Local street artist has new CD Local street artist has new CD (August 13, 2004)

Ted Woods is a 'Sidewalk Survivor'

By David Herbert

Mountain View's longtime street minstrel Ted Woods has released a new album, a collection of new and old music, as original as the roving performer himself.

Fans of Woods usually venture out to the downtown post office, where he has played daily since 1995, or another one of his venues to get an earful of his tunes. But they can now buy "Sidewalk Survivor," a collection of 18 songs Woods wrote over the course of two decades about everything from his faith and his politics to life on the road. The only way to get it is to approach Woods.

Woods, 53, is a member of the Green Party and is more than willing to share his leftist political views. The song "(I'm a Californian) Washed in the Blood of the Lamb," track 16 on the album, "is to speak out against political evil," he said.

The record also has some fairly overt religious undertones. According to Woods, who is a devout Christian, the purpose of the album is "to glorify God." He even copyrighted one song, "Psalm 23," as having two writers: Ted Woods and King David of Israel.

"I made the album because the Holy Spirit made me," Woods explained. But it was the help of his friend Alec Axt, a fellow musician and former bandmate in the 1980s, that spurred him to hit the recording studios with some borrowed money.

Recorded this spring, the CD is modest affair. The jewel case is flimsy, the disc label is a sticker, and inquiries about the album are directed to a Yahoo! e-mail address. But what the record lacks in aesthetic beauty it makes up for in spirit. Woods pours his heart and soul into each song, his voice at times straining but always imbuing the listener with a sense of awe for his devotion to the music.

Woods, whose other venues include Mountain View's Hong Kong Bakery and the Fremont BART station, estimated he has sold 30 copies of "Sidewalk Survivor," and hopes to sell more as publicity about the album grows. That the CD will make it into record stores looks doubtful, but like the title of track 7, Woods will keep on "Walkin' Brave."

E-mail David Herbert at dherbert@mv-voice.com

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