Folks car-pooling from the East Bay to Friday night sings at 885 Clayton and who can't find parking places close by, might consider dropping off instruments and passengers at 885, then parking in the Kezar lot on Stanyan between Frederick and Beulah;it costs only $6 for up to 5 hours, your walk back to 885 Clayton is only 4 to 5 blocks.
Evo Bluestein brings his autoharp workshops to the Bay Area on May 6 (Beginning Folk Style) and May 13 (Intermediate Folk Style). Both workshops are at Cal State Hayward. Loaner harps will be available. The phone number at CSUH is (510) 885-3605, and Evo’s website URL is: <http://evobluestein.com>
Jessica Bryan is stepping down as organizer of the Berkeley Free Folk Festival (after founding it and running it beautifully and smoothly for four years—how will we ever thank her adequately). This year, the festival will take place at, and be organized under the auspices of, Ashkenaz. Watch these pages for further details!
Greg and Jerry Canote, the Small Wonder String Band, whom we lost to Seattle some time back, are featured in the January edition of Victory Review - cover photo and interview. Incidentally, Victory Review is a must-have for Northwest musicians, has great recording reviews and articles. POB 225, Tacoma, WA 98401-22554
Suzanne Friend and John Dickelhaupt became proud parents of twin sons Paul and Porter on December 25, 1999. Now there's a Christmas present for you! All doing fine as we go to press but Suzanne does get a bit tired.
Hali Hammer has a Saturday afternoon show on Berkeley Liberation Radio. This can be accessible on the Internet - details <halih@yahoo.com> or (510) 649 -1423.
Sam Hinton's 1947 recording for the Library of Congress was released as a CD in November 1999. Package contains 46 songs, a 28-page booklet, photos, and extensive notes. To review, contact Adam Miller at <autoharp@hooked.net> or 650-851-1147. Check it out at <http://www.bear-family.de/TABEL1/complete.htm>
K. Kunizaki of the Tokyo Folklore Center sends New Year greetings to SFFMC, adding "I love 'Folknik'!"
Rachel Levin has generously volunteered to send out the CDs for review, and to edit folknik pp. 2&3! Thanks!
Laurie Lewis and Pals are at the Slavonic Cultural Center as part of its Master Artists Series on March 14. 60 Onondoga Ave. SF, 8:30, $10, seniors free. Information 510 649 0941 or <www.slavonicweb.org>.
JoAnn Mar reminds us that her Folk Music and Beyond program on KALW 91.7 now airs on Saturday afternoon at 3 (Ed. Note: KALW’s Saturday "Folk Zone" now consists of The Thistle & Shamrock from 2-3, Folk Music & Beyond from 3-5, Patchwork Quilt from 5-6, and Bluegrass Signal from 6-7.
Faith Petric received the Labor Arts Award at the Western Workers Labor Heritage Festival on January 16 "in honor of outstanding contributions to workers' culture." Congratulations, Faith!
Merrie Sennett reports that our New Year round (written by Alex Herrmann when she was about 15) is getting around. Merrie taught it to members of the Unity Church in Eugene, and it was sung as a prelude to services on the Sunday after New Years. The round has also been recorded by various musicians, but we still feel it’s ours.
Holly Tannen premiered her one-woman, one-entity show called "Practical Alchemy" at the Helen Schoeni Theater in Mendocino on February 11 and 12. Holly recounts her spirit possession and sacred marriage to 19th Century French poet Arthur Rimbaud. Those who know her fine recordings, especially Rimes of the Ancient Matriarch, and are familiar with her entities from the half-astral plane hope this show comes down to the Bay Area.
Starting with the January/February 1999 folknik, Kay Eskenazi has helped Barbara Millikan and Ray Frank select songs for the song pages, and has laid them out herself. Kay also teaches two weekly rounds-singing classes, and recently founded a 501 ( c ) 3 nonprofit organization called Pass it Around!, which is dedicated to providing the opportunity for group singing to people who are elderly, ill, suffering from mental distress, recovering from substance abuse, imprisoned, physically disabled, or poor.
Kay says "..rounds are accessible and beautiful, they enable everyone to participate in an enjoyable activity that immediately imparts an experience of beauty. Singing rounds also imparts a feeling of accomplishment that can be a lifeline for people who expect to fail at everything they do … Rounds are an effective morale booster, community builder, and mood improver."
Pass it Around! also raises money for organizations that provide services to those described above. Last December 19, Pass It Around! culminated a Singathon in Union Square in SF that raised $6,800. Pass It Around! gave $2000 to the Marian Residence for Women (long term shelter for homeless women in SF), $2000 for Raphael House (long term shelter for homeless families in SF) and $2000 to the Alameda County Community Food Bank.
