Notes by Northwest

In this episode, we will continue the journey across 1850s Washington Territory as told by Theodore Winthrop, the Connecticut dandy who trekked across the PNW and wrote about it in his book, The Canoe and the Saddle.  In this passage, Winthrop tells the story of waking in the PNW forest at sunrise, in an encampment of missionaries, and the profound effect that colors, and light and the land and the vegetation has on him that day, and for the rest of his life. 

We’re continuing this week with The Canoe and The Saddle, the account of Theodore Winthrop’s journey to the Washington Territory in 1853, where he shared his accounts of the majesty of the mountains, the Salish Sea, and the native peoples of the PNW.   This edition of NW Passages includes Winthrop’s tribute to the mountain he, and the first people—refer to as Tacoma—and what the whites then and today call Mt. Ranier—much to the author’s chagrin.

Theodore Winthrop was a New Haven, CT dandy who ventured west to California, the Oregon and Washington Territories, and British Columbia in 1853 to explore the Pacific NW, its natural beauty, and its native peoples.  

 The story of his journey, The Canoe and The Saddle, was first published in 1862, a year after the death of Winthrop in one of the early skirmishes of the civil war.  

Winthrop’s depiction of the Northwest, particularly Washington Territory, earned the book great popularity. The town of Winthrop, Washington took on his name in 1890 and Mount Rainier’s Winthrop Glacier is also named for the explorer and author due to his detailed descriptions of the landscape in his book. 

The Canoe and the Saddle became popular after his death, and the inspiration for adventurers and authors for 150 years, not just because of the story, but the beautiful language crafted from this talented 24-year-old who died before his time.  Here is an excerpt from The Canoe and the Saddle by Theodore Winthrop, where the author talks about the Cascade mountains, their natural beauty, and the naming of individual peaks. 

The entire show is dedicated to female artists:
Judy Collins                                Roll on Columbia 

Rosalie Sorrells                         If I could be the rain

Loretta Lynn                              Don't come home a drinking

Ernestine Anderson               The Thrill is gone

Esperanza Spaulding            Touch In Mine

Brandy Clarke                            Get High

Brandi Carlilse                          Right on time

Black Belt Eagle Scout         At the party

Sleater-Kinney                         Can I Go On 

Bailey Brian                              Songbird

Fawn Wood                             Pledging My Love

Ricky Lee Jones                    Gloria

Nora Jones & Ray Charles            Here you go again

Neko Case                                Mood to burn bridges

Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith         Mt. Baker

Amanda Marshall                 Dark Horse

Jewell                                         You were meant for me 

Heart                                     Barracuda

Haley Blais                       Rob the original

Haley Hannah Heynderickx          First I'm Sorry

Folk Uke                                California Stars

Merilee Rush                     Angel in the morning

Beach Boys featuring Carol Kaye                          Good Vibrations

Sherree Scott                       Fascinating Baby

Bonnie Guitar                      Dark Moon

Visible Targets                   He's the boy 

Mommy Longlegs              Haunted Housewives

Steve Einhorn                                    Roll on Columbia

Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio        Pull yo’ pants up

Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio          Careless whisper

The Dip                                                 Advertising

The Dip                                                 Never my love

Modest Mouse                                 Lampshades on Fire 

Modest Mouse                                 Float on 

Father John Misty                            I went to the store one day

Father John Misty                            Honey bear

Haley Blais                                           Firestarter

Haley Blais                                           Rob the original

Faye Webster                                    Jonny

Faye Webster                                    Kingston

Wet leg                                                Chaise Lounge

Nation of language                        The grey commute

Nation of language                        Across that fine line

Enumclaw                                           2002

Enumclaw                                           Fast and all 

Shaina Shepherd                            Never be another you

Goose                                                   Borne

Goose                                                   The whales

Durand Jones & the indicators    Is it any wonder

Hiatus Koiyote                                   Molasses 

MDOU MOCTAR                               Tala Tannum

Playlist:
  Woody Guthrie                                 Roll On Columbia 

The Frantics                                        werewolf

Ventures                                             secret agent man 

Wailers                                                 Tall Cool One 

Kingsmen                                            Money That's what I want 

Sonics                                                   Have love will travel

Girl Trouble                                        Follow me down 

The Regents                                       Barbara Ann

The Association                                Never My Love

Buck Owens                                       Streets of Bakersfield

Don Rich                                              Round Hole Guitar                           

Rachel Taylor                                     Light A fire 

Boss Martians                                    I am your radio 

Neko Case                                           South Tacoma Way

Robert Cray                                        Don't be afraid of the dark

Guns & Roses                                    Patience

Seaweed                                             Magic Mountain man

longboat                                              Tacoma 

Steve Miller                                        Rocking Me

Moby Grape                                       8:05

State of Art                                         Between the Wars 

Stephanie Anne Johnson and the hi dogs               You're like the s

Here's the playlist for this dog days of summer episode: 

