Pete seeger tribute contest for seasonistas

Hey fellow seasonistas, here is a little sideline competition that I'm running in tribute to the man who changed my life: Pete Seeger, and in honour of the beautiful people that frequent this board and put themselves out there every single week: you guys and gals.

Simply play me any song that Pete recorded or performed live during his amazing career that spanned nearly a century. No rules except that you record the video new for this contest and put your whole heart and soul into it.

The competition will run exactly one week, as would a regular season, from the time of this post. I will make a tribute playlist and comment on all videos entered. One video only per seasonista. The judging framework will be entirely arbitrary but the winner will be the performance that moves me more than any other.

The winning seasonista will receive a new tenor scale Barry Sholder gourd banjo-ukulele. Pete was primarily a banjo player so this prize is not only very beautiful but seems entirely appropriate.

Thanks all. I wanna keep this very simple, hence the no rules criterion. But if you do have any questions please post in the thread. I will announce the winning entry the day after the competition ends and the uke will be in the mail the following day.



EDIT TO ADD:

As it's only one song per person I hope it doesn't get in the way of the regular seasons it overlaps. Just play me a song in between your regular weekly-themed duties as you find the time and/or inclination, K? x

Oooh what a great competition. I love everything about Pete Seeger. He was a true inspiration. Got my song all ready. Just got to figure out the best key now. ;-)

you, sir, are extremely generous.

Well you knew I would be here didn't you Jon.
Thank you for giving me another opportunity to express my total admiration for this wonderful human being.
This is such a beautiful piece of writing.
To My Old Brown Earth. Had a bit of trouble getting this one to come out tidy.

what a great idea for a contest, well, a celebration really, and what a super prize!

This should be fun. Looooove Seeger and love this extended tribute contest

What a great idea - super tribute, and very generous prize! Why should we be surprised, this is typical of your generosity of spirit.

Hi Jon. This is a marvellous competition and a chance to pay tribute to an amazing artist and human being. In my view Pete Seeger was an inspiration and role model to humanity. I really couldn't pay anyone a bigger compliment than that. Here is my take on Where Have All The Flowers Gone.
I decided to play this one on my Gretsch G9100 rather than my usual Martin Ukulele because I thought for once the tone that the Gretsch tuned up to D was better suited to this particular song. I'm looking forward to seeing some great entries.

Somos el Barco

It took me a few takes to get this done. You know how words this powerful hit you like a ton of bricks? One take verse 2 gets me. I get through verse 2 and on the next take, BAM, verse 3 gets me. A dear friend, the Best Man at our wedding, one of those folks you just cherish as a family member even though we are not blood (we’ve been through so much together), is in Shock Trauma right now with an aortic tear that is being treated with medication. This is not good! Actually, most people don’t even make it to the ER with this sort of injury, so here’s hoping. I’ve got to pull myself together and go visit him this morning and I wanted to do this before I go. It is to my friend and brother, Bruce Johnson, that I dedicate this song as I think of the many joyful years we have sailed the seas of life together and to hoping that this will not be the end to our sailing days.

I love Pete Seeger so I am really happy to contribute. I think of him as a great man who happened to be a musician. This was a song I sang to Sam at bedtime from the day he was born (with modified lyrics). Thanks go out to Pete (and Jon for this contest!)

Bet that banjolele just lulled 'em right into slumber, Mark.

KoaDependent said:

Bet that banjolele just lulled 'em right into slumber, Mark.

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That was back in my guitar days - long before I discovered the joy of the uke.

Thanks Pal

decaturcomp said:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rt5vE-mOgk

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Brilliant rendition of this song - prefer your version over Pete's. Great work.. Like, really. Wow.

When I was a young child, I thought war was a game of good guys versus bad guys---like in the movies and like playing with army toys.

When I first heard this song---I was still a child---I immediately understood that war is not a game, and that "good guys" and "bad guys" were all just guys. Important lessons that still need still need to be taught all over the world. Keep singing, everyone.



Thanks for the reminder to think about Seeger and his work this week, Jon.

One of the things I loved about Pete Seeger is that he always involved his audience. He was a very present guy that wasn't untouchable. He had a gift. We are so lucky to have had him around for so long. Lets keep his work alive forever Shenandoah was one he always had his audience sing along to.

I have been looking at some Pete Seeger Documentries and what struck me
was that his wife Toshi was quite a remarkable woman. She was a keen
gardener and a film maker who made the Emmy award winning film
Pete Seeger: The Power of Song,

So this is a little song dedicated to her and to gardeners everywhere.

This is such a great contest, and such a generous prize.

I'm stepping up with one of my all-time favourite folk/gospel songs.

Entry:

Pete Seeger Tribute, God's Counting On Me, God's Counting On You.

I hope you all like it.

I met Pete Seeger at a folk festival in 1991. At the concert at the end of the festival, he led us in this song. My voice is a little froggy today, and I made a few flubs, but here's what I have for ya: