A Tower of Song: Greg Brown In Concert

(cont'd)

Brown's voice can go from rich low bass to a small high whine, sometimes like a dog, engaging in a kind of scat singing with words.

After the concert, Jim Mercik and I got a chance to talk with Brown for a few minutes. He seemed bemused at where his musical whims had led him, telling us he couldn't remember having ever performed "Tom Payne" or "Don't Think Twice It's Alright" before. We mused a little over which was the older ballad, "Carrigfergus" or "The Water Is Wide," both of which have the lines:

The water is wide, I can't cross over
And neither have I wings to fly

And we talked about Brown's plans for the future. He will tour steadily through early December, after which he'll take 14 months off from touring. And after that? He plans to renovate and add some rooms to his grandparents' house, to plant a very big garden, and to undertake some extended recording projects. He has recently co-founded a small local label in Iowa City, Trailer Records, and gave us each a copy of a brand new CD, Over and Under, produced by Bo Ramsey, his partner on the label. He also thought he might record some more of William Blake's Songs of Innocence and Experience.

As for Zoofolk, Tony Corso has created one of those rare venues where the folk scene and the community can meet. The gazebo at the Zoo is a perfect space for a picnic and music.

Retiring Zoofolk founder Tony Corso with Noah Freeman,
one of the next generation of folk fans he's helped create.

As we pack up for the season, the Carousel remains silent, the dark horses intimating that there may be more races to run.

The midnight carousel.

Hugh Blumenfeld, Editor
hugh@balladtree.com