Newsletter submissions: Liz Pagan Email: newsletter@folkproject.org 32 Williamson Ave., Bloomfield NJ 07003; deadline is the 15th Membership, corrections/changes: Rick Thomas Email: membership@folkproject.org 12 Upper Warren Way, Warren, NJ 07059 (908) 647-7517 Folk Project Officers: President: Scooter Ferguson Vice President: Elizabeth Lachowicz Secretary: Chris Riemer Treasurer: Eddie Roffman Trustees: Trustees thru 2010: Evelyn Maurer, Jim King, Allan Kugel Trustees thru 2011: Lois DeRitter, Jim Gartner, Brad Pryor Trustees thru 2012: Scooter Ferguson, Ruth Wolfish, Nancy Kelner Box 41 Mendham, NJ 07945 www.folkproject.org NEWSLETTER July 2010 July is Party... Party... Party Month at the Folk Project! 4th o July Pick-A-Nick & Pool Party Sun., 7/4, 1pm 'til fireworks @ Roffmans' Everyone's invited! Signup for the Minstrel Birthday Show (details on page 7) and/or come just for fun. FP supplies meat amd veggie burgers, hotdogs, buns and condiments; bring whatever else you wish to eat, drink and share. Also bring voices, instruments, bathing suits, towels, outdoor chairs, children, etc. Address and directions below under BONUS Evening o Music. June Evening o Music & Pool Party Sat., 7/10, 8pm Pamela Dabah s Our EoM this month is at the home of a new member.your selves, voices, food and instruments are all most welcome. Please note that Pam and her husband keep a kosher home, so a few rules: bring your own serving utensils and food containers; all leftovers must be taken with you or parceled out to other partygoers! If you want to use the pool, please bring your own towels, and if you have folding chairs or portable chairs, please bring them! The Dabahs have a lovely home with several areas for circles and a beautiful yard, so a good time will be had by all! Location is 80 Gaston Road, Morristown, (973) 479-3385. Directions : Make your way to the Morristown Green. Exit the Green onto Speedwell Avenue/Route 202 (the road which runs next to the Century 21 Department Store). Make the left onto Sussex turnpike at the traffic light (4th left turn, it is a "VEE"). Stay on Sussex turnpike for 2.2 miles, make left onto Gaston Road to #80 on the left. BONUS Evening o Music! Sat., 7/24, 8pm the Roffmans The 4th Saturday Bonus Evening of Music takes place at Eddie and Robin s place, 11 Butternut Rd., Randolph. (973) 328-7742. Note: Eddie and Robin keep Kosher. At Evening o Music, non-kosher items CAN be shared on a special tablecloth on their kitchen table. Please bring your own serving utensils. Directions: >From I287 Southbound: exit 36, Ridgedale Ave. Keep right at fork, follow signs for and turn right at Ridgedale Ave, go 0.7 mi. Follow directions from Ridgedale-Hanover intersection below >From I287 Northbound: exit 36B, W Lafayette Ave. Right at light onto Ridgedale Ave, go 0.9 mi. >From Ridgedale- Hanover Intersection: Left onto E Hanover (westbound), go 4.6 mi. Turn right at Black Birch Dr, (just past traffic light at Shongum Rd) go 0.8 mi. Turn right at Butternut Rd, ours is the second driveway on the right.
The Minstrel July 2010 Acoustic Concert Series presented by Fri., July 2: Mustard s Retreat and Ronstadt Generations Mustard's Retreat is David Tamulevich and Michael Hough. Since their beginning in Ann Arbor, Michigan in 1974, they have quietly created an enviable reputation for memorable performances that are filled with warmth, insight and large doses of humor. Well-respected as songwriters, they blend their original pieces with story-telling and an eclectic selection of works by other writers to create, in the words of one reviewer, "music to cure what ails you." (Michigan Times). Our openers, Ronstadt Generations is a 2-generation family band headed by Michael J. Ronstadt (Linda s brother) featuring four voices, multi-instrumentalists, solo artists and original songwriters. Their repertoire reaches back to the end of the 19th century while continually looking forward into the 21st. Michael has been on stage with Los Lobos, Mariachi Cobre, The Gatlin Brothers, Linda Ronstadt, and the Dixie Hummingbirds. Fri., July 9: Open Stage After a hiatus for the FP Festival last month, the regular second Friday Open Stages resume with their opportunity for local and touring musicians to perform on our stage. Hosted by President Scooter, these informal nights have become a subset of the Folk Project community, both for performers and listeners. Those wishing to perform should visit www.folkproject.org/fp_minstopen.html for signup procedures. Fri., July 16: Jack Williams and Matching Orange Jack Williams comes to us from a rock background. It shows