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Subject: Folklore: Elizabeth Cotten: Any Reminiscences? From: GUEST,hg Date: 13 Mar 07 - 10:38 PM Hi all, I am looking to collect any personal stories, remembrances, or reminiscence of your encounters with Elizabeth Cotten for an ethnography. Any help would be greatly appreciated. hg |
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Subject: RE: Folklore: Elizabeth Cotten: Any Reminiscences? From: Stephen L. Rich Date: 14 Mar 07 - 01:45 AM I had the good fortune to see her perform years ago at the old Somebody Else's Troubles in Chicago. Troubles was a small, intimate sort of place. The result was that there were no bad seats. Everyone was able to actually see her. There was a no-nonsense sort of power about her. The kind that can only come from somebody who has been around the block a couple of times and wants to make sure that you know it. At the same time she had an almost whimsical gentleness to her which made being around her quite delightful. There will never be another like her. Stephen Lee Rich |
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Subject: RE: Folklore: Elizabeth Cotten: Any Reminiscences? From: GUEST Date: 14 Mar 07 - 09:26 AM Had an opportunity to participate in a workshop conducted by Mike Seeger w/Ms Cotten in attendence. The song we worked on was 'Freight Train'. The picking pattern she used by playing the guitar left-handed and strung for a right handed player was very difficult to duplicate. She was 89 at the time and had great energy and spirit. She listened to all our attempts to play her song w/patience and grace. At the time I was a ten-year pro musician w/studio, touring, club and concert experience and I was going to 'kill 'em' w/my version. When she came and sat next to me to listen all of the self-important egotism was sucked right out of me by the truth of conviction in her eyes. I played her a very straight and clean version w/no flash. She smiled, complimented my playing...then took my guitar, flipped it over and smilingly played it the way it was supposed to be played. In my musical life I've been blessed to have been in the presence of greatness and the common thread in them all has been truth. Ms Cotten was truth and anyone who ever had the good fortune to have been in her presence will say the same. |
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Subject: RE: Folklore: Elizabeth Cotten: Any Reminiscences? From: jeffp Date: 14 Mar 07 - 09:31 AM In my freshman year of college (1971-72), the Travelling Newport Folk Festival came to my school, Juniata College in Pennsylvania. It included Michael Cooney, Joe Jackson and Elizabeth Cotten, among others. They spent a couple of days doing workshops and performances in the student union building. Ms. Cotten talked about her childhood and adult life and the song that made her famous. She was a very nice, quiet lady with great dignity and a good sense of humor. When she was speaking, you could hear a pin drop if anybody had had the audacity to do so. I felt very privileged to take part and I will always rememember that time. |