• Highwaymen                                 Roll On Columbia
• Timberbound                                 End of my line
• Rosalie Sorrells                             Home Ain't in The Hall of Fame
• Buck Owens                                    Tiger by the tail
• Rocky Voltalado                            Evergreen
• Will and Haylie                               Colorado Girl
• Richmond Fontaine                     Capsized
• Brandi Carlilse                              Right on time
• Sheryl Crow featuring Eric Clapton, Sting & Brandi Carlile    Beware of Darkness
• Telekinesis                                      Power Lines 
• Dark Smith                                     Waiting 
• Cascade timber                            Sweet Mother Earth
• Damien Jurado                            Sheets
• Bob Dylan                                       Watchtower
• Ricky Lee Jones                          Subterranean Homesick Blues
• Father John Misty                     I went to the store one day
• Fleet Foxes                                    Sun Giant
• Bailey Bryan                                Too good
• EMBLEM3                                    Chloe
• The Shins                                       New slang 
• Jay Farrar, Will Johnson, 
• Anders Parker, Yim Yames    Hoping Machine 
• Minus the Bear                             My Time
• Norfolk & Western                    Centralia
• Built to Spill                                   The Plan
• Temple of the Dog                    Hunger Strike 
• The Melvins                                  Revolve
• Blind Pilot                                     The Story I Heard

All the music on this program either has "Seattle" in the title, or is about an area of Seattle, just for fun.   Here's the playlist:

The Pennywhistlers                        Roll On Columbia

The Fabulous Wailers                     Seattle 

Jelly Roll Morton                              Seattle Hunch

Laurie Lewis Quintet                       Summer in Seattle 

Shawn Mullins                                   September in Seattle 

Robyn Hitchcock                               Belltown Ramble

Owl City                                               Hello Seattle

Marcy Playground                           Shadow of Seattle

Foo Fighters                                       New way home

Nirvana                                                Smells like Teen Spirit

Frank Zappa                                       Mud Shark

Hot Toddies                                        Seattle

Foo Fighters                                       Aurora

Band of Horses                                  The funeral

Classic Crime                                      Seattle 

The Wedding Present                    Ringway to Sea Tac

The Postal Service                            This place is a prison

Earwig                                                   Seattle 

Sam Kim                                               Seattle

Mark Knopfler                                 Seattle

Ants and Elephants                       Seattle

Longboat                                             Seattle

joe Wilson                                           Seattle

Todd Snider                                        Talking Seattle Grunge rock blues

Blitzen Trapper    &nb

This features covers of Woody Guthrie songs by his contemporaries, by some current artists, songs by the next generations of Guthries, and some new songs based on Woody Guthrie lyrics, some of the more than 3000 he wrote in his amazing lifetime.  Here's the playlist:

William Worden                               Roll On Columbia

Pete Seeger                                       Union Maid

Cisco Houston                                    Grand Coulee Dam

Rambling Jack Elliot                         NY Town

The Weavers                                     So Long

Odetta                                                  Rambling round your city

Leadbelly                                             We shall be free

Almanac Singers                               House of the rising sun

Lonnie Donegan                               Gamblin' Man 

Ry Cooder                                           Vigilante Man 

Avett Brothers                                  This Land Is Your Land 

The Byrds                                            Pretty Boy Floyd 

 Solas.                                                   Pastures of Plenty 

Dolly Parton                                       Deportee (Plane Wreck at Los Gatos) 

Bob Dylan                                             I Ain’t Got No Home  

Bruce Springsteen                           The Ghost of Tom Joad  

Lucinda Williams                               House of Earth                  

Del McCoury                                      NY trains

John Mellencamp                            My Soul's Got Wings

Jimmy LaFave -                                  Oklahoma Hills 

Arlo Guthrie                                       City of New Orleans

Folk Uke                  &nbs

This audio documentary chronicles the life and the music of the father of American folk music on the 110th anniversary of his birth in Okemah, Oklahoma.   The program includes a number of his songs, my interview with Nora Guthrie, the Director of the Woody Guthrie Foundation (and Woody's daughter);  my interview with KEXP-FM host Greg Vandy, the author of a book about the Columbia River series, 26 Songs in 30 Days;  and exerpts from Woody's autobiography, Bound for Glory and other readings.