The Welcome Mat

[jrdavis50]

Hey Bob!

Thanks for the warm welcome! The JR actually stands for 'John Renfro', my parents having cursed me with 'John Davis' - the 5th most-common name in the US. (There were 3 John R. Davis's in my high school graduating class). So I started using the middle name so I would only be accused of those crimes I had actually committed.

Only four hours back listening and my CD shopping list is already getting long.

Ah well . . .

[jrdavis50]

Hey John!

I started out on Fairport and Steeleye Span back in Little Rock, Arkansas in the early 70's.

Actually, I probably started out in Groveton Texas in 1962 when Peter, Paul and Mary were on the Today show singing 'Where Have All the Flowers Gone.' I knew then I liked folk music.

Cut & Shoot is northeast of Houston on State Highway 105 between Cleveland and Conroe.

If you'll be here at the end of October, the Texas Renaissance Festival is still going on every weekend at Plantersville, which is about 40 miles north of Houston. There's also McGonegal's Mucky Duck in downtown Houston. They're pretty fair imitation of a pub with some pretty good live music. Battlefield Band was playing there not long ago.

End of October is a good time to visit. The weather has moderated to what you guys would consider merely balmy.

[jrdavis50]

Hey Alex!

Yeah, it's been a couple of years. I stumbled into this place and listened and liked it , then something happened - a major computer crash, work, life - and I sorta fell out of it until I got the e-mail.

Now that I've retired, I can fix the computer and don't have to go to work - so far - so I'll be doing a lot of tuning in. As I mentioned to Bob, my CD shopping list is already getting long.

Glad you guys are still around!

[basketbob]

Peter, Paul, and Mary, were my first intro to folk as well. My brother was stepping out with a Mary Travers lookalike at the time, which was the catalyst.
I still have the LP (Movin') and I still love the songs on it. I'm pleased to hear that "Jordan is a hard road to travel" has just been rejuvenated, but with a slight word change.

(There were 3 John R. Davis's in my high school graduating class)

There were 2 unrelated lads in my class with the same name as me, too.

Cheers,

Bob

[jrdavis50]

Yeah, I sighed after a few of those myself. And 35 years ago married a girl with hair shorter than mine.

Which was one of the most intelligent uninformed decisions I ever made.

Peter, Paul and Mary led me to Ewan McColl. I got a vinyl of his collection of Scots folksongs back when I was 12 or 13 and carried that record with me everywhere - even off to college.

My roommate in college was a nationally famous disc jockey: Doc Holliday on KAAY out of Little Rock, Arkansas. By the time we'd graduated, he'd heard the Ewan McColl record about a thousand times. He also decided working for a Top 40 radio station wasn't what he wanted to do, so when we graduated and moved to Little Rock, where I was teaching at the time, he switched to a 'progressive' FM station - which meant he played what he liked.

He called me at home one afternoon and said, 'Listen to this next tune,' and played Steeleye Span's 'Misty, Moisty Morning'.

For a number of years thereafter I collected Steeleye Span and Fairport albums and CD's.

Three years ago my wife, her mother and I went to Scotland. While I was there, I picked up the Old Blind Dogs Live CD - mostly because it had 'Barnyards O' Delgaty' on it which had been on that now-ancient Ewan McColl record.

After that, I was pretty much doomed.

I have this uneasy feeling that even though I retired last year I may have to go back to work to support my music habit.

[laura]

Hello!

I've been enjoying reading everyones comments and thought i should add one too!!
Im a musician (!?) and spend most of my time teaching or giggin in my band the old dance school , we're a folk band from Birmingham but not so traditional-more self penned tunes and songs! (would be lovely to hear anyones thoughts on our music as we've just released our debut album!)

Mostly been listening to LAU, lunasa, chris wood, and my new fav shona kipling (she is ammazing!!)

hope everyone is having a good day and doesn't get washed away!

[folk_radio_uk]

Hello!

I've been enjoying reading everyones comments and thought i should add one too!!
Im a musician (!?) and spend most of my time teaching or giggin in my band the old dance school , we're a folk band from Birmingham but not so traditional-more self penned tunes and songs! (would be lovely to hear anyones thoughts on our music as we've just released our debut album!)

Mostly been listening to LAU, lunasa, chris wood, and my new fav shona kipling (she is ammazing!!)

hope everyone is having a good day and doesn't get washed away!

Hi Laura, that's spooky as I've just burned some tracks from your album for the station, perfect timing. I think Helen sent it to me.

Lovely music!

Cheers

Alex

[basketbob]

Hi Laura, looks an interesting lineup

http://www.theolddanceschool.com/

Bob

[folk_radio_uk]

They are Bob, produced by Joe Broughton as well...he also did the Darren Black album I mentioned

[laura]

our fiddle player, helen lancaster is on the darren black album as is our cajun player tom chapman... saw darrens gig the other day with kev dempsy some lovely songs and kev is amazing (as is helen of course!) they are doing a gig in banbury with dave swarbrick in december which should be good!