in the drive of his guitar work, which is clean, exciting, and endlessly full of beautiful and appropriate licks. His songwriting has an unpretentious understated poetry to it, kind of like a South Carolina version of an acoustic Bruce Springsteen with Jerry Garcia on acoustic lead guitar. Opener Matching Orange is primarily known in the contra dance community as purveyors of high-energy driving dance music. But this young (early to mid-20's) trio of Eric McDonald (guitar, mandolin, vocals), Eric Reiner (piano), and Brendan Carey Block (fiddle) also sing well known and obscure traditional American ballads and songs. They will be the featured band at the Folk Project's "Swinging Tern" contra dance the following evening. Fri., July 23: Straight Drive and Bill Brandon Straight Drive delivers straight-up bluegrass. The components are all there: fiddle, guitar, banjo, mandolin, and bass, multiple-part harmony singing, and songs new and old steeped in the tradition of Bill Monroe, Earl Scruggs, and the other masters. It's hard-driving high energy music played with gusto and verve. They were a big hit at our Spring 2008 Festival. Opener Bill Brandon manages to pack a big band into an acoustic guitar. He specializes in solo guitar arrangements of jazz and swing standards. Fri., July 30: The Minstrel s 35th Birthday Show On Friday, July 25, 1975, a bunch of hippie folk musicians put on a show in the basement of a French restaurant in Chester, NJ. They continued to present shows every Friday since then, eventually becoming the organization known as the Folk Project and the acoustic series called the Minstrel. To celebrate this anniversary, these hippies and their successors and children have combined in randomly selected duos and trios to present what started it all 35 years ago: music we make ourselves. Come celebrate ourselves with us. It s a party. Special $8.00 admission includes birthday cake UPCOMING 8/6: The Rowan Cunningham Band Harmonies & hot fiddle tunes; 8/13: Open Stage; 8/20: Martin Swinger good songs & vocal acrobatics; 8/27: Powerful songwriter Cliff Eberhardt; 9/3: Folk icon Bill Staines; 9/10: Open Stage; 9/17: T.B.D.; 9/24: Finest Kind Heavenly harmonies from Canada; 10/1: The Steel Wheels Great bluegrass band; 10/8: CLOSED for the Folk Project Fall Festival; 10/15: From Scotland s Battlefield Band Brian McNeill songwriter, multiinstrumentalist, and AGRANOFF IMPERATIVE; 10/22: From England, songwriter Jez Lowe; 10/29: High energy blues band featuring Treasa Levasseur The Minstrel is an acoustic music concert series run by the Folk Project, a non-profit folk music and arts organization. We use the facilities of the Morristown Unitarian Fellowship, 21 Normandy Heights Road, Morristown, NJ. We hold shows almost every Friday, year round, and the second Friday of the month is usually an open stage/audition night. The music we present is folk music in its broadest sense. That is, in addition to traditional American and ethnic folk music (in its purist definition), we welcome music of contemporary, primarily acoustic songwriters, and other types of music more folkie in attitude than in content. Shows start at 8pm; dress is casual. We serve coffee, teas, and baked goods. There is no alcohol or tobacco on the premises. Admission is inexpensive; on our regular Friday concerts we ask $7.00 on your way in, and, if you feel the show was worth it, an additional amount at your discretion on the way out, which goes to supplement what we pay the feature performer. Children under 12 are free. For travel information, or information on shows call 973 335 9489 or visit our website at www.folkproject.org. To volunteer call Sandie at (908) 501-3842 volunteers@folkproject.org Sat., 7/3: Bob Isaacs & Termite s Delight Michael Gorin-fiddle; Chris Carpenter-clarinet, sax, pennywhistle, banjo, mandolin; Susie Deane-piano, guitar; Joe PePaolo -drums.contras and Squares Bob brings the house down with deconstructed contras and out of square squares as Termite s Delight swarms in with woodwinds to let the dancers chew up the dance floor. Once the floor boards have been turned to dust, those that ain t misbehavin have been heard to say This joist is jumpin'. The piano's thumpin', the dancers bumpin'. This here spot is more than hot, in fact the joist is jumpin'! Sat., 7/17: Marguerite Durant & Matching Orange Eric MacDonald-guitar, mandolin, vocals; Eric Eid-Reiner-piano; Brendan Carey Block-fiddle.Contras You may not find a rhyme for the band, but you ll find Matching Orange has all the tunes you need. Marguerite matches the band in intensity as she takes the dancer that may be a little yellow and warms them up to red hot. When mock orange won t do, drink your orange crush and set your clockwork orange to the orange blossom special fiddle tunes of these agents of orange. Orange you going to ask what to wear? Matching Orange, of course. Non-dancing children must be supervised at all times. Contra and Square Dancing to Live Music. All dances taught. No partner necessary. Beginner s workshop, 7:30pm; dance at 8pm. $10, $5 with student I.D. Soft soles only. First Presbyterian Church of East Hanover Parish House 14 Hanover Road, East Hanover, NJ 07936 From I-287 northbound or southbound: Exit 39, travel East on Route 10 for approx. 