2009 after extensive close friend jam sessions during backpacking trips and backyard parties.

 

Band members include: Steve Foltz (Mandolin, Guitar), Will Koster (Dobro, Guitar), Casey Houlihan (Upright Bass), Travis McNamara (Banjo), Bevin Foley (Fiddle) follow in the bluegrass tradition, with each member of the band composing original tunes and adding harmonies and each one does a fine job! The band was among the Finalists at 2012 Rockygrass Band Competition and finished a respectable 3rd!

About Flight

Flight, released in October of 2012,  is  the band’s second studio album. The album is composed of six original songs that showcase the quintet’s songwriting competence, visiting themes of love, loss, settling into a new home, and other meditations. Other tracks include nice version of Swedish singer-songwriter “The Tallest Man on Earth” (aka Kristian Matsson) song “Where Do My Bluebird Fly”, two traditional songs; “Greasy Coat” and “Darling Corey” both reworked nicely by the band!. Harry Tuft of Denver’s Folklore Society remarked:

“I’m reminded of early Grateful Dead, with a smattering of Old Crow Medicine Show thrown in. The selections range from bluegrass, to a sort of jug band swing, to some more sensitive songs – a nice variety. Look for a fine future from the young group.”

Artist’s Website
Twitter
Amazon:
Facebook:
Sound Cloud:
Reverbnation:

 

The Video

Here’s Trout Steak Revival performing “Greasy Coat” From Flight.

 

Tiger Maple String Band – Coming Home

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Origanally posted Dec 2012 updated and revised 2026

So last night I was checking out the Roots Music Report for some new music, and there at No 45 sat a band named Tiger Maple String Band. Their name looked interesting. I usually like bands with String Band in their name because that evokes in me thought of old timey music and that’s what I heard when I gave their recent release Coming Home a listen.

I recognized a couple of old Appalachian standards mixed in with some great instrumentals. I love those instrumentals
Here’s what they say about their music – from their website:!

The band draws its inspiration from a variety of different musical directions. The main source of inspiration is old time Appalachian tunes. Fiddle tunes, mountain ballads, murder ballads, coal mining songs and beautiful originals make up a set that leaves a lasting impression on their audience and folks walk away with big smiles and a good feeling of friendship and love.

Tiger Maple String Band

Who are The Tiger Maple String Band

The band hails from Edinboro in northwest Pennsylvania and features Lori Burke on vocals and guitar, Justine and Alison Parker on Fiddle, Barry Smith on Banjo, and Fred Parker on Guitar and vocals.

The album is full of great vocals and pickin’, so check it out!

Links and Listens

Here’s some lunch time music from the band “Coming Home” the title track of their album!

Folk Friday- Old Friends Slaid Cleaves and Tom Russell!

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Sorrow and Smoke Slaid Cleaves

What’s Been Playing This Week?

So what’s been playing on the iPod over these last few days. A couple of the albums are the latest albums for two old favorites.

Slaid Cleaves – Sorrow and Smoke

The first is a two disc live album from Slaid Cleaves titled  Sorrow & Smoke: Live at the Horeshoe Lounge. I’ve been a Slaid fan since I first heard him one Sunday night on Gene Shay’s folk show. We’ve been to many of Slaid’s shows here in Philly and this album does a good job of capturing the spirit of his show

.The album was recorded at two shows  one in April  4 and the other in September of 2010 at the Horseshoe Lounge in Austin. Helped out by frequent bandmates Michael O’Connor on acoustic lead guitar and vocals and Oliver Steck on accordion, harmonica, trumpet and harmony vocals,

Favorite Songs from the Album

Slaid makes his way through 20 songs most of them from his last four albums No Angel Knows,  Wishbones,  Broke Down and  Everything You Love will Be Taken Away

Slaid also covers some Don Walser songs, where Slaid’s  yodeling prowess is showcased. One new track “Go for the Gold” closes the show.

There’s really not a bad track on the album highlights for me always include” “Broke Down”, “No Angel Knows” the touching “Lydia” and the audience participation song “Breakfast in Hell” the story of a  logging disaster featuring the brave Sandy Gray and this one “Black T Shirt”, Slaid Cleaves co-wrote this song with his bestchildhood best friend Rod Picott.

Tom Russell – Mesabi

The second album is Tom Russell new album Mesabi. This is another great album from (for me) the best Americana songwriter out there!

Looking Forward to Seeing Tom Russell Live

I am going to hold off writing about this album right now and will write a full review later in the week!

