INTERVIEW MARK O’CONNOR • FESTIVALS • CAMPS • FREE CONCERTS • MANY FACES OF FOLK FREE Volume 3 Number 3 May-June 2003 THE BI-MONTHLY NEWSPAPER ABOUT THE HAPPENINGS IN & AROUND THE GREATER LOS ANGELES FOLK COMMUNITY Many“Don’t you know that Faces Folk Music is illegal in Los Angeles?” of— WARREN FolkC ASEYof the Wicked Tinkers BY JERRY BRESEE tart with Leadbelly. Draw checking out and is a good yard- a line over to Woody stick of their musical evolution. Guthrie. Drop straight The two bands coexisted for a down to Bob Dylan, and while with the Moonshiners play- again to Neil Young. ing 100% bluegrass and the Nitty Draw your line sideways Gritty Dirt Band being eclectic. to Tracy Chapman. Draw The McCabe’s Guitar Shop gang S a line from her back up to liked playing jug band music; Les both Leadbelly and Bob points to Jim Kweskin and the Jug Dylan. Link in B.B. King. Hook Band as an influence. With both Woody Guthrie up to Bob Wills and Bob Dylan and the Beatles hap- hook them both up to Dave Carter. pening at that time, the NGDB was Then write down Bill Monroe and pulled in many directions, and the Vassar Clements. Hook them Moonshiners soon merged into the together, and then hook them both to band. Their stage shows, which Dave Carter and Bob Wills. Add were being heard at The links to Nickel Creek, Allison Kraus, Troubadour, The Ice House, The and link them both to Bela Fleck. Mecca and The Ash Grove, were Keep adding names: Joni Mitchell, made up of a broad range of mate- Ladysmith Black Mombazo, Lila rial, drawing from all their many Downs, Los Lobos. Put John Mayer influences. Eventually, the band at the bottom, drawing from every- would become well known to con- one. Keep going and when you final- “Remember the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band…?” certgoers for their 1960’s rock and ly run out of energy (you’ll never run out of Les Thompson was a founding member of roll revival set, predating Sha Na Na by nearly a names), draw a circle around everything and label Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, best known for the classic decade. it “Folk.” crossover album, “Will the Circle Be And they loved country music. John McEuen, Are you beginning to get the picture? Or Unbroken?.” Les’s ongoing musical career the band’s banjo specialist, idolized Earl rather, many pictures? Folk music wears many bridges gaps and shows many faces. Now living Scruggs. Every member of the band had a faces, and bridges many gaps. Don’t in northern Virgina, Les is favorite classic country artist. By the late 1960’s think that Western Swing and mod- a quiet but vital member of and early 1970’s the band was touring extensive- ern acoustic pop have much in com- the local music communi- ly, in between television appearances, and found mon? Dave Carter bridges that gap. ty, although he’s been mak- themselves at Vanderbilt University for a 2-night Just review Jerry Garcia’s discogra- ing a living for more than gig. The band was always accessible, Les said, phy to see another set of bridges. 20 years as a goldsmith. I and when two teen-age kids knocked on the This article is also intended as a talked with him for this bridge, the first of a series intended article in his Leesburg, VA MANY FACES continued on page 21 to illuminate the “Many Faces of shop. Folk”. Over the next few issues, Les’s early story is we’ll explore the many faces of folk familiar, at least at first. music, leading up to the inevitable When he was about 14, IN THIS ISSUE conclusion that if you’re hearing Les’s parents gave him his something you like, it’s probably one first guitar, “a little EDITORIAL.............................................................. 2 INTERVIEW............................................................. 3 of the many faces of Folk. Martin.” Like many of us, A Visit with Mark O’Connor Les Thompson leads off this part of learning to play KEYS TO THE HIGHWAY..................................... 4 series. His is a name that may not be Les Thompson and Stephanie DeLage involved hanging out with A Half Step Closer to Understanding Intervals as immediately recognizable as some other players. He grew up THE VOICES IN MY HEAD.................................. 5 of the headliners already mentioned, in Long Beach, CA, so he TUNE IT OR CRY but in both his musical career and his subsequent wound up at McCabe’s Guitar Shop. “I hung BANDS FOR HIRE ................................................. 5 CD REVIEWS .......................................................... 6 endeavors, he’s a good example of the wide- around, and hung around, and just started doing Eileen Ivers & John McCusker ranging influence and impact of folk music, and stuff. After a while, I had a job.” McCabe’s RAPPING ON AMERICA’S “OWN” .................... 7 an example as well of the way that innovation repairman Michael Marcus took Les on as an A DISCOURSE UPON THE BANJO and respect for tradition can combine to bring unofficial apprentice, which at least gave him ON-GOING STORYTELLING EVENTS ............. 