Two WPKN Radio Programs Feature Folk Music, Jean Ritchie and the Work of Alan Lomax

The name Alan Lomax usually pops up when the subject is folk music. 

Lomax's exploration of the people's music via his recordings on location in the American South and abroad earned him the title father of ethno-musicology.

Lomax got mentioned this week on two WPKN radio programs - North Fork Works
with Hazel Kahan and Songtrails with Caroline Doctorow.

Songtrails with Bridgehampton's singer-songwriter Caroline Doctorow
airs the first Saturday each month at 7pm on 89.5 FM and on line at wpkn.org. 

This month Caroline talks with musician and radio producer Jon Pikow, whose mother, singer Jean Ritchie is known as the mother of folk music.

Jon Pikow and his family were friends of Alan Lomax. Lomax edited his
recordings at the the Pikow home after a fire left Lomax homeless.

Jean Ritchie learned to sing and play the dulcimer at her family's Kentucky home.
As a child she learned ballads handed down from generation to generation
in her family, probably originating in Scotland.
 
Ritchie's song "The L&N don't stop here anymore" is about the plight of
un-employed miners, victims of the demise of underground coal mining.

Pikow produces the long running "Folk Song Festival" with Oscar Brand
on New York's WNYC. He is helping to preserve Brand's historical recordings
which have been purchased by the Library of Congress.

This week Songtrails features The music of Jean Ritchie with her own recordings
and those of Johnny Cash, Michelle Shocked, Pikow and others.

Listen Saturday April 6 from 7 to 8PM at 89.5 fm or on line at
wpkn.org or listen any time HERE.

This week Hazel Kahan talked with Gideon D'Arcangelo on her monthly program
'North Fork Works'  on WPKN. 

Gideon is a musician, producer and designer of community spaces.

He earned a degree in musicology from the University of Chicago and went to work with Alan Lomax. He talks about helping Lomax with his memoir "The Land where the Blues Began" and recordings such as  "Sounds of the South" based on Lomax's field recordings.
 
Lomax devised a ground breaking interactive media system to help search and sort thru the world's music. This was long before the internet made such a task easier.
 
 
D'Arcangelo is on the board of the Association for Cultural Equity founded by Lomax and dedicated to idea that all cultures deserve equal time and space on the airwaves 

Now D'Arcangelo designs what he calls places for public experiences in museums and halls for community engagement.

He found that Poquatuck Hall in Orient fit his model for such a place —
although it was built in the 19th century.

He originated the Song Swap 4 years ago along with the late Anne Mc Kay. 
The song swap features a group of local musicians who share songs they love
with the audience - singing along is encouraged.

The latest program in that series is scheduled for Saturday, April 6, at 7 p.m. at Poquatuck Hall. A small admission charge will go to maintaining the hall.