Odetta is one of the most beloved figures of American folk music. In a fascinating exchange with Ysaye M. Barnwell (Sweet Honey in the Rock), Odetta shares the wisdom, music and singing technique that she has acquired during a lifetime of experience. She offers important advice and inspiration to all singers and performers who want to gain insights into the musical thinking of a great artist.
Aspiring singers will be fascinated by Odetta's thoughts on vocal style and technique, how she warms up for a concert, her process in choosing her repertoire and how she approaches a song's lyrics. You'll learn how she uses her influential guitar strumming style to build a rhythmic foundation for her songs, as she demonstrates with the classic folk ballad "On Top of Old Smoky."
Odetta reminisces about her early classical vocal training, her days in musical theater, her introduction to folk music and important musical influences such as Paul Robeson and Marian Anderson. During the course of your visit with Odetta, you'll hear her sing powerful a cappella renditions of "Motherless Child," "Lay My Burden Down" and "True Believer." With her guitar, she performs the lyrical "Water is Wide/Gift of Heaven" medley (in open tuning), along with beautiful renditions of "Sittin' Here in Limbo," "Hit or Miss" and "Cool Water."
A folksinger distinguished by the power and clarity of her voice as well as the richness and intensity of her delivery, Odetta has been virtually a living archive of American music. (This year, she celebrates her fiftieth year as a professional performer and musician!) By tirelessly researching, recording, and touring, she has kept alive the legacy of early folk, spiritual and blues singers, from Bessie Smith to Leadbelly, as well as having a significant influence on innumerable contemporary songwriters and performers.
Whether standing in front of a symphony orchestra or alone with her guitar, Odetta is a commanding presence on stage. In the liner notes to "Odetta Sings the Blues," critic Adam Barnes described her's as "a large and significant voice that can swell with majesty, phrase delicately, dipping deep into the bottomless well of song."
Odetta is an original talent who has inspired artists as diverse as Bob Dylan, Janis Joplin, Tracy Chapman and Joan Baez. We at Homespun feel privileged to have worked with Odetta and Dr. Ysaye Barnwell in creating this unique video.
Odetta is one of the most beloved figures of American folk music. In a fascinating exchange with Ysaye M. Barnwell (Sweet Honey in the Rock), Odetta shares the wisdom, music and singing technique that she has acquired during a lifetime of experience. She offers important advice and inspiration to all singers and performers who want to gain insights into the musical thinking of a great artist.