INSIDE THE LLEWYN DAVIS MOVIE

FIRST OFF, who ever did casting, the Pappi Corsicata character, looks and sounds like my grandfather. Kudos!

But not exactly. But a proud Porco, I am, because of it. Mike Porco is ''referenced' quite clearly in the Coen Brothers' latest offering INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS. Mike, of course, of Gerde's Folk City fame, was the one to truly come to be the shepherd of a thousand Folk singers when he forged his way into 1960's revival history and legend by running Folk City from its inception.

Mike Porco and New York's center of Folk music, GERDE'S FOLK CITY, is the current topic of an astounding documentary in production produced his own grandson, Bob Porco. Humble Bob, as he has been called, has a résume growing by the day, some have said, since his string of GASLIGHT shows have ceased and his POSITIVELY PORCO interviews have ignited. All clips captured thus far of the Gerde's/Mike Porco documentary will be viewed ever-so-briefly in the upcoming feature event due out next year.

For now, Mike Porco would have probably had a good basking laugh at the not-so-veiled reference to himself as the Gaslight impresario 'Pappi' in the Coen Brothers' new epic feature. Pappi plays an interesting role, but none as big as the musician-in-chief, OSCAR ISAAC.  Oscar and I go way back to when we was younger in 2012 and I hired him one night to open up for his good natured goom-pah, ERIK FRANDSEN.  Oscar met Erik. Erik knew me. I met Oscar. Oscar knows who Mike Porco was and can appreciate the fact. The fact that Oscar Isaac impressed me as a true gentleman was proof enough to know that he was a true ''keeper of the flame.'' There really is no other cliché that fits better. He and I and T Bone Burnett and Bob Dylan and VINCE MARTIN and ARLO GUTHRIE and HAPPY TRAUM  and MIKE PORCO….we all have a role to play for a while... Sometimes it's a role solely to promote the advancement of someone, or something(the music) other than one's self.

Mike Porco is the prime example I present. You, yourself, another. ''We'' have a chance to promote each other to advance the art of others or to turn our efforts elsewhere. I choose to turn my efforts toward us all because, as Van Ronk said himself, good for one of us is good for all of us.

And so we are brought to DAVE VAN RONK'S KARMIC ANSWER given to the decade's old question: why doesn't the world know very much about Dave Van Ronk. I was embarrassed to learn more about him later in my own life, but that's my weight to carry. I'm working on his body of work. Are You?

Dave was the maestro. A ''mountain'' on Macdougal Street, as Dylan once called him. Why should we argue?

And now... a movie inspired by the book about the man and his memories…?.what could be more vague than that??!! So the Coens did what they do; they made a script up on their own. It tells the whole story in some way. I knew what they were saying, didn't you?

Of course, my opinion matters to only a small few Folkies who even know the words on this blog exist. But those who read can guess that I have an intimate relationship with this movie as I continue to biograph Mike Porco's life and times. He truly WAS the club owner who let water roll down his back for the good of the crowd. He truly WAS the father to a thousand stars, and Llewyn Davis could have one.

The movie itself has been digested by me twice in the last 20 hours and I've had only one or two honest discussions on it. I believe the Joel and Ethan Coen have made a stunning film. Hats off to Oscar and cast as this observer has been moved in earnest into pondering how one can aid the future of the Folk music Llewyn Davis so hates. It is a life mission for all of the musicians: Preservation vs. forgotten memory.

The 'Llewyn' character loathes not-so-traditional kitsch songs as much as the next purist, yet the movie he's in acts to promote the beauty and art of naked acoustic performance. There is no other moment in the world that exists quite like the one you can experience at the foot of someone who can 'pull it off.'

Why would Pappi Corsicata hire them in the first place? It's to please the crowd, and the performances by Oscar in this movie do just that. I saw the open references to Ramblin' Jack Elliot (Al Cody), Tom Paxton (Troy Nelson), Bob Dylan, Doc Pomus (Roland Turner) and JIM AND JEAN. I also happened to notice that Team Coen went to great lengths to connect a slew of historic events from the 1960s Revival to this one film. They could never be spot on in a work of fiction, but they could hardly be as reverent. They knew who was who, and they cooked up an amalgamation in the form of Llewyn.

''Llewyn has the cat,'' they wrote in the script. And how true. Or is it? Llewyn has but one life: the life of an ''asshole'' to which he perfects. The coddling and cradling of the cat shows his somatic side. He loves that fucking cat…except when he doesn't love the fucking cat. He's the cat's guardian and its extension all at once. Like father, like son. Or something like that.

But alas, it's late and I'm blogging a movie review in 'real-time.' I wanted to talk about what I saw on the second trip into the film. My favorite scene has another friend of Porco, Ethan Phillips (character Mitch Gorfein)  and his wife state unequivocally that their home has more LOVE to spread around than any other on the block. I felt it. Don't ask me why. But they loved Llewyn even though he was an incurable asshole. He showed start to finish that he just can't help it. He was the best asshole ever. Yet he ''left a big hole'' in the only functional part of his disjointed family when he wasn't around. They appreciated his art. In a world of wayward souls and off-key neighbors, sometimes the parts that are in tune matter the most.

