FOLK MUSIC FOLKS. . . THE NON-POP PERFORMERS

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KATE WOLF

"I've tried my best to understand why we stand out here in the rain, in our anger and our pain, afraid to feel the love that's in our hands" (copyright 1981, Another Sundown Publishing Company . . . reprinted by permission).

As those words demonstrate, Kate Wolf is often able to communicate — through her lyrics — the emotions many of us have but sometimes find difficult (or impossible) to express. And by sharing her feelings, Kate helps us understand our own.

Kate Wolfs albums are available — for $8.98 each postpaid — -from Kaleidoscope Records, Dept. TMEN, P.O. Box O, El Cerrito, California 94530.

LENNY ANDERSON

Ask just about any musician to name America's all-time greatest folk singer and storyteller, and you're almost sure to get the answer "Woody Guthrie". With his many classic songs (such as "This Land Is Your Land") and his masterful use of the talking blues idiom, Woody inspired virtual regiments of later-generation tale-spinners and guitar minstrels . . . including Lenny Anderson.

Lenny, in fact, has performed in several "An Evening With Woody Guthrie"-type shows around the San Francisco Bay area. But he also writes songs of his own, and has produced a wonderful cassette collection of homegrown tunes entitled A Song Would Be Better. Much of his material deals with social topics (junk food, politics, the rights of native Americans, and public transportation) . . . and Lenny evokes powerful sentiments and emotions in several very personal tunes, as well, including the title cut. The tape (which is available — for $7.50 postpaid — from Lenny Anderson, Dept. TMEN, P.O. Box 671, Kenwood, California 95452) features Lenny on guitar and harmonica against an acoustic bass accompaniment.

FAITH PETRIC

I met Faith Petric at the First Annual Festival of the Saws in Santa Cruz, when both of us were leading workshops and performing. She ran a kazoo seminar, and I taught washboard-playing technique . . . but when only a few people showed for Faith's session, we ended up combining our classes. The results were pleasant indeed!

Faith — who was born in a log cabin in Idaho in 1915, and has traveled extensively — has seen a good bit of life . . . and her experiences come through in the presentation of her songs. As far as I know, she doesn't write her own compositions . . . but her repertoire is a refreshing mix of traditional folk and cowboy songs, topical material, and ballads by some of her contemporaries (including the late Malvina Reynolds . . . one of Faith's friends and an inspiration to her).

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