THE COLUMBUS FOLK MUSIC SOCIETY, INC.! FEBRUARY, 2015
Scottish Band Mad Maudlin to entertain at Feb. 28 Coffeehouse Interview by Bill Cohen
With the energetic vocals and Cape Breton of Carter Jastram and the music as well. We are masterful piping of Glenn always looking for WHAT’S INSIDE: Mackie, the band Mad new music. Maudlin will have you MAD MAUDLIN Carter: We tend to FEATURED AT FEBRUARY 28 singing great Robert Burns alternate between FOLKSIDE COFFEEHOUSE PG. 1 songs, tapping right out of vocal songs and your chair, and dancing a instrumental tunes, Highland jig! Mad Maudlin drawing on the SONGS AT THE CENTER: is a 5 piece traditional Scottish tradition as COLUMBUS BASED SINGER- Scottish band which much as possible, but SONGWRITER PROGRAM PG. 1 brings more than just your utilizing the Irish normal Celtic fare. Mad Band members (clockwise starting at lower le ): material we also know. ALL OF YOUR BEST Maudlin performs a great Glen Mackie – multi-instrumentalist; Dave Scardena – percussion; Rachel Motsinger – fiddle; Carter Jastram – guitar. Along with the fast LOVED FOLK SONGS PG. 4 blend of traditional jigs, Pete Dabaie (lower right) is currently not part of the music, there are some marches and reels, and performance due to health reasons. lovely slow airs and CALENDAR OF EVENTS great folk songs that are songs that we also AND ANNOUNCEMENTS PG. 5 sure to entertain! Bill Cohen interviews a few of enjoy. We consider the Tannahill Weavers to the band members in the following article. be the band for us to emulate. MOVIE REVIEW: THE Bill Cohen: For folks who've never heard Bill: Who is in your group? Tell us a little INSIDE OF Mad Maudlin before, how would you about their role and their background. LLEWYN DAVIS PG. 7 describe the kinds of songs you do? You’ve all been playing music (perhaps Glenn: Mad Maudlin describes itself as a separately or in other groups) for many MEMBERSHIP FORM PG. 8 Trans Celtic Folk Band. The band, at its years, right? roots, is Scottish. However, we play Irish See Mad Maudlin - page 2 Songs at the Center: Columbus based singer-songwriter program attracts quality talent
Article by Eric Gnezda hear an even deeper richness when the song is sung solo by either co-writer, A song is usually sweetest when Mike Reed, or Allen Shamblin, sung by the person who wrote it. And accompanied only by their respective when that performance is stripped keyboard or guitar. down to one voice with an instrument, the song often rings with rare – and Simplicity. Intimacy. Power that raw - authenticity. travels a straight path to the heart. Bonnie Raitt’s “I Can’t Make You Over the past few years, Columbus Love Me,” for instance, may be among has been providing growing the greatest records of all time. Yet, we See Songs - page 3
CONTACT US AT: VOICEMAIL 614-470-3963! PAGE 1 A DIFFERENT STRUMMER FEBRUARY, 2015 Mad Maudlin - from page 1 same sense of where we want to go with band for a short time, we played one Glenn: The band consists of Carter our music. There are no egos, just afternoon at the former Espresso Jastram, lead vocals, guitars and friends making, playing and enjoying Yourself Music Cafe, and we could not bouzouki; Rachel Motsinger on fiddle; music. quite get in tune with each other. We Dave Scardena on bodhran and Glenn also were not as tightly together as we Carter: Music stirs the emotions and are now, so those two conditions led to a Mackie, border pipes and whistles. Mad affects the soul in ways nothing else can, Maudlin has been a band for over eight less than satisfactory afternoon, at least and sharing that experience with others – for us. years. The band has gone through band mates and audiences – multiplies personnel changes over the years; the effects. The challenge for performers Bill: What can people expect to hear however, the current line up is by far the is to find others of similar and and see from you when they come to the best yet. complementary skills and tastes, in order February 28th CFMS coffeehouse ? Carter: Specifically, Glenn, Dave and to blend well together, enhance and challenge each other, and share in Glenn: The folks at the