Tom Winslow
Encyclopedia
Thomas Griffin "Tom" Winslow (November 13, 1940, Hobgood, North Carolina
– died October 23, 2010, Albany, New York
) was a prominent American
folk
singer and writer, best known as a "disciple" of Reverend Gary Davis
and a former member of Pete Seeger
's band. He performed with his family as The Winslows and recorded with Al Polito. His career as a performing artist lasted over forty years. He was most notable as the composer of "Hey Looka Yonder (It's The Clear Water)", a folk song that has been the anthem of the Sloop Clearwater.
While he toured throughout the United States, he continued to perform in Upstate New York
until shortly before his death at the age of 70. His children are the performing artists Thomasina Winslow
and Gary Winslow.
, a country-folk musician from the first half of the 20th century. He toured throughout the United States during the 1960s and 1970s, sometimes as a solo act, as well as with his family act, The Winslows. In the 1960s, he worked at Vassar College
in the equestrian
program, and off-season, as a construction
worker at Albany, New York
's Empire State Plaza
.
, "Hey Looka Yonder", which is known also as "It's the Clearwater" and "It's the Clear Water". This song, recorded by Biograph Records
in 1969, is about the fundraising for the sloop Clearwater, and in particular how "black and white" got together to create a floating environmental education
school. Its mission was to clean up the water of then-polluted Hudson River
.
This song is significant and historic in several ways:
A huge hit for a musical tradition outside of the popular music
mainstream, the album
and single
of "It's the Clearwater" are coveted still by collectors of old-time folk music.
circuit for four decades. His music has been described as "classic blues and spirituals" by "a seasoned craftsman". Winslow was a mentor for a number of musicians, including his children and Guy Davis
.
, due to care-taking for his wife, Edral, who died in January 2007.
He played frequently at the People's Voices Cafe on 33rd St. in New York City
in the 1980s. He has also performed at the Towne Crier Cafe in Beekman, New York
. His music has been played on WFMU
's program, Shrunken Planet WFMU Programming list of artists web page
In 2001, he performed at a Lincoln Center's "Out of Doors" Reverend Gary Davis
tribute show, performing with an all-star
line-up.
He performed at least annually at the Caffe Lena
, a folk and blues venue in Saratoga Springs
. At his last show on September 16, 2007, he was joined by his daughter, Thomasina.
During the early 2000s he played regularly in Troy
's Washington Park, and the Troy Farmer's Market; the last time being April 26, 2008. He was called an "Edu-tainer
Par Excellence!"
His shows at the Troy Farmer's Market helped earn it the "Best Farmer's Market - Best Goods" awards from Metroland, the Capital District
weekly newspaper, and his performance was lauded specifically. He shared in a "Best live regional entertainment" award.
Hobgood, North Carolina
Hobgood is a town in Halifax County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 404. It is part of the Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
– died October 23, 2010, Albany, New York
Albany, New York
Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
) was a prominent American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
singer and writer, best known as a "disciple" of Reverend Gary Davis
Reverend Gary Davis
Reverend Gary Davis, also Blind Gary Davis, was an American blues and gospel singer and guitarist, who was also proficient on the banjo and harmonica...
and a former member of Pete Seeger
Pete Seeger
Peter "Pete" Seeger is an American folk singer and was an iconic figure in the mid-twentieth century American folk music revival. A fixture on nationwide radio in the 1940s, he also had a string of hit records during the early 1950s as a member of The Weavers, most notably their recording of Lead...
's band. He performed with his family as The Winslows and recorded with Al Polito. His career as a performing artist lasted over forty years. He was most notable as the composer of "Hey Looka Yonder (It's The Clear Water)", a folk song that has been the anthem of the Sloop Clearwater.
While he toured throughout the United States, he continued to perform in Upstate New York
Upstate New York
Upstate New York is the region of the U.S. state of New York that is located north of the core of the New York metropolitan area.-Definition:There is no clear or official boundary between Upstate New York and Downstate New York...
until shortly before his death at the age of 70. His children are the performing artists Thomasina Winslow
Thomasina Winslow
Thomasina Winslow is an American blues musician from the Albany, New York area, and the daughter of folk musician Tom Winslow. As a toddler, she sang back-up on her father's folk music classic Hey Looka Yonder ; also singing a solo version of One-Two-Three, another version of which she produced on...
and Gary Winslow.