And my own personal hunch that there was more than lust between Llewyn's character and that of 'Jean' turned out to be accurate. Sweetly done.

Ethan Phillips

Llewyn is a character only known internally to the viewer. Love him or hate him, he's human. He shouts when something feels wrong, and he's serene in the presence of his own muse. The muse was nothing more than the music. And yet, he was willing to part with it all than to carry his burden around like an albatross around his neck for all his days. Oscar Isaac plays the audience better than any instrument. And the screen bleeds with his sincerity which makes for a poignant film unlike any concert you've ever seen.

POSITIVELY PORCO

It was 99 years ago today. My grandfather, Michéle Porco,

the eldest son of Robert and Aquelina was born in Calabria in the southern part of Italy. He ventured to America in 1933 and......(read the captions to learn more)

Worked 90 hours a week at a family club in the Bronx
where Ella Fitzgerald, Dizzy Gillespie and Thelonius Monk played...

Bought Gerde's Restaurant in 1952 with his cousins...

Became friendly with the musicians....

He witnessed the Folk and Blues Revival as it was happening...

He even had business cards....
(Card courtesy Erik Frandsen)

He died in 1992...

In 2010, Gerde's Folk City had a
50th Anniversary concert...

In 2012, he had a bunch of shows at The Gaslight produced
in his honor....

The most recent show was a 50th also...

And then in 2013, shooting began on a documentary on his life and times
not because of his cooking but
 because...
he was "MIKE PORCO, NYC's REAL FOLK HERO"

And everybody lived happily ever after

~Porco

ARLO GUTHRIE JOINS GERDE'S FOLK CITY DOCUMENTARY

Today, somewhere in Massachusetts, it rained. A lot. The rain could be heard pounding on the roof but no one was listening. Arlo was holding court. His house was the latest site for the traveling 'Gerde's Folk City documentary road show.' I've been meeting with so many fabulous people and they have all had great memories of my grandfather Mike Porco and his cabaret. Arlo played there in 1961 when he was just 13 years old. It was his first appearance on stage EVER. Arlo has developed as a musician quite a bit since. He generously shared some rules for living given to him by the council of his years.  The rain couldn't penetrate the fun time had at Arlo's.

FREEWHEELIN' 50TH ANNIVERSARY concert May 21

One more show to round out the yearlong Friends of Mike Porco series. The first 14 were at the famous Gaslight.

Twelve musician friends, 13 songs. Entire album played before your eyes.

The venue for May 21 is the very same basement of the Folk City from the 1970s and 80s. 

5 bucks. Can't go wrong. 

FOUR O'CLOCK FLOWERS AT THE GASLIGHT

The FRIENDS OF MIKE PORCO series at the Gaslight has featured many of the original artists from the Folk and Blues Revival of the 1960s and 70s.

This January 19th, 116 MacDougal is proud to showcase a duo formed only a couple of years ago- the Four O'clock Flowers.

String master Ernie Vega and the scintillating singer Samoa Wilson perform stark versions of Country Blues, Gospel-blues, Old-Time, & Jazz classics (as well as original compositions) that are stripped down to their barest elements. Sounding like ghosts from a by-gone era, they illustrate the simple elegant power of these great songs.


Their pairing is relatively new, but they're not new to the scene.
The legendary Jim Kweskin, whose history goes back to the birth of the Cambridge Folk scene, said he revived his respected jug band and his career a few years ago for just one reason: to introduce listeners to the young vocalist Samoa Wilson. Some years later, she met Ernie Vega at the fabulous Jalopy Theater, a venue fast becoming Brooklyn's center of Folk, Roots and the Art of the Jug.

Their synergy was apparent to each other since day one. Wilson's diverse influences paired nicely with Vega's command of a broad repertoire of songs.

The duo grips their audiences right from the get-go. The heavenly vocals of Samoa Wilson and the fiery guitar and harmonica of Ernie Vega will transport you to a time when the Village was still bohemian and old-time music was all there was.

James O'Brien of the Listening Room reviewed Samoa Wilson's 1997 CD backed by the Jim Kweskin Band:

"Samoa Wilson, lithe, modern and powerfully gifted in voice, brings a cutting edge vision to the ensemble. There is, conversely, something about her presentation that defies the moment." 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I really couldn't think of a better way to wrap up the first year of the FRIENDS OF MIKE PORCO series. After all, it's about connecting generations with the power of song. SAMOA WILSON and ERNIE VEGA are worthy torch bearers for the future of the NEW Greenwich Village scene. Please come and enjoy!!

FOUR O'CLOCK FLOWERS
with special guests
116 MacDougal St, NYC
January 19, 2013
7PM

Jim Kweskin and the Four O'clock Flowers at 116 MacDougal
The Gaslight, NYC

FRANK CHRISTIAN - A man with no equal

A word from Lisi's heart...