CFMS Carter have coffeehouse can expect to have a great been together enjoying the overall results. We have time. They’ll hear a lot of solid for six years traditional jigs, reels and a hornpipe or this April, and certainly found that in one another. two as well as a few Scottish ballads and Rachel joined an original song written by me and us a year ago Bill: Tell us about one arranged by Carter. last December. of the best experiences Rachel, the that Mad Maudlin has Carter: We like to tell a few jokes along one who had and why you the way, as well as every so often lowers the consider it to be so provide an introduction and some average age of good. background to our material. Our finale the band, has should lift your spirits as it does ours. been playing Glenn: Wow, the best Mad Maudlin performs at the Dublin Irish Festival Irish tunes for experience? For me, it would be a toss up a number of Details for the upcoming years and has a wealth of session between playing the Shamrock Club experience. Dave’s bodhran skills are Music Festival or the Dublin Irish Coffeehouse: substantial; he is our metronome. As a Festival this past year. For both shows piper, Glenn has been involved in the we had some of the best audiences we Date: Saturday, February 28 local Celtic music scene for over 30 have ever experienced. People were really getting into what we were doing. I Place: FolkSide Coffeehouse years, and is Pipe Major for the Cyril held at The Columbus Scott Pipe Band, but his background also looked out at the audience, then at includes rock music. On the other hand, Rachel and said, “Man, this is it!” Mennonite Church, 35 Oakland Park Ave., Columbus, OH Carter (me) is new to performing Celtic Carter: In addition to what Glenn said, I music (a mere 10 years, although I have really enjoyed our trip to Parkersburg, Time: 8 p.m. – Mad Maudlin. enjoyed it for a lot longer); [my] W.Va., last April for their Scottish/Celtic background is in acoustic folk music, 6-7 p.m. Open Jam; 7-8 p.m. Festival. We played well together, we Open Mic having performed solo and with a couple had a good and responsive audience, and of folk bands at and just after the end of I was able to stay longer and enjoy the Suggested donation: $7.00; the coffeehouse era. good weather and meet other musicians. CFMS members $5.00; Bill: Why do you all like to play and Bill: Have you had any big disasters Students $5.00; under 12 free sing? It can’t be for the money because while performing? What happened? we all know there’s not a lot of it in folk Reminder Note for March music. Glenn: The biggest disaster happened two years ago after our St Patrick’s Day Coffeehouse: Glenn: Each member of Mad Maudlin gig at Brazenhead when I pulled the plug Our annual Live Auction will be has a keen interest in playing and on the band. We were a five piece band performing traditional and contemporary and it just wasn’t working because held at the March 28th Celtic music. We all seem to have the tensions within the band were killing the Coffeehouse and is for better fun. So, I said that was our farewell quality items. In the past we have performance. Thankfully, Carter and had some great musical Dave wanted to keep going. So, we instrument contributions. If you played as a trio for about a year, then Rachel came into our little group and, have items for the live auction, well, here we are. please contact Sharon Mittenbergs @ [email protected]. Carter: Musically we follow each other very well, so if someone makes a You also need to arrange to get mistake, we can all cover it and keep the items to us at least two weeks playing together – and we have had such before the March coffeehouse. times. But when I had been with the PAGE 2! WWW.COLUMBUSFOLKMUSICSOCIETY.ORG A DIFFERENT STRUMMER FEBRUARY, 2015 Songs - from page 1 To make its point, the company put Alan Beavers, owner of Alba opportunities to present singer- their employees on stage. Productions. songwriters to live, listening audiences. Somewhere in the muse, the idea “This is a music show presented in a Among the latest such projects is Songs emerged to present both the