Folk musician Jim Kweskin is visiting Alaska for his first time ever. Originally from Stanford, Connecticut, he’s now been to all 50 states thanks to touring.
“I loved folk music since I was a kid and I also loved early jazz,” he said. “I got into combining the two which is basically what jug band music is, old jazz played on folk music instruments -- is a simple way to describe it. Then I started traveling around the country learning songs “
Kweskin said he doesn’t consider himself a songwriter, instead, he uses the terms “songster” or “interpreter.”
“I do old songs,” he said. “I find songs that were recorded 80, 90, 100 years ago and resurrect them.”
“I still listen to the old stuff. I'm always looking for more new songs to sing, new songs to learn, old songs I should say, old songs to learn. So I'm still digging deep into the great tradition of American folk music. I like a lot of the new stuff that's going on, but I don't listen to it all the time, but I do from time to time.”