THE MAN THAT TIME FORGOT, 2020 is a Wrap.

I’ve been pondering how to wrap up this last newsletter of the year. Undoubtably, struggle, and uncertainty has been the new norm for many of us. I won't dwell.

Not being able to wander, I got down to some writing projects that touring usually never allows. A little digging or emotional archeology, that I hope soon to share next year in the form of a memoir form. We'll see.

Also, I'm thankful to the many people who have offered a word or two of support for the new album. And of course those who have purchased the vinyl/CD or downloads. Scroll down for the special thank you.

I've a few events coming up over the next month starting tomorrow. Details are below.

Be safe everyone!

Vincentx

Thank you! To those 20+ Folk DJs that spun a few tracks from The Life and Times of James "The Rooster." I'm looking forward to the next NERFA or FAI to thank you in the flesh.

Ron Cook, Ken Batiste, Angela Page, John Silbers, Artie Martello, Mitch Park, Kate McNally, Ken Nagelberg, Coling Fielding, Ray Baumler, J. Kramer, Len Holten, Jim Canales, Arthur Berman, Bill Revill, and Chris Kocher. I'm sure I've left out a chunk more.

Thank you! To those unsung journalists and writers that reviewed and supported the new album: Songlines, Rootstime.BE, Music Connection, Folking.com, Americana Daily, Grateful Web, Americana Highways, Don Cole, Take Effect, Irish Daily Star, Vladamir Bera, Westmeath Independent, Galway Advertister, Brooklyn Vegan & Pop Matters.

Thank you! To the venues that allowed me to livestream this year: Club Passim, Jalopy Theater, Irish Center, Skinner & T'Witch, and Nuncheon.

Thank You! Americana Highways readers and listeners for voting for Life & Times back in August. Those are some heavy hitters in the top 10, and I'm honored to be amongst them.

Thank you! Brad Colerick over there in Pasedena for spinning tracks from Home Away from Home (2008). Check out the Wine & Song Podcast 34 and you'll also get to hear: Ken Yates, Brandy Zdan, Brian Joseph, Jordie Lane w/Lollies and Salty Suits.

Special Thanks! Nick Loss Eaton who pushed the boat out as far as he could under all elements.

Finally, finally, the year is not over yet. If you've not managed to order the new album or even past recordings then the folks at Bandcamp await you.

Thanks for sticking around!!

Vincent Cross Pays Tribute to Folk Hero via "King Corcoran" (premiere)

Thanks also to Popmatters for previewing 'King Corcoran' from The Life & Times of James "The Rooster" Corcoran.  They say:

"It's a quiet meditation that speaks to folk's narrative powers and Cross's special powers as a songwriter, his ability to cast a vivid portrait of a man he never knew, a place he's never been."

LIVE-STREAM FROM NYC: MAY 28th, for The Nuncheon Sessions

Not on the road, but still doing gigs. Here’s a set of songs from the James “The Rooster” Corcoran album (due out August 7th).

SHOWS, EVENTS & VINYL

SHORT TOUR SPRING TOUR IN APRIL AROUND NEW YORK: CHECK OUT THE VIDEO!

Sun April 11th: DEXTER'S Tunes Tales & Ales, CT
Mon April 13th: Landmark Session, NYC
Thurs April 16th: New York Irish Center, Queens
Frid April 17th: American Folk Art Museum, Manhattan
Sat April 18th: Live in the Parlour at Fox & Crow, NJ
Sun April 19th: Brooklyn Folk Festival, Brooklyn
Sun April 19th: The Scratcher Sessions, Manhattan

I'm delighted to let folks know that the official release date for new records will be early August. 

It has taken five years in total, but I'm very proud of the work and thankful for those folks who contributed ideas and even sent money for the vinyl production. I'll get those records out asap!

There are ten songs in total and musically this album has been very absorbing, as I’ve spent time learning to play new instruments: bouzouki (made specially for the project), chromatic concertina, and dulcimer.