performers new way,” Andy says, “unlike anything at the Center, a Columbus-based and the audience on the Songs at the Columbus has seen. The in-the-round television program that features 3-4 Center stage, thereby playing out the format really highlights the songs and songwriters performing in the round, unwritten agreement between artist and the performers who created them.” sharing the stage with their audience. It listener. is taped at the McConnell Arts Center Stacia Hentz, of Worthington (MAC). TV Program Director at The half-hour show airs weekly on WOSU Public WOSU TV, late-night Saturdays, Media, says, “We immediately following Austin City immediately felt Limits. the show would As the co- be a great local creator and program to pair host of the with Austin City program, I Limits. We’re have thrilled WOSU discovered the TV will be new, giving viewers unexpected joy access to the musical talent in the of introducing Columbus area on Songs at the Center.” artists to Among the show’s 27 featured audiences. songwriters are Tim Easton, RJ While the in- Cowdery, Cliff Cody, Hannah Aldridge, the-round Mark “Brink” Brinkman, Angela format has Perley, Happy Chichester, Hebdo and been a staple of Jesse Hennry. the Nashville performance The show’s first season is scheduled scene for to air for 13 weeks, followed by a From top to bottom: Josh Krajcik, Tim Easton, and Jamie Sagle. Photos courtesy of Dan Mitche , Mitche repeat run. It is also available on the decades, it is Multimedia, LLC. new to Central WOSU Public Media website; [just Ohio. And club click on the link]: http:// audiences (and hopefully our TV video.wosu.org/program/ viewers!) are taking to it in a big way. songs-center/. In the singer-songwriter genre, To join our mailing list, there’s a ”contract,” if you will. The please visit http:// audience and artists share equal songsatthecenter.com. responsibility in the success of the Eric Gnezda performs performance. Songwriters agree to an regularly at Nashville’s appropriate level of vulnerability, while Bluebird Café. He is the the audience invests itself in the 2006 recipient of the process by remaining engaged, Ohioana Citation for Music attentive and responsive. Composition, and received Looking back on the road to fruition an Emmy nomination as a for this project, I see the concept broadcast journalist. In evolving from a merging of the An additional benefit, we hope, will addition to Songs at the Center, he countless songwriter rounds I have be to bring our TV viewers literally into created and produces the bi-monthly performed and observed in Nashville, the center of the intimate music circle. Songwriter Showcase at Natalie’s Coal- Fired Pizza and Live Music, featuring with, oddly enough, a corporate gig at Songs at the Center was created with the finest singer-songwriters in the the Vern Riffe Center years ago. The Andy Herron, who also serves as region and nation. purpose of the event, “The Spotlight is Director of Operations at the MAC, and On You,” was to recognize employees.
WWW.COLUMBUSFOLKMUSICSOCIETY.ORG !PAGE 3 A DIFFERENT STRUMMER FEBRUARY, 2015
All of your best loved folk songs by Nick Wall Reprinted with permission. The fact that songs like these are regularly heroic status. John Prine has taken The following was extracted from an performed at folk clubs should in itself ordinary people and made monuments of internet blog found at: https:// tell us something, because an important them, treating them with great respect and musictodiefor.wordpress.com by feature of folk music is supposed to be love. . . . He is a truly original writer, Englishman, Nick Wall who lives in that it’s community music as opposed to unequaled, and a genuine poet of the Merseyside, UK. He started the blog in studio music; music capable of being American people.”. . . late 2007 for something to do and it sung and performed by people who aren’t quickly became a labour of love. In John Prine – Angel from Montgomery professional musicians. musictodiefor.