(classical music) - [Announcer] Production of Applause on WVIZ/PBS is made possible by grants from the John P. Murphy Foundation, the Kulas Foundation, the Stroud Family Trust, the Kelvin & Eleanor Smith Foundation, and by Cuyahoga County residents, through Cuyahoga Arts & Culture.

(jazz music) (folk music) ♪ I laid him down ♪ ♪ I laid him down ♪ ♪ For those no longer livin' ♪ - [David] Hi, there.

I'm David C. Barnett.

Thanks for joining me for another round of Applause.

♪ I laid him down ♪ ♪ I laid him down ♪ ♪ Eternal rest I'm giving ♪ We start out today with a couple of long time Northeast Ohio folk musicians, Kevin Richards, and Charlie Mosbrook.

These two guys met up musically for the first time years ago, thanks to the songs of American folk legend, Woody Guthrie.

Today, it's blues music that brings them back together, to write some new songs, pandemic blues, if you will.

Richards and Mosbrook recently joined me for Applause Performances.

Charlie, the songs of Woody Guthrie.

I know a lot of us grew up singing "This Land is Your Land," all that togetherness, and that sort of thing.

When you look at what happened in the Capital, what comes to your mind, in terms of Woody?

- Woody famously had very strong opinions about politics in general, and during the second world war, had very strong opinions about the powers that were over there.

You know, I don't want to put words in anybody's mouth, and I hate to say that I can think for Woody, but I would expect that Woody would want us all to join together, and stand up for democracy, and that he wouldn't want to see anybody left behind.

And he'd want us to stand up for everybody in this country, to make sure none of us are left behind, and that democracy stands strong.

- Over the years, you met, and you kind of crossed by each other, like at Barking Spider, there, in University Circle, but it was, I understand, the time you really connected was at the Rock Hall's Woody Guthrie tribute, back in 1996.

Talk about that event, what are your memories?

- Well, Charlie and I were both auditioning, and we passed each other in the hallway as I was finishing up my performance, I was walking out, he was coming in.

And we talked for a few minutes, and to our surprise, we found out a couple days later, we both were hired to perform live music at the Rock Hall, to celebrate the legacy of Woody Guthrie.

And I think, Charlie, you came to my performance, and that event just kind of cemented a few things, and brought a few things together for us, and that's where we really began to know each other.

(folk music) ♪ Alone in Knoxville ♪ ♪ It's 4:00AM ♪ ♪ The bus just left me at the wrong station ♪ ♪ Facing the night, I don't know where I've been ♪ ♪ I don't know where I'm going in any direction ♪ ♪ And I can see the dawn ♪ ♪ It's pushing up real slow ♪ ♪ And it seems like the light has gotta know where to go ♪ ♪ But there's a seam on the horizon ♪ ♪ It's starting to rule ♪ - Kevin, you and Charlie are in the midst of a different sort of exploration into musical history.

You're digging into the blues, but a certain kind of the blues, called the Piedmont blues.

What is that, exactly?

- Well, the Piedmont blues could also be known as the finger style type of blues, or the acoustic blues.

Maybe the right term is the country blues.

The Piedmont is the geographic region between the Atlantic ocean and the Blue Ridge mountains.

Example, Charlottesville, Virginia would be in the Piedmont.

My daughter went to school there.

And a lot of this finger style acoustic blues music came out of that region.

- Can you give us an example?

You got your guitar there.

- Got my guitar, and happy to give you an example, there, Dave.

The secret is you have to play the piano, but you have to do it with one hand, and so my thumb is gonna be the left hand of the piano.

So I just hit the six-string, (guitar strumming) then I hit the four-string, and then I do it again.

You know, the blues has three chords, so now, I'm gonna change the chord in my left hand, but my thumb is gonna do the same thing.

(guitar strumming) And if I play the other, last chord, the third chord.

(guitar strumming) So there's the base notes for three chords, three-chord blues, and then, now just play a melody.

(guitar strumming) You'll know it.

(playing "When the Saints Go Marching In") - It is kind of like playing the piano.

