|
|
|
|
(There is no concert this month - we present here an article of
interest)
Folk Blues Troubadour – Eric von Schmidt
When Bob Dylan came east from
Minnesota in 1961 it was to find two people: Woody Guthrie and Eric
von Schmidt. Of meeting with Eric, Bob wrote “…we had heard about
Eric Von Schmidt for many years. The name itself had become a
password. Eventually, after standing in line to meet him, there it
was – his doorstep, a rainy day, and he greeted his visitors,
inviting them in…that is what his record is - an invitation; an
invitation to the glad, mad, sad, biting, exciting, frightening,
crabby, happy, enlightening, hugging, chugging world of Eric Von
Schmidt.”
Born in 1931, Eric became one of the
spearheads of the Folk Music revival in the 50’s and 60’s. A
third-generation painter, Eric’s parents also wanted him to be
exposed to music, and purchased a record collection with music
ranging from Andres Segovia and Duke Ellington, to Burl Ives and
Fred Waring & his Pennsylvanians. But it was a chance hearing of
Leadbelly during a live broadcast on the radio one evening that set
his musical direction. The theme song for the broadcast was
Leadbelly’s “Goodnight Irene”. Coincidentally, Eric was dating a
girl named Irene at the time and thought to himself, “Boy, there’s a
song I’ve got to learn.”
Like everything else he did, Eric
pursued his newfound love of music with a passion. When his father
would take him along on trips to Washington, DC Eric would spend his
time at the Library of Congress, devouring all the folk and blues
recordings he could find, including the 1930’s field recordings by
Alan Lomax. Compelled to discover the core of country blues, he
immersed himself in the music, studying the stories of well-known
and obscure performers, including Robert Johnson, B.B. King, Blind
Lemon Jefferson and Big Bill Broonzy. Other influences included
Reverend Gary Davis, Blind Boy Fuller, Woody Guthrie, Burl Ives,
Pete Seeger, Josh White, Sonny Terry, Brownie McGee and Cisco
Houston. Eric developed a vast repertory of traditional music, which
he gladly and freely shared with other folk musicians like Bob
Dylan, Tom Rush, Dave Van Ronk, Peter Rowan, Ramblin’ Jack Elliot
and others.
Eric’s rough, bluesy howl of a voice
lent itself particularly well to the folk blues genre that he mined
so deeply, lending an authenticity that resonated with the newer
folk singers. As Dylan said, “(He) …can sing the bird off the wire
and the rubber off the tire. He can separate the men from the boys
and the note from the noise; the bridle from the saddle and the cow
from the cattle. He can play the tune of the moon, the why of the
sky and the commotion from the ocean.” Eric is probably best known
for the song “Baby Let Me Lay It on You,” which was adapted by Dylan
as “Baby Let Me Follow You Down”. Eric gave credit for first hearing
the song from Blind Boy Fuller, though he thought it likely that
Reverend Gary Davis was the true originator.
After spending much of the 80’s and
90’s focused on his paintings, Eric met and married his third wife,
guitarist and singer Linda Clifford. He soon started performing
again, and in 1995 made his first recording in 18 years, “Baby Let
Me Lay It on You”. This would be his last recording. In June, 2000,
he was presented with the ASCAP Foundation Lifetime Achievement
Award. In August, 2006 Eric suffered a stroke, and passed away in
early 2007.
UPCOMING CONCERTS include:
Trent Wagler & the Steel Wheels -
9/21/10
Alt-Nashville
Writers-in-the-Round:
Don Henry,
Sally Barris &
Craig Carothers - 10/12/10
Terry Garland
- 11/16/10
TICKETS available:
Tuesdays at The Folk Club or by e-mailing Dave Hurd -
DAHurdSr@cs.com
Download the
full
Concert Schedule [PDF]
Updated
5-24-2010
|
|