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/ 2010 he started doing regular john-prine-angel-from-montgomery.mp3. broadcasts for Vintage Radio Before the advent of studios, the defining (Merseyside based community radio feature of traditional music was that it Blowin’ In The Wind (Bob Dylan 1962) station broadcasting daily on the wasn’t committed to paper for people to internet). We have selected just some learn and play. The music was rooted in “I wrote Blowin’ in the Wind in 10 of the songs voted for by means of local areas, made use of both real and minutes, just put words to an old spiritual, Nick’s research project, along with his improvised instruments, and was passed probably something I learned from Carter commentary and a link to the actual on through oral tradition. The world has Family records. That’s the folk tradition. performance. While perhaps it was changed, and oral tradition will never be You use what’s been handed down.” The not a large scale formal “poll”; the of such primary importance again in the melody actually came, as Dylan later results nevertheless give a wonderful future. But folk music has survived, and acknowledged, from the song “No More look back at favorite various folk or it’s done so mainly thanks to the efforts of Auction Block.” It wouldn’t have been folk type songs over the past decade many many people who’ve sought to the Dylan song that I’d have picked, but in addition to giving an intimate preserve and revive what’s valuable from of all his songs this has maybe had the glimpse of different takes on the same traditional forms of music. greatest resonance with the most number of people. songs by different artists. So pull up It’s a fool’s errand to set out a definition the file, carve out a relaxing hour and of what folk music should sound like Bob Dylan – Blowin’ in the Wind enjoy the musical stroll. If you are today – not least because every single www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWwgrjjIMXA reading this in paper form, visit the link country has its own traditional forms of Seth Lakeman – Blowin’ in the Wind to the digital version posted on line at: music, most of which have different https://www.youtube.com/watch? www.columbusfolkmusicsociety.org/ names. (This list represents quite a narrow v=HccLSWlBoGg newsletter.html. take on folk music from within the Bridge Over Troubled Water (Paul 12th May 2013 English speaking world.) I would suggest Simon 1969) that if we’re to call it folk music there These are the 32 best loved folk songs of should be some relationship with Paul Simon may have served his time all time, as voted for by you. These were traditional music; and that the manner in playing British folk clubs. But this wasn’t the most popular of hundreds of songs which it’s made and performed should written with folk clubs in mind. The which received nominations. somehow mark it out as music of the album of the same name took some 800 A few people have questioned already people or of the community and not studio hours to record, and the heavy whether some of these are actually folk purely studio music. These are shifting, production on this track was crucial to its songs at all: “perhaps I’m behind the fluid concepts, and in practice it’s very success in topping the US and UK charts times in thinking that when someone difficult to draw a line. at the same time and winning two Grammy awards. To me, this makes it specifies ‘folk songs,’ they mean Here’s the top 32, in alphabetical order. traditional songs, not necessarily songs more of a pop song than a folk song. Yes, [Ed. Note: Due to space restrictions, only 13 it has a timeless quality and many people written to sound like traditional folk titles are listed. You can find the remaining 19 have covered it, but it’s always been more songs”. Perhaps the first thing to say on his blog]. Song authors are credited in about this is that the overwhelming brackets. Thanks to the Mudcat Forum for of a singers song than a tune which majority of responses I had came from helping me to eliminate the more glaring anyone can get up and perform. within the folk community, who out of errors from my notes. If you want to Simon and Garfunkel – Bridge Over anyone should be well able to recognize know which song won the poll, it Troubled Water folk music when they hear it. was This Land Is Your Land – and it musictodiefor.