The songs (ballads) themselves paint a picture that is influenced by traditional Irish and American folks song motifs and melodies. You’ll hear fragments of traditional songs throughout from both sides of the pond. The narrative is not completely linear but it does begin in Corcoran’s place of birth , Balbriggan with ‘A Man After My Own Heart’ (adapted from a New York Times article of the same title), and then briefly moves to New Orleans (‘Creole Girl’), and then on to the Five Points in New York City. Corcoran soon moves up to 40th street, and is the first to settle a shanty town on a high ridge of ground known as Goat's Hill (‘King Corcoran’). This soon becomes a home for over 100 Irish families newly immigrated.  It’s where the Tudor City is today, and there’s even a Gothic inscription to Corcoran that says, “Here was Corcoran’s Roost till the year 1877.” 

SEPTEMBER ABOUT TOWN, NYC

THE WASHINGTON SQUARE REUNION

A fine beautiful day it was in Washington Square. Caught up with some old friends and made some new ones. No better place or time.  

Click BELOW for fine jam out on the classic ‘New River Train.’ Image by Jeannie Myers: Charlie Giordano, Bruce Weinstein, Vincent Cross.

VIDEO HERE!

THE SCRATCHER SESSIONS

The Scratcher Sessions have started! I'm excited for the upcoming season. Thanks Pete Olshansky, Brendan O'Shea for hosting. Shane Kerwin for playing and Peter Allsop for snapping the moment.

THE PARK SLOPE OLD-TIME & BLUEGRASS JAMBOREE

Plenty TO see and do at the Jamboree this year. With the banjo, and harmony workshops, jamming and of course the concert in the evening.

MADNESS AT MONA’S LATE NIGHT BLUEGRASS JAM.

(PICS/VIDEOS BY AIDAN GRANT)

It’s been a quite a while since I stayed up late and ventured down to the east village for this infamous bluegrass jam.

Check out the short video clips: ‘Mole in the Ground, ‘ and ‘Pretty Polly.’

Play Mystic For Me: Sea Music Festival: Jun 6, 2019 – Jun 9, 2019

Just a few hours North of New York City you can visit the Mystic Seaport. Each year, around this time, they hold a sea music festival, and it usually runs over the weekend. This year for the first time I was fortunate enough to make it to some of the Saturday events. 
            On arrival I quickly made my way to the  “Music of the Sea” Symposium to hear three young ethnomusicologists present a variety of sea worthy topics. Gibb Schreffler, “Screwing Cotton by the Day” was just finishing his presentation, and I unfortunately just caught the comments of Craig Edwards from the floor. I did catch all of James Revell Carr's presentation. Entitled "Sailors and Musical Commerce in the late 18th- and early 19th-century Pacific. It was a fascinating journey into the relationships between sailors and pacific islanders. It was extraordinary to hear that the bagpipes were used by Cook to entertain the pacific islanders and some of the melodies have made there way into their own traditional music. The story of Captain Cook's demise and how a dance was used by the Islanders to entertain the sailors to prevent retribution was fascinating. 

Robert Young Walser moderated the panel discussion on "The Past, Present, and Future of Sea Music Research,"which I found fascinating. He posed some challenging issues facing researchers today as they now do things online and not in the old fashioned way of rummaging around in the archives. How does one stumble across things now that they are locked away? With the advent of online research the archives have become harder to access was the general view of the panel. James Revell Carr riffed on the difference between singing a source material and researching it, and the importance of breathing life into historical music as the shanty men would have done. The suggestion was made that scholars still valorize texts over performance and individual interpretation. This brought about the conflict between text and context, which is still at the heart of folklore studies. 

                  The weather was beautiful so I made sure that the performances I caught were outdoors and this added to the atmosphere. On board the Joseph Conrad I heard songs of supersition and shipwrecks with Pint & Dale and John Roberts. Robert's sang an uplifting version of 'The Loss of the Ramillies,' A true story of the shipwreck of HMS Ramillies which lost its bearings during a violent storm in 1760 just off the Cornish / Devon coast culminating in the loss of 700 men, while accompanying himself on the Anglo-concertina. I caught John again later singing a bawdy tale of lusty tailor called "The Tailor and the Tea Chest."  Later I managed to hear Jeff Warner sing a traditional children's song with a verse that really tickled me: 

 There was an old doctor and his name was Peck 

Fell down the well and broke his neck 

Served him right, he was doing wrong 

Should have tended to the sick, and let the well alone.

             By the time the sun was beginning I made my mind up to come back again next year and hope the weather will be just as fine, as certainly the music was top notch.

