Allan Thomas Paley (March 19, 1928 – September 30, 2017) was an American guitarist, banjo and fiddle player. He was best known for his work with the New Lost City Ramblers in the 1950s and 1960s.[1]
Paley was born on March 19, 1928 and raised in New York City.[1][2] His parents were left-wing activists, and he grew up hearing spirituals and political songs. After moving with his mother to California for several years in his early teens, he returned to New York and began learning the guitar and banjo, and visiting clubs where singers such as Lead Belly and Josh White performed. He also began performing, both solo and with other musicians including Woody Guthrie, and booking performances for others.[3][4]
From September 1950 to May 1951 he was a graduate student in the mathematics department of Yale University. After one year he decided to be a musician rather than a mathematician.
In 1953 he recorded his first album Folk Songs of the Southern Appalachian Mountains, for Jac Holzman's then-new Elektra Records.[3] On May 25, 1958, Paley, John Cohen and Mike Seeger played together live on air for John Dildine's weekly folk music radio show on WASH-FM: this was the first appearance of what later became the New Lost City Ramblers.[2] Paley later said:[3]
When we formed The New Lost City Ramblers it was the kind of thing I'd been doing for quite a few years.... It didn't feel particularly revolutionary to me but I understood we had quite an impact on young people like Dylan.
Paley, both as a solo artist and as member of the New Lost City Ramblers, has been cited by many as a source and influence, among them Bob Dylan,[5] and The Grateful Dead.[6] He recorded nine albums as a member of the New Lost City Ramblers between 1958 and 1962.[7]
Paley left the band when Cohen and Seeger wanted the group to become more professional and Paley refused to sign statements about his political allegiances;[3] he was replaced by Tracy Schwarz. He formed another group, the Old Reliable String Band with Roy Berkeley and Artie Rose,[4] before leaving the United States in 1963, when he and his wife Claudia went to live in Sweden. They remained there until 1965 when they moved to England, where Paley had increasingly been working.[3][8]
Paley subsequently toured widely, in the UK, US, Scandinavia and elsewhere. He also performed as a member of the New Deal String Band, based in London, intermittently since the 1960s. After learning the fiddle, he released two albums of traditional Scandinavian music, On a Cold Winter Night (1993) and Svenska Låtar: Swedish Fiddle Tunes (1998), both recorded with his son Ben.[1] His collaboration with Bert Deivert, Beware Young Ladies!, was released in 2007.[1]
He was the honorary President of the Friends of American Old-Time Music and Dance (FOAOTMAD).[4] Another album, Roll on, Roll on, was released in 2012. He was interviewed on BBC Radio 4's Today programme on July 4, 2012 at the launch party of the new album. On September 30, 2017, Paley died in Brighton, England at the age of 89.[9]
Discography
Solo
Folksongs of the Southern Appalachian Mountains (1953)
Sue Cow (1969)
Hard Luck Papa. Old Time Picking Styles and Techniques (1976) Joe Locker appears uncredited
Tom Paley, John Cohen, Mike Seeger sing songs of The New Lost City Ramblers (1961)
The New Lost City Ramblers (7" EP) (1961)
Earth Is Earth (as the New Lost City Bang Boys) (7" EP) (1961)
The New Lost City Ramblers Volume 4 (1962)
American Moonshine And Prohibition (1962)
The New Lost City Ramblers Volume 5 (1963)
Collaboration – Eric Weissberg, Tom Paley, Art Rosenbaum, Marshall Brickman.
Folk Banjo Styles (1962)
Old Reliable String Band (Tom Paley, Roy Berkeley and Artie Rose).
The Old Reliable String Band (1962)
Collaboration – Tom Paley and Peggy Seeger with Claudia Paley.
'Who's Going to Shoe Your Pretty Little Foot?Topic (1964) now available as a download.
In 2009 Girl on the Green Briar Shore, track sixteen from this album was included in Topic Records 70 year anniversary boxed set Three Score and Ten as track five on the seventh CD.
The New Deal String Band (Tom Paley, Joe Locker, Janet Kerr).
^Friskics-Warren, Bill (2 October 2017). "Tom Paley, Who Drove a Folk Revival With Banjo, Guitar and Voice, Dies at 89". The New York Times. Retrieved 3 October 2017.