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/ would have come top even without the simon-and-garfunkel-bridge-over-troubled- The folk world may not be able to agree water-live-1969.mp3 on a definition of folk music, so people votes from the Woody Guthrie Folk Club! And if you want to know my favorite, at Davy Graham – Bridge Over Troubled Water resolve the question in their own way. If musictodiefor.files.wordpress.com/ you recognize a song as part of your the moment I think I’d have to go for Goodnight Irene. 2013/05/13-davy-graham-bridge-over- culture, maybe you’ve heard your parents troubled-water-les-cousins.mp3 sing it or you’ve heard it performed in [In alphabetical order]: folk clubs, then it’s folk music. And if we Angel From Montgomery (John Prine Bury Me Beneath the Willow were to ask why did people nominate 1971) (Traditional) these particular songs, in many cases the The poet Ted Kooser compared Prine to “Traditional” means that it’s old, and we answer’s probably as simple as this. Raymond Carver, whose stories about don’t know who wrote it. And when “ordinary people elevated them to almost See Best Loved - page 6 PAGE 4! WWW.COLUMBUSFOLKMUSICSOCIETY.ORG A DIFFERENT STRUMMER FEBRUARY, 2015 SAVE THE DATE. . . The Saturday Music Jam at Cohen: 7-9 p.m. At Overbrook 7-8 p.m. Open Mic
✃ the Worthington Farmers’ Market Presbyterian Church, 4131 N. High 8 p.m.: Mad Maudlin. Held at the 9:30 - 11:30 a.m. – every Saturday Street on the Fellowship Hall. Columbus Mennonite Church, 35 at The Shops at Worthington mall Benefit for Central Ohio Folk Oakland Park Avenue (just East of (the location of the market and jam Festival. $10 suggested donation High St. & one block North of E.N. during the winter months). All are at the door. Broadway), Cols, OH. $7.00 welcome to play. Consider bringing donation; Students $5.00; CFMS Saturday, February 28: a chair. members $5.00; under 12 free. FolkSide Coffeehouse featuring Saturday, February 7: Mad Maudlin Valentine’s Concert with Bill 6 p.m. Open Jam FOLLOWING Candlelight OUR OWN. . . Friday, Feb. 6: Tuesday, Feb. 24:
✃ Halfway Home – 8 to Folk Ramblers – Valentine 11 p.m. – Shamrock 12:30 p.m. – Heather Club Music in the Pub, Pick Memorial Concert 60 W. Castle Road, Series, James Concert Cols, OH 43207 No Hospital, 3923 N. cover. High St. Friday, Feb. 7: Sunday, Feb. 22: Valentine Concert Social Action Song ✧ on piano and guitar – singing songs Bill Cohen with Bill Cohen & The Swap – 1- 3 p.m. – about the joys and sorrows of love Harmonettes – 7-9 (hosted by Joanie Featuring tunes made famous by John Denver, Bette Midler, p.m. Overbrook Calem & Leslie Zak). Bob Dylan, James Taylor, Simon & Garfunkel, Tom Waits, Dan Presbyterian Church, If you are a musician Fogelberg, Beatles, Eagles, Nat King Cole, Johnny Mathis, & Sam Cooke 4131 N. High St., and have songs you Cols, OH. $10 would like to share ✧ FUN with trivia questions about FAMOUS AND INFAMOUS donation at the door. or if you are a music COUPLES Benefit for Central fan and have songs ✧ CAMEO APPEARANCE by a new all-female vocal trio, THE Ohio Folk Festival. that you would like to HARMONETTES Thursday, Feb. 12: sing along with, come Grassahol – 7-8 p.m. along! And if you just ✧ REFRESHMENTS feel like listening, – Upper Arlington Library Concert Series, come along as well! All this for a $10 donation per person at the door; Run as a “Round Proceeds support the annual Central Ohio Folk Festival in May 2800 Tremont Rd., (Main Library – Friends Robin” with everyone getting a chance to WHEN: Saturday Feb. 7 from 7 to 9 p.m. Theater), Upper Arlington. Free. share a song as we go ✃ around the room. WHERE: Fellowship Hall @ Overbrook Presb. Church Saturday, Feb. 21: Northwood High 4131 N. High - free parking Folk Ramblers – 10 Building, 2231 N. High
a.m. – Columbus St, Artspace Rm. 100. Questions? Call Bill at (614) 263-3851 Winter’s Farmer’s Questions? Contact Market, Whetstone Joanie at: Community Center, [email protected] 3923 N. High St.
