Volume 40 No. 6 June 2014

Summer Sing-alongs at Blue Mounds State Park Shelter Begins 8pm, June 20 A long-standing Madfolk tradi- ages event, the singing will be led a state park sticker is required to tion, the Summer Sing-alongs will by Madison musician Mac Robert- enter the park, located west of begin again Friday June 20, at the son on and . Rise Up Mount Horeb. From Madison, take main shelter at the top of the hill Singing books with song lyrics will 18-151 west to county Highway F, at Blue Mounds State Park. An all- be provided, though Mac has a gift following the brown signs for Blue for teaching new songs, or leading Mounds State Park. The gate at- familiar songs everyone knows. tendant will direct you to the exact Bring instruments if you play them, location within the park. but especially your vocal chords. The sing-alongs happen rain or Mad Folk Concert Tickets shine; in case of inclement weath- When you see this symbol – ee er, they will be held in the new – you’ll know that you’re read- Friends shelter, where you can see ing about a Mad Folk sponsored the paving brick at the entrance event. Advance tickets for Mad thanking Mac for his many years Folk shows are available online of devotion to the Sing-along. at www.madfolk.org and at these Mark your calendars for the outlets: rest of the summer, note that Ju- ly’s sing-along will be held on the • Orange Tree Imports, 1721 Mon- fourth Friday, July 25, (not the roe Street usual third Friday), and August 15. The sing-alongs are free, but • Spruce Tree Music, 851 East Johnson

Purchase tickets ONLINE for Mad Folk concerts via Brown Paper Tickets (with $1.62 service charge): https://www.brownpapertickets. com/producer/10879 You can also purchase advance tickets by mail. Send a stamped self- addressed envelope with your check payable to Mad Folk, PO Box 665, Madison, WI 53701. If all else fails, call 608-846-9214 for information. Silver lader - peter mulvey Signature SoundS ~ 2014