This year Elizabeth decided that rather than go to William and Mary’s family weekend (Sept 23-25) we will go to Washington go to the Braves- Nationals game. So when Mesabi came out a few weeks ago I went to Russell’s website and saw he was touring and will be in Vienna, Virginia on Sunday of that weekend.

So I quickly went and purchased tickets and Kathy and I will be going to see Tom on Sunday September 25 at Jammin’ Java!

Tom Russell Performs”Mesabi”


Here’s a Video of the title track Mesabi from 2014 and it looks just like i remeber that night at the Jammin’n Java Check Out my6 post from that night here!

Continue the Journey

If you enjoyed this post, you might also like:

  • Tom Russell Live at Jammin’ Java – My memories of finally seeing one of my favorite songwriters perform Mesabi, “Blue Wing,” “Navajo Rug,” and more in an unforgettable evening of music.
  • Following Tom Russell into the Old Hotel – How one song from Folk Hotel sent me down another Tom Russell rabbit hole filled with writers, poets, and history.

Monday Ramblings and the Passing of Bill Morrissey

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Originally Posted in July 2011 Updated and Revised July 2026

So the last several days have been hectic around here. My wife has been finding some great deals on Craig’s List on furniture that we desperately need. The furniture we have survived many years of wear and tear of four kids and me!

So on Saturday we bought a new Thomasville entertainment center, big and heavy and tonight with the help of some co-workers and Peter we got it in the house and standing up!

There for a while the standing up part was in doubt! Also my wife bought a laptop, so now I have a computer that’s faster than an abacus! Anyway all that took away time from reading,  listening and writing.

I have been listening to some artists though that I will be writing about shortly.

Currently Listening to……Eric Steckel

One blues artist Eric Steckel, who I heard the other night on Bluesville on XM and then came home and listened to his album Havana. So I downloaded the album to liksten mre and then write avout it. Additioanalload and have listened to parts of another album.  

Also a folk artist Stephen Simmons whose album The Big Show has gotten a few listens!

The Passing of Bill Morrissey

Bill Morrissey

Speaking of folk artists, I was really saddened when I came home yesterday and a lunchtime read that Bill Morrissey had past away. I know that he had been battling both depression and alcohol over the last few years, but lately he had been touring and seemed to be doing better.  

I’ve been a fan of Bill’s since I first heard “Handsome Molly” on a compilation CD of folk music released by Windham Hill in 1989.

The first Bill Morriswy album I bought was a cassette copy of  Inside and loved it, still do!

His album Songs of Mississippi John Hurt is on my top ten list of all time favorite albums.  I did get to see him once live at the Sunset Concert Series in Haddon Heights, N.J. and he was great!

Here is a fine obituary from Boston.com Grammy-nominated folk artist Bill Morrissey dead at 59.

The other thing that upset me was when I saw the years of his life 1951-2011. He was about a two months younger than me!

Here’s a Short Playlist of a Few of My Favorite Bill Morrissey Songs

Here’s Bill performing John Hurt’s “Candy Man”

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James Keelaghan – House of Cards Another Winner!

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House of Cards - James Keelaghan

James Keelaghan is one of those artists whose music I love that often gets lost in the shuffle. His album House of Cards was released back in 2009 and, for the longest time, wasn’t available on Rhapsody or Napster. The other day I finally found it on Rhapsody, and James has another winner!

2026 Update:

Looking back more than fifteen years later, I still think House of Cards ranks among Keelaghan’s finest albums. Revisiting it reminded me just how timeless his storytelling is and why he remains one of my favorite Canadian singer-songwriters.

About James Keelaghan

Keelaghan is another of my many Canadian favorites. He was born in Calgary but now calls Winnipeg home.

He is a Juno Award winner, and many of his songs have a historical basis. “Kiri’s Piano” tells the story of the internment of Japanese Canadians, while “October ’70” was inspired by the FLQ Crisis in Canadian history. Other songs, such as “Cold Missouri Waters,” take listeners south of the border, recounting the story of the 1949 Mann Gulch Fire in Montana.

For me, Keelaghan is the complete package: a rich baritone voice, strong guitar work, and, above all, exceptional storytelling. One of my longtime favorites is “Number 37,” a wonderful song about a young woman and her horse competing in a rodeo.