3.5 miles. Exit by the Ford dealership ( To River Road/Okner Pkway ) onto Mount Pleasant Ave. Tight at the second light onto Hanover Rd. then immediate left into the parking lot of the Parish House. From I-78: Exit 48 (Route 24 West) to Exit 2B, Route 510 East/Florham Park. Go 1.9 miles and turn left onto Hanover Rd. Turn right into the parking lot of the Parish House just before the road ends at Mount Pleasant Ave. Additional directions are on our website. (973) 551-4441 TERN ON THE NET! find us at dance.folkproject.org Presented by the Folk Project 15
Steve Holland & Root Mean Square Feets Don t Fail Me Now! Blue Ribbon Cloggers: Meets in Pluckemin, Tuesdays, 7pm. Call Paula Fromen (908) 735-9133 or Heidi Rusch (908) 453-2750 for info. Center Contra: Gender-role free contra dance in NYC. LGBT Community Center, 208 West 13th St., Room 301, 7:30pm. Usually 2nd Fri. Open to all. (971) 991-0597, (347) 275-7983, or www.lcfd.org/nyc or email AmericanFolkDanceNYC@yahoo.com Country Dance*New York: NEW LOCATIONS: Contra every Sat. at Chinatown Y, Houston Street Center, 273 Bowery (bet. East Houston and Stanton); English Country every Tues. at: Philip Coltoff Center, 219 Sullivan St. (bet. Bleecker and West 3rd). www.cdny.org or (212) 459-4080 Lambertville Country Dancers: Soft soled shoes only! Contra/English country. Info: (609) 882-7733 or www.lambertvillecountrydancers.org Maplewood International Dancers: creation House, 124 Dunnellen Rd., Maplewood. Mondays 7:30pm, $5. Beginners welcome, partner not necessary, refreshments served. Days (908) 273-6468, eves (973) 376-7568. http://njfolkdance.tripod.com/fd_maplewood.html Morristown International Dancers: Wednesdays, Mountain Lakes Comm. Church, 48 Briarcliff Rd, 8:30pm, 7:30pm beginners. $4 member/$5 non-member (973) 539-7020 or (973) 228-5966, http://njfolkdance.tripod.com/fd_morristown.html North Jersey English Country Dancers: 2nd & 4th Sundays, 2 5 pm, Unitarian Society, 113 Cottage Pl., Ridgewood. $8 members, $10 non. (201) 445-4497 or (201) 447-1136. www.maxellute.net/njecd.html; Palisades Folk Dancers: Twice a month on Sundays, 3pm, Church of the Atonement, Engle St. & Highland Ave., Tenafly. GinnyandHallB@cs.com. Philly Family Folk Dances: Memorial Church of the Good Shepherd, 3820 The Oak Rd, East Falls, PA. 2nd Sundays, 2 4:30pm (215) 844-2474 Princeton Folk Dance Group: 7:30pm, Riverside School, Riverside Drive, Princeton. Tuesdays (except school closings) www.princetonfolkdance.org (609) 924-6930 Princeton Folk Dancers: 8pm Fridays, Susan Patterson Center, Stockton St. & Monument Dr. (behind Borough Hall), Princeton, www.princetonfolkdance.org Princeton Country Dancers: Suzanne Patterson Center, Borough Hall, Princeton, Wed. (and some Saturdays) 8pm, beginners 7:40. Pickup band musicians welcome. Usually $6. (609) 683-7956 or (609) 924-8813, email pcdinfo@aol.com. Band info only: (609) 252-0248 or srl@mail.princeton.edu performerlisting at www.princetoncountrydancers.org. Special Community Dance, www.princetonol.com/groups/pcd/ PCD English Country Dance series: Dance 8-11, intro/basics at 7:30. $8 ($4 seniors & students). Call for info. Scandinavian Folk Dancing: Bound Brook. Alt. Thursdays, See skandinoje.org for info. Swingin Tern: Sat., 7/3: Bob Isaacs & Termite s Delight; Sat., 7/17: Marguerite Durant & Matching Orange Valley Contra Dance Society: 7pm, 2nd and 4th Saturdays, UU Church of The Lehigh Valley, 424 Center Street, Bethlehem, PA. $9/$5 students. www.valleycontradance.org, (610) 868-7432 More on dancing at the Country Dance and Song Society www.cdss.org 14 Members Gigs & Friends Mike Agranoff: Performing Sunday at the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival, Fri. Sun. 7/23-25, Dodd's Farm, Hillsdale, NY. Info: 866 325-2744, www.falconridgefolk.com; Christine DeLeon: Sat., 7/17: Cafe Z (see Venues) Circle Round the Sun (Marie Trontell, Jay Wilensky): Sat., 7/10: 10am., Boonton