For more than four decades, Tom May has made his living roaming the continent and performing his songs as the quintessential modern-day troubadour. From this vantage point May is uniquely qualified to discuss with other singer-songwriters the craft of contemporary folk music writing and performance, and the influence of artists who inspired them to devote their lives to it.
While the name of the program is River City Folk, the folk idiom is broadly construed to include blues, roots, traditional, bluegrass, and ethnic -- any music that reveals the culture of the people who created and sang it in the past, as well as those who continue to create it and bring it to life today. The focus is on artists who doggedly perform full time, forging a career out of the long standing tradition of the itinerant musician and messenger.
In this weekly series of hour-long programs May interviews today's artists, listens to their songs, and explores the nature of this ancient art form which continues to be "music that matters" to those who are compelled to write it and perform wherever an audience can be gathered.
Each program in the series has a release date attached as a suggestion to synchronize its broadcast during a week long window. Despite both the date and the intent that these programs are to be aired as part of a regular weekly series, stations may feel free to select isolated programs from the series for airing at any time as a "one-off".
Episodes range in length between 57 and 59 minutes, although rare episodes can be as short as 55 minutes (shows below 57 minutes are noted as "SHORT"). Shows are structured with an optional break at near as practical to half an hour into the show.
For your convenience, a sample show is available here on PRX, however regular distribution of the series is via direct HTTP pickup at:
[NOTE: NEW URL FOR PASSWORD-FREE DOWNLOAD]
http://rcf.bltd.com/downloads/
If you choose to carry the series regularly, please email cletus@bltd.com and indicate your intent to carry for our records. Thank you.
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For more than four decades, Tom May has made his living roaming the continent and performing his songs as the quintessential modern-day troubadour. From this vantage point May is uniquely qualified to discuss with other singer-songwriters the craft of contemporary folk music writing and performance, and the influence of artists who inspired them to devote their lives to it. While the name of the program is River City Folk, the folk idiom is broadly construed to include blues, roots, traditional, bluegrass, and ethnic -- any music that reveals the culture of the people who created and sang it in the past, as well as those who continue to create it and bring it to life today. The focus is on artists who doggedly perform full time, forging a career out of the long standing tradition... Show full description
