Woody on guitar learning and playing

This appeared in the edition of ``The Folksinger's Guitar Guide'' that I bought in 1974. About 20 years later I was looking at a newer edition and I noticed the essay was missing. But a few months ago, ``Folksinger's'' author Jerry Silverman was kind enough to scan the essay in his copy and send it along.

I don't know where my copy went to.

A rarity: I found this in Tim's Books on Main Street

in Hyannis, Massachusetts last weekend. It was published in 1963 by Ludlow Music, Inc. Perhaps a few hundred songs, many that I've never heard of (I suspect that not all of them were recorded). There are a lot of illustrations by Woody. Woody is never listed as the author. Apparently it wasn't his project. Of course by 1963 he was pretty well incapacitated by Huntington's.

I Should Have Mentioned Woody Guthrie As I Paid Tribute to Utah Phillips

I put up the first two videos because they are reportedly the only surviving footage of Woody Guthrie. The last one I included because it's lots of fun -- images of Woody juxtaposed with scenes from New Orleans and some hokey effects. Of course, Woody and Utah were balladeers of freedom, if you will, but I won't tire you with that.
``Ranger's Command:''

This one has Woody singing ``John Henry'' with Sonny Terry (harmonica) and Brownie McGhee (guitar). Sharing anecdotes are Alan Lomax, the great folklorist who discovered Guthrie, Leadbelly and Muddy Waters, and recorded an international compendium of folk music and dance, and Ronnie Gilbert, who was a member of the Weavers with Pete Seeger, Fred Hellerman and Lee Hayes. Guthrie recorded a lot with Leadbelly and with Terry. Before that I had concluded that black and white folk and blues musicians never recorded together. This is apparently a British documentary. Those Americans and their folk culture. Turns out Arthur Stern was in the Almanac Singers.