Odetta: Walkin' the Walk!

There are few folk singers with operatic training. The ones that have it, well, they shine in a way that brings folk tunes to its highest voltage. Judy Collins. Amy Speace. Joe Jencks.

And Odetta.

Odetta is among the prestigious group of artists that has performed an Artist Confidential at XM Satellite Radio. She is a foundation in the folk movement. The folk movement would be missing a major wave of passion without her and it seems all roads lead to her.

Her CD “Gonna Let It Shine” is up for A Grammy this year. Released December 2005, Odetta's CD was recorded live with the Holmes Brothers and Seth Farber on piano. Includes the "Freedom Trilogy," a medley of spirituals that served as frontline songs during the civil rights movement, and other African-American spirituals celebrating the promise of hope and freedom. Odetta's rap with the audience teaches us the meaning of the songs, while her exhortation in "Keep On Moving It On" calls us to action.

And she is no stranger to the front lines of action herself. She walks the walk. Yes, Odetta is a living legend of the civil rights movement and a giant of American music. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. called her "the Queen of American folk music." As the voice of the civil rights movement, she crafted its musical backdrop, recalling the movement's poignant history while helping to define a new landscape for Americans of all backgrounds.

Thanks to our friends at Wikipedia, we also know the thread connecting Bob Dylan and Odetta. Bob Dylan, who said, "The first thing that turned me on to folk singing was Odetta. I heard a record of hers [Odetta Sings Ballads and Blues in a record store, back when you could listen to records right there in the store. Right then and there, I went out and traded my electric guitar and amplifier for an acoustical guitar, a flat-top Gibson [That album was] just something vital and personal. I learned all the songs on that record. It was her first and the songs were- 'Mule Skinner', 'Waterboy', 'Jack of Diamonds', 'Buked and Scorned'." In 1965, She returns the favor. Odetta recorded an album of Dylan covers, Odetta Sings Dylan

I hear Mr. Dylan is up for more than a couple Grammys himself this year.

Mary Sue Twohy
XM15 The Village