January / February
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CELTIC MUSIC • KENNY HALL • WORLD MUSIC • KIDS MUSIC • MEXICAN PAPER MAKING • CD REVIEWS FREE Volume 3 Number 1 January-February 2003 THE BI-MONTHLY NEWSPAPER ABOUT THE HAPPENINGS IN & AROUND THE GREATER LOS ANGELES FOLK COMMUNITY A Little“Don’t you know that Folk Music Ukulele is illegal in Los Angeles?” — WARREN C ASEYof theWicket Tinkers is A Lot of Fun – a Beginner’s Tale BY MARY PAT COONEY t all started three workshop at UKE-topia hosted by Jim Beloff at years ago when I McCabe’s Guitar Shop in Santa Monica. I was met Joel Eckhaus over my head in about 15 minutes, but I did at the Augusta learn stuff during the rest of the hour – I Heritage Festival just couldn’t execute any of it! But in Elkins, West my fear of chords in any key but I Virginia. The C was conquered. Augusta Heritage The concert that Festival is has been in existence evening was a for over 25 years, and produces delight with an annual 5-week festival of traditional music almost every uke and dance. Each week of the Festival specialist in the explores different styles, including Cajun, SoCal area on the bill. Irish, Old-Time, Blues, Bluegrass. The pro- The theme was old gram also features folk arts and crafts, espe- time gospel, in line with cially those of West Virginia. Fourteen years the subject of Jim’s latest ago Swing Week was instigated by Western book, and the performers that evening had Swing performers Liz Masterson and Sean quite a romp – some playing respectful Blackburn of Denver, CO as a program of gospel, and others playing whatever they music. The following year Leslie Coombs wanted and making punning references to of Baltimore, MD added swing dance faith, gospel and church. Most importantly, it classes. Students of instrumental music, was an extremely talented bunch of dedicated voice and dance come together for classes, players. I should name all of them, but I can’t jam sessions and student band experience remember them, and there was no printed pro- with professional and regional per- gram to save. Sorry – I loved you all. former/teachers. There is live music for Since then, I’ve been back to McCabe’s to see dancing provided by the faculty and Janet Klein and Her Parlor Boys at the 90th dance class accompanists each night of the Birthday celebration of Bob Mitchell, the gentle- week. I first taught dance at Swing Week 8 years had UKULELE continued on page 21 ago, and fell in love with it. I have been dance coor- been listening to dinator for 5 years. As such, I am party to the selec- swing all day every day for 5 tion of musical artists, and we always welcome days straight. Everyone loved it. something a little off the beaten track to break up the How could I not be curious about this phenom- IN THIS ISSUE rhythm of the week. One of our program assistants enon called ukulele? EDITORIAL...............................................................2 recommended Joel, and his uke class was the first to So in July 2002, at the Swing Week Silent FORTY ONE SLICES .............................................3 fill up, months before the event. We knew something Auction, I bid on and won a ukulele, and I swore A review of ALL DAY LONG/ALL NIGHT LONG was up before we even saw Joel in action. that when I got home I would actually use it. Since Kenny Hall & the Skiffle Symphony (2002) INTERVIEW..............................................................3 Seeing this very tall fellow with the very tiny I’ve only been in L.A. for a year, I thought it Kenny Hall ukulele is funny, but you stop laughing (except at would be a nice entrée into the world of music KEYS TO THE HIGHWAY......................................4 the outright jokes and sneaky puns) when you hear here, and certainly a fun one. And I was right. THE VOICES IN MY HEAD...................................5 his musicianship. Joel is a luthier, a collector of The first thing I did was buy a book – Jim THIS IS YOUR THROAT ON ACID obscure songs, and a talented player/performer. Beloff’s beginner book, and I started strumming BANDS FOR HIRE ..................................................5 His repertoire includes swing, tin pan alley, novel- with the most basic chords. In 5 months I’ve made CD REVIEWS .......................................................... 6 ty tunes and pop music. He plays several instru- quite a bit of progress, and I’ve attended some THE REEL DEAL.....................................................7 ments –uke, guitar and, notably, the musical saw. great events that I would never have known about Recording Acoustic Music He is respectful of the traditions of the various without my little uke to prompt me. STORYTELLING......................................................8 DAVE’S CORNER.....................................................8 musical styles, and has a lot of fun at the same Of course, at first, I had trouble getting my WORLD ENCOUNTERS .........................................9 time. He has a very droll sense of humor, with a chords to sound like anything but dirt. I decided FARWEST? WHAT THE HECK’S THAT? .........10 deadpan delivery that made me wonder, at first, the problem was the strings on the instrument. I ON-GOING MUSIC HAPPENINGS.....................11 whether he was making a joke. His wit and intelli- went to Guitar World in search of strings. In the CALENDAR OF EVENTS .....................................12 gence give an edge to material that might be oth- process of finding out that they don’t carry strings ON-GOING DANCE HAPPENINGS....................14 erwise dismissed as silly. for ukes, I managed to knock over a large display FEATURED ORGANIZATION............................ 