Here's another musical side of myself, which features my love of traditional folk & blues music. This CD features more banjo than my previous recordings, as well as lots of solo acoustic finger-style guitar.

These songs are part of a concert-lecture I performed for many years called "Images of Women in Folk Music" at colleges, universities and other venues. They include classic American and Anglo-American folk songs, from ballads to blues.

This CD is an expansion of a 7-song cassette I did a number of years ago. Many of those songs were re-recorded along with many new songs I have added to the program. Joining me musically is Barry Wiesenfeld on acoustic and electric bass, Richard Sleigh on harmonica and Charlie Rury on fiddle. There is some percussion but no drums.

A second volume "Images of Women, Vol. II" continues this exploration of how women are portrayed, and reveal themselves, in traditional folk and blues music from the US and The British Isles.

The CD is a departure from my first two CDs in that it's very acoustic with very few instruments and no drums. Song lyrics are only available here at the website.

Song Listing (all songs public domain unless indicated otherwise):

1. The Wagoner's Lad (intro)
2. Katie Dear
3. Blackjack Davy (aka The Gypsy Davy)
4. Know You Rider
5. Cotton Mill Girls (Hedy West, Unichappell Music, BMI)
6. Rosemary Lane
7. The Railroad Boy
8. Let No Man Steal Your Thyme
9. The House Carpenter
10. The Wind and Rain
11. Wish I Was A Single Girl Again
12. The Devil And The Farmer's Wife
13. Dink's Song (Fare Thee Well)
14. The Wagoner's Lad (full version)

"Images of Women" and its sequel "Images of Women, Vol. II" can be purchased as a hard copy CD at my recordings page, directly from me via online credit card charge, by mailing in an order form, or at CDBaby.com. You can also purchase individual songs as digital downloads, or the entire album (digitally) by clicking on the tracks below:

 

Here's a review of "Images of Women" that appeared in SING OUT, the premiere folk music Magazine in the U.S.:

"Before hearing this recording, I had only known Robin Greenstein as a singer-songwriter. It turns out she once studied with the great Hedy West and, as she reveals on this set, she is, herself, a very impressive interpreter of traditional folk songs.

With the exception of West's "Cotton Mill Girls", all of the songs here are traditional, all are performed in traditionally-oriented styles, and all are primarily about women. The women in many of these songs are tragic figures. There's the regretful wife who wishes she were a single girl again, the suicidal lovers in "Katie Dear" - a variant of "Silver Dagger" - the battered, murdered woman in "The Wind and Rain" and the young mother who deserts her baby and husband, the house carpenter, to run away with a seaman, only to drown when his ship sinks. There's also the rich man's wife who deserts her husband to run off with Blackjack Davy and the wife of the farmer who was too much trouble for the Devil himself.

Among my favorite tracks are a bluesy version of "I Know You Rider" that's reminiscent of Hot Tuna's arrangement and a lovely version of the lonesome lament "Dink's Song (Fare Thee Well)."

Greenstein complements her comfortable-sounding vocals with some fine guitar and banjo playing. She also sparingly uses a synthesizer for added texture and receives some tasteful support from Barry Wiesenfeld on bass Richard Sleigh on harmonica and fiddler Charlie Rury. As she implies in the album title, she's planning to release a second volume of traditional songs in the future. I'm eagerly awaiting it.".

( Mike Regenstreif for SING OUT Magazine)
reprinted with permission of the reviewer