A day or two before rock icon Tom Petty passed away folk music lost its own hero, Tom Paley. Paley was a singer and musician (banjo & guitar & fiddle) with a lifelong love of country music and “old-time”
styles from before the Second World War, and a man with a quite extraordinary
history. He juggled two careers – as a
math teacher and a folk musician. He seemed to love each endeavor equally - at one point he gave up his membership in the New Lost City Ramblers because their touring schedule prevented him from teaching. (As a man of ideals, he also quit the band once when his co-musicians were willing to sign a loyalty pledge in order to appear on an NBC television show - and he wouldn't.)
As a musician he worked with legends Woody Guthrie and Lead Belly, influenced and inspired Bob Dylan, and gave guitar lessons to Ry Cooder and banjo lessons to Jerry Garcia. A passionate enthusiast for all forms of
music and a performer with a wicked and sharp sense of humor, he
continued to perform and record for as long as he could, well into his 8th decade. After his stint with the New Lost City Ramblers he formed the Old Reliable String Band, and followed that up with the New Deal String Band, the Mysterious Redbirds, and then numerous solo and duet outings on both sides of the Atlantic.
PLAYLIST:
Todd Phillips & Tim O'Brien “Rye Straw” from In the Pines on Gourd Music
Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys “Osage Stomp” from The Very Best of Bob Wills
The Stray Birds “Pallet” from Best Medicine on Yep Roc Records
Doc Watson & David Grisman “Bluegrass Stomp” from Doc & Dawg
The Savage Hearts “Faded Love” from Playing It Forward on The Savage Hearts
Thomas Bailey “Brilliancy” from Brilliancy on Briarpatch
John Renbourn “White House Blues” from The Transatlantic Anthology
Chris Hillman “Bells of Rhymney” from Bidin' My Time on New Rounder (UMG Account)
Chris Hillman “New Old John Robertson” from Bidin' My Time on New Rounder (UMG Account)
Chris Hillman “She Don't Care About Time” from Bidin' My Time on New Rounder (UMG Account)
Ken and Brad Kolodner “Coleman's March / Snake River Reel” from The Swift House
The New Lost City Ramblers “East Virginia” from East Virginia on Folkways Records
Mysterious Redbirds, The “I'm Ready to Go” from I'm Ready to Go
Mysterious Redbirds, The “Oh Little Darling / Have You Seen the Devil?” from Oh Little Darling / Have You Seen the Devil?
The New Lost City Ramblers “Rollin' In My Sweet Baby's Arms” from Rollin' In My Sweet Baby's Arms
The New Deal String Band “Methodist Pie” from Methodist Pie
The New Deal String Band “Rattlesnake Mountain” from Rattlesnake Mountain
Mike Penny and His Moonshiners “Diggin' the Boogie” from Rock Me Daddy-O on Rhythm Bomb Records
Mike Penny and His Moonshiners “Rompin' and Stompin'” from Rock Me Daddy-O on Rhythm Bomb Records
Mike Penny and His Moonshiners “18 Miles to Memphis” from Rock Me Daddy-O on Rhythm Bomb Records
Mike Penny and His Moonshiners “Copper Head” from Rock Me Daddy-O on Rhythm Bomb Records
Gathering Time “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes” from When One Door Closes... on Treble-G
David Bromberg “I Like to Sleep Late In the Morning” from The Player: A Retrospective on columbia
Jim Greer & the Mac-0-Chee Valley Folks “Gonna Lay Down My Old Guitar” from Good 'ol Bluegrass on Rural Rhythm Records
Hylo Brown “Wild Bill Jones” from Classic Bluegrass Power Picks
Red Smiley & The Blue Grass Cut-Ups “Take this Hammer” from Best of Red Smiley
The Log Cabin Boys “Uncle Pen” from Bluegrass in the Smokies
The Early Mays “Little Darling Pal of Mine” from The Early Mays on The Early Mays
Annie Lou “My Good Captain” from Tried And True on Annie Lou
Lindsey Lou and the Flatbellies “Criminal Style” from Ionia
Crooked Still “Poor Ellen Smith” from Still Crooked on Signature Sounds
The Freight Hoppers “Been to the East Been to the West” from Mile Marker on Bake Tone