as the former can be a bit extravagant, ,” repeated over the swirling back- DePrato is a force of nature. The rest of ground. The darkly wordy “If You Shoot the band is just as well-pedigreed: bass- at a King You Must Kill Him” fares better; ist Tom Freund plays with Ben Harper, disconcerting on first listen, it becomes while drummer David Kemper played on addictive after several. While Ladder is Dylan’s Time Out of Mind and Love and still quite definitely a Mulvey record, it’s Theft. Nickel Creek’s Sara Watkins adds nice to hear him taking some chances. violin and vocals. Perhaps the sweetest Bringing in Prophet was absolutely one touch is Phil Parlapiano on , no- that paid off. tably on the rocking “Sympathies.” Mulvey will be playing the Mad Folk It seems strange to label this record a stage this year at the Willy Street Fair. It rocker, but for its first half it most certainly will be a great chance to hear these new is. The record kicks off with the slick “Lies songs, as well as old favorites, live. Review by Kiki Schueler You Forgot You Told,” a smart, sexy Every review that you will see of Peter strut of a song that also provides the Mad Folk News is published monthly by the Mulvey’s new Silver Ladder is going to rather cryptic record title, “I gave you Madison Folk Music Society, a non-profit, start by mentioning that it’s his first record faith when it deserted you, kisses till volunteer-led society dedicated to fostering of new songs in five years. Obviously it hurt, climbed the silver ladder to folk music in the Madison area. I’m not going to try something different; the very top rung.” Jangly follow-up Contact us at [email protected] though I am not sure exactly why it is “You Don’t Have to Tell Me” features about concerts, membership, scholarships, so significant. It’s not like he’s disap- yelped backing vocals from Prophet and volunteer opportunities at peared from the public for the last half and a sweet guitar lick from De- www.madfolk.org. decade. Since the excellent Letters from Prato. Despite head-scratching lyr- a Flying Machine in 2009, which inter- ics like “in the middle of the ocean, Madison Folk Music Society Board spersed thoughtful letters to his nieces there is a dolphin with a head cold, and nephews between live favorites like and you probably think about him “Some People” and “Dynamite Bill,” he’s as often as he thinks of you,” it’s still DarleneBuhler...... President,Concerts, released a live Redbird record, an instru- the record’s strongest track. Prophet Advertising mentals record with David Goodrich, and again makes his presence known on 225-0710~ [email protected] a collection of favorite covers appropri- the aforementioned “Sympathies,” PegMichel….…...... Treasurer ately titled The Good Stuff. All that on top which rounds out the opening trio of 831-1876 ~ [email protected] of an exhausting touring schedule, the under-three-minute hits nicely. “Re- Tracy Comer ...... Membership & Web Site man’s been keeping busy. Five years member the Milkman,” a sweet duet 729-4498 ~ [email protected] seems pretty quick. with Watkins, returns Mulvey to more NorbertWodke…...... …Secretary The real story here is that after a long familiar territory, much like “Where 836-8422 ~ [email protected] association with Goodrich on production, Did You Go?” does later in the re- DedeGoldberg...... Newsletter Mulvey worked with Chuck Prophet for cord. The latter had been written for distribution this record. Mulvey had seen Prophet Anita Suhanin to sing on her record, 246-4332 ~ [email protected] play only once, but was so impressed he but Mulvey decided to cut it here with Neil Morris...... Newsletter knew that was who he wanted. Prophet Suhanin, whose sweet, sultry voice editor is a live wire, an energetic and outrageous complements Mulvey’s nicely. 358-5855 ~ [email protected] entertainer, and a clever songwriter him- There are some experiments that Meg Skinner.………...... Scholarships self. From all accounts the recording don’t quite work. The trippy “Co- 238-6950 ~ [email protected] process was an enjoyable and productive penhagen Airport” is decidedly not a David Eagan...... one, with Prophet’s enthusiasm showing follow-up to Kitchen Radio’s “Denver, 249-0409 ~ [email protected] in the finished product. He introduced 6 a.m.,” also set in an airport. In- Ron Dennis …...... …...... ………. Mulvey to a whole new band. The big- stead, there is only one lyric, “Sweet 226-9472 ~ [email protected] gest switch was replacing Goodrich on bearded Jesus, the girls in the Co- electric guitar with James DePrato from penhagen airport are so good look- Prophet’s Mission Express band. Where- ing, and not a one of them is going to plays , and has joined us various The washboard, and the choice of mate- times over the years (photo at bottom left rial, gives the group a jug-band compo- of Tom and Lou in 2010). John Stevens, nent which I absolutely love. There are © 2014 world famous UW- tubist, ar- certainly other street bands by Peter Berryman ranger, professor, and tuba music com- with similar makeups, but Tuba Skinny is archived at louandpeter.com poser, arranged our Wisconsin songs for the absolute best I have ever heard. The Tuba Skinny a brass quintet and was the featured Please have a look and listen. Go to tubist for our resulting concerts and re- YouTube and search for Tuba Skinny; Once upon a time I had it in mind to write cording, released way back in 1988. they are phenomenal. a song inspired by the Christmas stan- And there have been others. dard, Little Drummer Boy, and to call it Little Tuba Girl. I love ; I even My own experience playing the tuba has love the name tuba. I think I'll start call- yet to occur, though for a while in the ing my guitar a boxa. And BTW, I mid-sixties I played the thought that years ago the government jug (photo at left, me of Wisconsin chose the tuba as the Offi- with jug, 1965) in our cial State Instrument, but in Googling jug band. People may about this, I find otherwise. The Wiscon- argue that tubas are not sin State Instrument has yet to be cho- folk instruments, but the sen, as of March 2014, though the ac- jug is unarguably the cordion and the tuba are running neck folkiest of folk tubas. and neck, or should I say horn and bel- lows. Wisconsin's State Dance is the Anyway, what I'm lead- Polka so it only seems reasonable that ing up to in such a In thinking about why I like this band, one of these peculiar instruments even- roundabout way is this. aside from their being hypnotically good tually will be chosen, as they are both So I was Googling for at what they do, it's partly because I like fairly common in the oompa-style polka Little Tuba Girl, which I polyphony in music. Wikipedia de- bands of Wisconsin. never found, to my re- scribes polyphony as "...a texture con- lief. These days I al- sisting of two or more simultaneous lines Many people probably don't consider the ways Google when I get of independent melody, as opposed to tuba a folk instrument. There are those a song idea, to make music with just one voice or music with who don't consider the accordion a folk sure it hasn't been written already. One one dominant melodic voice accompa- instrument either. Which is odd, be- of the hits I got was a band called Tuba nied by chords." cause most everyone would consider the Skinny (photo at right). I had to have a Polka a folk genre of music and dance. gander at a band with a name like that, This describes the kind of guitar playing I Though I think it's interesting that polka so headed over to YouTube. There I like to listen to, and try to play: a finger- bands are usually not included in stan- found my current top favorite band. picking style where there is a distinct dard folk festivals, from our experience. bass voice, a melody voice, and maybe As with and bluegrass, this sub Tuba Skinny is a New Orleans street- some incidental harmony voices thrown genre of folk usually holds its own blow- style traditional band, though they in. This in contrast to a strumming style, outs and hoedowns and dustups. also travel the world to perform. There where the chord is the important unit, are over a hundred YouTube videos of and not the interweaving "independent them at various venues -- often on the melody" lines. I'm not a fanatic in my streets of New Orleans -- and in various feelings about this, so there are plenty of incarnations over the past five years or exceptions. But I am drawn more readily so. to polyphonic stuff.

