Vagabond folk artists sing the blues

JOEL DAVIDSON/Frontiersman reporter

PALMER - Bill Morrissey and Peter Case share common roots. As teen-agers they both idolized the late blues legend Mississippi John Hurt. They listened to him, sang his songs, talked about him and let the legend seep into their own music.

Along the course of the last four decades, other masters of the American folk and roots tradition have also colored their musical evolution.

On Sunday, these two modern-day bards, now in their 50s, drew from a mixed bag of blues, folk, rock and country influences as they sang songs to a crowd at Vagabond Blues about human mortality, faded dreams, lost loves and childhood heroes.

Morrissey opened the late-afternoon gig with a bluesy song about a couple that has slowly drifted apart, even while they sit in the same living room, watching late-night television night after night.

"This ain't Hollywood, it never really gets that good," Morrissey crooned in a voice that sounded like a cross between Bob Dylan and Cat Stevens. "Call it love if you think you should; there's no reason to explain."

Morrissey tore through a series of slower soulful songs about this world and the working class, just as they are. Between songs, he treated the crowd to humorous tales of life on the road.

His command of the room and comfort with the music allowed him to negotiate his way through a song in which he forgot the middle verses and still he drew rousing applause.

After Morrissey, Peter Case took the stage, with harmonica in mouth and guitar in hand. Case upped the energy level with more rockabilly blues and hard-driving folk songs.

At times, Case used his acoustic guitar like a drum as he pounded, danced and belted his way through a series of foot-stomping tunes, all while his fingers flew up and down the neck of the guitar.

When Case finished his set, the appreciative audience cheered the two bards back on stage for a few parting numbers, which the musicians performed together.

After three hours of music that ranged far across the American experience, the Palmer audience rose and bid two seasoned musicians farewell with a standing ovation.

Contact Joel Davidson at joel.davidson@frontiersman.com.