Name: The Mayor of MacDougal Street: Rarities 1957-69
Brand: Rootstock Recordings
SKU: 500909
Price: 59.12 USD
Availability: InStock

The Mayor of MacDougal Street

Rating

Album: The Mayor of MacDougal Street: Rarities 1957-69
#	Song Title	Time
1)	New Orleans Hop Scop Blues
2)	On Top of Old Smoky
3)	All My Trials
4)	Buddy Bolden's Blues
5)	Butcher Boy, The
6)	Salty Dog
7)	Two Trains Running
8)	Way Down in Lubyanka Prison
9)	Willie the Weeper
10)	Shaving Cream
11)	Cruel Ship's Captain, The
12)	As You Make Your Bed
13)	Bird on the Wire
14)	Both Sides Now
15)	In Conditional Support of Beauty
16)	W.C. Fields Routine
17)	Romping Through the Swamp

Album: The Mayor of MacDougal Street: Rarities 1957-69
#	Song Title	Time
1)	New Orleans Hop Scop Blues
2)	On Top of Old Smoky
3)	All My Trials
4)	Buddy Bolden's Blues
5)	Butcher Boy, The
6)	Salty Dog
7)	Two Trains Running
8)	Way Down in Lubyanka Prison
9)	Willie the Weeper
10)	Shaving Cream
11)	Cruel Ship's Captain, The
12)	As You Make Your Bed
13)	Bird on the Wire
14)	Both Sides Now
15)	In Conditional Support of Beauty
16)	W.C. Fields Routine
17)	Romping Through the Swamp

Performer Notes

Adapter: Dave Van Ronk.
Personnel: Dave Van Ronk (vocals, acoustic guitar); Barry Kornfeld (banjo); Len Kunstadt (kazoo); Samuel Charters (cornet); Ann Danberg (rub-board); Russell Glynn.
Editor: Mark Greenberg.
Arranger: Dave Van Ronk.
IIn 2005, Dave Van Ronk's memoirs were made available with the publication of THE MAYOR OF MACDOUGAL STREET. Released in conjunction with the book, this similarly titled companion CD consists entirely of previously unreleased material from the first dozen years of Van Ronk's long, prolific career. The Brooklyn-born singer made his reputation by adding bluesy grit to the often-genteel traditional songs that were the source material of the early-1960s folk revival he helped pioneer. From a cappella readings of conventional folk tunes ("The Cruel Ship's Captain") to sensual blues ("Two Trains Running") and good-humored tomfoolery ("Shaving Cream"), he reveals himself as both a learned scholar of American musical history and a boldly inventive interpreter. Venturing farther afield into compositions by everyone from Leonard Cohen to Brecht/Weill (not to mention a shockingly outre self-penned tune), Van Ronk comes off as ever the musical polyglot, the rare nature of these tracks further adding to this disc's appeal.

Professional Reviews

Rolling Stone (p.83) - 3 stars out of 5 - "[A] charming odds-and-ends collection....[H]e could deliver precise, full-bore blues, jazz and even the occasional folk rock."