FVOL. 26OLK NO 1 NWORLDEWS FOLK MUSIC ASSOCIATION SPRING 2012 Special WFMA Showcase at Ireland’s Four Fields Come help us bid a fond farewell to this great Washington, DC institution! On August 5, Frank Hughes, recently received her Masters Degree the owner of Ireland’s Four Fields in violin performance, provides a more (formerly known as Ireland’s Four contemporary influence to their music. Provinces, or 4Ps) announced that the Reservations are being accepted pub would close in early November. now, with the admission fee being Frank recently received an extension collected at the door (cash or check on the lease, so the pub is now only). Admission for WFMA Friends scheduled to close in a few months. of Folk Music members will be $20. The pub opened at its current Admission for non-members will be location on Connecticut Avenue in $25. Reservations can be made using 1976 and has been a mainstay of Celtic Photo by Bill Adler our Online Reservation Form at http:// music and a proud contributor to the wfma.net/res4fields.htm or by sending DC community for over 35 years. son (and Berklee College of Music an email to [email protected], with This DC icon has hosted numerous graduate), Owen Danoff. Owen is your name, phone number, number in events: concerts, fundraisers, reunions, active in the DC area music scene and party and arrival time. Those without receptions, wakes and WFMA Music has been nominated for two Wammies Internet access can make a reservation Americana Showcases. (Washington Area Music Awards). by calling the Four Fields at (202)244- In the fall of 1986, Dick Cerri Doris Justis and Sean McGhee 0860. and WFMA began hosting monthly first met at a Music Americana Parking is very limited at the Four showcases at the old 4Ps. Among the Showcase in May of 1984 and they Fields. However, it is only a short many performers who appeared during started singing together the next walk from the Cleveland Park Metro the five+ years of showcases at the pub evening. They formed Side by Side Station (on the Red Line) and we were Noel Paul Stookey, Bill Danoff, as the “house band” for the Showcases recommend taking Metro, if possible. Steve Gillette and Side by Side. and have performed at all 25 of the 40 Thieves have established Please join us on March 31 at 7:30 WFMA annual concerts! They are themselves as one of the best loved PM, for the last WFMA Showcase now celebrating almost 28 years of Irish bands in the Metro DC area. at the pub, as we say “goodbye” to performing together and continue to From the cozy confines of the DC this wonderful Irish pub. Several enthrall audiences with their exciting area’s best Irish pubs to the wide- outstanding performers will be joining arrangements of new and old favorites. open stages of the festival circuit, us for this celebration. Kensington Station is a Maryland this rocking ensemble has wowed the Bill Danoff was one of the folk trio with its roots going back to crowds by wedding old fashioned and performers at the very first WFMA the “folk scare” of the early 60’s. The newfangled Irish music with straight Music Americana Showcase and has group is made up of Fred Cherney on ahead rock and roll. You will enjoy been singing and writing songs for guitar and banjo, Jim Jones on guitar, Dave Dresser’s gritty guitar, fiddler over 40 years. He has written over a and Leslie Smile on violin. Their Randy Latimer’s classically honed, dozen songs recorded by John Denver, repertoire predominantly consists of Cape Breton-influenced chops and the including the song that catapulted John traditional and 60’s folk standards. Guinness inspired grooves provided by into national prominence, “Take Me They are also known to throw in a bassist Charlie McNamara. Home Country Roads” and “I Guess lively mix of Irish, Old Time, and We hope you will be able to join He’d Rather Be in Colorado,” which contemporary tunes. While Jim and us for some great Irish food & drink became the theme song of Colorado. Fred have been playing and singing and outstanding music. Bill will be joined on stage by his folk music since the 60’s, Leslie, who 1 Christine Lavin Concert photo by Sally Farr at Cellar Stage (with Chatham Street Opening) Friday, January 13, 2012 • By Paul Klingenberg Attending a Christine Lavin concert is the kind of experience that is extremely difficult to describe, let alone attempt to review. Her show is one part folk, one part humor, one part serious social commentary, and many parts fun. Although I have seen her perform literally dozens of times over the past few years, it was always at a WFMA concert, or in another setting where photo