Little Coincidences

I love little coincidences.

I have been reading Bluesman by Andre Dubus III, where Leadbelly is mentioned and I probably posted and earlier note on him on this blog. Almost four months ago or so, I posted an entry on FB about Henrietta Yurchenco whose work I was blown away with. I ordered her book "Around the World in 80 Years" to figure out how did she get to do what she did.

The book has been proven to be a good read and an amazing reference to many other artists she recorded through her radio shows at WNYC. At the time I found Leadbelly in the first book, I randomly opened Yurchenco's book during Hurricane Isaac to find this reference:

"One day in 1940, I received a letter from Woody Guthrie, urging me to put Leadbelly on the air. Woody wrote: 'Life hasn't been so smooth with Huddie, and what makes him good is that he simply wants to sing and tell how it has treated him, and what he has learned from it, and he wants to be honest without any pretty put on. I honestly believe that of all the living singers I've ever seen that Leadbelly is ahead of them all. I am lucky enough to study under Huddie which is to me one of New York's greatest pleasures. I argue that it is a mistake for the people in the radio world to leave Leadbelly out of the picture, its [sic] like leaving the alcohol out of the wine or leaving the spring out of the clock. Huddie plays a little old $4 accordion and you can actually hear the sad note of his people ringing in the swamps and jungles and echoing in the Louisiana moss.'"

Around the World in 80 Years: A Memoir, Henrietta Yurchenco