Farmers' Market, Upper Plane Street, Boonton. Ken Galipeau: Sat., 10/3: 10am, Boonton Farmers Market, Boonton; Sat., 7/3: 8pm, Campfire Stories and Songs, PEEC Pocono Environmental Ed Center's Family Nature Weekend. Dingmans Ferry. www.peec.org; Thurs., 7/8: 11am, Make a Splash and Read, Union Library; Sat., 7/10: 2pm, Workshop and concert, Garden State Storytelling League Conference, Trenton. www.gardenstatestorytellersleague.org/; Water Water Everywhere: Songs and Stories from the Ocean to Your Fish Bowl w/ Carol Titus Mon., 7/12: 10:30am, Madison Library; Tues., 7/13: 10am, Mount Tabor Library; Tues., 7/20: 10am, Clark Library; Wed., 7/21: 7pm, Roxbury Library Mara Levin: with Caroline Cutroneo, Bob Wright, Bill Doerge and Bob Conroy, Sun., 7/25: WVBR 93.5FM Bound For Glory from Ithaca, NY, three half-hour sets at 8:30, 9:30, and 10:30pm, http://wvbr.com Tom Picard: hosting City Grind Coffeehouse open mike (see Venues); Thurs., 7/15: 7:30pm, Songwriter's night, Brewed Awakenings Coffeehouse w/ Sharon Goldman, Sarah Donner, Main Street, Metuchen; Fri., 7/23: 8pm, New Jersey Arts Incubator Fourth Friday Showcase at Essex Green Mall, West Orange - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - LOST: Vintage (about 30 years old) Minstrel sweatshirt somewhere around the Minstrel on Fri., May 28. Navy, zip front, hooded, with a small logo of a minstrel in pink on one chest. I use it all the time, especially at festivals, and of course, it has sentimental value. Please contact Lois DeRitter at (732) 560-9770 or return it at the desk at the Minstrel, no questions asked. Many thanks!...horses Sing None of It! Is a folksy non-commercial public access TV series featuring a surprising variety of guest performers, hosted by Ralph Litwin. All types of (mainly acoustic) music, storytellers, dancers, others. Schedule available at the Folk Project web page. Seen on: Cablevision Morris area, Sundays 7:300pm ch. 21; Manhattan Neighborhood Network (MNN), New York City, Thursdays 2:30pm on Time/Warner Cable ch. 34 and on RCN Cable ch. 82; also broadcast via streaming video on the web at www.mnn.org (popup players 34/82 http mms); Comcast (formerly Patriot Media/Somerset, NJ) Fridays 3:30pm, ch. 280; Service Electric Cable TV Allentown, PA, Thursdays 9:30pm ch. 50; Staten Island Community TV (SICTV) Saturdays 6pm, ch. 34; Fargo Access (www.cityoffargo.com/cable) on Cable One Fridays 6:30pm & Mondays 3:00pm Ch. 12 in Fargo, ND; LVTV-3, Adelphia Cable, La Verne, CA at Fridays 6:00pm; NEW Mendham TV on Comcast Channel 22 or 25 & Verizon Channel 22 or 25 at 9:00 PM Mon., Wed., Fri., Sat.s & Sun. (same episode all week); BCAT (Brooklyn Cable Access TV) Tuesdays, 12:30 PM on Time Warner 34; Cablevision 67; RCN 82; Verizon 42; Also streams via www.bricartsmedia.org/community-media/bcat-tv-network 3
4 All Venues That s Fit To Print Albert Hall/Sounds of the NJ Pines: Country/bluegrass/folk every Saturday. 125 Wells Mills Rd. (Route 532), Waretown. (609) 971-1593 or www.alberthall.org; Acoustic Café: Our Lady of Mercy Church, 2 Fremont Ave, Park Ridge, NJ, 8pm, (201) 573-0718, www.cafeacoustic.org; Coming in September: The Kennedys Arts off Main Open Mike: every third Thursday, The Lab, 128 Willow Grove St., Hackettstown. Info: thelab_openmic@yahoo.com; www.artsoffmain.com; 908.684.4728. Bluegrass & Old Time Music Assoc. (BOTMA): Every 3rd Sun. from Sept. thru May, Embury United Methodist Church Hall, 49 Church St., Little Silver, NJ. 1-5pm. $4 for BOTMA members / $5 for non-members. Info : www.newjerseybluegrass.org Borderline Folk Music House Club: New City Ambulance Corps Bldg, 200 Congers Rd., New City, NY. 2pm, Info: (845) 354-4586, www.borderlinefolkmusic.4themax.com; Coming Aug.1: Kray Van Kirk reservations: (845) 354-4586 to solz1@optonline.net Brennen Coffee House: Justice William Brennan Court House, 583 Newark Ave., Jersey City. Show starts 7pm, evening concludes w/ open mike. (800) 542-7894, www.brennancoffeehouse.com; City Grind: Open Mic Night, Open Mike hosted by Tom Picard every other Friday at 8 pm, 11 North Avenue East, Cranford. www.citygrindonline.com; Fri., 7/9, 7/23 Coffee With Conscience: 1st United Methodist Church of Westfield, 1 E. Broad St. 8pm info 908-412-9105, Concerts4Causes@aol.com; www.coffeewithconscience.org; Community Theater at Mayo Center for Performing Arts: 100 South St., Morristown, NJ, for tickets/info call 973-539-8008, www.mayoarts.org, shows at 8pm Crossroads Coffeehouse: 8pm, Crossroads Community Church, 104 Bartley Rd., Flanders. (973) 786-7940 or (908) 879-7739; Delaware River Folksong Fellowship: Song circle the 