Boggs and Gedney, a perfect match.

April 15, 2008 6:14 AM

The stark, modal banjo and achingly poignant, weathered voice of the great Dock Boggs [previous] are the perfect aural accompaniment to a slideshow of William Gedney's [previous] powerfully intimate photographs: Kentucky, 1964.

One more Dock Boggs on YouTube: Pretty Polly. Charming lo-fi animation accompanies this timeless ballad.

posted by flapjax at midnite (11 comments total)

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(There's no school like the old school.)
posted by Spatch at 6:15 AM on April 15, 2008

(Wait, how'd this get here? Last thing I knew, I was reading about Ollie Johnston. Next thing, I'm eulogizing in one of flapjax' awesome music offerings.)
posted by Spatch at 6:16 AM on April 15, 2008

A War on Poverty rather than terror or drugs. Old school was indeed better.
posted by Abiezer at 8:03 AM on April 15, 2008

Doc Boggs mashed up with Kentucky? How about Kerouac mashed up with Manhattan?
posted by vronsky at 9:03 AM on April 15, 2008

I feel as though I've become a human greasemonkey script that automatically favorites any flapjax at midnight posts.

And I'm fine with that. This music rules.
posted by Haruspex at 10:19 AM on April 15, 2008

There was a busker/homeless person at the 8th street and Astor Place subway station when I lived in NYC that played banjo and had a very Boggsian sound. Odd thing was he only had 2 strings on his banjo. I missed more than a few trains listening to him, and we had what I guess you would call a "friendship". The sound he got out of his instrument was about as high and lonesome a sound as I have ever heard.
posted by vronsky at 10:33 AM on April 15, 2008

This is awesome - thanks, flapjax.
posted by jonson at 1:04 PM on April 15, 2008

great video and great singing - can't beat the banjo
posted by blimp77 at 12:22 PM on April 16, 2008

:-)
posted by owhydididoit at 6:18 PM on April 16, 2008

My dad is oldest of nine who grew up in Unincorporated Warren County. I was born in Texas, but only lived until my dad returned home from the Philippines (he was in the Coast Guard). He tried to be a farmer but didn't like getting up before 8 or so and ended up being a lineman for Bell Telephone. He ended up writing a lot of code for them, and eventually managing staff, but he is back on the farm now. We don't talk much but that is another story.

6mos-4yo: Richardsville
5yo: Owensboro
6-9yo: Madisonville
10yo: Louisville
posted by owhydididoit at 6:36 PM on April 16, 2008

thank you for this post!

Elizabeth Barrett (Appalshop) is actually working on a documentary on William Gedney - the same filmmaker who did "Stranger with a Camera," subject of a recent MF post.

From Appalshop's site:

William Gedney Media Project
Elizabeth Barret and Judi Jennings have launched a new documentary on the photographic legacy of recently rediscovered American artist William Gedney (1932-1989). The digital video will examine the tradition of photography when Gedney was making his excursions to the Appalachian coalfield area during 1964 and 1972 as well as the political and social context of east Kentucky at that time. In addition, it will further interpret his work by exploring the artistic process through his notebook writing and book-making activities as well as the point of view of the extended family members who were photographed by Gedney.
posted by ethel at 12:09 AM on April 17, 2008