Sunday, November 1, 2009

WHIT GRIFFIN, traveling photographer







Bob, Susan, Greetings from the Nantahal Forrest. Whit









Sent from my iPhone ( North Carolina, Nov. 1, 09 )



GIRL FROM THE NORTH COUNTRY







Ever since Johnny Cash passed away, his daughter Rosanne has been saying goodbye to him. One way of saying goodbye is never to say it — keep the song & life going. When Rosanne was a youngster she would hear these songs from her father's hands. Who was that? she asked. Came the name. Never heard of him (or her), over & over again. It frustrated her. So thoughtful Pa started to make a List of essential songs, 100 to be exact. Rosanne Cash kept this list, learned from this list, and now we can hear just how well she listened and deepened. We receive here a neat dozen songs from the essential list. Of course we want all 100, but be patient. We get Merle Haggard, Hedy West, Hank Snow and Harlan Howard 'a plenty, naturally A.P. Carter, and a version of Bob Dylan's "Girl From the North Country" that'll bring the cows home. Or tears to your eyes. Finally we hear singing from what could be the 'girl' herself. Desolate, searching, sonorous, telling.