(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