The Anthology Of American Folk Music, originally released on three double-LP's in 1952, consists of 84 tracks and is a compilation of 78 rpm discs issued between 1927 and 1935. Track 1 of album 1 is Henry Lee, track 2 is Fatal Flower Garden. Not that we knew that by heart, we found out later. The first song of the Handsome Family set was Henry Lee, the second one was Fatal Flower Garden. It had been announced that the Handsome Family would play a special Anthology set, but had they perhaps (mis)understood that their homework was to play the Anthology integrally? Unfortunately not ;-) We had to settle for a dozen songs. Well, we couldn't expect them to do 84 voices.

Tonight Brett and Rennie Sparks were joined by a third musician, who played the mandolin in a very relaxed manner; slumped in his chair as if he was sitting on the porch having a drink and shooting the breeze. The Sparks (no, not those brothers you know from This Town Ain't Big Enough For The Both Of Us :-) were in fine form. During The Butcher's Boy Brett broke a string. According to Rennie because it was such a sad song. She then admonished or warned her significant other in a husband-and-wife-for-quite-some-time-now way that he shouldn't break any more strings because they had run out. Brett and Rennie as the George & Mildred of Americana. A favourite thing about The Butcher's Boy was, she dryly continued, that it is one of those folk songs where people are so depressed they can't live yet they have really demanding needs about their funeral.

The next song Peg And Awl was about shoe repair, according to Rennie, and technology, according to Brett. Which led Rennie to remark that earlier that day she saw a beautiful pair of cowboy boots (role-reinforcing? ;-), made of snakeskin with the snake's head at the tip of the toe. Probably high maintenance and not good for wet weather she mused, but still people are going to remember you when you walk into a room with the head of a snake on the tip of your shoe. And she's got a point there.

But we shouldn't only mention what they said but also what they played. Even though Brett had to read his lyrics from a music-stand, they put themselves in the shoes (Peg And Awl again ;-) of the song's protagonists. Doing different voices for different characters. That "No Sir, No Sir" from The Spanish Merchant's Daughter set your teeth on edge. ;-) Well, Rennie had warned us self-mockingly that sometimes when she sings this song all the light bulbs smash. The Handsome Family did justice to the songs in a loving, relaxed and entertaining way.

And so surprisingly did Meindert Talma & The Negroes. Surprisingly because Talma had translated some Anthology songs into Dutch. How would that work out? Well, it made Single Girl (yes, The Carter Family song also covered by 16hp on Folklore) sound even sillier. But the atmosphere of the darker songs was preserved remarkably well. The simple and straightforward lyrics delivered in Dutch with a Calvinistic northern accent managed to convey the same darkness and bleakness you'll find on Nick Cave's The Firstborn Is Dead. Meindert Talma's aura is that of a serious, introverted, teacher. Before each of the nine songs they played, Talma first explained in a lecturer's way when it was written, who the writer was, where he was born and what the song was about. It was funny to see the difference between that distance and the following intensity with which the songs were played.

We're no experts when it comes to pre World War-II folk music. Or folk music in general. Songs we recognized we knew from contemporary artists. Like Henry Lee from Nick Cave & PJ Harvey. John The Revelator (played by Talma and The Handsome Family, after which Rennie remarked that she felt closer to the Lord now that anybody else) from a Nick Cave performance during another Harry Smith night. The Coo Coo Bird (Handsome Family) from Kristin Hersh and Stackalee (or Stagger Lee, performed by Meindert Talma & The Negroes) again from Nick Cave. And Single Girl from 16hp of course. But hey, isn't that how folk music is supposed to work, being handed down orally/aurally?

Which brings us to the lecture by Roel Bentz van den Berg, music-journalist/essayist/maker of radio programmes and now also novelist, which started the proceedings. Against the backdrop of Harry Smith in his hipster-phase standing in front of his so-called brain drawings, Bentz van den Berg succeeded in connecting Plato and Pythagoras with Harry Smith, the mythology and numerology of the Ancients with the mythology and numerology of the Anthology and music and social changes. If one thing became clear it was Smith's leaning to try to structure and visualise anything. Literally anything, from the patterns of (American) Indian dances to the syncopations of jazz music to the workings of his own brain. And the Anthology is not just a bunch of songs put together haphazardly, but also another manifestation of the need to structure. Perhaps because he himself wasn't very structured? Certainly not when it came to paying the rent, we find out that he was a bit of a freeloader. But let's not get pseudo-psychoanalytical. Bentz van den Berg's introduction made for a great read, would have made for a great read. That's how it was written. It didn't always make for a great listen. The lecture could have been made livelier, now it didn't always manage to keep our attention.

And speaking about attention. We missed Rani Singh's lecture and decided to give Born Heller a miss after a few songs. Sometimes when musicians come to Amsterdam the lure of the coffee shops is too strong for them, and consequently the performance to weak. The only noteworthy thing about Born Heller was the bass-players resemblance to Johnny Depp in Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas.

David Eugene Edwards was the closing act tonight.And as this evening of the Harry Smith festival was dedicated to the Anthology we'd hoped that Edwards too would play (some) songs from Smith's compilation. Opener Flowers In My heart wasn't on but with its Appalachian feel it certainly fits the mood of the Anthology. As the short set progressed it became evident that he wouldn't play any "new" songs. He only played familiar songs, and not even Single Girl which is on the Anthology. And that was a bit of disappointment. People in the row behind us were disappointed too, but because of different reasons.

"Well, he's rather limited, it's just a monotonous stream. The guitar is too loud and it's hard to hear the lyrics." As we couldn't help overhearing. Actually we thought it was a rather good performance. Was Edwards only preaching to the converted in the Paradiso? Could other people not float along on that stream?

Some people did leave during the 45-minute set. But for what reason? Perhaps because Edwards isn't as accessible as the Handsome Family? As almost usual there was hardly no interaction (not of the spoken variant anyway) between Edwards and audience, with the exception of an almost inaudible Thank You For Clapping and some mumbling about tuning his instrument. As far as atmosphere is concerned Edwards has more in common with Talma (the strictness and introversion) than with the looseness of the Handsome Family. But his performance was very focussed and somewhat ill at ease. If you combine the two you get a good performance be it one which may be uncomfortable at times.

The highlight of uneasiness and intensity was his a capella version of Down In Yon Forest. The only accompaniment was the stamping of his feet. This way he had provided himself with a beat all night. During the Woven Hand tour with Ordy Garrison in November of last year Down In Yon Forest evolved into a 10-minute all-out rocker. This version was fragile and brave. When he sang the line about loving Jesus above everything there was a palpable tension in the former church. Was it related to the song, or where two people having an argument? But someone shouted that he found it appalling. Edwards just went on, naked without an instrument. And from the loud applause afterwards we can only conclude that he did not only win over the already converted.

It was a good short set, but on a Harry Smith festival we feel he should have done some Anthology songs. If there was a Beatles festival you would expect Oasis to play actual Beatles' songs and not just their own material even thought it is obviously influenced by the Beatles. You catch our drift, we hope.

And we also hope that there will be more Harry Smith nights. The Anthology is a goldmine of songs. Love to hear more of them by interesting contemporary artists.

by TYFC