The two hands are doing two different things.

You're like your own one-man band.

- It's hard, and I have to tell you, many people ask me about it.

It's really difficult to get your thumb to act independent of your fingers, and it took a while to figure that all out.

But that's a good example of the Piedmont blues.

- Tell us about this Piedmont blues project.

How did this come about?

- You know, I work with Roots of American Music, and I was in Columbus with the Ohio Arts Council for a meeting, and they surprised me at the end of the meeting.

They said to me, "Would you ever consider for applying to the Traditional Apprentice Master Arts program?"

And I said, "Well, tell me about it," and they explained it to me that it would be a duo, or two people together, working together, would have to apply, and they said, "You could identify a local musician "who you would like to work with, and teach him to play the style of music that you do well," which was the Piedmont blues.

So I reached out to Charlie, and you know, we had to apply jointly.

We submitted this application, and to our surprise, and to our happiness, the project was funded by the Ohio Arts Council.

And so, you know, we're recognized as a master artist/apprentice type of work, and my job is to show a handful of these traditional blues styles to Charlie, and of corse he picks them up, and about 10 minutes later, he writes a new song.

(quiet laughter) - Charlie, how's this whole apprentice affair going with you?

- I love it.

I was honored to be asked by Kevin.

This community has a rich tradition of that.

You know, the Piedmont blues came out of that region, but during the 60s, during the folk revival, it picked up, again.

And there are a lot of voices in this area, John Mosey, Alex Bevan, Avin Bared, Kevin, Andy Cohen, Jack D'Alessandro, any number of people who play this well, and hanging around the Barking Spider for years, I'd been witness to this.

So to have a master of this craft, like Kevin, to really show me how to play it, it's quite an honor.

(slow guitar music) ♪ My papa came from Italy ♪ ♪ A mason was his skill ♪ ♪ To chisel stone and shape it to his will ♪ ♪ My brothers followed in step ♪ ♪ All except for me ♪ ♪ The shovel's my trade, the graveside's where I'll be ♪ ♪ Murray Hill is where I live ♪ ♪ Lakeside I work each day ♪ ♪ I put coffins in their place when people die ♪ ♪ I mourn each time I plant a fugue on D and 37 ♪ ♪ I laid Chapman down, that young man went to heaven ♪ ♪ I lay them down, I lay them down ♪ ♪ For those no longer livin' ♪ ♪ I lay them down, I lay them down ♪ ♪ Eternal peace I'm giving ♪ - You had a long time gig at the Barking Spider, thanks to the late owner, Martin Juredine.

Let's talk about Martin's influence on music, here in Northeast Ohio.

- Boy, I just loved that man.

Loved that club.

My buddy Arkie invited me down there, and he said, "Hey, this new club's opened up, let's go down."

And I went down, and there was a beer garden, summer patio, open doors, beautiful picnic tables, and then a real surprise to me was they had a jukebox.

And I put a quarter in the jukebox, and he had Hank Williams, and he had Chuck Berry, he had Bo Diddley.

(laughing) Big Joe Turner was on a jukebox.

And I was putting my quarters in there, and Martin introduced himself to me, and we just got to know each other a little bit, and then, maybe after about a half a year, he asked me if I would play live music, solo, acoustic guitar, and I said, "Sure."

And I did it, and then he really complimented me when I played, like, acoustic blues.

He didn't want to hear, like, any cover tunes.

We just got to be friends.

We were baseball fans, we went to a couple Indians games.

And then after about six months, he said, "Why don't you play on the first Thursday, "starting in January, "and we'll just say you're gonna be booked on the first Thursday for the whole year."

And I was thrilled, and well, we held that slot, and I could be wrong on this number, but I did check my math this morning, we held that job for 28 years.

- [David] Wow.

- How is that possible?

I know I'll have to check with Jenna Juredine, she might tell me it's 27.

But the Barking Spider was amazing, and Martin Juredine, what he did for the Northeast Ohio community was just spectacular.

He encouraged art.

He wanted poetry and spoken word.

He wanted musicians to come in and write their own material.