2nd Sunday at the Friends Meeting House in Mount Holly, NJ, www.myspace.com/delawareriverfolksongfellowship Dublin House: Irish Session, 1st & 3rd Sundays, 6-9pm, Monmouth St., Red Bank Dull Music: 7pm, Rutherford Congregational Church, Union and Rutherford Avenues, Rutherford. www.dullmusic.com; Folk Friday in Maplewood: Informal 2nd Fri. sing-along with Lucky, Dusty, Rusty & Tio Pete. Starts 7:30pm, hosted by Lisa Novemsky. Ethical Culture Center, 516 Prospect St., Maplewood. Call (973) 763-1905 to confirm date, for directions; Godfrey Daniels: 7 E. 4th St., Bethlehem, PA (610) 867-2390, www.godfreydaniels.org. Good Coffeehouse: 53 Prospect Park W. at 2nd St., Park Slope, Brooklyn, doors open at 7:30, music at 8pm, (718) 768-2972 or www.bsec.org; The Hillside Cafe Coffee House: 45 Hillside Cres., Nutley. Doors open 7:30, show at 8pm. (973) 616-0106 or jrlds@comcast.net, www.hillsidecafe.com; Hurdy Gurdy Folk Music Club: Fair Lawn Community Center, 10-10 20th St., Fair Lawn 8pm. (201) 384-1325. www.hurdygurdyfolk.org; MoFiddles/Menzel Violins: 4260 Town Center Way, Livingston, NJ, Bluegrass & Old Time Music Jam 1st Thursdays 7pm, RSVP to (973) 994-1083 or mo@mofiddles.co; GOOD OF THE ORDER/COMMUNITY NEWS This is a place to share news about memorable events and challenges you have faced in the past month with your Folk Project Community. Please send items to Eddie Roffman, eroffman@optonline.net. Christine DeLeon and Mike Del Vecchio are married! The wedding ceremony and celebration were wonderful with many folkies in attendance. Our wish is for them to be included in the Happily Every After category! Margaret Crowl has settled into her new lodgings. She s enjoying and getting ready to host the FP Evening of Music in August. Longtime FP member Marian Stuart celebrated a recent milestone birthday, dancing contras at Princeton Country Dancers. What a way to celebrate! Save the date: April 30, 2011. To celebrate their 25th Wedding Anniversary, Eddie and Robin Roffman will sponsor a special 5th Saturday of the month Swingin Tern dance party with the ultra-hot dance band: Elixr (fiddle and guitar plus full horn section). Everyone is invited! Eddie and Robin met 27 years ago at a Swingin Tern dance. Cecelia Rowedder performed in a music dance and wellness festival raising funds for Healing Hands for Haiti. On August 22, Connor Dugan will provide the musical entertainment at a Sustenance on the Farm Dinner, raising funds and awareness for sustainable agricultural. Rick Thomas has three 90th birthdays to celebrate: (1) his neighbor and family friend, Jean Castle, (2) his dad turned 90 a couple of years ago, and (3) his mother turned 90 in February but the celebration will be on July 4, with her brother flying in from Hawaii. Although Pam Robinson recently had 2 bouts with poison ivy, she and Bob had a wonderful time entertaining at their Memorial Day party. They were proud to taste honey from a new Italian beehive kept by Nancy Haslem and she received some great compost from a friend in PA. Elizabeth Lachowicz sincerely thanks the Festival committee and the Boys in the Band for enabling her smokin hot performance at the Spring Festival. She s also proud of Thomas June graduation. And, Elizabeth is mega-pleased to have received ASTD Certification as a Learning and Performance Professional (CPLP). Liz Pagan and Dave Kleiner continue to produce more electricity than they re using with their new solar panels, and finally are registered with the state so that they can start paying off the system with their solar credits, and get money back on what they ve paid PSE&G. Jean Ritchie Recovering from Stroke Jean Ritchie had suffered a rather severe stroke in December. She was one of the pioneers of the Folk Revival in the 50s, and a contemporary of Leadbelly and Pete Seeger. She was born December 8, 1922 in rural Kentucky, growing up in a 19th century agrarian lifestyle on a farm with no electricity or running water. But she went to Cumberland College, receiving a BA in Social Work, and went on to take her masters at Columbia. She essentially introduced the Appalacian dulcimer to the rest of the world. She sang songs she learned in her youth, and several she wrote that have been widely recorded, such as "Now Is the Cool of the Day" and "The L&N Don't Stop Here Any More". We were priveleged to have her perform at the Minstrel 3 times, most recently in December 2007. I'm not sure of details of her stroke, but according to Wikipedia, she was unable to communicate. I know she was pretty much out of it for weeks. I had visited her in a rehab center at the end of March. At this point she was weak, but evidently all there in the head. She spoke coherently, but slowly and softly as if it were an effort to push air through her lungs. I sang for her, and she was evidently moved, and did her best to sing along. Now according to her son Jon, she is coming home, having surpassed all expectations of recovery. She is talking, laughing, and in general being herself. I'm sure she would be glad to hear good wishes if people would write her at 7A Locust Ave, Port Washington, NY 11050. Mike Agranoff 13
