A Blog Along The Lincoln Highway

In the past couple of months, I’ve become aware of the wonderfully goofy and lively music of a musician named Buddy Nutt who lives here in Pittsburgh. He’s a composer, a singer and a one-man band, playing ukulele, kazoo, drums, cornet, and musical saw, among other things. I’m hoping he will agree to compose the music for A RIDE ALONG THE LINCOLN HIGHWAY. I have his CD which includes a song about the choices offered by the Westinghouse Bridge, which is part of the Lincoln Highway as it comes into Pittsburgh from the east, so I thought he might be persuaded.

So far, all my contact with him has been thanks to Mike Cuccaro (who works in WQED’s Web office) who first alerted me to the joys of Buddy Nutt and his tunes. And Mike has told me that Buddy will be performing this morning at the Pittsburgh Children’s Museum (which is housed partially in the grand old North Side Post Office building,) and I think I ought to go and hear him and introduce myself.

Traffic is terrible. To avoid the Tour de Pennsylvania bicycle race which is ending in downtown Pittsburgh, I take Route 51 toward the West End, and it’s all torn up. I sit in dead traffic for at least 20 minutes. I’m so late I think I’ve probably missed Buddy, but I can hear him playing as I drive up to the museum.

He’s playing out in front of the old Buhl Planetarium building under a tent. I luck into a convenient parking space, and I get to the tent to hear Buddy finishing up one number. He then announces that his next song is a new one about the Lincoln Highway, which he’s been thinking a lot about lately, and he plays and sings a wonderfully simple and catchy song about the highway.

I’m in awe. I just love the wacky, loose, jangling sound of his music, and hearing him sing this Lincoln Highway song makes me feel good. I’m guessing that he will say Yes to working with us on the program.

Here’s Buddy singing one of his songs on YouTube: