The 1960s Folk Revival
I've heard live music all of my life. My dad and uncle would get together and sing cowboy songs, Eddy Arnold tunes and even the classic Cab Calloway tune Minnie the Moocher.
In the early 1960s I started to hear the beginnings of what became the folk music revival with groups such as The Kingston Trio playing tunes like Tom Dooley and the MTA.
I bought a number of records with my lawn mowing money and eventually bought a really lousy banjo which was made in East Germany and was almost impossible to play because the string action was so bad. I gave up fairly quickly on that since I realized I was not going to be Earl Scruggs.
Later I rode the train to New York City with my cousin who knew where all the music stores were located and I bought a Guild guitar. Compared to the banjo this was a much better instrument. I bought it in 1962 and still have it. I took it all over the place including playing by campfires. Considering the harsh conditions it has held up well only requiring some maintenance from a local luthier.
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I spent my money earned by mowing lawns on albums such as this. I even found some other folks to jam with and we would work on Kingston Trio tunes It would be years later before I heard the original version of Tom Dooley in all its gory details. |
My cousins were living in Greenwich Village (NYC) which was the epicenter of the folk revival, I had fun visiting them and having philosophical conversations over expresso. We even ran into Paul Simon on the street one evening and said hello. |
My cousins Steve and Jim in their village digs. Could we be any more hip? |
At this point in my life I was channeling my inner Bobby Dylan, even had the harmonica holder |
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