High Cotten

The other day, I mentioned the wonderful documentary about Pete Seeger, The Power of Song.  One of my favorite sequences in it was this utter gem.

I mentioned that Seeger had been banned by the networks from appearing for 17 years, until the Smothers Brothers had him on.  What I didn't realize it that he nonetheless had a show for a while on public television.  From the clips they showed, with Pete and folk artists, it looked absolutely wonderful.

But this it the treat. 

The song "Freight Train" is one of those that we think just sort of sprang to life on its own, with its author unknown, lost to time.  But it was written by the self-taught musicians Elizabeth Cotten.  And here she is, around age 70, with Pete Seeger singing her famous song, one of the most famous songs in folk music.

This is as classic as it gets.