'RIP: Frank Christian, of sudden pneumonia, brilliant international singer-songwriter based in NYC, writer and singer of "Where Were You Last Night?", member of original creative renaissance of Folk City and Cornelia Street troubadours and bohemians of the late 70's through 80's and continuing now, a true friend, the consummate gentleman, a reliable and sardonic cheerer-upper even when his own spirits flagged. He always had a good word, a bon mot, a spontaneous joke, a sly wink and considered thought for each person. He was suave, sweet, had impeccable grace and manners and felt things deeply. What a talent. Played on Nanci Griffith's Grammy-winnning CD, backed Odetta and made his own series of incredible jazz-tinged, virtuoso CDs. Insightful thinker, serious when appropriate, man of conscience, smart as a hoot owl in the highest rafters of this barn-with-its-roof-blown-off of ours, this soulful and eternal collection of cosmopolitan chuckle-makers, visionaries and poets. Oh, Frank. We love you. You are the best and we miss you.'

Odetta, Frank Christian, Folk City (Photo Teddy Lee)

DAVID AMRAM AT THE GASLIGHT 12.15.12

David Amram at the Folk City 50th Anniversary

There are few people who can say they've performed and collaborated with the best musicians and artists on Earth. If we were to narrow the list based on diversity alone, one man would stand alone: David Amram. 

As a young man, jam sessions hosted in his basement apartment have included Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie. He's rapped with writers from Kerouac to McCourt. He's played with everybody from Bob Dylan to Willie Nelson to Thelonious Monk. He's learned songs and beats from people of Native Nations to Tito Puente. 

NO PERSON can give firsthand accounts of their time spent within the multitude of cultures, musical genres and artistic movements like Mr. Amram can. 

Some of the people David has called friends through the years are such luminaries as  Charlie Parker, Thelonious Monk, Dizzy Gillespie, Lionel Hampton, Willie Nelson, Langston Hughes, Charles Mingus, Leonard Bernstein, Tito Puente, Arthur Miller, Miles Davis, Arturo Sandoval, Stan Getz, Pete Seeger, Odetta, Lord Buckley, Dustin Hoffman, Steve Allen, Machito, Allen Ginsberg, Nina Simone, Gregory Corso, Bob Dylan, Steve Goodman, Hunter Thompson and Johnny Depp.

Here are a couple of videos to prove it:

David Amram with Dizzy Gillespie:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j69jBSwi-f4

David Amram on NY1:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CbjB3dV_3Q4

David Amram at FarmAid:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_VFCxpR0sQ&list=PLDE566F6F01A2403A&index=43

Amram has also composed the score for such feature films as 'Splendor in The Grass,' 'The Manchurian Candidate' and he collaborated with Jack Kerouac on the landmark 1959 documentary 'Pull My Daisy.' He was the first composer-in-residence for the New York Philharmonic chosen by Leonard Bernstein, himself.

He's been around the world and back only to come back to Greenwich Village this Saturday!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

David is sure to be joined on stage by his son Adam on percussion. Two generations of Amrams will play together at the famous Gaslight, the same club where Jack Kerouac burst on to the scene beside the elder Amram. 

This is not your ordinary show because this is not your ordinary venue.

Originally a poetry café, The Gaslight was converted to an acoustic music venue as the 50s became the 60s.

Former Gaslight owner Sam Hood was quoted reminiscing about performances like…

"Ramblin' Jack Elliott…. and the night Johnny Cash stopped in to do a guest show and Joan Baez singing along with a Doc Watson hymn and then, seven years later, singing along from the audience with Kris Kristofferson. There were a thousand things like that. And the nights when Bob Dylan would come in to work out a new song, to try it out in front of an audience."

Those were the days, but those days are not entirely gone.

My grandfather, Mike Porco, owned Folk City, a club that hired many of the same acts that appeared at the Gaslight.

Clubs like Gerde's Folk City, Café Wha? and the Gaslight helped usher in the scene that became known as the Greenwich Village Folk and Blues Revival. 

And now, The Gaslight at 116 MacDougal Street has invited them all back down to the cellar to make those walls rattle again.

FRIENDS OF MIKE PORCO Presents THE DAVID AMRAM QUARTET live at The Gaslight
116 MacDougal St, NYC

Saturday, December 15th

7PM

It's a euphoric drug of a show with HOT JAZZ, LATIN BEATS AND WIDE SMILES. The only necessary ingredient is your presence. The David Amram Quartet will handle the rest. 

Hope to see you there!

DAVID AMRAM- 57 years in Greenwich Village

During a lush life filled with good fortune, David has done it all. He identifies himself as "a full-time composer who is also an improviser, a conductor, a free-association scat singer," but that hardly covers the range of his work.

As a young man, jam sessions hosted in his basement apartment have included Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie. He's befriended and performed with nearly every Greenwich Village artist during the Folk and Blues Revival from Bob Dylan to The Roches. 

He was the first composer-in-residence for the New York Philharmonic chosen by Leonard Bernstein, himself.

He's conducted symphonies in major cities around the world and plays instruments from over 3 dozen different countries. 

David Amram has composed more than 100 orchestral and chamber music works and two operas. He's also written many scores for Broadway theater productions.

David composed the score for such films as 'Splendor in The Grass,' 'The Manchurian Candidate' and collaborated with Jack Kerouac on the landmark 1959 documentary 'Pull My Daisy.'

