Former Chico resident Debra Cowan (guitar) performs with John Roberts (banjo &
concertina) in the KZFR studio in a benefit for KZFR.
As a young girl Debra idolized Julie Andrews and in her teens discovered Jethro Tull and Steeleye Span. At the age of 21 she escaped from her small Midwestern hometown by throwing darts at a map and she ended up in northern California where she attended college, sang in bars, and eventually worked as a middle school math teacher. She continued her discovery of folk music with English singers like Maddy Prior and Scottish singers like Ray Fisher. Debra started performing in California 35 years ago and began touring the US and UK in 1998 performing in folk clubs and at festivals. Her recordings have won high praise from both sides of the pond and her music has been included in many compilation recordings, most notably on the 2006 Free-Reed Records box set “RT-The Life and Times of Richard Thompson” and the 2014 “Dear Jean: Artists Celebrate Jean Ritchie.” When Debra isn’t touring internationally she makes her home near Worcester, Massachusetts.
For over 45 years British expatriate John Roberts has been
singing and playing old songs; many of the songs and tunes
in his extensive repertoire can be traced back at least one hundred
years. He can give the background of
any song he performs, often discussing the circumstances from
which it might have been written and from whom the song was collected. He is also considered one of the foremost concertina
players in the English-speaking world.
Together the duo will perform old English and Scotish folk songs, maritime tunes, and contemporary compositions (like the Kink's "Alcohol") performed in an old-time traditional manner, or they can give an old tune new life: A highlight of this performance is a contemporary rendering of an old English drinking song that pays homage to Sierra Nevada Pale Ale.
Their concert begins 30 minutes into the program and lasts for one hour. Before and after their performance the broadcast features typical American Pastimes fare.