Folk Project Board Meeting June, 2010 Board Meeting: The Summary The Directors of The Folk Project...were called to order at 8:05 on June 1, at the home of Nancy Kelner. The A/C was marginal, but the fans were doing the job. Present were Lois DeRitter, Scooter Ferguson, Nancy Kelner, Alan Kugel, Jim Gartner, Evelyn Maurer, and Brad Pryor (Trustees), Mike Agranoff, Pat Brangs, Carl Croce, Margaret Crowl, Lori Falco, Sandie Reilly, Chris Riemer, Pam Robinson, Ed Roffman, Bobbie Rosengarten, Bob Safranek, Mark Schaffer and Rick Thomas (Other Board Members) and Matt Smith and Matt Reilly (Guests). Absent were Connie Crawford, Elizabeth Lachowicz, Jim King, Jean Scully, Ruth Wolfish and Rivka Willick. In formal motions, the board agreed to become an associated organization for the Eisteddfod Festival in November 2010, and to support the Waynestock event in late June by providing a sound system and expense reimbursement up to a maximum of $250. Secretary Chris Riemer felt the wiki approach to meeting minutes was slowly catching on, and Treasurer Ed Roffman reported that we re comfortably in the black for the year. On a related note, Mark Schaffer announced that we ll be sending Partners in Health about $2,500 from our Haitian Relief CD Project. And in other news, we heard that: We have lots of members, according to Rick Thomas, with about 400 memberships comprising about 600 people. Those totals have been remarkably consistent for many years. There s been a big uptick in lapsed memberships, though, which Rick attributes to the electronic newsletter. Since it s not currently personalized, there s no way to remind folks when their memberships expire. He will try to figure out a way to address this. Attendance at the Minstrel was down a bit in May, with an average of 76.3 compared to an average of 93.1 one for the last 12 months. He thinks we may be in the doldrums during the summer, but he has some very strong acts booked for September and October. Sandie Reilly added that we have tons of fantastic volunteers, but could always use more. Pam Robinson reported that there were 12 paid attendees at the Mandolin workshop, mostly non-members. The associated pot luck dinner was not that well attended, but the Evening of Music was very nice. She currently expects 13 folks at the songwriting workshop, and plans to cap it at 20. We have 270 fans on our Facebook page, and the metrics look pretty good. The Spring Festival was reasonably successful, but we still need to find a new site after Fall 2010. Festival Chair Lori Falco still intends to let that be her last Festival as Chair. If we re going to continue this fundamental Folk Project activity, we need to find a new leader and a new home. Mike Agranoff had very kind words to say about Pat Brangs, who in her first few months as Community Affairs Chair has taken on the management of our participation in Wayne Day. It turned out to be much more complicated than expected, and Pat has focused on solving the problems one at a time, with grace and determination. Adjournment: The meeting adjourned at 9:56. Next month s meeting is at Connie Crawford s, in Berkeley Heights. Mountainside Library Folk Music Cafe: www.mountainsidelibrary.org or (908) 233-0115 Music at the Mission: West Milford Presbyterian Church, 1452 Union Valley Rd., West Milford, (973) 728-3081, www.musicatthemission.org; Music on Main: United Methodist Church, 69 Main St., Woodbridge. All shows $20. 