Thursday, September 17, 2009

In Memoriam - Mary Travers 1936-2009

[click picture]

I am deeply saddened by the loss of this most beautiful person. She will always be fondly remembered by me as if I knew her in person. Having played the music of PP&M for all these years it's as if there is some sort of connection.

So in Mary's memory I have reconstituted my previous PP&M show with updated song list and in the embedr format.

Mary we miss you!

Originally posted 8/23/08:

With subjects ranging from anti-war protest songs to songs of the human condition as well as comedy and children’s songs this trio rose to the top of the folk movement of the 60’s and early 70’s.

Founded in 1961 by Albert Grossman as a Folk Supergroup they released their first album the following year, quickly gaining a large following.

After salvaging an old record player from the dump, replacing a few obviously burned out resistors an one vacuum tube I headed down to the used record store. The first two albums I bought were Peter Paul & Mary’s first album titled simply “Peter, Paul and Mary” and Bob Dylan’s “The Times They Are A Changing”.

That was about 1965 and indeed things were A Changing!

After collecting several more of their first albums I bought the music books to go with them. With the records, the music books and an old f-hole Harmony guitar I taught myself how to play. I spent many hours playing along with the records and then without them. Eventually, in college, I was part of a folk group called Blue Laughter. We were together for about a year and a half and toured the college campuses around Wisconsin during that time, also giving shows at retirement homes and care centers. But as so often happens in bands, the ego problems of the founder got in the way and we broke up about a month before we were supposed to go tryout for a USO tour to Vietnam.

Alas, I stray, so here is tonight’s show, centered on their works from the early sixties through the mid eighties. But you won’t find any lost flowers or dope smoking dragons here! (I lied!)




PP&Website

.