  

And he's still just warming up! An endless supply of goodwill and thirst for experience has driven Amram to do what he does: Inspire audiences worldwide. 

"Listening to the AM radio in the 1930s, they had jazz and symphony music coming out of the same machine," David quips. Perhaps that explains why it was natural for him to integrate his classical training with Jazz, Folk, ethnic, Native and Latin music. This blend has led him to become a common thread between a venerable tapestry of post WWII American poets, musicians and artists. 

Some of the people David has called friends through the years are such luminaries as Charlie Parker, Thelonious Monk, Dizzy Gillespie, Lionel Hampton, Willie Nelson, Langston Hughes, Charles Mingus, Pepper Adams, Leonard Bernstein, Sir James Galway, Tito Puente, Mary Lou Williams, Joseph Papp, Arthur Miller, Miles Davis, Arturo Sandoval, Stan Getz, Pete Seeger, Elia Kazan, Odetta, Lord Buckley, Dustin Hoffman, Steve Allen, Machito, Earl "Fatha" Hines, Allen Ginsberg, Nina Simone, Gregory Corso, Bob Dylan, Steve Goodman, Hunter Thompson, Johnny Depp and Jack Kerouac.

Been there, done that. 

It's an old cliche but how can it not describe the career of David Amram?

Been there. Done that

No more room left to tell about David. Let a couple of friends sum it up:

"David Amram is a national treasure"

~Frank McCourt

"David Amram is full of terrific beatific tales!" ~Lawrence Ferlinghetti ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ On December 15th, the world famous Gaslight Cafe welcomes David Amram back to MacDougal Street. He's brought music to the far corners of the globe over the past 6 decades. He's traveled a million miles only to come back home to the Village. Join us on this special event as David performs with his quartet and special guests in the historic space that is 116 MacDougal.

NEW SHOW ANNOUNCED LIVE AT THE GASLIGHT

Folk Troubadors LIVE at the Gaslight Cafe, NYC

At a young age Cliff Eberhardt knew he was going to be a songwriter. His Dad introduced his children to music and Cliff quickly taught himself to play guitar. He also had the good fortune of living near a venue where James Taylor, Joni Mitchell, Howlin' Wolf, Springsteen, Muddy Waters, Bonnie Raitt and Mississippi John Hurt performed though out the year. At home, his parents exposed him to standards by Cole Porter and Ira Gershwin. As an adult, he learned how to blend all these influences to make his own unique sound. 

Cliff moved to NYC in 1978 and began playing in all the great Greenwich Village clubs. Time well spent at Gerde's Folk City, run by Mike and John Porco, proved how New York was an "ideal musician's boot camp." Gerde's was the legendary club where musicians had congregated for many years to create music together, promote each other to new heights and learn from the masters passing through. 

Eberhardt became a professional in a Village that had a vibrant and supportive music scene. Cliff and other luminaries like John Gorka, Suzanne Vega, Lucy Kaplansky, Julie Gold, Steve Forbert, Christine Lavin, and Shawn Colvin stood shoulder to shoulder and recorded music on a monthly basis. Later in his career, his voice was heard by millions by doing vocals for Coca-Cola, Miller Beer and Chevrolet commercial spots on TV and radio. His recording career has been committed to his original songs. It's a catalogue of sincere ballads and swaggering stories that draw sincere emotions from his audiences, attributed mostly to Cliff's sincere delivery and musicianship. 

Award winning Nashville artist, Louise Mosrie (pronounced "MAHZ-ree"), has also toured extensively since deciding to become a serious songwriter. 

Born in Delaware and moving to the South as a child, Louise began writing Pop/Folk songs in her early 20s while living in Knoxville where she's produced two independent albums. Her latest release, "Home,"  featured a #1 Song & was the #1 Album on the Folk DJ chart. Her original songs combine Americana, Bluegrass and Folk melodies that tell stories of the joy, love and struggle of the deep South. Through the use of vivid characters and scenery, she creates a world of Southern life in lush detail.

Mosrie has been named Rocky Mountain Folk Festival Showcase Artist in 2012, Falcon Ridge Folk Festival Emerging Artist of 2011, winner of the Wildflower! Festival Performing Songwriter Contest in 2010 and winner of the Kerrville Folk Festival New Folk Songwriting Competition in 2009.

Louise is an emerging star building a National audience. You don't want to miss her! 

Please join us this month at the famed Gaslight Café as we welcome two Road Warriors to a club where their craft is king. At a time when New York needs to heal, music becomes more than entertainment. 

Advance tickets on sale:

http://www.eventbrite.com/event/4545323184

DANNY KALB AND STEVE KATZ LIVE AT THE GASLIGHT

The Beatles came to New York in 1964 and electrified their original songs. Later that year, Elektra Records released an electric Blues compilation featuring two songs by a young guitarist named Danny Kalb. When Kalb switched gears from acoustic Folk and Blues to electric, Greenwich Village's finest Blues players followed suit. Yes, even Bob Dylan.

