The Wanderers
Carl and Bill met in a folk trio at Washington State University in Pullman, Wash., in 1959. After winning a campus talent show, the trio, including Al Hansen, appeared regularly at campus dances and fraternal functions. The trio split up after college, however Carl and Bill started singing together again a few years later. The trio started regular annual reunions, so the guys have been together for 45-plus years!
Bill and Carl revived the Columbia River songs written by Woody Guthrie during his one-month visit to Portland, Or., in May 1941. Bill recovered Guthrie's 26 Northwest songs and published them in the Columbia River Collection songbook. He also produced an album containing Woody's recordings of 17 of those songs. Some of the newly published songs had never been seen or heard until they were released in 1987. Bill and Carl have presented the Guthrie songs and their stories since 1985.
Carl presents a solo, first-person impersonation of Guthrie discussing his Columbia River songs, through the Inquiring Minds Series of Humanities Washington. Carl has done the musical sound tracks for three public television documentaries for KCTS-TV channel 9, Seattle.
The Wanderers feature folk songs from the 1950's to today. They focus on good harmonies backed with well-blended guitars and banjo. Their long-awaited recording, "It's About Time" is now available.