Travis Edmonson of Bud & Travis
EXCLUSIVELY available from travisedmonson.com
Comments & Recollections 6
Artist NORM VANCE's friendship with Travis Edmonson goes back to college days, and he was even on hand for the famed national contest winning show that Roger Smith and Travis Edmonson put on at the University of Arizona. In such a history, there are many stories to tell, but here are just a few memories.
”In addition to Travis Edmonson's many accomplishments, musician, writer, father to many children, (He named his daughter after my oldest daughter, born in 1957, about the same time his own daughter was born.), he told me he was compiling a Yaqui Indian dictionary. I don't know whether or not he finished it, but it must have been a most interesting project. The Yaquis live in North-west Mexico, and are purported to be the fiercest tribe there ever was. Not even the Apaches would venture into their country, so
great was their fear of the Yaquis.
In 1956, Trav dropped by our house in Tucson, and presented us with a demo recording he had made of the song "Raspberries, Strawberries". It was a bit scratchy, but I could tell it would be a real winner, and so it was. My wife, who is an excellent cook with Mexican food, cooked Travis a surprise dinner. He complimented her on the food, told me she was the best Mexican cook in the state of Arizona. This is surprising, because Anne is pure Gringa, not a hint of Mexican blood in her! Trav and I both speak a Sonora dialect of Spanish, and we used to converse for hours. I had a one-man painting show at the Player's Ring Gallery and Theatre and Travis did all the music for the play . Jean Arthur, the actress, bought one of my paintings the first night, which thrilled me no end. I could go on for hours with Travis anecdotes."
Norman Kingsford Vance
December 2005
TIMOTHY P. BENNETT is a teacher in Arkansas, and the latest recruit to the legion of Travis Edmonson fans.
“Found this website by accident, doing a search on "Malagueña." Wow, this is an awesome website. The lyrics, translations, alternate renderings, etc. are fantastic. I would like to use these in my high school Spanish classes. What started me on this was a band student asked me if I was familiar with "Malagueña." I had never heard the whole song, so I did the internet search and wound up here. What a rich, beautiful career Mr. Edmondson has had and what a fantastic resource. I vaguely remember hearing of Bud and Travis when I was a very small child, only because my older brother was such a music fan. So when I made the connection it really made my day.
I will be checking back again. Again, what a satisfying website. There is so much information and I have enjoyed learning so much about Mr. Edmonson's music. I am looking forward to ordering albums in the future."
Timothy P. Bennett
November 2005
LIN HOLLAND of Medford, Oregon selects the boleros Sin Ti and Malagueña Salerosa as her favorite Travis Edmonson performances.
“I first heard Bud & Travis music when I was in high school in the 60's. My brother-in-law would sing and play these wonderful songs and had this great guitar strumming he called bolero. He said he was learning this style from a "Bud & Travis in Concert" album. He let me borrow the album and I was mesmerized. These two went right to my soul with their musical style. Their singing, guitar playing and comedic patter filled my young life with so much happiness. I am sorry that Bud is now gone and that I never had the opportunity to see them perform, but their music will go on forever .
Lin Holland
You see performers today trying to capture their audience with the entire stage filled with musicians, instruments, dancers, fog, lights, fireworks, explosions.... All Bud & Travis ever needed was an empty stage, 2 stools, their guitars and a spotlight. They were true stars.
Travis has such a wonderful, clear, clean tone to his voice, and his guitar playing was magnificent. I would LOVE to have a personally signed CD from him. I would consider this a personal treasure!
I thank Travis Edmonson for his wonderful gift to the
world.”
Lin Holland
October 2005
DR. CLIFTON MOBERG, who's been a fan for four and a half decades, captures the essence of Travis Edmonson's gift in a recollection from a totally different genre of music.
“The most enchanting songs of my life were, in this order, Bud and Travis' Golden Apples of the Sun, Joan Baez' It's all over now, Baby Blue, and Harry Belefonte's Missouri Birds. How people could sing so beautifully was inspiring to me.