In May of 1965, the Gaslight Café on MacDougal Street hosted the second ever gig of the BLUES PROJECT, a band formed by Kalb and fellow guitarist and harmonica player Steve Katz. They would later play on TV regularly and perform coast-to-coast with the likes of Richie Havens, Stan Getz, Muddy Waters, Chuck Berry, Jimi Hendrix, The Who and a virtual who's-who of the Greenwich Village Folk and Blues scene. They forged a sound unlike any other combining Blues, R&B, Jazz, psychedelia and Folk Rock.

Music critics have said, "Liverpool had the Beatles, but New York had the Blues Project."

Steve Katz went on to be a founding member of Blood, Sweat and Tears soon earning three Grammys and recording three #1 hits. In his spare time, he produced music for Lou Reed and was the Vice President of Mercury Records. But playing the Blues is the name of the game for Steve.


After nearly 50 years of camaraderie and reunion shows, Danny Kalb and Steve Katz are finally coming back to 116 MacDougal Street, The Gaslight. This is hallowed ground to all the musicians from the 1960s. The FRIENDS OF MIKE PORCO series at the Gaslight has hosted one show after another with musicians who called the Gaslight, Café Wha? and Gerde's Folk City home. My grandfather hired so many of them at Gerde's when they were young. Come see how they STILL deliver the goods.

Shows like this only happen once and then they're gone! Don't miss this one! SEATS ARE LIMITED.


Advance tickets here:
http://www.eventbrite.com/event/4061626434

LEGENDS OF THE FOLK AND BLUES REVIVAL RETURN TO THE GASLIGHT

The experimental mindset and talent that redefined musical genres and boundaries during the 1960's Folk and Blues Revival will be back on display at the SAME VENUE where it all began! 

DANNY KALB has long been recognized as one of America’s foremost guitarists. He is best known as the founding member of the legendary BLUES PROJECT along with STEVE KATZ and Al Kooper. They developed a strong national following and influenced untold numbers of aspiring young blues guitarists.

Kalb attended the University of Wisconsin but couldn’t resist the pull of Greenwich Village which was in the midst of a musical explosion boasting the likes of Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, Richie Havens, Eric Anderson and Odetta. As a protege of the great Dave Van Ronk, Danny established himself on this seminal Folk and Blues revival scene, first as a solo performer and session player with Phil Ochs, Pete Seeger, Judy Collins and Bob Dylan.

The BLUES PROJECT was founded in 1965. One of the classic bands of the period, their The Blues Project Live at Cafe Au Go-Go won great critical acclaim and won them their first gold record. On this album Danny’s signature tune “Alberta,” a soft ballad and “Down To Louisiana,” a rocking electric blues, established him as one of the preeminent blues players of his generation. Four albums followed that cemented their place in rock history.

The Blues Project became a casualty to personality conflicts, drugs and the 1960s lifestyle. STEVE KATZ and Al Kooper then left to form BLOOD, SWEAT AND TEARS.
Katz studied guitar with Dave Van Ronk and Reverend Gary Davis. It was at this time that he met and befriended guitarist Stefan Grossman. They would sometimes act as road managers for Reverend Davis and, in so doing, met many of the great “rediscovered” blues men of an earlier era, such as Son House, Skip James and Mississippi John Hurt.

Kooper left Blood, Sweat & Tears after only six months. Getting their record company to continue with the band without Kooper was difficult. Auditions were held and David Clayton-Thomas was hired as lead singer. Their next album sold six million copies worldwide and fostered three number one singles. Katz continued with Blood, Sweat & Tears for five years, during which time the group won three Grammy Awards.

Not only were they pioneers in electrifying all dimensions of the Blues guitar, these artists still have their chops to this day. From Folk to Blues to Jazz, Danny Kalb and Steve Katz are as influential to the new generation of artists as they were to their peers in the 1960s. 

You don't want to miss this triumphant return of DANNY KALB and STEVE KATZ to the original GASLIGHT CAFÉ!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!SEATING IS EXTREMELY LIMITED FOR THIS EVENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Reserve your spot and come witness history as FRIENDS OF MIKE PORCO continue to parade through 116 MacDougal St.

Advance tickets can be found HERE



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

About the FRIENDS OF MIKE PORCO series at 116:

Mike Porco was the owner and operator of "New York's Center of Folk Music," Gerde's Folk City from 1960-1980

Everyone from Phil Ochs and Bob Dylan in the early 60s to Suzanne Vega and Lucinda Williams in the late 70s got their start at Folk City.

His grandson hosts shows at the world famous Gaslight Café with the very same artists who sparked and defined the 1960's Folk and Blues Revival in Greenwich Village. 

FRIENDS OF MIKE PORCO AT THE GASLIGHT

Voices of The People return to MacDougal St!


A true folk singer at heart, ROD MacDONALD's place in the Folk hall of fame is assured by his hymn-styled 'A Sailor's Prayer,' a tune mistaken for a traditional song. His one of a kind sound has hints of rock, pop, country, light jazz, and blues.

Honorably discharged from the service as a conscientious objector in August 1972, his calling to be a professional musician rang louder than a path practicing law…to our benefit!!