He welcomed rockabilly, he liked blues, he liked to hear the fiddles and the banjos.

And of corse, George Foley was the piano master every Friday.

- To describe it, it's this old carriage house in University Circle, behind what is now the coffee shop, there.

What are some of your fondest memories of the Spider?

- My earliest memory, I just remember going in for an open mic.

I didn't really even understand what an open mic was, yet.

I was probably about 19 or 20.

I'd gone to some outside of Cleveland, but not really in Cleveland.

And about a year later, I remember going back in, and Martin remembering who I was, and that just impressed me.

I mean, he really, more than just cared about the music and the business, he cared about the people that came in and out of there.

And I always had a home, musically, in the Barking Spider, from the first time I stepped foot in there until the day they closed their doors.

Between Martin and Jenna, they just ran a beautiful place, that really celebrated great music and great community.

(slow guitar music) ♪ It's my job ♪ ♪ To turn the earth and not feel hollow ♪ ♪ But when my papa passed my heart was filled with sorrow ♪ ♪ While cutting rock, a wall came down ♪ ♪ He struggled to get out ♪ ♪ A crushing stone, he passed and left no doubt ♪ ♪ I laid him down, I laid him down ♪ ♪ For those no longer livin' ♪ ♪ I laid him down, I laid him down ♪ ♪ Eternal rest I'm giving ♪ - [David] That was part of my conversation with musicians Kevin Richards and Charlie Mosbrook.

You can listen to the entire interview, plus more music, online at arts.ideastream.org.

New York City's South Street neighborhood is home to a rich history, documented in exhibits at the South Street Seaport Museum.

(printing press clattering) It's also the site of another historical Manhattan gem, the Bowne Print Shop.

Take a look.

(upbeat piano music) - In 1995, I was buying a friend a birthday gift.

It was my first visit to Bowne & Company Stationers.

I saw a little sign by the door, and it said, "Volunteer for the South Street Seaport Museum."

So I did, I volunteered.

I came in one day a week.

I was so engaged I came in two days a week, three days a week.

So I said, "Why don't I apprentice?"

I was 39 years old, I had no printmaking experience, at all.

Now, 21 years later, I'm the Master Printer.

Bowne & Company is New York's longest running shop operating under the same name in the city of New York.

(nautical music) The history of Bowne & Company Stationers begins in 1775, on Pearl St.. Bowne printed financial documents in the very beginning, Wall Street being in close proximity.

They printed for the district.

New York, you know, has its beginnings at the seaport.

At one time there were as many as 800 printers and publishers.

In 1975, to celebrate 200 years of history, South Street Seaport Museum partners with Bowne & Company to open the shop that you see today.

We expanded to Bowne Printers, which is a custom shop next door.

The idea of this shop is that it's about 1875.

We use all manually operated presses.

Just from the moment families walk through the door, they acknowledge the fact that it's industry.

They can smell the solvent of the ink.

At last count, we had 1290 different type faces, many of them were hand carved.

(soft piano music) The type is stored inside of what's called a case, it's referred to as a California job case, and they're inside of a cabinet.

So there are drawers which pull out.

You would set them on an incline for setting type.

Using a composing stick, you set one letter at a time.

Because of the age of the collection, and the type that exists, both the grain of the wood, and also the nick throughout the years, there's oftentimes a ding or a nick to the type, each letter is a body of type unto itself.

Presses in this shop date to 1813 to 1901, as patent dates, so it's an entire century of presses.

If you include hobby presses, there's well over 21 presses in the collection.

This press, the Golding Jobber, patented in 1901, needs to be treadled with one foot, and standing on the other foot.

It's a bit like a choreographed dance, because you have to balance yourself when you're printing, and feeding paper with one hand, retrieving with the other.

So I always think of it like dancing with a circus bear.

If you put your hand in the wrong place, it could be bitten, and these presses have no safety on them.

So you have to put your hand in at the right time, and take it out at the right time.

It is a bit of a dance, a beautiful dance, I think.

During the day I'm shopkeeper, at the counter at the front of the shop.

