Bob Frank, A Little Gest of Robin Hood (Bob Frank Songs 2002)
On his web site folk performer and recording artist Bob Frank includes a description that says, "Talk about elusive. Bob Frank is so invisible, when he looks in the mirror, he thinks they woke up the wrong guy." The visible tip of the iceberg of Frank's career was a eponymously titled, long out-of-print, Vanguard recording. Frank's recent release A Little Gest of Robin Hood is in sub-sub-genre so obscure that it will do little to alter Bob Frank's visibility... except among students of medieval English literature and those with a serious passion for all things Robin Hood.
In 1973 Frank discovered a variation of the Robin Hood tale in James P. Child's The English and Scottish Popular Ballads. He found the "Lytell Geste of Robyn Hode," an epic poem presented in medieval English, to be an intriguing, plain spoken, version of the tale. Frank eventually produced his own translation which remained filed away for nearly thirty years. Then, in 2001, Frank discovered Tom Ohlgren's book, Medieval Outlaws, which included a version of the poem translated into prose. Frank sent his version in verse to Ohlgren who not only clarified certain nuances of the text, but also set him on the road to an academic conference on Robin Hood held in Canada in 2001. There Bob Frank performed two of the eight "fits" which sub divide the poem, accompanying himself on guitar in the manner of a talking blues. The whole consists of 456 stanzas, each of four lines for a total of 1824 verses...whew! And he memorized 'em!
Needless to say, this gig was such a layering of the arcane sung by the obscure for the esoteric that pandemonium ensued -- at least what passes for pandemonium among college professors and scholars of medieval literature. Faced with a sudden demand for the entire epic by attendees to the Robin Hood Conference, many eager for something new and "multi-media" to offer their students, Frank sat himself in front of a microphone or two with his guitar and recorded all 1824 verses of "A Little Gest of Robin Hood."
First, the good news. Whether you're a major Robin Hood aficionado or not, there are some interesting twists to this variation which might make it worth your time and attention. Notably absent is fair Maid Marion. Good King Richard, off on the Crusades while John usurps the throne, is also out. A strong subtext of the anti-papal schism is evident with the Abbot and assorted monks being the most villainous characters. The Sheriff of Nottingham remains on board as El Commandante for the private security force enforcing the greedy designs of the Axis of Olde English Evil. Richard, here the "Gentle Knight" rather than king, is the most heroic ally to Robin and his Merry Band. Plenty of interesting details attest to an assumption on the part of the original Fifteenth Century author that listeners would have intimate personal knowledge of the feudal system with its politics, classes and codes of honor and allegiance.
Now, some caveats. Being no medieval scholar, I cannot attest to the quality of the translation. What I can say is the language seems awkward or labored at times. More problematic, there is often a disconnect between the internal rhythm of the language and the rhythm of the guitar line. Approached as spoken word and by extension a piece of theater, I would say that Bob Frank's recording of "A Little Gest of Robin Hood" is the equivalent of an above average "read through" or (way) out of town trial run. It should be both useful and entertaining for its primary target audience. Those of us not regularly engaged in studying medieval English literature nor obsessively acquiring any and all things connected to the good outlaw Robin Hood may want to wait for the ambient hip hop remix version.