HUBBY JENKINS LIVE At PEARL STUDIOS, PEARL STUDIOS, MAY 3rd

What a treat to finally catch Hubby Jenkins (The Carolina Chocolate Drops) live and in person at Pearl Studios here in NYC. Though resident in New York, Hubby is often on the road touring through the South performing early blues, old time ballads, and ragtime classics from the African American tradition.

Hubby brought us on a journey through classic piedmont guitar pieces by Mississippi Fred McDowell, "When the Train Comes Along," and even John Hurts "John Henry." We were treated to a history of the bones, from Egypt to the blues, and then some classic banjo instrumentals such as the harmonious "Lost Candy." 

 One of my favorite tunes of the evening was a traditional southern hunting tune about old man who promised his son he would catch a rabbit. In the American tradition the hunt is often unsuccessful and the sounds of the animals is replicated on the instruments. Hubby really brought this one to life. He closed out the night with a medley of blues tunes that included "Love Corrina," Thanks to Hubby for providing the Folk Music Society of New York with some fine entertainment and education.

WE ARE THE MUSIC MAKERS...PETE SEEGER 100TH REMEMBRANCE & FUNDRAISER

In an evening dedicated to Pete Seeger, and to raise money for the Peoples Voice Cafe, each person I spoke to had a personal tale about Pete.  Many stories centered around how he was able to unit people in song and deed.   Pete would be 100 years old if he were still alive today, and the memories of Pete were as vivid in the hearts and minds as if he was here only yesterday. 

            Mike Glick pulled together a wonderful line up to celebrate and remember Pete, and how important he continues to be in bringing people together. The diverse group included: Piedmont Blūz, Cole Quest and the City Pickers, Bev Grant, Robin Greenstein, Hudson Valley Sally, Mike Glick & Lindsey Wilson, Ben Grosscup, and Vincent Cross.

            Songs included "Solidarity Forever" by Hudson Valley Sally, which I somehow knew a bit of already, a rocking "Turn Me ‘Round" with  Lindsey Wilson &  Mike Glick,  a passionate "Bring ‘Em Home,"  was followed by humorous satire in "Garbage"  both performed by Ben Grosscup, and a finale lead by Cole Quest and the City Pickers brought everyone together with "This Land Is Your Land." I remember hearing this song live back in Ireland when I first heard Arlo Guthrie, and remember I wept uncontrollably in the back of the room. Those emotions came back immediately, and with them a sense of hope that maybe there is a chance that we can come together and work out the problems of the world.

 PICS by Joel Landy

A FOLK FESTIVAL IN BROOKLYN ( Review) APRIL 5-7

A folk festival in New York City you ask?  The Brooklyn Folk Festivals is now in its 11th year, and is hosted by The Jalopy School of Music and Theatre. It is also the city of New York's only folk festival. Of course, as many of you know, New York City was once the epicenter of the Folk Revival and used to host numerous folk festivals back in the day, but it's been some time since the 60s folk scare and those towering folk superstars of yesteryear Bob Dylan and Joan Baez.  What really makes this festival unique is its emphasis on traditional music and its respect for artists both old and new. Also at the heart of the festival is revivalist John Cohen (New Lost City Ramblers). Cohen is a well-respected musician, documentary filmmaker, photographer and recorder of rural Southern music. Acknowledged as a central influence on Bob Dylan and others during he was involved in bringing rural Southern music to city folks in the 1960s. 

 Day 1: Friday, April 5th 

            Arriving at 7.30pm the opening night had an atmosphere both pensive and  frenetic. The buzz was palpable. I caught the melliferous tones of the Ukrainian Village Voicesthough somewhat lost in the kerfuffle of the opening night. Their customs were eye catching and added to the diversity of the evening's music.  Their music is primarily vocal and instrumental music from the rural Ukraine. As the evening progressed Jackson & The Jankshit the stomp box and loaded the evening with R&B from New Orleans. I then had to run upstairs to the workshop room to host, present and perform my own segment on the Ballads of James “The Rooster” Corcoran.