Rod is also a co-founder of the Greenwich Village Music Festival and an original member of the Fast Folk Co-op.

He's made 35 tours in Europe since 1985, nearly all of them with NYC bassist Mark Dann, an accompanist and engineer with hundreds of recording credits to his name.

MacDonald tours South Florida with the Bob Dylan cover band, Big Brass Bed, but his original classics can fill the night with song.

Veteran singer/songwriters BEV GRANT and INA MAY WOOL recently joined forces as WOOL&GRANT, a rousing new duo that celebrates both intimate and political themes with rocking, funny, poignant songs, featuring beautifully constructed, heartfelt lyrics. They love singing together and it shows.

Bev lead her band The Human Condition to national prominence in the early 1970s.She was one of the radical upstarts in Greenwich Village coffeehouses when the Village still felt bohemian and revolution was in the air.

Strains of rock, Latin music, R&B, pop and more easily fused with the essence of smoky folk clubs.Grant was on the bill of Ochs' 1973 festival, "An Evening With Salvador Allende" at NYC's Madison Square Garden.

New England native INA MAY WOOL has also spent years on the road with bands as well as in studios doing session work. She serves up an eclectic mix of the jazz, blues and country influences with a wry, unmistakably urban sensibility.

Since joining forces, WOOL&GRANT have earned an ever growing group of fans for their unique mix of two very distinct voices.

COME JOIN US for some mid-summer fun!!

Advance tickets on sale here



.

FOLKS FROM LEFT OF CENTER AT THE GASLIGHT

Get your freak on!
Kazoos, banjoes, washboards, a Galvanized tub and other appliances.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Since rolling into New York for good in 1959, PETER STAMPFEL has been widely credited as a pioneer in the Psycho-delic Folk genre. In fact, he and Steve Weber of the HOLY MODAL ROUNDERS, first coined the term "Psychedelic" and applied the vibe to their music. They were able to take Roots Folk songs and distort it into something very, very different! Psychedelic Folk soiled its oats in the Lower East Side and gave rise to the New York City Punk scene.

The Holy Modal Rounders were almost the very definition of a cult act. Their legend grew larger after having their songs appeared on the soundtrack for the cult classic movie, "Easy Rider."

Stampfel then moved on to become a founding member of the FUGS in 1965 and later, he formed the short-lived (1975–77) Unholy Modal Rounders; known around the Village as the Motherf*n Unholy Modal Rounders. The Bottlecaps were also a creation of Mr. Stampfel.

Stampfel has played with several different groups of musicians over the decades and records music to this day. He's recorded with Yo La Tengo, They Might Be Giants and is the only living man to ever perform with Bob Dylan, Buckminster Fuller and Mississippi John Hurt. Have Moicy!!

Tonight, Peter Stampfel is here with the Ether Frolic Mob...a collection of like minded musicians….what can go wrong!


THE DIRDY BIRDIES JUG BAND bills itself as the
World's Most Dangerous Jug Band

What more can one say about the 'World's Most Dangerous Jug Band'?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Formed in the spring of 1965, on the campus of Montclair State College in New Jersey, THE DIRDY BIRDIES JUG BAND was originally intended to perform for only two appearances at the annual Spring Carnival Weekend. However, the response to the performances was so encouraging, and the members of the group found performing so enjoyable and invigorating, that they decided to continue performing throughout their college years and beyond.


THE DIRDY BIRDIES JUG BAND increased their repertoire, sharpened their stage performance, and expanded their circle of performing venues to include many of the more prestigious folk clubs in Greenwich Village: Gerde's Folk City; The Bitter End; The Village Barn; The Red Garter; and The Cafe Wha?

They're still together, and still working on their masterpiece. It won't be possible to keep from smiling!


It's A SUNNY SATURDAY at the original Gaslight Cafe

FRIENDS OF MIKE PORCO present the wildest show at 116 MacDougal Street yet!

Join the fun with Peter Stampfel and the MOB and Jersey Jug Band....what could be mo' better?

Buy advance tickets to guarantee pure pleasure!

THE WEEK I FELL UPON RAMBLIN' JACK AND JOSÉ FELICIANO

.....More like Ramblin' Jack stumbled upon me!
I was downtown on my bike last Wednesday to hang a couple of posters at 116 MacDougal Street to promote the Stefan and Roy show and I was delayed by a phone call and then by an issue with the glass case outside the venue...and just as I was about to leave, in walks, like a vision, Jack Elliott. This was 4:30 in the afternoon. No one was there but the bartender, Omar, and myself. But Jack, his friend Jack and his road manager, Rick were in the neighborhood having coffee. They decided to walk down the stairs to what they remembered was the Gaslight address. They were right, and I was astonished to see him! I was very happy that I was able to welcome him back. We hung at the bar, naturally, while Reggae Dub played on the PA system. And Jack and Rick, an old friend of Arlo's, told stories of Johnny Cash and Dylan and all the usual suspects. Jack was in town doing a show the night before at the Highline Ballroom to which he said was one of the best shows he'd ever done..ever! Mainly because the crowd was silent, he said. I hope to book Jack back on his home turf sometime soon.