Keelaghan says this about his songwriting:

“I’ve always had the urge to write,” says the Calgary native who has been calling Winnipeg home for the past few years. “Some things weren’t being said in the way I wanted to say them. Some things were not being written about at all. That’s why I started to write the historical material. That led me to writing my own personal narratives as well.”

He lists his influences as:

Early on: traditional Irish and English ballads, Liam Clancy, Ewan MacColl, sprinkled with Led Zeppelin, Santana, Neil Young, Jesse Winchester, Joni Mitchell, Bruce Cockburn, and Valdy. This was followed by Captain Beefheart, The McGarrigles, King Crimson, Talking Heads, Stan Rogers, Jonathan Edwards, Alan Stivell, Paul Brady, Andy Irvine, Emmylou Harris, Norma Waterson, Nic Jones, Nick Drake, and Pied Pumpkin.

House of Cards

House of Cards (2009) was produced by James Keelaghan and features ten original songs, some co-written with Karine Polwart, David Francey, and others. On my first listen, the tracks that stood out were the title song, “House of Cards,” inspired by the 2008 financial meltdown, and “McConnville’s,” a warm portrait of a neighborhood bar and its regulars.

Here’s how Terry Wickham, producer of the Edmonton Folk Music Festival, sums up Keelaghan’s music:

“James has become the complete artist. A brilliant tunesmith who has become one of the most engaging performers of our time. You always know the journey with James is going to be great; you just never know what all the destinations are. That is why the curve on his career continues to rise.”

Here’s James performing “McConnville’s” from House of Cards.

Ron Hynes – Stealing Genius

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Stealing Genius - Ron Hynes

2026 Update

As I was updating this post, which was first published in 2011, I realized just how much things have changed. I admit that I unfortunately lost track of Ron Hynes’ music over the years. Sadly, Ron passed away in 2015, making Stealing Genius his final studio album. Additionally, while No Depression still exists as a website, the community platform I knew back then is gone. Upon discovering Ron’s passing, I feel a strong pull to go back, revisit his earlier albums, and write some posts to help keep his memory and incredible music alive!

The Road to Ron Hynes

The other day on the No Depression website, someone raised the question, “What is Folk Music?” Well, that question has been floating around inside my head for the last several days. While I don’t have any definitive, academic answers, here is my personal take on it.

What is Folk Music?

I guess when I think of “pure” folk music, I think about artists who performed older, traditional songs—legends like Pete Seeger and The Weavers, Jean Ritchie, Elizabeth Cotten, Woody Guthrie, and “Doc” Watson.

But in the 60s, after the rise of popular “folk” groups like The Kingston Trio, The Chad Mitchell Trio, and The Limeliters, the genre took a swing to the left and turned a bit inward as a new wave of musicians arrived on the scene.

This group was led by Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, and Phil Ochs, singing side by side with artists like Tom Rush, Tom Paxton, Eric Andersen, Jerry Jeff Walker, Paul Seibel, Dave Van Ronk, Fred Neil, and many others.

These were the folks who shaped my “Folk” world, and their music was my personal “Folk University.”

Just a man or woman with a guitar, commenting on the human condition. Many times they were political comments, particularly with Ochs and Paxton, but often they were deeply touching songs—moving melodies with real “heart” and “feeling” that made you stop and think. Songs like Tom Paxton’s “Cindy’s Crying,” Paul Seibel’s “Louise,” Fred Neil’s “The Dolphins,” Tom Rapp’s “Rocket Man,” or Ochs’ “Flower Lady.”

The way I like to refer to this music is that it’s “Folk’s Music”—music by folks and about folks! To me, there is nothing better than a good story song about everyday people, like Harry Chapin’s “Mr. Tanner” or Jerry Jeff’s “Stoney.”

Discovering Ron Hynes

Now, all of this is leading up to the artist I’ve been listening to for the last couple of days: Ron Hynes and his album Stealing Genius. Ron Hynes was a legendary Canadian folksinger hailing from Newfoundland, and he spent over 30 years writing brilliant folk songs. One of them, “Sonny’s Dream,” has been recorded worldwide by countless artists and was even named the 41st greatest Canadian song of all time! And to think, I had only just heard of him back when I wrote this (once again, my bad!). But like they say, “better late than never!”

I won’t bore you with a dry biography and a list of accomplishments, but it’s worth noting just how deeply respected his songwriting is. His songs have been covered by dozens of artists worldwide, including Emmylou Harris, Christy Moore, Mary Black, Denny Doherty, Murray McLauchlan, Valdy, John McDermott, Terry Kelly, Prairie Oyster, The Good Brothers, Shaye, The Cottars, and Hayley Westenra.