Their music is based on the blues and Why? Well, as someone who has a jazz of the 20s and 30s, with songs from hunch that the brain works largely by the likes of JellyRoll Morton, Victoria analogy, one of my guesses is that lis- Spivey, and Merline Johnson, with a tening to and playing this kind of music good number of traditional and a few shows the brain how to align its many original songs thrown in. overlapping thoughts and processes into a coherent whole, without blurring its Instrumentation varies somewhat but individual yammering voices. And I'm usually is something like the instrumen- the poster boy for overlapping incoherent tation on their latest CD (one of five), yammerings of the brain. As my mind's Pyramid Strut: Todd Burdick, tuba; Erika is writing this sentence, my inner My music partner Lou and I have had the Lewis, vocals & ; Shaye Cohn, tuba is oomping for dinner. opportunity to have tubists join in our coronet & ; Barnabus Jones, trom- Photos: Tom and Lou, by Steve Agard. similarly unpopular music. Tom Martin- bone; Jon Doyle, ; Westen Me and Jug, by Roy Noffke. Ericson, folk DJ for many years with Borghesi, tenor banjo; and Robin Tuba Skinny, by Wisconsin Public Radio's Simply Folk, Rapuzzi, washboard. guntherhang.com WZ June 2014 June 2014

Make Music Madison - June 21 -- Madison Folk Music Society and Madison Songwriters Guild are joining Marquette Waterfront Festival forces to host an event at Elizabeth Link Peace Park on • Saturday, June 7, 1800 Yahara Place, Madison State Street. Ron Dennis and Stephen Lee Rich will be Acoustic Alloy 1:00 – 2:00 selecting performers made up of folk musicians, song- Jim Schwall 2:30 – 3:30 writers and youth. The plan calls for continuous music Joseph Huber 4:00 -5:00 from 9:00 am until 7:00 pm. Brother Rye 5:30 – 6:30 Summer Sing-Along w/ 3 Rivers Old-Time Dulcimer and Fiddle Festival -- June 5-8 La Crosse, WI -- Register by Monday, May 12. To register, Mac Robertson & David Eagan visit www.mhecopark.org/events2/2014-06 Friday, June 20 Blue Mounds Main shelter, top of the hill -- 8pm Free! (State Park sticker req. for entry) Old Time Jam Brothers Sun AND Monthly - 2nd Sunday of every month, 4 to 6pm Joe Crookston EVP West 3809 Mineral Point Road Thursday, August 7 -- 7pm Coodinator: Al Wilson The Brink Lounge -- $15 adv, $18 d.o.s. cell: 608-572-0634 [email protected]

Madison Ukulele Club-- Singalongs 1st and 3rd Weds 7:00-9:00pm The Brink Lounge -call for location- 246-8205 (Andrew) • Thursday, June 5, Aaron Williams and the HooDoo, 8pm, Cajun jam held every rst Sunday 3 p.m.-5 p.m. There will be no jam no cover in July. • Friday, June 6, Graminy @ lounge, 8pm, $10 At the Froth House: 11 N. Allen St., Madison We welcome all levels of • Thursday, June 19, Aaron Williams and the HooDoo, 8pm, experience with instruments and . 701 E. Washington no cover thebrinklounge.com Call Karen at 608-238-6039 for more info. www.prairiebayoucajun.com 608-661-8599 Mother Fool’s Mother Fool’s Coffeehouse • Fri, June 13, The Falderals, 8pm, $6 1101 Williamson St. motherfools.com Simply Folk on Wisconsin Public Radio w/ Stephanie Elkins- , 608-259-1030 Host Sun 5:00-8:00pm Folklore Village Concerts recorded in Wisconsin, music and dance of people 3210 Cty Hwy BB • June 3, Open Mic wpr.org the world over. For playlists, calendars, station listings, and Dodgeville, WI more, visit www.wpr.org/simplyfolk. folklorevillage.org • June 7, Old-Time Music Jam before Barn Dance with Chuck 608-924-4000 Hornemman WORT 89.9 FM community radio • June 7- Barn Dance with callers Jesse Downs & Liz Voz and The Sun -- 3:00-5:00pm wort-fm.org Pie City Ramblers and 5:30 Old-time jam • On the Horizon (world music) w/Ford Blackwell, Paul • June 27-29, Midsummer Festival with Ellinor & Leonor, Sanna Novak & Dan Talmo & Mars Longden, Anne Marie Kraus and Weekdays 9:00am-noon • Mon - Global Revolutions (folk from the world over) Cafe Carpe All shows at 8:30pm unless indicated otherwise w/ David & Martin Alvarado & Eugenia Highland • Tue -- For the Sake of the Song (traditional American • Thursday, June 5,The Hitunauts, Sabien Camplin, Mulvey Porter -- folk) w/Jim Schwall 18 S. Water St. $30 @ 8pm Ft. Atkinson, WI • Wed -- Back to the Country ( on a cafecarpe.com •Friday, June 6, The Hitunauts, Sabien Camplin, Mulvey Porter$30 920-563-9391 •Saturday, June 7,The Hitunauts, Sabien Camplin, Mulvey Porter$30 theme) w/Bill Malone •Thursday, June 12, Ellis Paul $20 @ 8pm • Thur -- Diaspora (folk and international) w/Terry O’ •Friday, June 13, Phil Lee • Fri -- Mud Acres (bluegrass and acoustic) w/Chris •Saturday, June 14, Jim and Vivian Craig w/ Fred Campeau and Mitch Powers Thomas • Thursday, June 19,The New Pioneers $9 @ 7pm • Friday, June 20, Hayward Wiliams opening Jeffrey Foucault $9 @ 7pm -- $15 adv. • Saturday, June 1, Bill Camplin & the Soulstickers $9 • African/African-American Dance classes with live drumming -- Sun, 7:00-9:00pm -- Metro Dance, 3009 University Ave. -- 255-3677 / 251-4311