7:30pm. www.woodbridgeartsnj.com. Summer outdoor concerts (rain location Woodbridge Middle School) Wed., 7/10: Ready in Ten; 7/14: Meta and the Cornerstones; 7/28: Marty and the Martians Outpost In The Burbs: at the Unitarian Church of Montclair, 67 Church St., Montclair (973) 744-6560. Doors open 7:30pm, concert at 8pm. www.outpostintheburbs.org; People s Voice Cafe: Community Church of New York Unitarian Universalist, 40 East 35th St., NYC, www.peoplesvoicecafe.org or (212) 787-3903; Pinewoods Folk Music Club: 444 W. 54th St., #7, New York, NY 10019, (718) 651-1115, www.folkmusicny.org; The Place: House Concerts, 3pm potluck, 4pm concert. RSVP to jamask8@comcast.net or (973) 992-7491 for info; Princeton Folk Music Society: Christ Congregation Church, 50 Walnut Lane, Princeton, 8pm, (609) 799-0944 $15/Members $10/$3 kids under 12. www.princetonfolk.org; Sacred Harp Singings: Much info at http://www.fasola.org/; 2nd Sun.: 2pm, St. Paul s Church, 199 Carroll St, Brooklyn. (718) 293-2848; 3rd Sun.: check www.manhattansing.org for venue (except July & August): 2pm, Montclair Friends Mtg, Park & Gordonhurst. (973) 509-2165; 1st Sat. (except July/August): 3pm, Living Room, 154 Ludlow St., NYC Salem Roadhouse Café: Townley Presbyterian Cruch, 829 Salem Rd., Union. (908) 686-1028, www.townleychurch.org; Sat., 7/10: Eldad Tarmu Sanctuary Concerts: The Presbyterian Church, 240 Southern Boulevard, Chatham. Most concerts 8pm, www.sanctuaryconcerts.org; Coming Aug. 27: Joan Osborne Second Saturdays Coffee House/Open Mic, Summit Unitarian Church, 4 Waldron Ave. Sign up at 7:30pm, shows at 8pm. If you are a singer/songwriter & would like to host one: info@secondsaturdays.org; Skylands Native American Flute Circle meets at a home in Panther Valley. Info: Allan Johnson 908-850-5772 or ajflycasting@optonline.net Stony Brook Friends of Old Time Music Jam: Mannion s Pub & Restaurant, 140 West Main Street, Somerville. Starting around 7:30pm. (609) 924-5353 or visit www.diamondcut.com/oldtime/; 1st and 3rd Tuesdays each month The Uptown Coffeehouse: Soc. for Ethical Culture, 4450 Fieldston Rd., Bronx, NY, 5pm, $15/$3 kids <12. www.uptowncoffeehouse.org, (718) 885-2498; Walkabout Clearwater Coffeehouse: United Methodist Church, 250 Bryant Ave., White Plains, (914) 949-2146, www.walkaboutclearwater.org; Watchung Arts Center: 18 Sterling Road (on the Watchung Circle) Watchung, NJ, 8pm, (908) 412-9105; C Café: Third Saturdays: open mic, 7pm concert. $5 inc. refreshments, Zion Lutheran Church, corner of Elm and Esterbrook Aves., Rahway. (732) 388-3865; Sat., 7/17: Christine DeLeon 12 Many venues are closed for summer vacation. Lotsa Jams listed at http://home.comcast.net/~epollak/jam.htm 5
6 FP MEMBER-MUSICIANS: Perform in the Minstrel s 35th Birthday Show In 1975, a bunch of long-haired hippies convinced the owner of L Auberge Provinçal, an upscale French restaurant, to let them start a folk music coffeehouse in his basement if they would clean out the basement for him, and let him provide the refreshments for the coffeehouse. On Friday, July 25 of that year, they presented their first show. 35 years and almost 2000 shows later, the decendants, followers, and converts of those hippies (and one or two of the hippies themselves) still convene every Friday to present what has become the Minstrel Acoustic Concert Series. And the Folk Project, the organization that evolved when they finally became organized, still celebrates that opening night with a unique performance of its members. We invite all member-musicians and singers to take part in this performance. Here s how it works: Musical groups are set up at the Folk Project s July 4th picnic, which takes place on (you guessed it) Sunday, July 4, beginning at 1pm at the home (avec pool) of our Treasurer, Ed Roffman, 11 Butternut Road in Randolph. More details on the picnic on page 1. Everyone who wants to take part in the show puts their name on an index card. The cards are shuffled, and then dealt out into about 20 piles to form the groups. The groups then have the next three weeks to work up one number per group, to be performed at the Minstrel on Friday, July 30. Note that for the first time in several years, the Birthday Show does not conflict with the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival, removing that potential conflict from a number of would-be participants. To take part in the show: YOU MUST BE A CURRENT FOLK PROJECT MEMBER If your membership has lapsed or will lapse before August, you must renew. Check your newsletter mailing label or inquire at Membership@FolkProject.org if you re not sure. TRY TO BE AT THE PICNIC on the 4th, and be able to commit some rehearsal time in the intervening weeks. (See below if you want to be in the show, but can t make the picnic.) AS FAR AS MUSICAL ABILITY, That s a matter of your own judgment. If you re reasonably comfortable in playing a song in front of friends, well that s what you ll be doing. I ve seen otherwise amateurs rise to the occasion countless times. YOU CAN BE IN AS MANY GROUPS AS YOU FEEL YOU CAN COMMIT TO. Simply put your name in the hat as many times as the number of groups you wish to be in. One or two groups is common. THE DRAWING WILL BE DONE AT 