External links
Illustrated Tom Paley discography
Discography at Smithsonian Folkways Recordings
February 18, 2023
paley, allan, thomas, paley, march, 1928, september, 2017, american, guitarist, banjo, fiddle, player, best, known, work, with, lost, city, ramblers, 1950s, 1960s, birth, nameallan, thomas, paleyborn, 1928, march, 1928new, york, city, diedseptember, 2017, 2017. Allan Thomas Paley March 19 1928 September 30 2017 was an American guitarist banjo and fiddle player He was best known for his work with the New Lost City Ramblers in the 1950s and 1960s 1 Tom PaleyBirth nameAllan Thomas PaleyBorn 1928 03 19 March 19 1928New York City U S DiedSeptember 30 2017 2017 09 30 aged 89 Brighton EnglandOccupation s MusicianInstrument s GuitarbanjofiddleYears activeEarly 1950s 2017LabelsElektraFolkwaysTopicArgoKicking MuleGlobal VillageWildwoodGravitationHornbeamWebsitetompaley wbr org Contents 1 Biography 2 Discography 2 1 Solo 2 2 Collaborations 3 References 4 External linksBiography EditPaley was born on March 19 1928 and raised in New York City 1 2 His parents were left wing activists and he grew up hearing spirituals and political songs After moving with his mother to California for several years in his early teens he returned to New York and began learning the guitar and banjo and visiting clubs where singers such as Lead Belly and Josh White performed He also began performing both solo and with other musicians including Woody Guthrie and booking performances for others 3 4 From September 1950 to May 1951 he was a graduate student in the mathematics department of Yale University After one year he decided to be a musician rather than a mathematician In 1953 he recorded his first album Folk Songs of the Southern Appalachian Mountains for Jac Holzman s then new Elektra Records 3 On May 25 1958 Paley John Cohen and Mike Seeger played together live on air for John Dildine s weekly folk music radio show on WASH FM this was the first appearance of what later became the New Lost City Ramblers 2 Paley later said 3 When we formed The New Lost City Ramblers it was the kind of thing I d been doing for quite a few years It didn t feel particularly revolutionary to me but I understood we had quite an impact on young people like Dylan Paley both as a solo artist and as member of the New Lost City Ramblers has been cited by many as a source and influence among them Bob Dylan 5 and The Grateful Dead 6 He recorded nine albums as a member of the New Lost City Ramblers between 1958 and 1962 7 Paley left the band when Cohen and Seeger wanted the group to become more professional and Paley refused to sign statements about his political allegiances 3 he was replaced by Tracy Schwarz He formed another group the Old Reliable String Band with Roy Berkeley and Artie Rose 4 before leaving the United States in 1963 when he and his wife Claudia went to live in Sweden They remained there until 1965 when they moved to England where Paley had increasingly been working 3 8 Paley subsequently toured widely in the UK US Scandinavia and elsewhere He also performed as a member of the New Deal String Band based in London intermittently since the 1960s After learning the fiddle he released two albums of traditional Scandinavian music On a Cold Winter Night 1993 and Svenska Latar Swedish Fiddle Tunes 1998 both recorded with his son Ben 1 His collaboration with Bert Deivert Beware Young Ladies was released in 2007 1 He was the honorary President of the Friends of American Old Time Music and Dance FOAOTMAD 4 Another album Roll on Roll on was released in 2012 He was interviewed on BBC Radio 4 s Today programme on July 4 2012 at the launch party of the new album On September 30 2017 Paley died in Brighton England at the age of 89 9 Discography EditSolo Edit Folksongs of the Southern Appalachian Mountains 1953 Sue Cow 1969 Hard Luck Papa Old Time Picking Styles and Techniques 1976 Joe Locker appears uncredited Stern Old Bachelor 1985 Old Tom Moore and More 1991 Collaborations Edit Collaboration Jean Ritchie Oscar Brand Tom Paley Harry and Jeanie West Shivaree 1955 Collaboration Jean Ritchie Oscar Brand and Tom Paley Courtin s A Pleasure 1955 The New Lost City Ramblers John Cohen Tom Paley Mike Seeger The New Lost City Ramblers 1958 The New Lost City Ramblers Volume II 1959 Songs From The Depression 1959 Old Timey Songs For Children 1959 The New Lost City Ramblers Volume 3 1961 Tom Paley John Cohen Mike Seeger sing songs of The New Lost City Ramblers 1961 The New Lost City Ramblers 7 EP 1961 Earth Is Earth as the New Lost City Bang Boys 7 EP 1961 The New Lost City Ramblers Volume 4 1962 American Moonshine And Prohibition 1962 The New Lost City Ramblers Volume 5 1963 Collaboration Eric Weissberg Tom Paley Art Rosenbaum Marshall Brickman Folk Banjo Styles 1962 Old Reliable String Band Tom Paley Roy Berkeley and Artie Rose The Old Reliable String Band 1962 Collaboration Tom Paley and Peggy Seeger with Claudia Paley Who s Going to Shoe Your Pretty Little Foot Topic 1964 now available as a download In 2009 Girl on the Green Briar Shore track sixteen from this album was included in Topic Records 70 year anniversary boxed set Three Score and Ten as track five on the seventh CD The New Deal String Band Tom Paley Joe Locker Janet Kerr Down in the Willow 1969 Cyril Tawney Children s Songs From Devon And Cornwall 1969 A Mayflower Garland 1970 The New Deal String Band Tom Paley Joe Locker Ben Paley Dealing a New Hand from the Same Old Deck 1999 The Mysterious Redbirds Tom Paley James Reams Bill Christophersen The Mysterious RedbirdsCollaboration Tom and Ben Paley Svenska Latar 1998 On A Cold Winter Night recorded 1989 1993 Paley amp Son Hornbeam Recordings 2015 Collaboration Tom Paley with Barbara Lester and Ben Paley Heartsease 1991 Separate Ways 1993 Collaboration Tom Paley featuring Bert Deivert Beware Young Ladies Gravitation 023 Sweden 2007 Tom Paley s Old Time Moonshine Revue Roll On Roll On Hornbeam Recordings 2012 References Edit a b c d Don Stevens Tom Paley Allmusic Retrieved November 27 2011 a b Allen Ray Gone To The Country The New Lost City Ramblers amp The Folk Revival University of Illinois Press 2010 p 30 a b c d e Garth Cartwright Folk of Ages Record Collector no 415 June 2013 pp 63 68 a b c Tom Paley s Tradtitional Music Archived from the original on 2012 12 30 Retrieved 2013 07 22 World Gone Wrong The Official Bob Dylan Site Bobdylan com Retrieved 3 October 2017 Lofgren Lyle Old Time amp Bluegrass Directions Episode 6 Lizlyle lofgrens org Retrieved 3 October 2017 Tom Paley Discography Wirz de Retrieved July 21 2013 Private conversations 1974 to 2017 Friskics Warren Bill 2 October 2017 Tom Paley Who Drove a Folk Revival With Banjo Guitar and Voice Dies at 89 The New York Times Retrieved 3 October 2017 External links EditIllustrated Tom Paley discography Discography at Smithsonian Folkways Recordings Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Tom Paley amp oldid 1105511018, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
