“It’s always we rambled, that river and I
All along your green valley, I will work till I die
My land I’ll defend with my life if it be
Cause my pastures of plenty must always be free”
-Woody Guthrie

I have long had a deep fascination with Woody Guthrie. Maybe it was the way he inspired Bob Dylan to be a folk music songwriter and make so much of the music that has been the soundtrack of my life thus far. Maybe it was his endearing friendship with Pete Seeger who did so much to shape that folk music and simple humanity. Maybe it was that he spent many years in the hulky, imposing, and eerily beautiful Greystone Psychiatric Hospital that we prowled as New Jersey teenagers in its abandoned state – looking for ghosts, legends, and secret tunnels. Maybe it was the way his music touched all kinds of humans along the way, and knowing this, sent him on adventures through the country to better understand the struggles of America. Maybe it was that he was a perfectly imperfect human himself who never shied away from expressing that.
Whatever it was, he has retained a spot in my soul that has kept his work consistently relevant. His words seem to always have something to help explain or enhance your strife, your grind, your battles with a little levity or humor.
Maybe just reminding you that you are not alone.
In these tumultuous times, those words he spoke so long ago can find a place here again to lead us along rocky roads and a human experience that seems destined to repeat lessons we should have already learned.
Taking on that mission, Brooklyn’s psychedelic jam band PEAK has had a fantastic cover of Guthrie’s song Pastures of Plenty in their live show rotation for a while now and it’s been a highlight to me that I looked forward to every time I caught them. (sometimes I even get a dedication!) The song itself is a departure from Woody’s stripped down folk style. Instead, the creative minds in PEAK have given the song an instillation of their soaring keys, affable vocal work, and ripping guitar-infused Jamtronic groove. The song was created with honest love – a solid tribute you can dance to for a legendary songwriter with a lot to say. It’s a solid message of determination injected with vibe.
I was positively elated to find out not long ago that their version of Pastures of Plenty was being recorded and released as a bonus track on their most recent album, Vanishing Skies, which the band released in January. Lucky for you, Pastures of Plenty is is now up for all to enjoy on all the platforms where the good music lives. Please head on over and give it a spin. Let it capture you and take you where it will…

You can find it on Spotify here:
PEAK will be doing an album release show on their home turf of Brooklyn, NY on July 11th at The Sultan Room.

We will be there getting our dance and drink on – hope to see you!