Woody Guthrie and The Columbia River Songs Workshop February 9, 2008

Saturday: 10:00 AM

The Wanderers take a look at Woody Guthries work through stories and songs.
------------------------This is an in-depth look at Woody Guthrie's creation of the Columbia River songs collection. In May 1941 Woody Guthrie went to Portland, Oregon to work for a federal agency, the Bonneville Power Administration. He was hired to write songs for a movie the agency wanted to produce. Guthrie wrote 26 songs in 30 days, some of which have become his most famous, such as "Roll On, Columbia," "Pastures of Plenty," "The Grand Coulee Dam," and others. Since 1985, The Wanderers have traveled the West telling the stories of these Woody Guthrie songs. More than half of the songs disappeared after Guthrie left the Northwest. Bill Murlin rediscovered manuscripts and recordings of many of the Columbia River songs and published the entire collection for the first time in 1987-88. Carl Allen has researched Guthrie's life and times and, for ten years, Allen presented a one-man show,doing a first-person characterization of Guthrie, talking about his Columbia River songs. The Wanderers will discuss the behind-the-scenes stories of these songs and sing many of them during their workshop. Attendees are welcome to bring instruments. CDs of many of the songs will be available. There is a songbook containing all 26 of the songs but it is available ONLY through the Woody Guthrie Foundation (www.woodyguthrie.org) or through used sources.
Admission is $20. Call 623-974-8692 to pre-register.

Event submitted by Eventful.com on behalf of yorkiegirl55.