Year Night // (Scott Johnson)

Steve Hayward seems to be heading to Europe. He said it was for work and not play and will be contributing as much as he can. He has already scheduled several posts for the next week.

I thought it would be a good idea to post a song of each day while Steve is in Europe because of Steve’s departure. I chose the Minnesota music scene to be my theme when he went on vacation to Scotland. This time, I thought I might try modern American folk artists and British ones.

KFAI’s Sunday morning Urban Folk program was a favorite of mine. It was hosted alternate weeks by Bob Feldman and Marian Moore. Red House Records was run by Bob. Marian, a woman of many roles, produced Women Who Cook concerts. She also performed a musical tribute at the Fitzgerald Theater in St. Paul when Bob Feldman passed away. Over the years, I learned a lot from Urban Folk. Bob Dylan was, of course, the tutelary spirit behind their show.

Bob Feldman was a friend I met in town. I found him to be a kind and generous man. It was evident when he hosted the show with his son Ari, then only a few years ago. But I could hear it every time I spoke to him. He was a man who managed to combine his vocation and his avocation. He loved music. As I write this morning, I think about him.

Bob was hosting Lucy Kaplansky, a folk artist, for lunch in St. Paul on a 1997 occasion. I met Bob while I was in between jobs. I met Bob at the restaurant and introduced myself to Lucy. She was probably performing in town, but lunch must have been for Lucy’s Flesh and Bone release on Red House. I went to Hungry Mind Bookstore to purchase a copy. She agreed to sign it for me. I pulled the CD from the shelf and remembered that I had apologized for interrupting Bob’s lunch. She signed it: “To Scott — Please interrupt my lunch at any time.”

Lucy’s cover of “Return of the Grievous Angel”, is my favorite track on Flesh and Bone. However, it is not available on YouTube. Lucy’s “Ten Year Night”, the title track from a subsequent CD on Red House, is Lucy’s. This song is a passionate tribute her husband. It was a song I thought might get a few engines moving this morning.