At night, I'll go to press and print in addition, you know, of 100 or 200.

Because of the layout of the shop, there's a back window, and often times the public can actually watch letterpress printing in the evening.

- 1975, the Bowne-- - Workshops are important in that that the public can both support the museum, as well as be supported by the knowledge of the process, that they actually assembled something with their hand, and they actually made the press operate the impression.

It's a great gift, I think, to the public to have workshops, and it's a great gift for the museum that we're not just existing in a bubble, we're working with a community of people.

So it's a great pleasure and honor to continue an industry that spans well over 200 years in the neighborhood.

It's a history worth preserving.

This is where New York begins.

- [David] On the next Applause, and the award goes to: (jazz music) the student filmmakers at the Lakewood Young Filmmakers Academy, who recently won first place at a major film festival.

Plus, see how signs of segregation and racist memorabilia bring about something positive at the Jim Crow Museum, and we take a look at the art of appraisal.

All this and more on the next round of Applause.

The Old Manse in Concord, Massachusetts is a historical hub, where early literary masters gathered to exchange ideas in the wake of the American Revolution.

Now, this national landmark is home to "The Meeting House," an installation created by artist Sam Durant, that serves as public space for community members to discuss and debate important issues of the day.

- [Interviewer] It stands in the fields of history, the Old Manse in Concord.

A home built by Ralph Waldo Emerson's grandfather, William, in 1770, it became a hive for some intellectual heavyweights.

- [Pedro] Ralph Waldo lived here.

So did Nathaniel Hawthorne.

Thoreau built the garden.

And this was a place of great communion.

- [Interviewer] This is where they gathered to think, debate, and write, and all with breathtaking proximity to history.

Built near the banks of the Concord River, the home offered a direct view of the start of the Revolutionary War at the North Bridge.

An event that catalyzed a spirited group of free thinkers.

- The Revolution started here.

So many ideas that define this nation's sense of self.

Self-determination, self-reliance.

- [Interviewer] The Old Manse is maintained by the Trustees of Reservations, which has just launched its multi-year Art and the Landscape series, presenting Contemporary public art at places like the Old Manse, and World's End in Hingham.

It's guest curator is Pedro Alonzo.

He brought public art to Boston last year in monumental form, placing an image by artist JR on the former John Hancock tower.

As you started to go through the history, what was the biggest revelation to you about this site?

- Really the, what we've been referring to as the Intellectual Revolution.

- [Interviewer] But it's a complex one that involves slavery, so Alonzo invited artist Sam Durant, a Massachusetts native, to reinterpret the Old Manse's history.

- He has a Howard Zinn approach to history, where he looks at it from another perspective, and makes us see things differently, and consider things that maybe we hadn't thought about before.

- It is important for you to spend a lot of physical time in a place like this?

- Yes, and no.

I think that sometimes the ideas come together very quickly, as they did in the case with the Old Manse.

- [Interviewer] Durant says his work here was framed by Boston's school desegregation in the 1970s, that ignited riots around busing, and more recently, the Black Lives Matter movement.

- One thing that's very important in Concord, and it's well known for, is the Abolitionist movement and the Underground Railroad.

What's less known is the fact that many of the leading citizens in Massachusetts had slaves in the Revolutionary period.

- [Interviewer] On the Old Manse's property, he's built a place for public conversations.

It mirrors the homes of Concord's fist free black men and women, as described by Henry David Thoreau.

- Because the Walden Woods was a place that was not valuable land, they were allowed to build houses there, and settle there by the town.

And they built these small, you know, two room houses.

And so that forms the, sort of, floor, and then the canopy, pavilion structure is meant to just be a kind of explosion out of that history into a future that is more transparent, is lighter, is more full of possibilities.

- [Interviewer] Along the property, Durant has crafted signs just like the informational ones in nearby Minuteman National Historic Park.

But they tell a history the parks don't.

- They were meant to be very provocative, to raise issues that often were uncomfortable to think about, or don't want to deal with.

"In the Revolutionary period, "many of New England's leading citizens were slave owners.