WWW.COLUMBUSFOLKMUSICSOCIETY.ORG !PAGE 5 A DIFFERENT STRUMMER FEBRUARY, 2015 Best Loved - from page 4 true. In fact MacColl hated the slow paced The lyrics were considered subversive. As we’re talking about songs passed down Roberta Flack chart topper. Here’s all two Seeger commented, “In 1949 only through oral tradition in various versions it minutes 25 seconds of the original. Commies used words like ‘peace’ and may not be very helpful to think of it as Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger – The First ‘freedom.’” Already by 1950 the Weavers being the property of a single author. The Time Ever I Saw Your Face were forced to stop playing this song in song’s narrator wants to die and be buried https://musictodiefor.files.wordpress.com/ concert because of the threat of under a weeping willow tree so that her 2013/05/18-the-first-time-i-ever-saw-your- blacklisting. They were blacklisted former lover who left her for another will fa.mp3. anyway. In 1962 Peter Paul & Mary changed the words, livened up the song, perhaps weep for her under the tree. Not Four Strong Winds (Ian Tyson 1963) exactly the kind of message that would be and made it relevant to a whole new encouraged these days, but a beautiful Part of the appeal of this song is that it’s so generation of radicals. rooted in the idea of a footloose 1960s song nonetheless. Peter Paul and Mary – If I Had A Hammer lifestyle – “If a good times are all gone, The Carter Family – Bury Me Under The https://musictodiefor.files.wordpress.com/ and I’m bound for moving on, I’ll look for 2013/05/04-if-i-had-a-hammer-peter-paul-_- Weeping Willow Tree you if I’m ever back this way.” Which musictodiefor.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/ mary.mp3. makes it ironic that Ian Tyson went on to the-carter-family-bury-me-under-the- John The Revelator (Traditional) weeping-willow-tree.mp3. buy his own ranch and live the life of a cowboy, helped at times along the way by Incredibly powerful piece of religious Rosanne Cash – Bury Me Under The Weeping the royalty cheques from Four Strong mumbo jumbo. Blind Willie Johnson first Willow musictodiefor.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/ Winds. recorded this call and response gospel rosanne-cash-bury-me-under-the-weeping- Ian & Sylvia – Four Strong Winds blues in 1930. willow.mp3. https://musictodiefor.files.wordpress.com/ Blind Willie Johnson – John the Revelator 2013/05/ian-_-sylvia-four-strong-winds.mp3. Chris Thile and Michael Daves – Bury Me https://musictodiefor.files.wordpress.com/ 2013/05/john_the_revelator.mp3. Beneath The Willow Goodnight, Irene / Irene Goodnight https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kh2J- (Lead Belly 1933) Son House – John the Revelator c7VZAc. https://musictodiefor.files.wordpress.com/ Alan Lomax : “The Archive of American 2013/05/son-house-john-the-revelator- Catch the Wind (Donovan 1965) Folk Song, which now numbers some version-estudio.mp3. He wrote this when he was 18, and was 60,000 songs in its files of field Taj Mahal – John the Revelator immediately hyped up as the new Bob recordings, came into actual being one https://musictodiefor.files.wordpress.com/ Dylan. It didn’t work out that way, and his broiling summer day in the State 2013/05/john-the-revelator.mp3. career took a different course, but this Penitentiary in Angola, Louisiana. The remains a classic folk song. first recording we took on our new The Last Thing On My Mind (Tom Donovan – Catch the Wind portable equipment was of the state’s Paxton 1964) https://www.youtube.com/watch? prisoner, Lead Belly, singing Irene Holly Near : “Every folk singer I know v=J8hjEYTpwE8. Goodnight … My father and I had come to has either sung a Tom Paxton song, is the penitentiary hunting folk songs. In singing a Tom Paxton song or will soon Down In The River To Pray Lead Belly we found a great folk artist, sing a Tom Paxton song. Now either all (Traditional) who not only stamped the songs with his the folk singers are wrong, or Tom Paxton The song appears in the book Slave Songs own strong personality, but at once is one