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Verbal and Musical Lore in Urban Communities
From the program guide for Oct 1979: KRAB has just received a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) for $25,430.
The project will focus, on the verbal and musical lore in urban communities around Seattle ranging from ethnic neighborhoods like Ballard and the International District, to less easily defined communities like houseboats on Lake Union, or the community of professional entertainers. The year long project will result in a series of radio programs which KRAB will distribute nationally.
Phil Andrus, long time KRAB program producer, community activist and folklife festival organizer will coordinate the project.
La Hora de los Sephardim - The Seattle Sephardic - KRAB Feb 29, 1980
A survey of some of the musical and verbal folk arts of Seattle's Sephardic Jews. Members of the 3rd largest Sephardic community in the United States offer a glimpse of their unique cultural heritage: poetry in Ladino (Judeo-Spanish), folk songs, religious music. This program, produced by Howard Weiss and Phil Andrus, is the first in a series of programs presenting the folk arts of several Pacific Northwest communities. Funded by the National Endowment for the Arts.
Listen now - La Hora de los Sephardim - Seattle Sephardic - KRAB Feb 29, 1980 (59:54)
Recording courtesy Phil Andrus
In This Corner . . . - KRAB Apr 25, 1980
Former fighters, managers, and trainers provide a glimpse into the traditions, language, and special relationships which bind the world of professional boxing. Their stories about learning and teaching their craft, the character of its heroes, the secret art of stopping cuts, and similar stories frequently extend 50 years into the history of a profession which has its roots with the ancient gladiators. Participants include Joe Toro, Eddie Cotton, George Chemeres, Harry "Kid" Matthews, Bob Melnik, Marino Guaing, and others. This program was produced by Jeff Follette and funded by a grant by the National Endowment for the Arts.
Audio for this program has not yet been found
Belly Dancing: Art or Arousal? - KRAB Apr 28, 1980
Belly dancing, a 4000 year-old dance form first performed in America by Little Egypt ... is it sexy, wholesome exercise, art, the essence of femininity? In this program we hear from professional belly dancers, their employers and audiences, their husbands and lovers. Not surprisingly, their perspectives on belly dancing vary greatly.
Produced by Nancy Donnelly and Phil Andrus, and supported, in part, by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.
Here is another in the wide ranging series produced by Phil Andrus.
Listen now - Belly Dancing: Art or Arousal? - KRAB Apr 28, 1980 (59:04)
Recording courtesy Phil Andrus
Seattle's Chinese: Asian Arts in an American City - KRAB May 27, 1980
Traditional music and poetry performed by Chinese residents of Seattle. In addition to instrumental music and poetry, excerpts from Peking and Cantonese Opera are featured. Some of the performers speak about their particular art--when, where and how they learned it--and reflect upon its ties to their homeland. This is the fourth in a series of programs that focuses upon the musical and verbal folk arts of various Pacific Northwest communities. Produced by Howard Weiss and Phil Andrus; funded, in part, by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.
The narration is by Christopher Laycock.
Listen now - Seattle's Chinese - Asian Arts in an American City - KRAB May 27, 1980 (61:14)
Recording courtesy Phil Andrus
Hula Blues - Polynesian Music in Seattle - KRAB Jul 19, 1980
The hula and the sounds of the Hawaiian guitar have become part of a stereotyped image of Polynesian music. Samoans and Tongans living in Seattle continue to perform the songs and instrumental music of their homelands. The sampling of their music included in this program reveals variety and complexity not indicated by common stereotypes. In addition to performances, several members of Seattle's Polynesian community discuss how traditional music functions in the nontraditional context of Seattle.
This program was produced for KRAB by Howard Weiss and Phil Andrus; funded in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.
Listen now - Hula Blues - Polynesian Music in Seattle - KRAB Jul 19, 1980 (56:16)
Recording courtesy Phil Andrus
The Man Who Fished With Silver Spoons - Tales of Algot Piersson - KRAB Jul 29, 1980
Once a commercial fisherman, Algot Piersson lived the last decade of his life at the end of light fly rod. Fishing from a 14 foot rowing skiff, he caught so many salmon that the State Fisheries Department sent an agent to investigate. Here, his friends tell his story: his fishing, his generosity, his cantankerousness, his mystery, his death. Produced for KRAB by Phil Andrus, supported in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.
Recording courtesy Phil Andrus
The One That Got Away - produced by Howard Weiss and Phil Andrus - Jul 30, 1980
Commercial fishing in Seattle means many things to many people. Though Seattle's fishermen would all agree that their objective is to catch fish, their approaches are often highly individualized. This program explores Seattle's fishing community through stories told by fishermen and their friends. Aside from tales of the good old days, fishermen talk about how they outsmart fish and rival fishermen. This program was produced by Howard Weiss and Phil Andrus for KRAB, funded in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.
Listen now - The One That Got Away- produced by Howard Weiss and Phil Andrus - Jul 30, 1980 (59:34)
Recording courtesy of Phil Andrus
The Blue Moon: Reflections on a Watering Hole - History of The Blue Moon Tavern Part 2, KRAB Oct 21, 1980
Before its inevitable deteriorization beneath ,the onslaught of the pool table, pinball machine and juke box, the Blue Moon Tavern was a renowned watering hole for a long line of Northwest anarchists, intellectuals writers, painters, radicals and deviants. This program of stories and speculations by past Moon inhabitants examines some of the myths which surrounded it, the heretical thought and, behavior which occurred, and the demise of the tavern itself as a place for intelligent conversation. Produced by Jeff Follette and funded through a grant by the National Endowment for the Arts.
Watering hole? The tape label doesn't provide much more detail than the description above. But Stan Iverson's voice is unmistakable. Ray may be Ray Collins. (?) Perhaps someone will tell us who Laura is. The producer and interviewer is Jeff Follette, KRAB's music director and ambassador to bohemian Seattle in the mid/late-1970's. It is unclear if the recording presented here is the one broadcast on Oct 21, 1980 and described above, or if it is just the raw unedited audio.
Stan Iverson did the occasional commentary and panel discussion on KRAB when he wasn't making or getting into trouble tossing pizza at Morningtown, holding forth at the Blue Moon, or marching on the fascists. He passed away in 1985.
Listen now - The Blue Moon: Reflections on a Watering Hole (46:05)
Recording courtesy of the Jack Straw Foundation, JSF inv PA1038
If you possess any souvenirs (program guides, tapes, or photos) or have a story about your experience with KRAB you are willing to share, please email archive@krabarchive.com