Various Artists
Singing Through The Hard Times: A Tribute To Utah Phillips
Righteous Babe Records
Oh how the time flies. It is hard to believe it has already been over a year since Bruce “U. Utah” Phillips passed away from congestive heart failure. During his 73 years on the planet, Phillips was involved with a wide range of activities and professions including soldier, archivist, hobo, historian and labor organizer, but he was most known for his work as a folk singer, poet and storyteller.
Although he was widely recognized within the folk community, Phillips never gained the mainstream attention and acclaim he deserved. His biggest brush with widespread fame came following his two collaborations with Ani DiFranco in 1996 and 1999 – the latter of which, Fellow Workers, resulted in a Grammy Award nomination for Best Contemporary Folk Album.
It is only fitting then that Phillips’ musical legacy was brought back to the public’s attention earlier this year through DiFranco’s Righteous Babe Records. In February, the label paid tribute to the life and music of Utah Phillips when it released Singing Through The Hard Times: A Tribute To Utah Phillips.
While most tribute albums honor their subject by rolling out a string of “A-List” musicians that were influenced by the artist’s body of work, this compilation stands apart because it comes across as a genuine love letter from the entire folk music community. Famous contemporary and traditional folk figures like DiFranco, Pete Seeger, Emmylou Harris, Tom Paxton, Mary Black, John McCutcheon and Jean Ritchie are joined by a host of other artists not known widely outside of folk music circles to give Phillips a fitting send-off – a stunning collection of 39 songs Phillips wrote, recorded or performed throughout his career.
Some of the most poignant moments on this set are songs about loss and leaving, which should come as no big surprise when you consider Phillips’ spent time in his life as both a soldier in the Korean War and as a hobo travelling across the country by hopping trains. The hard realities of both life experiences come across on the sadly joyous “Old Buddy, Goodnight” performed by Pop and Bodie Wagner and Dakota Dave Hull and the somberly beautiful “Going Away” by Will Brown, Cindy Kallet and Grey Larsen.
Another highlight of this set is “The Green Rolling Hills of West Virginia” from Emmylou Harris and Mary Black. This gorgeous rendition showcases both the brilliant vocals of the artists and Phillips’ amazing ability to truly capture life through song.
“The wind blow cold in Wyoming/Stars shine clear and bright/If you don’t wake up tomorrow at all/I guess it’s old buddy, goodnight”
— Greg Yost