8 both critical acclaim and commercial success. something to do while hanging around. DAVE’S CORNER.................................................... 8 I got to know Les about 10 years ago at a local McCabe’s was and is an acoustic store, and in WORLD ENCOUNTERS........................................ 9 open mic near Washington, DC. I remember those days was riding the wave of the 1960’s HUNGARIAN MUSIC REVIEWS ...................... 10 standing near the stage waiting my turn to go on Folk Revival. There in the store, he was exposed ON-GOING MUSIC HAPPENINGS.................... 11 when he and his wife Stephanie DeLage (writer to the Folkways recordings, and to a string of CALENDAR OF EVENTS ............................. 12 -13 of leadoff track on Salamander Crossing’s land- famous customers. Clarence White became a ON-GOING DANCE HAPPENINGS................... 14 mark album) took the stage. Their style was friend. So did Jeff Hannah, John McEuen and his HELP WANTED..................................................... 15 quiet, measured and compelling. I liked it, but brother William, Jimmy Fadden….a nucleus was FEATURED ORGANIZATION............................ 15 CLAREMONT SPRING FOLK FESTIVAL had no idea how much folk music history I was forming. THAT REMINDS ME ........................................... 16 really hearing. We ended up at the same table Les was performing from about age 16 on. He Reflections by Valerie Cooley later on after we had both performed, and I told first formed the Wilmore City Moonshiners, a SUPPORT FOLKWORKS!................................... 17 them how much I liked their music. We had a bluegrass band with John McEuen on banjo. How You Can Become a Member good talk for about a quarter of an hour before I Almost in parallel, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band CONCERTS, FESTIVALS & FOLK FUN ......... 18 had to leave for home and work the next morn- came together, with original members being Jeff L.A. FOLK ARTS FORUM................................... 20 ing. That day I got a phone call from the open Hanna, Jimmie Fadden, Ralph Barr, Bruce ZOOKMAN ............................................................ 22 mic host, saying, “Remember that couple you Kunkel, Jackson Browne and Les Thompson. HOW CAN I KEEP FROM TALKING:.............. 23 DUST BOWL MONA LISA met last night? Know who they were?” I said no, The history of the NGDB, well documented on SPECIAL EVENTS................................................ 24 but I got the idea I had stumbled into something. their web site www.nittygritty.com, is worth Page 2 FolkWorks May-June 2003 EDITORIAL n the last issue, we such busy lives, the work needs PUBLISHERS & EDITORS Ireminded you that to be spread out and organized Leda & Steve Shapiro FolkWorks is more than efficiently. FolkWorks needs LAYOUT & PRODUCTION this newspaper. FolkWorks more people like you, who care Alan Stone Creative Services is a non profit 501 (c) (3) deeply enough to give whose mission is to promote FolkWorks some of your time FEATURE WRITERS Ross Altman folk/traditional music, on a regular basis. Many of you How Can I Keep From Talking dance, storytelling and other have said we fill an important Joanna Cazden related folk arts in the role in the promotion of The Voices in my Head greater Los Angeles area. folk/traditional arts. With every Valerie Cooley, That Reminds Me... We do this through this issue we hear how it is “the best Viola Galloway, World Encounters newspaper, concerts, and yet” and how much you rely on Gus Garelick, Interviews other educational/promo- our calendar. With the last issue Roger Goodman tional events. We have fan- we were thrilled to get volun- Keys to the Highway tasies of having a “space,” teers to help in our “guerilla” Gaili Schoen, Kids Corner where all the diverse cul- distribution. You can all help by Dave Soyars, Dave’s Corner tures could have events and keeping extra copies in your car Dennis Stone, CD Reviews learn from each other, bring- and dropping them off in prom- Mike Tackett, Zookman ing an understanding of our ising places - by asking your differences -a place where local bookstores, music stores, EDITORS the “many faces of folk” BYPHOTO SONYA SONES coffeehouses, etc to carry David Ascher • Marie Bruno Valerie Cooley • Mary Pat Cooney could come together and BY LEDA & STEVE SHAPIRO FolkWorks. You can help by learn about our wonderful emailing your friends who Chuck Galt • Nichole Galland Stan Kohls • Britt Nicole-Peterson differences! might enjoy our concerts. Tell them all to come on Diane Sherman • Joel Shimberg Right now, FolkWorks exists because of your sup- down to the Liz Carroll and John Doyle concert! Do a port. And it has been growing over the past two and a phone tree to let folks know about an event that you CONTRIBUTING WRITERS half years.