• SpiritMoves Ecstatic Dance 2nd and 4th Weds, 7:00-9:00 pm -- The Center for Kiki’s Righteous House of Music Conscious Living, 849 East Washington Ave. -- $7 min. donation 701A E. Washington • English Country Dance taught -- 1st and 3rd Mon, 7:30-9:30pm -- Wil-Mar Center, www.high-noon.com Invitation & Advance RSVP required. For full details or to request an invitation, contact Kiki at 953 Jenifer St. -- 238-9951 or 238-9951 [email protected] • International Dancing -- Wed and Sun; classes 7:30-8:30pm, request dancing • Sunday, June 1, Robbie Fulks w/ Jenny Scheinman - 8pm 8:30-11:00pm -- The Crossing, 1127 University Ave. -- 241-3655 - Suggested Donation $15 (SOLD OUT) • Irish Dancing -- Monthly Ceili and set dance events are posted at • Thursday, June 6, Walter Salas-Humara w/ the Wooldridge Brothers - 8pm celticmadison.org/dance - Suggested Donation $10 • Italian Dancing -- Tue, 7:00-9:00pm, no experience or partner necessary -- Wil-Mar • Saturday, June 14, Eef Barzelay w/ Trapper Schoepp - 9pm Center, 953 Jenifer St. -- 838-9403 (Philana) - Suggested Donation $15 • Madison Contra Dance Cooperative -- Tue; 7:30 jam band practice, intermediate level dancing 7:45-9:40pm -- $5 for non-members -- Gates of Heaven, 302 E. Gorham -- Mike Tuten’s Music House 238-3394 (Steve) Invitation & Advance RSVP required. • Morris Dancing -- Wed, 7:00pm -- call for location -- 238-9951 For full details or to request an invitation, contact Mike at • Scottish Country Dancing -- Sun, 7:00pm -- Wil-Mar Center, 953 Jenifer St. -- 835-0914 [email protected] • Sunday, June 8, Tom Kastle- 7pm - Suggested Donation $10 MARQUETTE WATERFRONT FESTIVAL MARQUETTE WATERFRONT FESTIVAL JUNE 7, 2014 JUNE 7, 2014

In celebration of 25 years of the Marquette Waterfront Festival a second stage has been added for InSaturday celebration, with of a 25rain years date of of the Sunday, Marquette and when Waterfront looking Festival for good a second music, stagethey camehas been to MadFolk added for for Saturdayassistance, with. So a rainwe are date helping of Sunday, in putting and when music looking on a stage. for good Please music, join theyus in came celebrating to MadFolk with music for assistancethis festival. So that we has are been helping happening in putting for music 25 years! on a stage. Please join us in celebrating with music this festival that has been happening for 25 years!

