Airing time: 12pm Sunday, Replays 7:30pm Thursday
Almost all music has a folk origin: blues, jazz, rock and even so-called classical. As Big Bill Broonzy famously said - "all songs are folk songs; ain't never heard a horse sing!"
Arguably the first Kiwi to make a living with a mandolin, David spent some of his musical life playing bluegrass, but was performing in the folk boom as early as 1964.
He was playing in Europe and the UK in the 70s, dabbling in folk rock and pop in California in the 80s, and creating a country garden in the 90s and teaching children to read.
These days, kind of retired, he is free to pursue any of the musical paths he loves: song-writing, tuition, and performance with guitar, piano, banjo, mandolin, autoharp, dulcimer, even bass; playing jazz, folk, blues and originals. Or to just kick back and listen to Bach or Grappelli ...
A long-standing performer of NZ folk, Davey also maintains a love affair with US old-time music nurtured since Doc Watson's LPs first made it to these shores. A natural entertainer since his debut on radio aged six, David thinks radio is the perfect performance medium.
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Podcasts
To download the latest episode: Click on the kiwifruit to go to The Folk Music Hour page on the accessmedia.nz site:
Click on the title of an episode to listen
Biographies
Folk songs have long been a great way of telling life stories in miniature - from trad to modern, from the famous to the ordinary citizen.
Duration: 00:54:56 | Date: 22 March, 2020
Kate Wolf
The beloved songwriter sings her easy listening country folk songs on a special Folk Music Hour for Women's Day.
Duration: 00:59:06 | Date: 15 March, 2020
Vietnam
The songs associated with war have always been creative. We mark the beginning of the US war 55 years ago.
Duration: 00:57:21 | Date: 8 March, 2020
Folk at WOMAD
We play some of the acoustic and folkier acts coming to WOMAD in New Plymouth in March
Duration: 00:58:09 | Date: 1 March, 2020
Laura Marling
The popular UK songwriter and singer is a keenly anticipated guest at WOMAD in March.
Duration: 00:58:04 | Date: 23 February, 2020
Black History Month
We observe Black History Month with folk blues from four artists who have done so much to give acoustic blues a global reach. Indeed, three of them have toured NZ and delighted audiences here.
Duration: 00:58:09 | Date: 16 February, 2020
Smith & McLennan
Scot Emily Smith and Kiwi Jamie McClennan, partners in life and music, have a debut duo album out with some very good originals.
Duration: 00:58:51 | Date: 9 February, 2020
Duos
Duration: 00:57:18 | Date: 5 February, 2020
Peter Seeger 1919-2014
Our annual tribute to the doyen of folk entertainers is a live concert from his golden age, not unlike his Auckland Town Hall performance in the mid-60s.
Duration: 00:58:52 | Date: 26 January, 2020
Mixtape 6
We launch into 2020 with a mixture of great singing and playing, including stuff Davey heard in the holidays.
Duration: 00:56:48 | Date: 19 January, 2020
Summer Folk
There's heaps of great folk music up and down the country this summer. Here's a taste of some of these talented visitors.
Duration: 00:54:53 | Date: 12 January, 2020
Our Native Daughters
Four important women of colour reclaim the banjo for the African American folk tradition, and turn in a powerful set. This episode played earlier in 2019 and is repeated now in observation of Martin Luther King Day.
Duration: 00:58:26 | Date: 5 January, 2020
Sandy Denny
Around the time of her birthday, we honour Sandy every year. For 2020, we have a close listen to her masterpiece Who Knows Where The Time Goes
Duration: 00:58:37 | Date: 29 December, 2019