hell of a songwriter.” of the United States published in 1867. At involved us in his life. Before the Tom Paxton – The Last Thing On My Mind some point it seems to have been coopted recording session had ended, Lead Belly https://musictodiefor.files.wordpress.com/ into white Christian culture with a subtle had what he wanted from us—the promise 2013/05/the-last-thing-on-my-mind-tom- change in its meaning : the word ‘valley’ is to ask the Governor of Louisiana to pardon paxton.mp3. replaced by ‘river’, and the theme this two-time murderer … Whether The Dubliners – The Last Thing On My Mind becomes one of Christian redemption. because of this song or for another reason, musictodiefor.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/ Then in 2000 the song gained a new lease Lead Belly was paroled to my father a the_dubliners_the_last_thing_on_my_mind_p on life again thanks to Alison Krauss’s year later … In the years that followed addy_2002_e6a270af59.mp3. performance of it from the soundtrack of Lead Belly recorded his songs for a Make Me A Pallet On the Floor (Traditional) the film O Brother, Where Art Thou?. number of companies, though never so beautifully as he had first sung them for us . . . The earliest written version of the song Alison Krauss – Down In The River To Pray that exists – from 1911 – is very basic. The https://musictodiefor.files.wordpress.com/ in Louisiana.”. . . understated elegance of the song we know 2013/05/alison-krauss-down-in-the-river-to- Lead Belly – Irene Goodnight pray.mp3. today probably owes much to Mississippi https://musictodiefor.files.wordpress.com/ John Hurt. Harmony Creek String Band – Down In The 2013/05/leadbelly-goodnight-irene.mp3. Mississippi John Hurt – Make Me A Pallet On River To Pray The Weavers – Goodnight Irene http://www.allmusic.com/album/down-in- the Floor https://musictodiefor.files.wordpress.com/ https://musictodiefor.files.wordpress.com/ the-river-mw0002096311 2013/05/goodnight_irene_pete_seeger.mp3. 2013/05/mississippi-john-hurt-make-me-a- The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face Mississippi John Hurt – Goodnight Irene pallet-on-the-floor-wmv.mp3. (Ewan MacColl 1957) https://musictodiefor.files.wordpress.com/ Gillian Welch – Make Me Down A Pallet On 2013/05/goodnight-irene.mp3. Your Floor Simon Cowell apparently thinks this is a musictodiefor.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/ Roberta Flack song – and thanks to him a If I Had a Hammer / The Hammer Song gillian-welch-make-me-down-a-pallet-on- lot more people now believe this to be (Pete Seeger and Lee Hays 1949) your-floor.mp3. ✧✧✧ PAGE 6! WWW.COLUMBUSFOLKMUSICSOCIETY.ORG A DIFFERENT STRUMMER FEBRUARY, 2015
WELCOME TO Jeremy Beachy Pat Mirada (new) Frank and Rhonda White (new) OUR NEW AND Dan & Jennifer Tom Schneider (new) Kay Smith RETURNING Levenson (new) Buren & Carol Carter Linda Siefkas MEMBERS: Steve Wamsley (new) John and Deb Perry If you want to see a movie that sparks emotion, teaches a little about The inside of Llewyn history, and gives you a real sense of what the Greenwich Village folk music scene was all about, let me suggest a Davis…..is Empty by Bill Cohen film that’s totally based on reality. Mainly because it’s a documentary, If you want to experience the and literally. The thing is – I didn’t using real film footage from the very momentum-filled hopeful spirit of the empathize with the character because he early 1960’s. folk music revival in Greenwich Village didn’t seem to have any redeeming traits. in the early 1960’s, do not – I repeat – do The film’s director never made me care The film is called “Greenwich NOT see the film about Davis, so I Village: Music that Defined a “Inside Llewyn Davis.” didn’t. I didn’t applaud Generation.” No actors. No script. Some say the movie for Davis when he Instead, you see memory-sparking drama is about folkie made a little progress, still black-and-white photos and film of Dave Van Ronk who and I didn’t mourn for him when he failed. He dozens of the folkies jamming and was indeed a fixture in performing in the Village five decades the folk