I can’t see that it’s worth the time for fans of a certain type of music to put down folks who listen to and love any other kind of music. I grew up listening to country and western music with a smattering of popular song (mostly off the radio), discovered rhythm and blues in the early ’50s and country boogie and rockabilly shortly after, got into country blues and folk songs with the coming of music festivals in the late ’50s, which led into jazz (also from festivals). Early Television variety shows gave me a touch of vaudeville; record collecting and eventually putting together music festivals gave me everything else (Just check out my Facebook page at LOUIS F CURTISS for the daily discoveries I make). A good song from most any era, whether it be from 500 years before I was born or last week is still a good song. The same with a performing artist. No matter if the music he or she makes is from an older or newer tradition, it deserves a listen.
Folks who limit themselves to a small piece of the pie have a lot of pie left over and almost no ice cream. I really respect the young artists who seek out older performers and promote them, by telling folks, “this is where your music came from.” When John C. Reilly, Tom Brosseau, and Gregory Page tell folks that they are trying to pay homage to older groups like the Blue Sky Boys or the Delmore Brothers and that motivates someone to seek out records by those older artists, I can’t help but applaud. We all cheer when all the well-known artists salute Chuck Berry or Carl Perkins or someone like that, but it would be so much better for music in general if local artists with a following sought out a old timer who maybe once had a following but had lost the ability to get out there on their own and helped to bring them some recognition and maybe even a little money. It’s good for the music, old and new and it’s certainly good for the general attitude of everyone concerned. There used to be an old banner on the stage at the old Heritage Coffee House in Mission Beach that read: IT’S IMPORTANT TO KNOW FROM WHENCE WE CAME AND WHAT BROUGHT US ALONG.” It’s taken awhile but I’m finally coming to know what that’s all about.
Recordially,
Lou Curtiss
