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Polar bear with carrot

Sunday, May 2, 2021

Karen Dalton - Green Rocky Road

They called Karen Dalton (1937-1993) the "Hillbilly Holiday" but she said Bessie Smith was actually a bigger influence. An early fixture in Greenwich Village, she had a singular voice and presence. Overcame a heroin and alcohol addiction, eventually died of AIDS. This tune was recorded at her home in 1962.

I was thinking today, I sure do like beatnik music. Would have been nice to be snapping my fingers in the village listening to Fred Neil, Eric Von Schmidt, Sebastian, Ramblin Jack, Dylan, Van Ronk and Karen Dalton. A small scene but an intensely beautiful one artistically.

3 comments:

Liz said...

I distinctly remember listening to that with you. I really love that music

Blue Heron said...

I don't think so, Liz. Mothers and GTO's yes. Janis, sure. Not Karen Dalton or Mose. But you did take me to Canned Heat and turn me on to black primo, I will give you that.

Liz said...

Strange. Mose Allison is up there in my top 10 and has been there since the year I dropped out of college. The only music I would pay money to see. Maybe we discovered it at the same time. His albums are still what I play to relax and smile. I didn’t do Karen Dalton though. I did turn you on to Dylan.

The only music I normally listen to that is not of the era are various alternative country singers. If they aren’t Steve Earle and his friends, they are probably fantastic women who I need to turn you onto.

I miss you.neither of us is healthy enough to put off visiting