It was when I was in Iowa City teaching dentistry that I attended a senior recital of a fellow named Tom "somebody". The expertise that I saw in his hands and his ability on the violin made me recommit myself to being the best dentist I possibly could. It MUST be for others that hearing Travis' singing and playing inspired them to do well in their, other, occupations. So to him, goes my thanks for the enchanting, more-real-than-my-little-life-ever-contained awareness of beauty in the sound of his singing voice.”
Clif Moberg
October 2005
Fan of 40 years, JOAN RODRIGUEZ was a recipient of Travis Edmonson's famous generosity, when he invited her, along with a roommate, to attend a solo concert of his at the University of California at Santa Barbara.
“Many years ago, when I was at UCSB, my roommate and I attended both the Bud and Travis concert and Travis' first solo concert. As is evident, the wonderful memory of that evening has stayed with me all my life.
Additionally, I might add, 30+ years ago, I named my son Travis, remembering Travis Edmondson, at a time when "Travis" was an almost unknown name. My son is half Puerto Rican, so you can imagine how rare the name was on the island at that time! This is the highest of compliments I could have paid Mr. Edmondson.”
Joan Rodriguez
September 2005
Singer BRAD BROOKS describes Travis Edmonson as one of his musical mentors.
“My memories of Travis Edmonson are mostly as a child but I do have a few. My parents and their friends where pretty tight with Travis back then, as my Dad managed the Ramada Inn and he booked Travis whenever he was around, so I've heard a few `tales from the times.'
I also have some 1/4 reels of recordings from the Ramada lounge that are pretty amazing. They're different from the recordings released a few years back, and the quality isn't as clear as those, but it is Travis cracking jokes and singing like a bird.”
Brad Brooks
September 2005
A fan for 45 years, Arizonan BARRY ROTHROCK is one of the lucky ones who has seen Travis Edmonson perform live, and describes his favorite Travis track to be Rayito de Luna.
“Although I have almost all of the vinyl from Bud & Travis, Travis (solo), Bud's Kinsmen albums and at least one of the Gateway Singers albums, I am always interested (in this age of digital music) in any new CD versions of past albums. Thanks for the effort in maintaining the site.”
Barry Rothrock
September 2005
DR. CASEY BLITT remembers Travis Edmonson's visits to his fraternity house at the University of Arizona.
“I knew Travis when he was in Tucson in the early 60's (1961-63). I only recently was made aware he was still alive. I performed his anesthetic at UMC when he had his intracranial aneurysm clipped.”
Casey Blitt
September 2005
JERRY ZIELKE writes from Illinois about his lifelong admiration of the music of Travis Edmonson.
“I had three of the original "Bud and Travis" 33LP albums that I purchased in 1959 when in the US Air Force stationed in Okinawa, and still have all of them (but one of the "Bud & Travis ...In Concert" LPs disappeared somewhere in the last 50 years.
I recently came across The above LP's which have been packed away for several years. Oh, such good memories! I am downsizing and must eliminate a lot of my personal possessions. THESE ALBUMS WILL NOT BE SOMETHING I ELIMINATE.
I'd list "Delia's Gone" as my favorite song. I have enjoyed the music of Bud & Travis for many years and find it impossible to list only one song or album.
I was sorry to hear of Travis Edmonson's health issues. Life does deal us a strange hand sometimes. My thoughts and prayers are with him. It sounds like he is making the most of it though if he was able to join in with the Kingston Trio in August. Great!”
Jerry Zielke
September 2005
PETE FELDMAN is one of Travis Edmonson's newer fans.
“I met Travis a few years ago when he visited with Dolan Ellis, formerly of the New Christy Minstrels and now the official Balladeer of Arizona, here in the high desert of Sierra Vista. He signed a copy of the Tucson Tapes 1 for me and I found his songs to be greatly to my liking.”
Pete Feldman
September 2005
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