You are all cordially invited to join the 2000 Singathon. To do so, you learn about 30 rounds from a practice tape or attend monthly rehearsals to do so, get some sponsors, and then sing in Union Square on a Sunday afternoon in December (probably December 17). To learn more about Pass it Around! and its other activities, contact Kay at 3055 23rd St, SF CA 94110; email <yogaprops@sfo.com>; phone 415/647-9642, ext. # 2; fax415/920-9642.
If you’re in Seattle, you may want to attend A Bouzouki Evening, at Dusty Strings,3406 Fremont Ave. N., Seattle, WA 98103 (206-634-1662), on Friday, April 7, 7:30-10:00 PM, $8. The concert will feature music performed on the Greek bouzouki and related instruments such as the Irish bouzouki, cittern, and octave mandolin. Performers include Christos Govetas, Hank Bradley, Stanley Greenthal, and John and Anna Peekstok playing contemporary, traditional, and ancient music from Greece, eastern and western Europe, and America. Tea will be served during the intermission.
Someone named Doris passed on this information in answer to a question about "Blackberry Winter." There is more than one "winter." I can't name them all, but the "winters" referred to occur in early spring when, after a few days of warming, it turns cool for a short period; they are the cool snap that occurs when the blackberries bloom. There is also a dogwood winter, and the last one is called "cotton britches" because it's when everyone figures it's warm for good and the men get out their summer cotton trousers.
Sidesaddle is looking for another GREAT bluegrass banjo player who also sings. Sidesaddle is an active band, playing at least 2 or 3 times a week, with occasional out of town travel. In addition to bluegrass, they play gospel, Celtic, Cajun, and a few old-timey tunes. They’ve been together for 20 years, and have released 7 recordings. The current members live in the South Bay (Mountain View to Hollister). If interested, please e-mail <Lisaonbass@aol.com>.
By Suzy Thompson
I wanted to let you know that we raised over $20,000 at the Ashkenaz Dance-A-Thon. A great big THANK YOU to all of you who participated!! We had an amazing day of wonderful music, the new sound equipment was installed and I have never ever heard the music at Ashkenaz sound so good!! Thank you Meyer Sound!!
The success of the Dance-A-Thon means that we are able to continue to keep everyday door prices low at Ashkenaz, and that we can do stuff like re-do the dance floor (it will need to be replaced soon, it can only stand a few more refinishings), bring the lighting up to code, and make Ashkenaz better able to serve the needs of the community (that's YOU).
If all of the above makes you want to do more for Ashkenaz, they have several job openings at the moment, some of which even pay! Contact Program Manager Nomi Yah Wanag at 510-525-5099 for more info: Available jobs include cafe employee, security guard and janitorial staff, office assistant, and volunteer coordinator.
The Santa Monica Traditional Folk Music Club meets the first Saturday of each month from 7:30 to 11:30 PM at 18th and Broadway (the Santa Monica Synagogue) in Santa Monica. On March 4, they celebrate their twentieth birthday with a White Elephant sale and silent auction. Bargains, bargains! For more information, contact April Halprin Wayland at (310) 376-8760 or at <april—story@aol.com>. Their website URL is: <http://hometown.aol.com/aprilstory/folk.html>
---Sauce Unknown---
Eye halve a spelling checker / It came with my pee sea / It plainly marques four my revue / Miss steaks eye kin knot sea. / Eye strike a key and type a word and weight four it two say, weather eye am wrong oar write / It shows me strait aweigh. / As soon as a mist ache is maid / It nose bee fore two long / And eye can put the error rite / Its rare lea ever wrong. / Eye have run this poem threw it / I am shore your pleased two no / Its letter perfect awl the weigh / My checker tolled me sew.
(Extracted from a notice from Bonnie Carol)
August 9-13, 2000 will find me leading the second annual river trip, where everyone is invited to bring musical instruments and make music in the wilderness where it belongs! Bring any sorts of instruments, your camping get up, your smiles, and your friends, and we'll bring professional guides, canoes, rafts, gourmet food, and whatever other specialized equipment you might need on the river. We meet on Wednesday, Aug. 9, at 5 PM at the Westwater Ranger Station on the Colorado River for an early put-in on Thursday morning. We spend Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday on the river in Horsethief and Ruby Canyons of the Colorado. All this for $375. Get in touch if you want more info.
Bonnie can be reached in any of the following ways: Bonnie Carol, 15 Sherwood Road, Nederland, Co 80466; <www.BonnieCarol.com>; <Bonnie@BonnieCarol.com>; 303-258-7763,