Thank you to everyone who participated in the recent festival. The 1999 Berkeley Free Folk Festival will be scheduled again for Mother's Day weekend. Suggestions are always welcome for future concert bookings or workshops.-Jessica (510) 843-3810.
Laborfest 1998, sponsored by the San Francisco Labor Council and other unions, community groups, artists and labor activists throughout San Francisco, features Maritime Labor-History Tours, parties, dance, poetry, videos, music and other special events. This is the fifth San Francisco Laborfest which each year starts on July 5, "Bloody Thursday," in commemoration of the 1934 San Francisco General Strike.
Events continue throughout July with a free closing party July 26, and include a "Tribute to Paul Robeson" presented by the Bay Area Robeson Centennial Committee on Sunday, July 12, at 7:30 p.m., at a location to be announced. For information and a complete schedule of events: (415) 642-8066 or Laborfest, P. O. Box 40938, San Francisco 94140.
July 19 1-5 p.m. 9th annual fundraiser to benefit the Dance Palace Community Center and Peppermill Creek Children' Corner. Festures the music of Wild Mango, a septet from throughout the Americas, whose music blends Latin, jazz, Middle Eastern and Brazilian sounds.. Raw, fresh and barbecued oysters on sale. Tickets: $13 advance, $16 at the door. Dance Palace, Box 217, Point Reyes, 94965
Cheryl MacDonald has pulled off a major coup (and found herself a job for life, should she want one), by coordinating another wonderful edition of the San Francisco Free Folk Festival. It was two days cram-packed with wonderful concert sets, music workshops, dance workshops, dances, and general merry-making.
Cheryl herself served as director, folk-club liaison, evening concert coordinator, and helped with evening dance coordination. Her hard-working staff included many others, among them Art Peterson (cafeteria and folk club concert coordination, lighting and stage director), Garry Wiegand (schedule preparation, food coordination, dance workshop coordination, web page); Paul Barnett and Jillian Tallmer (volunteer recruitment and coordination); Kathryn LaMar and Laura Barnett (music and song workshop coordination); Frannie Germeshausen (dance workshop coordination and publicity); Erik Hoffman (dance workshop coordination); Ed Sherry (dance hall sound coordination); Hali Hammer and Chet Gardiner (concert sound and stage management); Lorraine Sohlberg (program design, advertising, and publicity); Deborah Gordon (setup coordination); Lisa Levine (cleanup coordination); James Benny (parking czar); John Gregorin (art direction, signs, and buttons); Charlotte Patterson (vendor coordination); Robin Cohen (folk-club table coordination); Phil Morgan (instrument-check coordination); Laurie Vela (family activities coordination); Marian Gade (concert MC coordination); Nick Holbrook (performer check-in); Redmond O'Colonies (food vendor); Michael Gray (web page); and Dave Stafford and Mark Cook ( information table and band check-in).
Others helping with publicity included Sarah Lifton, Audrey Burgess, Laurie Stoerke, Mary Ann MacLachlan, and Genny Hom-Franzen. Sound equipment lenders included Plowshares, Chet Gardiner, Hali Hammer, Ed Sherry, and Tom Thoreau; lighting equipment was lent by Clinton Gilbert of Impact Lighting; and portable stages were lent by Art Peterson. Thanks are also hereby accorded to all of the workshop leaders, performers, vendors, and other volunteers who gave so generously of their time and expertise.
Found (by us and left by you) at the Memorial Day Campout: An electronic tuner. Please call the club to describe and claim.
And found by Don Burnham at the SFFFF on 13 June: A(nother) guitar tuner. Identify and claim by contacting Don at <dbmusic@pacbell.net> or call 650-344-3675.
Evo Bluestein sends word that The Bluestein Family children's album Good Mornin' Blues has just come out on CD. To get one, contact Evo at 10691 N. Madsen, Clovis, CA 93611-9704; phone (209-297-8966; email <evob@csufresno.edu>. Following soon: a CD version of A Horse Named Bill..
Don Burnham plays bass in the San Jose Stage Company's production of Cumberland Blues (featuring the songs of Jerry Garcia and Robert Turner), which hits San Francisco after finishing its run in SJ on July 5.
Benjamin Philip Burrill was born to Camille Fischer and Jim Burrill on May 13. We all bid a very warm welcome to this new SFFMCer!
Erik Hoffman writes that the Big Mistake is taking a break; they'll start up again in September or October.
