SOUNDTRACK: SPIRIT FAMILY REUNION-Tiny Desk Concert #244 (October 8, 2012).
I first heard Spirit Family Reunion when NPR covered their show at Newport Folk Festival in 2012 (a few months before they played the Tiny Desk). I really enjoyed their set which was vibrant and fun. And clearly Bob Boilen did too.
Spirit Family Reunion was my favorite find at this year’s Newport Folk Festival. The group makes music I’d call “new old-timey,” but which its members call “open-door gospel” — gospel music that’s not tied to any particular religious denomination.
There are 6 0f them plating–an upright bass, banjo, guitar, fiddle washboard (!) and drums. And they play three songs.
“Leave Your Troubles At The Gate” opens largely a capella and then just takes off with some wild fiddling and fast strumming from everyone else. For this song, the guitarist sings lead and the fiddler sings a higher pitched backing vocal—his voice is powerful and at an unexpected pitch. They finish up and he says, “first song of the day… that’s a way to wake up.”
For the second song, “Green Rocky Road,” the violinist sings this one. It changes the tone of the band since his voice is so different—strained and intense sounding. When the song ends, he says, I hope you like singing…. we need help on this one.”
Throughout “I’ll Find A Way” he tries to encourage everyone to sing along (it’s hard to hear if they do): “Its fun, don’t be bashful.” It is a simple song with an easy to repeat refrain. And it is indeed uplifting: “When we’re singing together we’re shining a light on the dark places between us.”
[READ: July 10, 2016] “Foster”
This is a story set in Ireland. It’s about young girl whose Ma is about to have another baby. The girl is being shipped out to a friend for the summer so that her mom and dad can have the baby in peace.
The story is about the girl, but it is also about the couple who have fostered her. They are much better off than the girl’s family–a far more successful farm with a much nicer house. But something about them seems a little off to the girl.
I enjoyed the story although I was unclear when it was set. The setting is quite rural, and there is talk of an outhouse and a chamber pot. But there is also a television and plastic washing up on the shore, so it’s not as old as I thought. (more…)
I Just Read About That... 