You’ve Been a Friend to Me

Sonya Cohen Cramer was a remarkable singer born into a distinguished American folk music family; her father was John Cohen of The New Lost City Ramblers, her aunt was Peggy Seeger and her uncle was Pete Seeger. She loved singing – but for her own personal enjoyment – and when she died at the age of 50 in 2015 she was best known as a graphic designer for Folkways albums. Now Folkways have brought out this 17-song retrospective, recorded over roughly 30 years, and it’s a revelation. Her range is impressive: everything from the driving a capella of ‘Oh, Blue’ (a duet with Penny Seeger) to the intimate ‘When I Was Most Beautiful’ (with backing from Pete Seeger), through to a chamber folk setting for ‘In the Pines’, bluegrass guitar on ‘Spoke Driver Blues’, and an exquisite re-working of the Carter Family favourite ‘You’ve Been a Friend to Me’. And all combined with the power of her charming, quietly emotional voice.