Kerry Parker, SFFMC membership custodian, is now Building Manager and Ministry Secretary of the Noe Valley Ministry in San Francisco. Noe Valley frequently sponsors folk concerts and related events, which Kerry will book.
Faith Petric considers her trip to Australia--where she performed at 7 festivals and another 7 assorted folk clubs, house concerts, and miscellaneous venues--to have been amazingly successful and rewarding. Edited excerpts from her writings include the following:
The folk community [in Australia] is certainly very strong and healthy. Festivals are attended by thousands. Most [festivals] took place in small towns, with the festival taking over the towns completely. The songsand style I brought from the United States were very well received; I felt quite popular.
Celtic music is everywhere; poetry is read at least one hour a day at each festival; Morris Dancers wear traditional costumes coveredwith bits of material floating in the breeze as they leap about.
Although many songs are from the US, there is much original Australian material that expresses social and environmental concerns: pollution,destruction of forests, the reactionary government joining with corporations to break the unions, and the elimination of even more rights of the native peoples - to name a few. But I was well taken care of, and had a really wonderful time!
KlezKamp West (KKW), an offshoot of the KlezKamp held in the Catskills over Xmas week, happens Aug. 9-14 at Walker Creek Ranch, in Petaluma. Alicia Svigals (violinist with the Klezmatics, and highly recommended) will be teaching fiddle and leading a fiddle ensemble. Other staff include Lauren Brody, accordion; Margot Leveret, clarinet; Sherry Mayrent, Klezmer Music Theory, Youth Orchestra; Mark Rubin, bass and tuba; and Merlin Shepherd, clarinet and Yiddish dance band. In addition, there will be a KlezKids program and classes in Yiddish dance, Music History (with Martin Schwartz, the Allen Ginsberg of Klezmer), Poetry, Song, Visual Arts. For more information, email Henry Sapoznik at <livetrads@aol.com> and ask for a brochure, or phone Devra Noily in the Bay Area; her phone number is 415-339-7424.
[People who are not members of SFFMC can purchase the recent Resource Directory from the club for $2.00.]
The Berkeley Free Folk Festival is held on 2 days in May. Contact Jessica Bryan, 1627 Grant St., Apt. G, Berkeley, CA 94703; phone 510-843-3810; e-mail: <folkfest@sirius.com>. Booking is done in January.
The Eurostop Cafe, 2118 Willow Pass Rd., Concord, CA 94520, has a variety/talent night on Fridays at 8:30 PM, with auditions on Wednesdays between 7 and 9 PM. If you're interested, call 925-687-7354.
The Santa Monica Traditional Folk Music Club was founded 20 years ago by April Halprin-Wayland when she moved south. The Club has a newsletter, club library, regular meetings and song swaps, free sea shanty sings. (310) 376-8670, E-mail <rabbitt101@!aol.com>.
With regard to the Irish Dancing & Jam, which is held at the Starry Plough in Berkeley on Sundays and Mondays, on Sunday there is only a session, coordinated by Shay Black. On Monday there is dancing, with a late night session.
Beyond the Trees Music, which creates unusual custom stringed instruments, is operated by Fred Carlson and Suzy Norris. Their phone numbers are (408) 423-9264 or 427-1205, and their address is 1987 Smith Grade, Santa Cruz, CA 95060.
Marin Folk Club meetings start at 8:30 PM.
Lou Curtis of Folk Arts Rare Records, 3611 Adams Ave., San Diego 92116 puts on two major folk events each year: Adams Avenue Street Fair and the Adams Avenue Roots Festival. Phone (619) 282 7833. San Francisco Folk Music Clubdues are $7/year (we knew that!).
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Pulled off a message on the internet: The Smithsonian Institution has closed its Smithsonian Collection of Recordings. No other institution has so marvelously captured this country's non-classical musical heritage and made it available in CD sets. Smithsonian titles include Mean Old World: The Blues from 1940 to 1994; Red, Hot & Blue; Folk Song America; Swing that Music!; and Classic Country Music.
While the closing is a fait accompli, writing a letter that includes such points as the importance of these sets to the library in your community, the need for these recordings to be easily obtainable, and hope that the Smithsonian will continue releasing new sets, could still have an impact. Such letters should be sent to: I. Michael Heyman, Secretary; Office of the Secretary; Smithsonian Institution; SIB 205 MRC 016; Washington, DC 20560.