Day 2: Saturday, April 6th 

            As I entered into the fray of Saturday, The Mammalswere taking to the main stage to provide a healthy dose of folk and original songs, and some fine tailoring. On the parish stage John Harrodwas performing eastern Kentucky fiddle syncopations for the fine flatfootingCity Stompers. The temperature was set for The Hayrollersto tear it up with some high-lonesome bluegrass vocals and some fierce fiddling by fiddler Bruno Bruzzese.  In the afternoon, I excitedly headed upstairs to hear about folk music impresario Izzy Young and his impact on the folk revival in Remembering Izzy Young and the Folklore Center. The panel was moderated by my old buddy, and blues aficionado, Scott Barretta. The discussion took from personal recollections and Tulsa bound archival material to present Izzy as  the conscience of the folk revival with his participation in the 1961 Washington Square riots (there's some Youtube footage on this). Izzy's encounters with Bob Dylan are the stuff of legend, and many did not see his initial potential as John Cohen quipped some saw him as " a Woody Guthrie knock off."  Izzy moved to Sweden in the late 60s as he became enamored with traditional music there. Izzy’s friend's John Cohen, Peter K. Siegel and Matt Umanov where also joined by archivist Mitch Blank who was sporting a Rolling Thunder Review denim jacket which certainly warranted mention. There was also a small selection of photographs and memorabilia from the Folklore Center that is being curated by Mitch. 

            Onward and upward as I entered into a special screening of American Epic.  A new documentary "featuring the untold story of how the ordinary people of America were given the opportunity to make records for the first time." The first artist of which was one of my own personal favorites Mississippi John Hurt. It was great to see and hear new footage of Hurts, and to hear him being interviewed at the Newport Folk Festival of 1964 with the sounds of Bob Dylan performing 'Tambourine Man' echoing in the background.  Ironically Hurt is talking about what the new interest in folk music means to him as an elder statesman. He quotes the Bible by saying he is impressed that there is an interest in what the older folks have to say. 

            The final segment of the movie brings together the technology of the past with artists of the present with Jack White performing, hosting, and leading folks through live performances of traditional sounding tunes.  The technology was somehow the star as it hummed away in the next room. An incredible example of engineering as the weight hit the floor to end each recording within a 3min period of time. That's where the 3min song standard was conceived. 

 Day 3: Sunday, April 7th 

            You know you've been at a festival when you cannot cover everything that is going on, and your appetite has truly been wetted.  I had to be very selective at times and decided that I needed to hear more about Alan Lomax from archivist curator Nathan Salsburg. He was certainly up for the task in his presentation that spanned the years before and after Lomax's 1959 “Southern Journey.” Its legacy 60 Years on is still really only now beginning to reach the mainstream public in terms of its scholarly importance, as he documented folk and traditional song performances fro the US, Europe and further afield.  Hi Southern states recordings used the state of the art stereo tape machine, as Lomax was a keen observer of technology changes and used them effectively in his collecting. Lomax made the first ever recordings of now-legendary figures like Bessie Jones and Mississippi Fred McDowell. Recordings of work songs at Parchman Farm and the thunderous hymnody of the Sacred Harp were essential to the folk revival, and Lomax's legacy still inspires today. 

            My final event of the festival had been earmarked from the start as I wanted to catch the old-time, bluegrass super-group consisting of Bruce Molsky, Tony Trischka, and Michael Daves.  Daves voice rang clear and true, and Molsky took the lower leads to Michael's tenor, and Tony's playing was sharp as a tack. Overall, I couldn't ask for a more fitting end to another fabulous Brooklyn Folk Festival. Kudos to Eli Smith and Lynette and Geoff Wiley for all their efforts this year. I'm already looking forward to next year

THE PEOPLES VOICE CAFE, APRIL 13TH

 It's hard to believe that it's nearly two years since I performed at the Peoples Voice Cafe. Celebrating 40years of live music it offers an alternative music experience in New York City, from folk music and protest songs to rap, jazz, poetry, storytelling, and dance.  

     I'll be sharing the night with Lindsey Wilson & The Human Hearts a singer-songwriter with a flair for nostalgia and a memorable mix of 70s-style urban folk rock and conscious lyrics.

DETAILS

LOCATION:
Community Church of New York U.U.
40 East 35th St. (between Madison & Park)
New York, NY, 10016
Cafe entrance at far right of building, at street level.

