Although Rev. Howard Finster, a preacher from rural Georgia with little formal education whose paintings went so far as to become REM and Talking Heads album covers, may be America's best known folk artist, he also had a little-discussed musical side. The album "The Night Howard Finster Got Saved" is largely dedicated to spoken-word tracks, but there's some ace tunes on it as well. Singing in a high'n' lonesome twang, playing guitar, harmonica, and, in this case, piano, Finster's music should sound familiar to anyone who's heard the "O Brother Where Art Thou" soundtrack. Or perhaps, considering the berserk piano stylings of today's mp3, Bob Vido.
Howard Finster, Man of Visions, Now On This Earth - "Some of These Days"
Makes me wish I'd bought that Finster painting I used to see for sale at La Luz de Jesus Gallery in Hollywood. I wasn't in the position to spend hundreds on art but it was great - a portait of a young Elvis with the painted caption "Elvis At Three Is A Angel To Me." The fact that it's "A Angel" and not "An Angel" is the clincher.
4 comments:
All we need now is someone to dig up a Grandma Moses album.
best known folk artist... I was at this party in NYC the other day and no one knew who the hell I was talking about. That city is so goddamned tunnel-visioned over itself sometimes. Thank you God for Georgia on my mind!
Heh, so New York really is like the "New Yorker" cover that depicts the rest of the country as empty wastelend? Don't worry, we'll get 'em all edjumacated.
Please repost some Finster tracks for download. Sounds AMAZING!
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