Pitt professors collaborate to compose, perform folk music

As Philip Smith strummed his guitar and Stephen Weber plucked at his upright bass, the duo harmonized on the chorus of an Irving Berlin classic, “The Song Has Ended”.

“The song has ended, but the melody lingers on,” they sang together.

The melodies of that performance certainly did linger on for the roughly 25 people who attended. Smith, a Pitt English professor, and Weber, a Pitt chemistry professor, played a free concert at the Cup and Chaucer Cafe on the ground floor of the Hillman Library on April 5. They staged the performance through Calliope, a folk society that has been active in Pittsburgh for about four decades.

The duo combined their musical talent by playing guitars, lap slides and an upright bass. Weber and Smith have been playing music all their lives. They played a variety of folk and blues songs ranging from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries.

Despite being experts in vastly different academic subjects, there was pronounced chemistry between the two musicians. The two professors have known each other for more than two decades.

“We met through classes in blues guitar we took in the 1990’s at the Calliope School of Folk Music,” Smith said via email. “We have performed two to three times a year [for the past three years].”

Patricia Tanner, Calliope’s executive director, encouraged the musicians to collaborate, thinking the pair would complement each other well.

“Not only are they extremely talented, but they do a remarkable job of providing the fascinating historical context behind the lyrics. They’re marvelous teachers inside and outside the formal classroom,” Tanner said.

One student who saw Weber and Smith play agreed.

“Their music was so relaxing,” freshman Richard Koppenaal said. “It was the perfect way to unwind after a stressful week. And as a guitar player, their use of many instruments was really interesting for me.”

The highlight of their performance was a cover of Alfred Lord Tennyson’s “Crossing the Bar.” The duo composed an original arrangement to perform the famous poem as a folk song. Tennyson served as poet laureate of Great Britain and Ireland throughout the mid-19th century.

“I have always been amazed at the breadth of their musical knowledge, and I’ve deeply admired their talent for reworking old songs from the ’20s and ’30s to sculpt them into their own compositions,” Tanner said.

Weber said that he loves the folk, acoustic and blues genres because they speak “the language of Western music” without too much complexity.

Weber cited folk musicians Joan Baez and Bob Dylan as influential musicians.

Next spring, Weber and Smith will open for musician Del Rey, whom Smith called “a great blues lady.” The exact date for this performance has yet to be set.

The concert will be held at Calliope’s newest venue, The Roots Cellar, in Shadyside. While the concert is still about a year away, folk music lovers will have plenty of opportunities to see Weber perform with his band, the Monongahela Sheiks, as well as Smith with his band, Smokestack Lightning, in the Pittsburgh area.

Though Weber and Smith might be unlikely collaborators, they’ve united to form a powerful duo in the folk and blues music scene.

“Music transcends cultural boundaries,” Weber said in an email. “Within the Western world, we all can communicate through music.”