Pl aying on the Folk Stage will be: Pl aying on the Folk Stage will be: Acoustic Alloy, who is an acoustic duo based in Madison combining the vocal and instrumental Acoustictalents of Alloy TC Peart, who and is an Tracy acoustic Jane duoComer. based Since in Madison their inception combining just twothe vocalyears andago instrumental(2012), Acoustic talentsAlloy hasof TC performed Peart and for Tracy clubs, Jane festivals, Comer. and Since even their opened inception for national just two acts years such ago as (2012), Love & Acoustic Theft Alloyand Tylerhas performed Farr. TC and for Tracyclubs, Janefestivals, are both and evenpart of opened long-time for national Madison acts area such country as Love band & Wild Theft Heart. andAcoustic Tyler Farr.Alloy TC grew and out Tracy of their Jane enjoyment are both part of singingof long -togethertime Madison in harmony area country and their band love Wild of manyHeart. Acousticstyles of Alloymusic. grew The out duo of draws their materialenjoyment from of singingmany ge togethernres, including in harmony familiar and tunes their aslove well of as many stylesoriginals. of music. See www.acousticalloy.com The duo draws material for from more many information genres, including. familiar tunes as well as originals. See www.acousticalloy.com for more information. Jim Schwall is probably most well known as part of the national touring Siegel-Schwall Band, Jimhowever, Schwall after is probablythe duo disbanded most well inknown 1974, as Jim part had of continued the national to touringplay in severalSiegel- Schwalliterations Band, of the Jim however,Schwall Band,after th hee duocontinues disbanded to do in Siegel 1974,-Schwall Jim had reunions continued shows to play and in many several other iterations local bands. of the But Jim on Schwallthis day Band, Jim will he becontinues bringing to out do hisSiegel guitar-Schwall and playing reunions his shows own songs. and many We haveother it local on good bands. authority But on thisthat day Jim Jim is workingwill be bringing on his next out solohis guitar album, and let’s playing hope hishe bringsown songs. some Weof those have newit on songs good toauthority the stage. thatSee Jim www.jimschwall.com is working on his next for moresolo album, information let’s hope he brings some of those new songs to the stage. See www.jimschwall.com for more information Joseph Huber, Singer/Songwriter/Multi-Instrumentalist, is a founding member of, and also has Josephspent 6 Huber years of, Singer/Songwriter/Multi playing banjo and heaving-Instrumentalist, touring with the is Milwaukee,a founding memberWI based of, “streetgrass” and also has spentgroup, 6 yearsthe .357 of playingString Band banjo— anda group heaving that, touring despite with its abrupt the Milwaukee, break-up, WI still basedcontinues “streetgrass” to gain group,popularity, the .357 is known String asBand one— ofa groupthe most that, influential despite its groups abrupt in break the recent-up, still insurgent continues underground to gain popularity,country and is knownbluegrass as movements.one of the most Hard influential living put groups together in thewith recent plenty insurgent of downtime underground has offered countrymore than and enoughbluegrass motivation movements. and Hardopportunity living put for together his songwriting, with plenty and ofHuber downtime has continued has offered moving moreonward than and enough upward motivation captivating and folks opportunity with his forsincere his songwriting,and well crafted and songs.Huber Josephhas continued has just moving released onwardhis newest and CDupward “The captivating Hanging Road folks” with on the his Muddy sincere Rootsand well Record crafted Label. songs. See Joseph has just released hiswww.joshephhubermus newest CD “The Hangingic.com Road for ”more on the information. Muddy Roots Record Label. See www.joshephhubermusic.com for more information. The Madison based Brother Rye Band will close out the stage this year. The Brother Rye Band Theplays Madison Americana based driven Brother by slide Rye guitar Band and will rock close sensibility. out the stage They this have year. found The theBrother perfect Rye blend Band of playsDelta Americana blues, country, driven and by folkslide style , leadingand rock them sensibility. to their Theywell- tailoredhave found sound. the Forperfect a little blend of the of Deltasound blues, of these country, guys, and check folk out style at s, leading them to their well-tailored sound. For a little of the soundhttp://www.rev of these guys,erbnation.com/play_now/20750176?utm_campaign=a_public_songs check out at http://www.rev&utm_medium=facebook&utm_source=page_object_news_itemerbnation.com/play_now/20750176?utm_campaign=a_public_songs &utm_medium=facebook&utm_source=page_object_news_item The schedule for this stage on Saturday is: The schedule for this stage on Saturday is: Acoustic Alloy 1:00 – 2:00 Jim Schwall 2:30 – 3:30 Acoustic Alloy 1:00 – 2:00 Jim Schwall 2:30 – 3:30 Joseph Huber 4:00 -5:00 Brother Rye 5:30 – 6:30 Joseph Huber 4:00 -5:00 Brother Rye 5:30 – 6:30

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