About – Stealing Genius

Stealing Genius is a collection of fourteen beautifully crafted songs. Reading the liner notes, you can see that Hynes took his craft incredibly seriously, giving each track a lot of thought and care. He often based his songs on the works of other creators he admired (ah, maybe that’s where the title Stealing Genius comes from!). In this way, his approach reminded me a lot of Tom Russell.

While all of the tracks are great, I do have my immediate favorites. They include “My Father’s Ghost,” a touching story about the loss of a father at sea, and “Judgment,” a song about Robert Ford and the shooting of Jesse James.

I guess if I hadn’t known he was Canadian beforehand, I certainly would have after hearing “Sawchuk”—his brilliant song about the legendary hockey goalie Terry Sawchuk.

Sandwiched in between these standout tracks are beautiful songs about life, love, and the sting of loss. If you are like me and have some catching up to do when it comes to Ron Hynes, I highly encourage you to go find his music on your favorite streaming platforms or track down a physical copy on Amazon. I know I still have a lot of his older catalog left to check out!

Links and Listens

The Video

Here’s Ron with a live performance of “House” from Stealing Genius:

Frank Solivan Rescues a So-So Twang Tuesday

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Frank Solivan - Selfish Tears



So some days everything I listen to is enjoyable and well other days it’s just so-so! Guess which one today was! Well not the former – yes it’s Twangy Tuesday and I went looking for some new twang mostly on the bluegrass side.

The Box Cars – The Box Cars Kicked Off the Day

I started by listening to an album that I was really looking forward to hearing The Boxcars self-titled release. I was looking forward to it because two of my favorites are in the band Adam Steffey and Rob Stewart both two of the best pickers around.

Steffey won two IBMA awards in 2010 one for mandolin player of the year and the second an Instrumental Performance Award. But after two listens to the first part of the album I just can’t warm up to it – now I’m not writing it off yet – it may be on a different day or on a more thorough listen, I’ll really like it! Let’s hope!.

Next Came Tennessee Mafia Jug Band – Barnyard Frolic

After The Boxcars I listened to a few tracks from the Tennessee Mafia Jug Band and their 2008 release Barnyard Frolic again while it was good the album just didn’t grab me – like I said maybe it was just the day.

Then Frank Solivan

After lunch and reading a comment on my Favorite Bluegrass Bands of 2010 post at No Depression that I should check out Frank Solivan and Dirty kitchen I went to Rhapsody and the album was not there but Frank’s 2006 release Selfish Tears was, so I gave it a listen – hum some good picking and singing. This one did catch my attention so I kept it in the back of my mind.

Next Joe Mullins and the Radio Ramblers’and Ned Crisp and Bottomline

After dinner I checked out a couple of albums from the bluegrass charts at the Roots Music Report Joe Mullins and the Radio Ramblers’ Rambler’s Call and Ned Crisp and Bottomline’s Taking the Back Roads Home both good traditional bluegrass albums but again they didn’t quite fit my mood tonight!

Finally Brandon Jenkins’ album Brothers of the Dirt.

Later I checked out Brandon Jenkins’ album Brothers of the Dirt. This album is more like what I am looking for the first track “Blood for Oil” was good and then I kinda lost interest! So far all of the albums were pretty good and all deserve another listen on another night!

A Night Ending Return to Frank Solivan and Dirty Kitchen

So at the end of the night I listened to Frank Solivan again and that one does have some really good tracks on it and will definitely get another listen. Oh no I remember the closing track “Scorchin’ the Gravy”. Now that was what I was looking for!!

So let’s listen tomorrow and maybe I’ll find Frank Solivan and Dirty kitchen which is probably pretty damn good!

2026 Update: After first discovering Frank Solivan’s solo album Selfish Tears in this 2011 post, I eventually explored more of his music. I did find Frank Solivan and Dirty Kitchen;s self-titled debut album. It WAS terrific and I became a fan!

Check out my full Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen artist page for later albums, band info, and playlists.

Update No 2 : The reason that Brandon Jenkins album didn’t feel right was that he is not a bluegrass musician. He was a according to wikipedia part of the Red Dirt music genre.

The Playlist

Here’s a Baker’s Dozen Playlist with songs from the albums I listened to that day – they all sound pretty good t me!

y’s Missing You”!

