BONNIE BEECHER STATEMENT | BOB DYLAN STATEMENT | OTHER SONGS POSSIBLY LEARNED THROUGH ODETTA | ODETTA ALBUM OF DYLAN COVERS

Odetta, Germany, 1993 (Frank Pusch)

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The great Odetta, born Odetta Felious in Birmingham, is currently under fire for doing a blues album that is closer to jazz than folk. But she remains one of the best folk singers going; her brawny female baritone can run through a wider variety of mood and matter than most singers would dare attempt.

"JOAN BAEZ -- Folk Singing: Sybil with guitar," TIME Magazine, Nov 23, 1962.

BONNIE BEECHER (JAHARANA ROMNEY):

I remember one time... Odetta was coming to town... So me and Cynthia Fisher... were plotting as to how we could get Dylan to meet Odetta and play for her... And in fact he did meet her... and I remember Cynthia Fisher coming running over to my house..., saying, "She said that Dylan has real talent and he can make it!"

Markus Wittman Interview, The Telegraph No. 36, Summer 1990, p. 12.

BOB DYLAN:

I learned all the songs on that record. It was her first and the songs were "Mule Skinner", "Jack of Diamonds", "Water Boy", "'Buked and Scorned.

Malibu, 1978

OTHER SONGS POSSIBLY LEARNED THROUGH ODETTA'S RECORDINGS:

• Devilish Mary (Minnesota Party Tape, May 1961)
• (Ain't No More) Cane On The Brazos (2nd Gaslight Tape, late 1962)
• Motherless Children (Blind Willie Johnson) (2nd Gaslight Tape, late 1962)
• No More Auction Block (2nd Gaslight Tape, late 1962)

ODETTA ALBUM OF BOB DYLAN COVERS:

ODETTA SINGS DYLAN (RCA LSP-3324, 1965):

• Baby, I'm In The Mood For You
• Long Ago, Far Away
• Don't Think Twice, It's All Right
• Tomorrow Is A Long Time
• Masters Of War
• Walkin' Down The Line
• The Times They Are A-Changin'
• With God On Our Side
• Long Time Gone
• Mr. Tambourine Man

with BRUCE LANGHORNE, guitar/tambourine