"Perhaps Daniel Chester French's bronze monument "should include an enslaved person holding the plow as it is left behind by the iconic Minutemen."

- Inside the Old Manse, Durant has installed more subtle references to the home's slave legacy.

They look like original historic artifacts, until a closer examination.

An etching of a slave ship, a recipe for Brooks cake, named after the founder of a women's anti-slavery society, a Billy club, representing the ones used to capture slave hunters.

For an area so steeped in history, Durant knows his work can be provocative.

Is that a necessary tool, especially in these times, to get people to pay attention, to shake them out of daily life?

- I've been doing this kind of work for a long time, and I think that each time I do a project, I learn things about where that line is.

To try and get them out of their more entrenched, or let's say unconscious biases, maybe, and thinking in new ways about these things, being more open-minded.

- [David] World champion ice sculptor, Tajana Raukar (upbeat music) carves creations that will stop you in your tracks.

Let's hear from the Croatian artist about her process.

- I think many times, it just shows your dreams, and that's what you're looking in ice, you know?

What you're dreaming, too, you know?

So it's magical.

I'm originally from Croatia, that's where I grew up, and I came here.

We are chili chefs, we do cooking, and ice carvings were just part of the Sunday brunches.

So that's how I started.

And I started to carve, you know, the little cheese, and fruits, vegetables, you know, all these little flowers from it, and that's how it started.

It's different, you know?

The ice is cold, but it can show so much more than regular clay.

It's physical, too, and you have to have a certain energy to carve it, and I like that.

These are sculptures, now, for the Plymouth Ice Show.

They're gonna be displayed with some of the clients and vendors there, who requested them.

So I'm very happy that I could come there, and sculpt it.

(saw buzzing) You have to visualize it, you know?

The whole piece, how it's gonna look when it's done, and what you see in front of you is just a block of ice, square, blank.

First you make the little outline, like a template, and then you start taking away all these extra parts which don't belong, to show the picture you had in your head when you started.

I use the chainsaw to carve out the majority shape of the ice, then later on, (sander buzzing) for more intricate work, to smooth down the surface, and to carve it a little more in, I use the sander.

Then there is the chisels, (scraping) which if use if I want that it looks more like a crystal, and it shapes it more.

Then, also, the die grinders, which adds, like, the fine details, like on eyes, like little swirlies around, hair, all these finale details, that's what I use.

And at the end, I use the torch, the fire, to melt down the surface to make it to look like glass.

I do like the crystal look.

The ice is clear, and I try to show the clearness and purity of the ice, too.

We produce our ice blocks here in the studio.

- Basically, this is the machines, the ice block makers where we make our ice.

The average takes three to four days to freeze a block of ice.

They come 300 pounds.

This is actually ready ice to be harvested for ice carvings.

So we'll hook him up on these two clips, and lift him out.

- In Alaska, the blocks tend to be very big, so you can create really large ice carvings.

Some of the ice carvings are about 30 feet tall, so it took us four people for a whole week to carve in Alaska.

It takes lots of preparation to coordinate all four carvers to come together, and to carve that one piece, one dream.

You try to show the power, you know?

What is inside of these.

It's not just a block of ice anymore, you know?

They have to look like they're big and powerful.

(folk music) - [David] Well, that's it for today's show.

You'll find more stories online at arts.ideastream.org.

As we leave, here's a little more music from our Applause Performances guests, seen earlier in the show, Kevin Richards and Charlie Mosbrook.

Enjoy, and thanks for watching.

I'm Ideastream's David C. Barnett.

See you next week for another round of Applause.

♪ To chisel stone and shape it to his will ♪ ♪ My brothers followed in step ♪ ♪ All except for me ♪ ♪ The shovel's my trade, the graveside's where I'll be ♪ (electronic chord) (classical music) - [Announcer] Production of Applause on WVIZ/PBS is made possible by grants from the John P. Murphy Foundation, the Kulas Foundation, the Stroud Family Trust, the Kelvin & Eleanor Smith Foundation, and by Cuyahoga County residents, through Cuyahoga Arts and Culture.