Then, two days later, after walking around lower Manhattan with an out of town friend, I decided to end the afternoon with a drink at 130 W. 3rd. The Fat Black Pussycat is there now but that is where Gerde's Folk City stood for the last 16 years of operation. On the way, walking north on MacDougal, we spotted a small film crew interviewing a man having a cappuccino at the famous Caffe Reggio. As fate would have it, it was another friend of Mike Porco. And I'm proud to say, a friend of mine, as well. It was José Feliciano! Of course, he didn't see me approaching but I politely interrupted his chat to say hi.

"Hey José. It's me. Bob Porco."

"Oh wow! Hey how are you?! Do you know not a day goes by...and my wife Susan can back this up...where I don't say Mike Porco's name or mention Gerde's? I mention Gerde's on stage every time I'm up there. And your grandfather made the best lasagna!!"

WOW

I didn't want to bother him much more but he didn't want me to go. So I gladly stayed and talked with him about the things I've learned about he and Folk City and his contemporaries. We talked about John Hammond Jr., Buffy Sainte Marie, Pat Sky and John Porco. But also we talked about John Wynn and Orriel Smith and The Café Wha?.

What great fortune for me to know and see these folks! If I'm lucky, I'll be able to offer them a stage to perform on just as my grandfather did 50 years ago. Fingers crossed!!


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LEGENDS OF FOLK RETURN TO GREENWICH VILLAGE

Perhaps it would be best to allow someone else review last night's show with Randy Burns and David Massengill. What a night! They brought their A-game and it was fun to watch them pour it all out for us to enjoy. Here's Frank Beacham's fine blog. And should you ever want to get an idea of what you missed, here's the link for complete video of the event which streamed for all to see live. (Photos Frank Beacham)

NEXT SHOW ANNOUNCED!

CHAMPIONS OF FOLK MUSIC REUNITE AT 116 MACDOUGAL STREET.
Join us for this one-time event hosted by FRIENDS OF MIKE PORCO.

RANDY BURNS was destined to be a Folk singer. After arriving in Greenwich Village in the mid 60s, he began like so many others before and after him. Every week, he played the open mic nights at the original Gerde's Folk City, The Gaslight Café and The Bitter End making friends and gaining an audience everywhere he went.

Randy holds the rare distinction of getting signed to a recording contract with ESP Records before playing his first paying gig!
Impressed by his talent, Clarence Hood, the owner of the legendary Gaslight, hired Randy as the permanent opening act. At only eighteen he was opening for some of the biggest folk stars in the country John Hammond, Tom Paxton, Dave Van Ronk, Eric Andersen, Spider John Koerner, Sonny and Brownie, Phil Ochs, Carolyn Hester, Washboard Sam and many others.
Later, Randy Burns and The SkyDog Band would tour under contract with Mercury and Polydor. Now based in NYC, he continues to bring generations of Folk musicians together by organizing Monday night song nights at the same venue where it all began for him, 116 MacDougal.

DAVID MASSENGILL came to New York from the Virginia/Tennesee border in the mid 70s with a mountain dulcimer, 5 original songs and a dream to make his mark in the world of American music history.

He would go on to become one of the more important figures during the revitalized "Folk Scare" of the 70s and 80s.

Renowned as a brilliant song writer faithful to American folk traditions, his epic compositions have been recorded by David Bromberg, Joan Baez and "The Mayor of MacDougal Street," Dave Van Ronk. In fact, Massengill and Van Ronk later became close friends and touring mates.

As part of the original New York Fast Folk crowd, Massengill forged an alliance with dozens of other aspiring musicians, including the late Jack Hardy. The pair formed the "Folk Brothers" and David continued to bring a slice of Americana to audiences around the nation sharing songs and stories like no one else can.

Burns and Massengill have crossed paths many times throughout the years- at Kenny's Castaways, Gerde's Folk City and on the road- but they've never played the Gaslight space together.

That will change on April 28th as these Champions of Folk music bring their talents to the stage for this historic evening.
Doors at 5. Show at 7PM
Two-for-one drinks 5-7.
$12 in advance. $15 at the door. SEATING IS LIMITED

Advance tickets on sale NOW! Click HERE







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OSCAR AND ERIK: PACKED HOUSE TREATED TO STELLAR SHOW

It'll go down in his story. 

THE NIGHT OSCAR ISAAC  played the Gaslight like he played the Gaslight in the movie 'Inside Llewyn Davis' where he played the Gaslight for a guy who looked like Mike Porco. 

In case you missed it, so did I. I didn't record shit. But I have a :40 audio clip on my iPhone voice memo app. 

Co-Stars John Goodman and Johnny (Ethan) Phillips and Garrett Hedlund were there. Hedlund and I shared a toast with whiskey. It was a great fu&king show. The 60 people sandwiched in there thanked me. Good luck, Oscar.