15 Swing Week ends with a student showcase, and of very small guitar parts. Fortunately, I was car- Bluegrass Association of Southern California the teachers encourage all students to share what rying a ukulele case, so everyone around me just MEXICAN PAPER-MAKING ...............................16 they have been learning all week. Some perform- started laughing. My first public appearance with AROUND TOWN.....................................................16 ances are very low key, and others are delivered the ukulele. Mortified, I skulked across the street, THE COFFEE GALLERY with mastery and showmanship. The ukulele class, and found a nice white haired gentleman standing PASSINGS ................................................................18 for the last three years, has been the most hilari- outside a much smaller guitar shop. He assured me HOW CAN I KEEP FROM TALKING:...............19 ous, original, and surprising group in the show- Hootenanny Redux he had strings so I went in. I learned that the THAT REMINDS ME.............................................20 case. One year, the strummers marched in forma- strings were fine, and I also learned how to adjust THE STORY OF THE UKULELE........................21 tion while playing Stars and Stripes Forever, all the action so that I didn’t have to press down on ZOOKMAN ............................................................ 22 clad in red, white and blue. There were sparklers the strings like superwoman to make my chords SPECIAL EVENTS .................................................24 and kazoos for special effect. OK – it wasn’t sound decent. swing– but it was a wonderful tonic after everyone Armed and dangerous, I decided to attend a Page 2 FolkWorks January-February 2003 EDITORIAL asn’t that a trait of the folk scene in the PUBLISHERS & EDITORS Wtime? In the 1960’s. In 2001, Rhino Leda & Steve Shapiro early 1960’s, Records released a boxed set LAYOUT & PRODUCTION the WWII war babies were called Washington Square Alan Stone Creative Services coming of age and “the Memoirs: The Great Urban times they were a Folk Boom 1950-1970 (Rhino FEATURE WRITERS Joanna Cazden changin’.” The country had R2 74264). It is a collection of The Voices in my Head emerged from the conserva- some of the well known (and Valerie Cooley, That Reminds Me... tive previous decade and not so well known) “names” of Viola Galloway, World Encounters coffee houses were filled the revival and their mentors: Gus Garelick, Interviews with youngsters, present Woody Guthrie, Jean Ritchie, company included. The Malvina Reynolds, The Roger Goodman Keys to the Highway hotbeds of the folk revival Weavers, Sonny Terry and Gaili Schoen, Kids Corner were in Boston and New Brownie McGhee, Pete Seeger, York City. It was here that Peggy Seeger, Bob Dylan, Joan Dave Soyars, Dave’s Corner Dennis Stone, CD Reviews young folks were discover- Baez, Mimi and Dick Farina, Mike Tackett, Zookman ing, listening to and learn- Arlo Guthrie, and on and on… ing from veterans of the On January 25th, you can EDITORS previous generation. Some join us to reminisce and help David Ascher • Marie Bruno of these mentors included distribute this issue of Valerie Cooley • Mary Pat Cooney Chuck Galt • Nichole Galland Woody Guthrie, Cisco BYPHOTO SONYA SONES FolkWorks at a concert at Stan Kohls • Britt Nicole-Peterson Huston, Leadbelly, Sonny BY LEDA & STEVE SHAPIRO UCLA called Washington Diane Sherman • Joel Shimberg Terry and Brownie Square Memoirs with Tom McGhee, The Weavers (Pete Seeger, Lee Hays, Paxton, Loudon Wainwright III, John Hammond, and CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Ronnie Gilbert and Fred Hellerman), to name a few. Mike Seeger. It promises to be a fun evening. Ross Altman • Jim Beloff They were folkies, and were a product of their time. As we move on to our third year of FolkWorks, we Mary Pat Cooney • Steve Dulson Jim Griffith, PhD • Dave Lynch They got together in apartments and swapped stories are optimistic about its ability to continue to grow and Steve Pogact • Nick Smith and songs, they played for rent parties, they recorded help build the Los Angeles folk community. Like records (78s and 33s). The new generation listened many community based, non-profit organizations, we DISTRIBUTION and learned. They did their homework… listening to depend on your support, through financial contribu- Chuck Galt • Cliff Gilpatric Sue Hunter • Dennis Louie Harry Smith’s landmark Anthology Of American Folk tions and through commitments to small amounts of Gretchen Naticchia • Bill Ossa Music compilations studying the collections of John your time.