TRANSPORTATION:
 to 33rd St. (2 1/2 blocks to the church)
  to 34th Street/Herald Square (3 1/2 blocks)
TIMES:
All shows start at 8 PM, Saturdays. Doors open at 7:30.
No reservations, so come early to be assured a seat.
ADMISSION:
$20 suggested contribution -- more if you choose, less if you can't; no one turned away.
For PVC subscribers, students, and youth, the suggested contribution is $12.
ACCESSIBILITY:
Wheelchair accessible (including bathrooms). For info call 212-787-3903.

BROOKLYN FOLK FESTIVAL, APRIL 5TH-7TH, 2019

Arriving at the beginning of April is the ever popular Brooklyn Folk Festival, which is presented by the Jalopy Theater and School of Music. Each year I have a a fabulous time hanging out watching shows, catching old friends and even participating!

This year I'll be performing some horrid little ballads about James “The Rooster” Corcoran and will be joined by Erica Mancini (accordion) and Shane Kerwin (bodhran/whistle). We’ll be upstairs in the workshop room, and start at 9.30pm. It's opening night so come at 7.30 and catch everything!

Here is the facebook event: 
https://www.facebook.com/events/212774693005819/

Tickets are at: www.BrooklynFolkFest.com/tickets

Here’s the schedule

DEBUT: THE LIFE & TIMES OF JAMES "THE ROOSTER" CORCORAN

The debut of The Life & Times of James "The Rooster" Corcoran took place in the intimate setting of the Fireside Lounge in LIC, NYC.  It was a capacity house, and if you scrowl down you can click on the short film clip that has three edited tunes from that night. Thanks to Sam Harmet for bringing down the camera and setting it up. No film of the second night has surfaced yet. 

The first tune, "A Man After Me Own Heart" is taken from the 1899, New York Times article entitled:"JAME CORCORAN IN COURT: RULER OF CORCORAN'S ROOST GOES BAIL FOR A MAN AFTER HIS OWN HEART." The other two clips are well known 19th century tunes, "The Lakes of Pontchatrain'" and "Hard Times." As you can tell people were in fine singing form and that fire place was cosy indeed.

TWO SHOWS IN NYC: THE LIFE & TIMES OF JAMES "ROOSTER" CORCORAN

Come and hear newly composed & arranged broadside ballads about this 19th Century Irish-American truckman, gangleader & squatter colony chief. My 5-times great-grand uncle!

James "The Rooster" Corcoran was known for his "caustic tongue and ready wit," and was often stereotyped tabloid fodder for the newspapers of the 1800s. If you've ever seen the movie Gangs of New York, then this would be a musical accompaniment to the rogues, pimps, murders and thieves that inhabited New York City in the 19th century.

Guest performers include:

Erica Mancini - accordion/vocals
Shane Kerwin - percussion
Sam Hamnet - mandolin/vocals

DETAILS: * Both shows have a suggested donation $15 (no one turned away).

SUN OCT 28TH: THE FIRESIDE @ LIC BAR, QUEENS - 6pm-8pm

FRID NOV 16TH: THE OLD STONE HOUSE, BROOKLYN - 7pm-9pm

New World Folk Club: Guests: Hilary Hawke & Christian Apuzzo

Way back in May we had the last New World Folk Club get together, and it was a sweet evening of tunes and talent. 

Hilary Hawke sang beautifully, and clawed her way through some Old-time banjo classics with Christian Apuzzo sharing his heartfelt bluegrass compositions.  We covered some ground over the course of the afternoon folks. Bringing these fine talented folks together over the course of the year was a real pleasure, and I must thank the Folk Music Society of NY for co-sponsoring. Also, the Scratcher for hosting. 

LIVE SUMMER STAGES, NYC

This summer I found some wonderful musical moments to share with you folks. The first event was held at Lincoln Center and was hosted by the Center for Traditional Music and Dance, which was celebrating its 50th anniversary with a fine lineup of heritage artists including West African Sidiki Conde & Tokounnou, Afro-Colombian traditional band Grupo Rebolu, and Cherish the Ladies representing the Irish musical tradition.

Sidiki was stricken with polio as a boy and has reconstructed dance steps using his hands instead of his feet. You can read more about him and his music on his website here.

