Three Score and Ten

eggy Seeger chooses the occasion of her 70th birthday to release the second live album of her distinguished career--the first predating this one by three decades--and does so with a host of supporting musicians and guest stars such as Billy Bragg, Eliza Carthy, and both Pete and Mike Seeger. The set focuses heavily on the British Isles balladry that Seeger studied for many years ("Hangman", "Fiddling Soldier"), but also includes songs with a more political bite, such as "Different Therefore Equal" and "Che Guevara". Her famous friends and family members contribute many memorable moments, but the most affecting part of the disc is Seeger's tribute to her late husband, Ewan MacColl--remembered here with a poem and a stirring version of "First Time Ever I Saw Your Face", a song he wrote for Peggy herself.|

Peggy Seeger has been involved in folk music since the '50s, even before the folk revival kicked into high gear. She's always practiced a more traditional strain of folk music like her half-brother Pete Seeger, and while her vocals were quite distinct, her recordings have been too few and hard to find. Three Score and Ten serves to remind folk fans, then, of Seeger's long commitment to the field as well as her talent as a singer and musician. The two-disc live set celebrates her 70th birthday in a manner befitting a well-respected insider. Seeger takes center stage, and she's joined by a number of well-known comrades in a variety of vocal and instrumental configurations which include Billy Bragg, Eliza Carthy, and Norma Waterson. Pete Seeger performs his own "Where Have All the Flowers Gone," while Mike Seeger performs "Quill Ditty." Highlights include Peggy Seeger's "Different Therefore Equal," a folk-rap of sorts backed by propulsive bodhran and spoons. There's also a group singalong behind Bragg on "If You Want a Better Life." In a way, the listener will feel as though she has been invited to an intimate, private party on Three Score and Ten, a party where she is surrounded by friends, memories, and lots of good music. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr.