This set is exactly what the title says it is --
Pete Seeger
remembering his friend and sometimes musical collaborator
Woody Guthrie
. What it isn't is a collection of
singing
songs, although there are a few performances of
Seeger
doing that here -- one also gets
Arlo Guthrie
and others presenting
songs.
's main role in this release is to reminisce, which he does. Now 93 years of age, the 21-year-old
met
Guthrie
at a benefit concert in 1940 when
was 27 and, falling under the spell of
's songs, music, and charisma,
began traveling and playing music with him, most notably in
the Almanac Singers
(there's a version of
' "Reuben James" included here).
talks about what it was like to travel with
and the genesis of songs like "This Land Is Your Land," "New York Town," and "Do Re Mi." In the second half of this set,
talks about
's legacy, the folk boom he godfathered, and his influence on
's own journeys and struggles. Versions of
's songs are scattered through these remembrances, giving them added grace and lift.
himself makes an appearance, and is heard playing and singing "New York Town" with
Cisco Houston
on a recording the two made in 1940. There really isn't anything new in this package, but the way it's fit together, arranged, and sequenced makes it more than just an archival sort of release.
has his own legacy, and to hear him talk about his friend and mentor is worth the price of admission, and with the songs laced all through the story, it becomes an even bigger story, one that is still unfolding in influence a decade or more into the 21st century. ~ Steve Leggett