Early career
As a teenager, Winslow learned to play guitar from his grandfather, Thomas Winslow. He was a band member of the Reverend Gary DavisReverend Gary Davis
Reverend Gary Davis, also Blind Gary Davis, was an American blues and gospel singer and guitarist, who was also proficient on the banjo and harmonica...
, a country-folk musician from the first half of the 20th century. He toured throughout the United States during the 1960s and 1970s, sometimes as a solo act, as well as with his family act, The Winslows. In the 1960s, he worked at Vassar College
Vassar College
Vassar College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college in the town of Poughkeepsie, New York, in the United States. The Vassar campus comprises over and more than 100 buildings, including four National Historic Landmarks, ranging in style from Collegiate Gothic to International,...
in the equestrian
Equestrianism
Equestrianism more often known as riding, horseback riding or horse riding refers to the skill of riding, driving, or vaulting with horses...
program, and off-season, as a construction
Construction
In the fields of architecture and civil engineering, construction is a process that consists of the building or assembling of infrastructure. Far from being a single activity, large scale construction is a feat of human multitasking...
worker at Albany, New York
Albany, New York
Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
's Empire State Plaza
Empire State Plaza
The Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller Empire State Plaza is a complex of several state government buildings in downtown Albany, New York....
.
"Hey Looka Yonder (It's the Clearwater)"
Winslow's great enduring fame comes from penning and performing the now-classic balladBallad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of British and Irish popular poetry and song from the later medieval period until the 19th century and used extensively across Europe and later the Americas, Australia and North Africa. Many...
, "Hey Looka Yonder", which is known also as "It's the Clearwater" and "It's the Clear Water". This song, recorded by Biograph Records
Biograph Records
Biograph Records is a record label founded in 1967 by Arnold S. Caplin. It specialized in early American ragtime, jazz, and blues music. Biograph was the first label to issue records made from piano rolls created by Scott Joplin, Jelly Roll Morton and George Gershwin.In 2002, Biograph Records was...
in 1969, is about the fundraising for the sloop Clearwater, and in particular how "black and white" got together to create a floating environmental education
Environmental education
Environmental education refers to organized efforts to teach about how natural environments function and, particularly, how human beings can manage their behavior and ecosystems in order to live sustainably. The term is often used to imply education within the school system, from primary to...
school. Its mission was to clean up the water of then-polluted Hudson River
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
.
This song is significant and historic in several ways:
- It was the first environmentalEcologyEcology is the scientific study of the relations that living organisms have with respect to each other and their natural environment. Variables of interest to ecologists include the composition, distribution, amount , number, and changing states of organisms within and among ecosystems...
song by an African-american song-writer, predating "Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)"Mercy Mercy Me " was the second single from Marvin Gaye's 1971 album, What's Going On. Following the breakthrough of the title track's success, the song, written solely by Gaye, became one of his most poignant anthems of sorrow regarding the environment...
" by two full years. - It was Peter Seeger's and Tom Winslow's major collaboration.
- It was first recording by The Winslows - which included Tom Winslow's entire family, including toddler Thomasina Winslow, now a blues singer in her own right, singing and playing instruments in the background.
A huge hit for a musical tradition outside of the popular music
Popular music
Popular music belongs to any of a number of musical genres "having wide appeal" and is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. It stands in contrast to both art music and traditional music, which are typically disseminated academically or orally to smaller, local...
mainstream, the album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
and single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
of "It's the Clearwater" are coveted still by collectors of old-time folk music.
Folk music circuit
Winslow was part of the folk musicFolk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
circuit for four decades. His music has been described as "classic blues and spirituals" by "a seasoned craftsman". Winslow was a mentor for a number of musicians, including his children and Guy Davis
Guy Davis (musician)
Guy Davis is an American blues guitarist and banjo player, actor, and musician. He is the son of actors Ruby Dee and the late Ossie Davis.-Davis' roots:Davis says his blues music is inspired by the southern speech of his grandmother...
.
