Customer Reviews

Pete Seeger's Rainbow Quest - with Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee, and Mississippi John Hurt, Hedy West, & Paul Cadwell

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Shanachie is doing a gret service to all fans of folk and blues by reissuing the mid-1960s "Rainbow Quest" TV show hosted by Pete Seeger on DVD. Each DVD features two shows. This one has an hour of Pete with the great folk-blues players Brownie McGhee and Sonny Terry and a second hour show featuring Pete swapping songs and stories with Hedy West, John Hurt and Paul Cadwell. Hedy was an underappreciated singer of old time ballads and other material--she sings a civil rights song in German here--who recorded for Vanguard, among others. It is very hard to find much of her material in print these days, so it is great to get some perfomrance footage on DVD. Mississippi John was one of the great blues rediscoveres in the 1960s and his gentle perfomances and stories are charming. Paul Cadwell is a mean banjo picker of turn of the 20th century tunes. Pete is Pete--a consummate singer, musician and host. It is just a shame that the show is only an hour long as each performer deserved additional time in the spotlight. Cudos to Shanachie for putting two one-hour shows on each DVD, rather than just one. It would have been nice to get an information booklet telling more about the performers, but I'm just happy these shows are coming out on DVD, so I will not complain.

In a year that has featured various 90th birthday celebrations it is very appropriate to review some of the 1960's television work of Pete Seeger, one of the premier folk anthologists, singers, transmitters of the tradition and "keeper" of the folk flame. This DVD is a "must see" for anyone who is interested in the history of the folk revival of the 1960's , the earnest, folksy style of Pete Seeger or the work of Mississippi John Hurt, Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee, Hedy West or banjoist Paul Cardwell.

This DVD contains some very interesting and, perhaps, rare television film footage from two Pete Seeger shows entitled "Rainbow Quest". Each show is introduced (and ends, as well) by Pete singing his old classic "If I Had A Golden Threat" and then he proceeds to introduce and play banjo along with the above-mentioned artists. No date is given (as far as I could find) but these shows must have been fairly early in the 1960's because I believe that John Hurt died in about 1964 or 1965.

Pete's relationship with Sonny and Brownie went back to the days of the Almanac Singers (that included Woody Guthrie) and New York City in the early 1940's. That segment gives some details about various goings on of those times and the genesis of some of the songs that are sung in the set. I have read elsewhere that at some point in their joint careers Sonny and Brownie stopped talking to each other even as they continued their professional lives together. Here, at least, they appeared to be civil to each other as the combination of Brownie's guitar and vocals, Sonny's smokin' harmonica and accompaniment by Pete on the banjo is a rare treat.

The second segment is a little less entertaining as Pete introduces the mountain banjo man Crawford doing traditional reels and jigs and Hedy West doing a couple of numbers . Then there is a magic moment. Mississippi John Hurt, with his clean, simple guitar picking, doing " Lonesome Valley". Wow. And then ending with his version of Lead Belly's "Goodnight, Irene" (with the others joining in). These, alone, are worth the price of admission. Wow, again.

One final note. This is a piece of folk history. Pete Seeger is a folk legend. However, the production values here are a bit primitive and low budget. Moreover, for all his stature as a leading member of the folk pantheon Pete was far from the ideal host. His halting speaking style and almost bashful manner did not draw his guests out. Let's just put it this way the production concept used then would embarrass a high school television production class today. But, Pete, thanks for the history lesson.

Rainbow Quest was a locally and privately produced folk music show that was hosted by and featured Pete Seeger when he was blacklisted. He has brought in a marvelous range of other talent. Pete is the focus, but he makes ample room for his guests to shine. Each show is a delightful relaxed program of great music and interesting conversation.