Woody Guthrie, 75th Anniversary, Columbia River Songs Thursday, March 28, 2019
recommended by Barb M., Keyboard and Folk Music Specialist
In 1941, Woody Guthrie started working for the Bonneville Power Administration. A film documentary had been proposed to promote development of the Columbia River and hydro-power, and a folk singer who could write songs was wanted to provide the music for it. Alan Lomax, then head of the Folk Archive at the Library of Congress, suggested Woody Guthrie. Woody went out and watched the men building the dam, and he talked to them, listening to the way they spoke and what they said. The gig lasted 30 days, and during that time, Woody had written 26 songs; only three of them made it into the documentary.
The collection Roll On, Columbia: The Columbia River Songs is written for guitar or any other chorded folk instrument, and includes all 26 songs. This is a treasure trove for a folk singer, and a fun book for general music. Check it out!
For more information about this collection, call us at 1-800-42-MUSIC, email us at keyboard@stantons.com, or visit us online at stantons.com. Shop Stanton’s for all your sheet music needs!
About the Author:
Barb M. has worked in the Keyboard Department at Stanton’s since 1981. An active folk musician in the Columbus area, Barb also works with ensembles at her church and plays in the Columbus State Concert Band. In her spare time, Barb loves working with animals and computer games.