Later career
By the early 2000s he did not travel far from his home in New Baltimore, New YorkNew Baltimore, New York
New Baltimore is a town in Greene County, New York, United States. The population was 3,370 at the 2010 census.The Town of New Baltimore is in the northeast part of the county.- History :The region was part of the Mahican homeland....
, due to care-taking for his wife, Edral, who died in January 2007.
He played frequently at the People's Voices Cafe on 33rd St. in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in the 1980s. He has also performed at the Towne Crier Cafe in Beekman, New York
Beekman, New York
Beekman is a town in Dutchess County, New York, United States. It is part of the Poughkeepsie–Newburgh–Middletown, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area as well as the larger New York–Newark–Bridgeport, NY-NJ-CT-PA Combined Statistical Area. The population was 11,452 at the 2000...
. His music has been played on WFMU
WFMU
WFMU is a listener-supported, independent community radio station headquartered in Jersey City, New Jersey, United States, broadcasting at 91.1 MHz FM, presenting a freeform radio format...
's program, Shrunken Planet WFMU Programming list of artists web page
In 2001, he performed at a Lincoln Center's "Out of Doors" Reverend Gary Davis
Reverend Gary Davis
Reverend Gary Davis, also Blind Gary Davis, was an American blues and gospel singer and guitarist, who was also proficient on the banjo and harmonica...
tribute show, performing with an all-star
All-star
All-star is a term designating an individual as having a high level of performance in their field. Originating in sports, it has since drifted into vernacular and been borrowed heavily by the entertainment industry...
line-up.
He performed at least annually at the Caffe Lena
Caffè Lena
Located in Saratoga Springs, New York, Caffè Lena is the oldest continually running coffee house in the United States. Founded in 1960 by Bill and Lena Spencer, it features acoustic concerts and cultural events showcasing folk music, traditional music, and singer-songwriters of a wide range...
, a folk and blues venue in Saratoga Springs
Saratoga Springs, New York
Saratoga Springs, also known as simply Saratoga, is a city in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The population was 26,586 at the 2010 census. The name reflects the presence of mineral springs in the area. While the word "Saratoga" is known to be a corruption of a Native American name, ...
. At his last show on September 16, 2007, he was joined by his daughter, Thomasina.
During the early 2000s he played regularly in Troy
Troy, New York
Troy is a city in the US State of New York and the seat of Rensselaer County. Troy is located on the western edge of Rensselaer County and on the eastern bank of the Hudson River. Troy has close ties to the nearby cities of Albany and Schenectady, forming a region popularly called the Capital...
's Washington Park, and the Troy Farmer's Market; the last time being April 26, 2008. He was called an "Edu-tainer
Edutainment
Edutainment is a form of entertainment designed to educate as well as to amuse.-Overview:...
Par Excellence!"
His shows at the Troy Farmer's Market helped earn it the "Best Farmer's Market - Best Goods" awards from Metroland, the Capital District
Capital District
New York's Capital District, also known as the Capital Region, is a region in upstate New York that generally refers to the four counties surrounding Albany, the capital of the state: Albany County, Schenectady County, Rensselaer County, and Saratoga County...
weekly newspaper, and his performance was lauded specifically. He shared in a "Best live regional entertainment" award.
Discography
- Tom Winslow (Biograph 1969), includes "Bring Them Home" (a Pete Seeger tune).
- Its the Clear Water (Biograph 1969, re-released 1992) BLP-12018
- Inner Octaves (Truth Records 1978) (TR13712)
- Digital Podcast of Sunday Morning in Exile (compilation); Winslow performs "I The Living".
- PBS documentary, 'Til the River Runs Clear (soundtrack)
- Played with Gary Winslow on D Baby
- Played with Al Polito (guest guitarist)
See also
- Reverend Gary DavisReverend Gary DavisReverend Gary Davis, also Blind Gary Davis, was an American blues and gospel singer and guitarist, who was also proficient on the banjo and harmonica...
- Peter Seeger
- Thomasina WinslowThomasina WinslowThomasina Winslow is an American blues musician from the Albany, New York area, and the daughter of folk musician Tom Winslow. As a toddler, she sang back-up on her father's folk music classic Hey Looka Yonder ; also singing a solo version of One-Two-Three, another version of which she produced on...
External links
- MP3 of Hey Looka Yonder
- [ Tom Winslow at allmusic]