by Paul Demmitt she was doing only a short set because of Gene Weingarten’s proposed revision of the nature of the show. Because of this, I the National Anthem (set to the tune of Dick Kniss was unprepared for the range of emotions Rossini’s William Tell Overture--”The Lone Dies at Age 74 that she managed to evoke during her two Ranger” theme song) was amazing. But the We were very saddened by the news extended sets. highlight of the evening for me was “More that Dick Kniss, bass player with Peter, From “Amoeba Hop,” to “Planet X” than 1,000,000 Americans,” her protest Paul and Mary for most of their 50 years (the story of Pluto), to “Harrison Ford,” to song about all of the shooting deaths in together, passed away on the morning of “If You’re Drunk You Cannot Buy a Puppy,” the United States since the assassinations of January 25, 2012. He died of pulmonary Christine wove a wonderful tapestry of Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King, disease at a hospital near his home in the humor, while educating the audience at the Jr. in 1968. The seeming simplicity of the Hudson Valley town of Saugerties, NY. same time. The Drunk Puppy Song, as it is tune only strengthened the power of the Affectionately referred to on stage as affectionately known, was born from a July message, and you could feel the stillness the 4th member of their trio, Dick has had 2011 New York Post article about a pet store and contemplation in the audience as the an active musical life since he first took up in Greenwich Village, Le Petit Puppy, that is song unfolded. Christine brought down the his instrument in the late 50’s. surrounded on all sides by bars and taverns. house with her rendition of her signature Dick played at several of our WFMA The store was forced to post a sign telling bar song, “Sensitive New Age Guys.” Benefit Concerts and he will be greatly patrons who stumbled into the pet store that Opening for Christine Lavin was missed. His most recent appearance was it would refuse to sell a pet to a person who Chatham Street, a wife and husband duo, at the Tom Paxton Celebration concert on was intoxicated. Of course, the story in the Christal and Peter Prout, who released their May 3, 2008. Post was literally begging Christine to write first CD in October of 2010. If you have Born in Portland, Oregon in April a song, and (thankfully for us) she obliged. time to see only one “new” folk group in of 1937, the adaptable Mister Kniss (he When done well, music engages our 2012, do yourself a favor and go out of your played almost eight years with John Denver, entire psyche, enabling us to use both the way to see them perform. Christal’s voice co-authoring John’s hit “Sunshine On right and left sides of our brains, as well is one of the most interesting voices I have My Shoulders” and “The Season Suite”) as our hearts, and that is one of the things heard in many years--kind of a combination moved to San Francisco and during his that Christine does best. Her rendition of of the edginess of Christina Aguilera with long and prolific career enjoyed the musical the purity of Loreena McKennitt. Their companionship of jazz legends like Woody performance of “Heaven Bound” (thank Herman, Herbie Hancock, Donald Byrd, FOLK NEWS Pepper Adams, Zoot Sims, Don Friedman, Vol. 26 No. 1 goodness the audience demanded an encore) was both musically evocative and Teddy Charles, and Sal Salvador. The Newsletter of the emotionally stunning. “Dick was continually re-inventing World Folk Music Association All in all, Christine Lavin and Chatham approaches to our songs”, says Noel Paul PO Box 83583 • Gaithersburg, MD 20883 Street provided us a wonderful concert Stookey of PP&M. “Sometimes he was there at the beginning; helping to create Contributors: experience at the Cellar Stage (www. uptownconcerts.com) at Faith Community the tone or mood of a piece while the Chuck Morse • Doris Justis United Methodist Church in Baltimore. trio’s vocal parts were still evolving. But Fred Cherney • Paul Demmitt Joyce Sica hosted with her usual blend of personally”, continues Stookey, “I think his Paul Klingenberg • Sally Farr warmth and folk music knowledge. For greatest contributions came nightly! I can’t WFMA is a non-profit, tax-exempt more information on Christine Lavin, go name another bass player who improvised organization dedicated to the promotion of to www.christinelavin.com; for Chatham so tastefully within the framework of folk contemporary and traditional folk music. Street, www.chathamstreetmusic.com. music.” 2 River recording artist, Jack Williams on “His artistry is nothing short of amazing”.