As the humidity bore down on us the Afro-Colombian traditional band Grupo Rebolu hit the stage with firey enthusiasm that had folks up and dancing in front of their seats to the infectious beats.  These folks perform a monthly residency in Teraza 7 in Jackson Heights.  You can check out more about them here.

Representing the Irish tradition, Cherish the Ladies charmed the audience with their friendly banter and Irish dancers. I wasn't able to stick around for Andy Statman and his Klezmer Ensemble, as I wanted to catch George Ward at the Waterfront Museum in Red Hook for some 19th songs about the Erie Canal.  All part of the research behind my own project on James J. Corcoran. 

Finally, Safia and I had the extreme honor of hearing Mavis Staples perform her soulful classics. Wow! She encored with "The Weight," which was truly amazing to hear. Her voice seeming to come from some deep place still sounded charged and ready for fight, and folks responded with an encore.

GRIST FOR THE MILL: I GOT A SONG by Rick MASSIMO

I bumped into Rick Massimo of I Got a Song in a nearby Thai restaurant at the 2017 Brooklyn Folk Festival. We chatted about our folk passion, and I attended his workshop in which he presented a lively discussion about the changes in the folk landscape extending back to the 1960s and as any good folkie knows the Newport Folk Festival has some serious historical value when it comes to how the public perceive folk music.

As the major folk event of the 1960s the Newport Folk Festival is usually remembered as the moment when the darling of the folk world Bob Dylan went electric. Of course there are many myths to the event, but the politics are still raw today, and any book about the folk revival cannot ignore this moment as the commercial world taking a bit out of the folk apple.  Questions still abound about the why and how the result of this moment and few books penetrate the surface of the debate, but many must at least attempt it. 

I Got A Song is a fascinating read as it both educational and entertaining. Two terms that seem inseparable to what a folk event should never forget, but in some part seem to missing from how it's being managed today. Some parts of the book I skipped over, such as those that went into the minutiae of the relationships of the various memory agents and bookers who control this platform. Other parts are very revealing in unexpected ways as Jim James, a regular performer now, waxes lyrical about what the festival symbolizes, and I couldn't help but notice that he is also on the board for selecting artists. I'm sure this is problematic in more ways than one. 

Tickets sell out fast these days, and it has become fashionable and successful, and as the book explains there is a new audience now as some of the old folks seem to dislike successful things. Really? Maybe that'd like to go to something that is less commercial? Maybe more educational?  Maybe you should have a read yourself and let me know you thoughts. Thanks Rick Massimo for taking on this difficult topic and providing us with grist for the mill. 

THE NEW OLD SOUNDS: GAN AINM TO NA FILI 3

It can be hard to put a finger on what is really hitting the musical spot at any one time, and it's only by habit that I notice what is hitting my turntable regularly. I take a conscious effort to make sure I know what music enters my waxy eardrums, and will not suffer poor musical choices without some kind of face pulling.

I listen to vinyl mostly as I really enjoy the ritual of selecting the record and listening to whole piece. Though listening to music is far less of a thrill than playing it, I still notice the difference in the experience of playing a CD or MP3 to spinning a record. The recent unearthing of NA FILI 3 in a old bookstore in Athlone over the Christmas was truly an epiphany for me, but one that was a long time coming.

Having lived in Ireland for most of my life, I was not always able to get my head around traditional Irish music. The music seemed to come from some other time, and the songs and music seemed to be separated as accompaniment, especially by guitar, was not encouraged. Not being an instrumentalist but a singer I was left wandering into American folk styles, which seemed more open and also more relatable to the popular music of the times.

Living Galway for many years I could not help discover young players with great passion and energy who were completely absorbed in Irish Traditional music; Harry Bradley, Dereck O'Shea, Declan Corey, and Jon Hicks (Gan Ainm) were the folks I followed around and looked up to and hassled and admired though I felt completely separate from them, I was in awe of how they played together, and I remember sessions in Mick Taylors Bar in which they played acoustic instrumental music that mesmerized my eardrums.  Here's a discovered link of a show they did in Iceland that really does capture some of the ambiance and energy. 

So that's sort of the round about introduction to the album I'm listening to right now. It spins and spins and I just keep listening. I feel it's all there. Everything I every wanted to know about Irish traditional music: The songs, the airs, the laments and the passion. I just hope some of it rubs off on me. Here's a clip of the boys playing that I hope you'll enjoy. 