clubs and jams evoked little emotion in me. ago. Then, you see many of them in in that era when much modern-day, looking back and better-known musical Right near the end of analyzing the scenes from their youth. geniuses were about to the movie, there’s a burst forth: Bob Dylan, very short scene of a Especially revealing and fascinating is Joan Baez, Judy Collins, Peter Paul and 1961 Greenwich Village coffeehouse, the story of a 1961 protest, where the Mary, Tom Paxton, Phil Ochs, and many where a curly-haired young guy is folkies and their followers, many of others. But it doesn’t matter whether or singing with a twangy, off-key voice. them wearing coats and ties, not Van Ronk was the model for the title Hmmmmmm. I wonder who that’s demonstrated against an arbitrary character, because it’s doubtful that you’ll supposed to represent? So much for police ban on singing in Washington care about his fate one way or the other. subtlety and nuance. This is like hitting Park and then got hauled off to jail, In this film, Davis is portrayed as a the audience over the head with a while singing patriotic songs. hammer. self-centered, irresponsible, thoughtless, You can find the film on Netflix and in-debt, and generally lazy young man. I don’t care if the film was produced Amazon. Heck, it’s even available for He keeps trying to break through with his by the Coen Brothers, who are free at the Columbus Public Library. fairly good singing voice, but there’s probably related to me from the years little evidence that he has much passion when Moses was around. The movie is Unlike “Inside Llewyn Davis,” this for what he’s doing. He keeps getting still mediocre. documentary will make you feel ignored and knocked down, figuratively something. Something good.
THE COLUMBUS FOLK MUSIC SOCIETY OFFICERS AND TRUSTEES
OFFICERS Jim Luckhaupt–[email protected] President: Art Mittenbergs – [email protected] Linda McDonald–[email protected] 614-491-0437 Sharon Mittenbergs–[email protected] Vice-President: Joe Baringhaus Tom Nagel–[email protected] Treasurer: Debbie Shaw –[email protected] Cindy Ramsey–[email protected] Secretary: Diane Boston– [email protected] Cathy Sheets–[email protected] TRUSTEES Carl Yaffey – [email protected] Linda Bolles–[email protected] Central Ohio Folk Festival directors: Art and Sharon Mittenbergs Stan & Beth Bradley –[email protected] – [email protected] [email protected] Dan Clarke – [email protected] Membership Chair: Carl Yaffey – [email protected] Bill Cohen–[email protected] Newsletter Editor: Diane Boston – Charlie Flowers – crfl[email protected] [email protected] Mike Hale– [email protected] Webmaster: Carl Yaffey [email protected] Jackie LaMuth–[email protected]
WWW.COLUMBUSFOLKMUSICSOCIETY.ORG !PAGE 7 The Columbus Folk Music Society P.O. Box 1233620735 Columbus, OH 4321243220
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BECOME A MEMBER OF THE COLUMBUS FOLK MUSIC SOCIETY Date: ______☐ I’m new to this ☐ I’m back for more Name(s): ______Address: ______City ______State ____ Zip ______Phone (Day): ______(Eve.): ______(Cell): ______E-mail address(es) (if a household membership): ______Membership renewals are due annually by September 30th. For new members, please check one of the membership levels listed below & pro-rate the amount of your check as indicated. If joining during the month of: Feb-April: Your membership level amount x .5 May-July: Your membership level amount x .25 Aug-Oct: Your membership level amount as listed Nov-Jan: Your membership level amount x .75
Individual $20 Sponsor $100 Gold (Life Member) $500 Household $25 Patron $200 Yes! Please contact me regarding volunteer opportunities within the Good Friend $50 Silver $250 organization.
Please send completed form and payment to: In an effort to be both fiscally and environmentally responsible, The Columbus Folk Music Society we will send a full-color, interactive newsletter via e-mail unless P.O. Box 20735, Columbus, OH 43220 you request a hard copy be mailed to you.
I enjoy the annual Central Ohio Folk Festival (early May): Lots 5 4 3 2 1 Not (please circle one)