The Calgary Folk Festival features Ian Tyson
“Four strong winds that blow lonely…” Any Americana Music follower should know this song. I can remember first time I saw The Last Waltz movie being a 15 years old spanish boy who went to a cinema in search of a Bob Dylan recorded gig.
Obviously I liked Dylan appearances and Clapton virtuosism, but what most impressed me were the two songs of Neil Young with The Band. I became a fan and still keeping on it. One of the tracks was Ian Tyson “Four Strong Winds”.
Later, while I walked that path that leads you to maturity, Americana Music was allways with me and I had to feed my curiosity. I studied with pleasure the persons and the facts, the lucky and unfortunate moments, the historical process. I concluded that California Country Rock genealogy could be defined as the Three B´s Barstool (Buffalo Springfield, Byrds, Buck Owens) and even a Four B´s Barstool including The Band would be almost enough to explain country-rock sound nationwide.
I know I´m simplifying a lot, but well, for what I want to say right now is that Ian Tyson is a main influence in Buffalo Springfield and in The Band too, so we´re talking about a pioneer that left very important disciples and indelebly traces on Americana Music.
Two years ago, I decided that it was time to learn to play guitar. When I learnt a little bit of chords and I was ready to practise my first song, my teacher ask me: which one do you want to learn? I answer without doubt: “Four Strong Winds”, he said why this? and I relpy: “Houses must began by foundations”