The L&N Don't Stop Here Anymore

 The weekly Flood rehearsal has always been an eclectic affair. A typical night will travel from old jazz standards of the 1930s and ‘40s with their flurry of quirky chords to little-known jug band tunes and blues. Maybe we’ll stop along the way to sample a few Flood originals that are still busy being born. And often, after all that musical wandering, we’ll end up back at some simpler folk song of our youth. Last week, for instance, the last tune of the evening was this haunting Perry County, Ky., composition that the great Jean Ritchie built on just two well-considered chords.

Dink's Song / Loch Lomond

 This song has been floating around the Floodisphere for many years, but it didn’t really take flight until Vanessa came along to blend it with a soulful Old World aire, and then Randy stepped up to take the lead on the vocals. Here, with pensive soloing by Dan and Sam, is our merging of the thoroughly American “Dink’s Song” with Scotland’s lovely “Loch Lomond.”

 

The Nearness of You

 This tune really hasn’t made The Flood set list yet — we’ve only just started working with it — but it sure seems like it wants to settle down with us. Here listen to everybody listening to everybody else. For instance, midway through, check out how Veezy’s solo establishes a lovely mood which Danny then beautifully echos when he takes his turn. Yeah, it’s not a regular Floodified number yet, but, hey, stay tuned.

Dusty Boxcar Wall

 While Charlie has given his new banjo a nickname — it’s “Buzz Kill” to us in the Flood— the instrument actually does have its moments, especially when then tune on the table turns out to be of the old folksong variation. Here — as Danny, Randy, Sam and Charlie have a go at this classic Eric Andersen tune from the 1960s — the banjo brings a nice little trot.