Folk Background
The first folk pieces I learned to play (besides my Bob Dylan songs) were Doc Watson's “Deep River Blues” and Dave Van Ronk's “St. Louis Tickle”. In college I began transcribing these and and other guitar works, including versions of “Mapleleaf” and “Temptation Rags”, into mandolin/guitar duets. These instrumental styles, plus the songs of Mississippi John Hurt and those collected by The New Lost City Ramblers, constitute the main folk material I play and teach to this day.
More recently the banjo has been included, its focus being mainly on blues and 'ragging' of songs, in both finger and frailing styles. In 2008 I toured local libraries with the banjo in “For Pete's Sake”, stories and songs in the Seeger tradition, with Portland storyteller Anne Rutherford. In addition, I perform and record with singer/songwriter Kim Stafford, who joined me during my work with refugees in the 1980's in founding the Oregon Folk Arts Program.