NEW WORLD FOLK CLUB PRESENTS; OLD-TIME, BLUEGRASS & AMERICANA

The New World Folk Club is set to run its final show on Saturday afternoon, May 26th, so if you've not managed to get to any of the great shows we've had this last 5 months, then now is your last chance. The two very special guests this month are Hilary Hawke (banjo/vocals) & Christian Apuzzo: (guitar/vocals).

Hilary Hawke, is a banjo/multi-instrumentalist, and teacher based in Brooklyn, NY. She plays banjo in Brooklyn based bands; M Shanghai Stringband, Dubl Handi(the Wild Goats), the Dead Sea Sisters, and she plays upright bass with Hopalong Andrew and with Chapin Sisters full band.

Christian Apuzzo, is a New York based guitarist/singer and educator who specializes in bluegrass music. You can catch him around town in various formations including, but limited to: Bluegrass Collusion, JCAM Country Band, Cole Quest and the City Pickers, and other concoctions.

DETAILS

Date: Saturday, May 26th

Time: 4-6pm

Location: The Scratcher Bar: 209 E 5th St, New York, NY 10003

Donation: $5

FACEBOOK INVITE

C0-SPONSORED BY THE FOLK MUSIC SOCIETY OF NY

NEW WORLD FOLK CLUB PRESENTS: BOUZOUKI TO CHARANGO

The New World Folk Club is a new intimate and educational folk music event on the last Saturday of each month at the Scratcher Bar, NYC. Hosted by Vincent Cross, two special guests are invited to collaborate on traditional and/or contemporary folks songs. Guests this month are Andres Jimenez (mandolin/pipes/vocals) & Naomi Sturm (guitar/vocals). They will be joined by a special guest for the second set to really give you a taste of Andean Folk Music.

Andres Jimenez, is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, and musical director of Andean folk band Inkarayku based in Queens, NY. Over the years he has apprenticed and recorded with many of the New York area Andean music greats such as Guillermo Guerrero, Pepe Santana, Carlos Ambia, Walter Aparicio, and Jose Alberto Ruiz. He is well known and respected for the flexibility and precision of his performances with the traditional groups Tahuantinsuyo, Inkay, Wayramarka, Grupo Khana and Sumaq Punchau respectively.

Naomi Sturm, is a New York based folkorist who specializes in music of the immigrant experience. She initially joined Inkarayku in 2011 as the group’s manager and producer, and as a performer she blends this knowledge with that of American roots music, the Anglo-American ballad tradition, and East European folk melodies.

DETAILS: FACEBOOK INVITE

Date: Saturday, April 28th

Time: 4-6pm

Location: The Scratcher Bar: 209 E 5th St, New York, NY 10003

Donation: $5

Co Sponsored by the Folk Music Society of NY

BROOKLYN FOLK FESTIVAL, APRIL 6-8

Arriving at the beginning of April is the ever popular Brooklyn Folk Festival, which is presented by the Jalopy Theater and School of Music. Last year I  had a wonderul time hanging out watching shows, catching old friends and even participating in a workshop by Jan Bell about topical and political songwriting. This year I'll be hosting my own workshop on tradigional songwriting, that delicate branch of songwriting that is both traditional and original.  

Here's a link to the full schedule (LINK), but I'd like to recommend that you check out Bruce Molsky’s Mountain Drifters – Old time string band on Saturday 4:30pm. He has a 2:00pm Old Time Fiddle Workshop that will be well attended too. Also, at 4:00pm check out the film Linefork a documentary on legendary KY banjo player Lee Sexton, followed by Q&A with the filmmaker. Yes sir!

On Sunday, I recommend you have listen to Thomas McCarthy  at 4:15pm for some unaccompanied ballads from Ireland, and then at 5:00pm Pat Conte – Blues, gospel and old time songs and tunes. These two back to back will be an amazing contrast. On the evening show you can't got wrong with  The Down Hill Strugglers w/ John Cohen  at 7:00pm with some Oldtime string band sounds, then 8:30pm   Michael Daves & Chris “Critter” Eldridge  for some Bluegrass duets!. I've not seen  Pokey LaFarge , but at 9:15pm he'll be picking some original, blues and folk songs! What a weekend!!