Old Man Luedecke – Proof of Love

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At the end of this post I wrote that people should check out the music of Old Man Luedecke. Well, this old man didn’t heed his own advice and it seems he missed out on a lot of great music between the time he wrote the following post in 2010bqnd 2026!

Old Man Ludeecke a Second Listen Pays Off

So a while back I wrote that I had listened to Old Man Luedecke’s 2008 release Proof of Love. While I liked that banjo playing and the vocals were ok, it wasn’t what I was looking for that day! Well, after hearing a few of his songs on shuffle and liking them, I gave the album another listen last week and now I think that awarding the 2009 Juno Award (Canadian Grammy) for Roots Solo Album to him was the right thing to do!!

From his website:

…., Proof of Love won the prestigious 2009 Juno Award (the Canadian Grammy) for Roots Solo album and won legions of new fans at home and abroad. The album is a gathering of musicians making music in a room (Vancouver’s famed Factory Studio) with Luedecke’s tunes. It’s nothing fancy but is an exciting and unique roots album combining OML’s trademark clawhammer style, compelling originals and full ballads.

About Old Man Luedecke and Proof of Love

Old Man Luedecke is the performing name of young man with an old soul Chris Luedecke, of Chester, Nova Scotia. There are a lot of great tracks on the album Proof of Love. duh. It won a Juno Award, Edward!

My favorites include the tracks, “Ain’t Goin’ My Way”, “Wake Up Hill” , “Big Group Breakfast”, and “Johnny Gone to Soldier” but like many albums everything is good in it’s own way!

So check out Old Man Luedecke

The Video

Here’s Old Man Luedecke perfprming “Thr Rear Guard”

What We Lost Ben Bedford – Let’s Go Into the Night

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What We Lost - Ben Bedford

So to enjoy most singer-songwriters you don’t need to be all that Culturally Literate, not so with Ben Bedford. With Bedford it’s always a good idea to have Google or Wikipedia  fired up so that you can find out more about the subject of many of his songs.

Take the song “Cahokia”  from his latest album What We Lost , when Ben sings…

Cahokia what secrets do you keep, your bones buried deep inside the hills,
Cahokia the river runs it course, Mississippi’s swollin force is never still.

I wasn’t quite sure what he was singing about the first time I heard the song,  but a search on Wikipedia revealed.

About the Cahokia Mounds

Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site ( /kəˈhoʊkiə/) is located on the site of an ancient Native American city (c. 600–1400 CE) situated directly across the Mississippi River from modern St. Louis, Missouri. This historic park lies in Southern Illinois between East St. Louis and Collinsville….

Cahokia was the largest and most influential urban settlement in the Mississippian culture which developed advanced societies across much of what is now the Southeastern United States, beginning more than 500 years before European contact.[4] Cahokia’s population at its peak in the 1200s was as large, or larger, than any European city of that time, and its ancient population would not be surpassed by any city in the United States until about the year 1800 Read More at Wikipedia

The American Portrait Songwriting of Ben Bedford

And so it goes, on the album Bedford presents songs about the poet Vachel Lindsay, blues legend Charley Patton and the 1973 standoff between members of The American Indian Movement and federal agents on the Pine Ridge Reservation. 

You see Bedford is a songwriter whose songs start with an idea for a story that he would like to tell, a literary approach influenced by two of his favorite authors, John Steinbeck and Toni Morrison.

“Usually it starts with something that I’m inspired by in some way. A person and their life in general, or a certain aspect of their life. I’ll have a line in my head and it will materialize and take off from there,” Bedford said. “The hardest thing about writing a song, for me anyway, is getting that first line. Once I get that first line it can start flowing out.”

Bedford refers to his style as American Portrait Songwriting. Over the course of three albums, the Springfield resident has addressed contemporary issues such as homelessness, but his work mainly focuses on historical subjects and figures — not surprising given that he was a history major in college. He has written songs about John the Baptist, poet and artist Vachel Lindsay, and aviator Amelia Earhart. More

Thoughts About Ben Bedford

What We Lost is Bedford’s third album and each one of them is outstanding! In 2010 Rich Warren of  the “Midnight Special” broadcast of WFMT-FM 98.7 listed Bedford on his most significant singer-songwriters of folk in the last 50 years! Being on this listen with one of his main influences Townes Van Zant must have been a thrill for Bedford!

So if you’ve never heard Ben Bedford’s music be sure to check him out, but remember to have  Google or  Wikipedia near by!!

The Video

Here’s the title track of the album “What We Lost” a song about his Grandfather.