Dan’s Thoughts On Hank And Michelle
Hank Cramer and Michelle Cameron were the first guests on Jam with Dan. They played "Pay me my Money Down," a work song by Negro stevedores in the George Sea Islands, and "You Don't Mess Around with Jim," and "Cadillac Cowboy."
Hank Cramer’s music is more “Folky from the 60’s,” according to Dan Maher.
Maher explains that the whole era of folk was fairly experimental in the 60’s where modern folk has an inward approach. Hank Cramer’s approach to folk comes from that time when songs were meant to be shared and sung together.
Cramer, a former Army officer and paratrooper is one of few full-time Northwest folk singers in the Pacific Northwest. Cramer received the Humanities Washington Award in 2011 for celebrating his dedication to the public humanities.
Maher says, “He’s the quintessential kind of hustler and he does his thing well, so it was perfect to have him on the first Jam with Dan.”
Maher goes on to compliment Cramer by saying, “Hank is a good person to have because he looks straight into the camera and knows how to do television.”
You’ll notice another performer in this episode, Michelle Cameron, who Hank has worked with for over 10 years. Cameron is a longtime friend of Cramer and used to work at Hanford. She also played cello with the Richland Symphony.