John Goodman, Oscar Isaac at 116 Macdougal

Erik Frandsen, Kate Sland

Oscar Isaac

Oscar, unnamed GF

(Pictures courtesy Dave Peller)

GREENWICH VILLAGE LEGEND AND STAR OF VAN RONK BIOPIC PLAY MACDOUGAL STREET

ERIK FRANDSEN and OSCAR ISAAC
116 MacDougal Street, NYC
Saturday, March 24
7PM




Erik Frandsen gets his bread buttered from acting jobs these days, but acting is only one of the many talents he's manifested over the last 4 decades. As a teenager, he would travel into New York City to see and hear performances by some of the most influential Blues and Acoustic guitar greats ever to play Greenwich Village. By the mid-1960s, he had become one of those very people himself.

Another future Village legend, David Bromberg, went to the same high school with Erik. They sometimes would come down on the train from Tarrytown, NY to watch the amazing flat picking talents of Doc Watson. Erik remembers seeing Doc Watson perform at Gerde's Folk City just as Acoustic Folk and Blues music had completely wrestled the Village away from the Beat Society. A year older than Frandsen, Bromberg would be the first of the schoolmates to be hired by Mike Porco to perform at Folk City's hallowed confines on West 4th Street. Erik would headline eventually in 1966. Not long after that, Bromberg would go into the studio with Gerde's favorite son, Bob Dylan, to record with him on Self Portrait and New Morning. Erik would get his invitation from Dylan in 1976 to record, what became an outtake from the Desire sessions, "Catfish."

Along the way, Erik Frandsen had "earned his bones" working coast-to-coast as an accompanist, mainly to leading musician, Patrick Sky. Pat Sky left the music business in 1975, but Erik continued to work, not only as a touring musician, but as a playwright and actor. Acting is where Frandsen's true passion lies, but his encyclopedic song repertoire is as unique as his presentation of it on stage. Part comedy routine, part story-hour and part theater, his stage show is a sight to behold. As an oft used emcee at Folk City and many other clubs in The Village, Erik knows how to entertain crowds from all walks of life. It's his musicianship on guitar that makes people sit up and take notice. As his fingers crawl across the fretboard, he weaves original and traditional songs of lost love, witticism, romance in rhyme like few others ever to take the stage in Greenwich Village.

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Oscar Isaac is a name that will soon be known more widely than just New York and Hollywood once Inside Llewyn Davis hits theaters. The Coen Brothers handpicked him to star in their ode to the Greenwich Village music scene for more than just his ability to play guitar on film. Oscar's standout performances in Robin Hood with Russell Crowe and Drive with Ryan Gosling surely had something to do with it. His characters "jump off the screen" as the viewer can plainly see that he is an actor who pours all that he is into his roles.

Being given the title character to play, Isaac has an opportunity to use his first leading role as a springboard to much greater success. He'll be supported in this movie by Justin Timberlake, John Goodman and F. Murray Abraham. All the characters in the movie (to be released in 2013), have roles replicating some of the most important figures in Greenwich Village during the Blues and Folk Revival of the 1960s. The Coens have taken artistic liberty by condensing some instances and events into a setting lasting one week and have only twisted some names slightly. In the movie, there is a "Jim and Jean," a Grossman character and, I'm told, a club owner with the last name of Porco (Hmmmm). Other than Bob Dylan, perhaps no other figure represents the scene in New York more succinctly than Dave Van Ronk. The screenplay for Inside Llewyn Davis has been adapted for Hollywood by the Coen Brothers using Dave Van Ronk's autobiography as a guide. Portraying a Van Ronk-type character means portraying "The Mayor of MacDougal Street."

Van Ronk was the resident master of ceremonies at the original Gaslight Cafe taking over the reigns from another luminary, Noel Stookey (Noel is better known as "Paul" in the trio Peter, Paul and Mary…but you don't need me to tell you that). It was there that Dave Van Ronk sized up, evaluated and corralled the brightest young Folk stars of the day and it was there where one could see him perform every week alongside some of the biggest names on the Folk and Blues circuit at the time. Many of the same musicians that played for my grandfather at Gerde's also performed for a hat full of dollars and quarters at the coffee-only Gaslight. Along with Dylan, names like José Feliciano, John P. Hammond, Phil Ochs, Peter Yarrow, Tom Paxton, Len Chandler, Happy and Artie Traum, Pat Sky, Buffy Sainte Marie, Danny Kalb and many others made the Gaslight world famous.

THE THEME OF THE ORIGINAL GASLIGHT RETURNS TO MACDOUGAL STREET

On Saturday, March 24th, Erik Frandsen and musician and actor buddy Oscar Isaac will add their names to the venue's historic line of stars and stalwarts of acoustic music. The new owners of 116 MacDougal pride themselves on offering professional musical events that are faithful to the former Gaslight's history. Oscar and Erik know how to bring life to the songs and sounds that made the Village great. But perhaps the most novel fact about this show is that it will be held in the very same space once occupied by the original Village Gaslight Cafe. The basement club has gone through many changes over the years, and is now trying to recapture attention as a place where people can go and hear live Folk, Roots and Blues in a living landmark. FRIENDS OF MIKE PORCO is committed to bringing the veterans of New York Folk together on stage with the younger generation of passionate musicians for older and newer audiences alike. Come and enjoy!!


ADVANCE TICKETS HERE




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