3:30pm AT THE PICNIC, and you can use the rest of the afternoon to get a head start on choosing your music and rehearsing. (Start thinking of good ensemble songs now, so you can have some suggestions for your groups when they re chosen.) YOU MAY ADD ADDITIONAL MEMBERS TO YOUR RANDOM GROUP at your choice, provided that these "ringers" are also current Project members, and that the originally randomly chosen people are featured as well. FOR YOU MORE ACCOMPLISHED MUSICIANS WHO HAVE NOT BEEN PUTTING YOUR NAME IN THE HAT, BUT COUNTING ON JOINING OTHER GROUPS OF YOUR CHOICE AS RINGERS: Yeah, you can do that, but it really does go against the spirit of the event. C mon, play fair and take your chances. IF YOU REALLY CAN'T BE AT THE PICNIC but you want to be in the show, you can do that by calling (973-335-9489) or e-mailing Minstrel@FolkProject.org before the 4th. If you get an answering machine, leave your name, phone, address, e mail, and HOW MANY GROUPS YOU WANT TO BE IN. If you don't think other members will be familiar to you, also leave information on instruments you play or other musical skills. (sing harmony, etc.) The other members of your group will contact you to let you know who they are, and set up rehearsals. However, please try to make the picnic. You put other members of your groups at a disadvantage if you're not there to be involved in the choice of music and first rehearsal time, and that usually means an extra rehearsal needed in the intervening weeks before the actual show. Besides which, the picnic is great fun. So that s it. I hope you can be part of this. See you at the show and at the picnic. Mike Agranoff, Minstrel Programming Chairman - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Join the Folk Project Cut out this handy dandy membership form and mail it, with your membership fee, to Rick Thomas, 12 Upper Warren Way, Warren, NJ 07059. Info? (908) 647-7517 or membership@folkproject.org or Choose at least one: New Renew Doo be doo Name Address Home Tel. Work Tel. E mail 1: E mail 2: Do you play or sing music: [ ] For fun [ ] Occasionally perform in public [ ] Professionally or semi-professionally Basic Individual membership @ $20/year $ (You ll receive this personal monthly newsletter.) Supporting membership @ $25/year $ (Personal monthly newsletter PLUS our eternal gratitude) Family membership* $ (Additional family members @ $3 each per year) Multiple Year Membership $ number of banjo-tossing years X type of membership. You do the math. DONATION to Folk Project (Tax deductible! We are also eligible for Corporate Matching Donations and banjos.) $ NEW! Please check one: Total amount enclosed: I d like to receive a print newsletter $ I d like to save trees and receive an Enewsletter Make your check payable to: The Folk Project *Family membership is one basic or supporting membership plus $3 for each additional family member/banjo. Please list the names of additional family members: The Folk Project on Facebook Visit the Folk Project Facebook page: www.facebook.com/profile.php?v= feed&id=1162881730& story_fbid=122367311116630#!/folkproject?ref=ts. Daunted by all those digits? Just go to Facebook and type Folk Project in the search box and it should take you right there. 11
Ronstadt Generations Sat., 7/3, 7pm Alexandria Township Park Free community concert, bring a chair. Held rain or shine at Alexandria Township Park, 242 Little York-Mount Pleasant Road Milford. 2 RONSTADT GENERATIONS is a family blend of Michael J. (guitar/mandolin/voice), Michael G. (cello/guitar/voice), & Petie Ronstadt (bass/guitar/voice) with the adopted member Josh Hisle (guitar/banjo/voice). (908) 996-2002 14th Annual Black Potatoe Music Festival Thurs., July 8 Sat., July 10 Red Mill Musem, Clinton Visit www.blackpotatoe.com for tickets/details. Partial schedule: Thursday: Kathey Phillips, Steve Forbert, Richard Shindell, more; Friday: Duke Robillard, Honeyboy Edwards, Philadelphia Funk Authority, more; Saturday: The Matt Angus Thing w/ Anthony Morgan s Inispirational Choir, The Organiks, Randy Ciarlante, Chris Vitarello and Jay Collins, Burning Bridge Cleary, more; Sunday: Ellis Paul, Vance Gilbert, Gregg Cagno, Dan May, more. 10th Annual Woody Guthrie Birthday Bash Sat., 7/17, 7pm Bowery Poetry Club, NYC. The Birthday Bash will feature the songs of Guthrie and others performed in round robin fashion. Performers include Sharleen Leahey, Toby Fagenson, Jessica Feinbloom, Joel Landy, Anne Price, Steve Suffet, and Gina Tlamsa. As an added bonus, the Tenth Annual Woody Guthrie Birthday Bash will celebrate the first anniversary of the release of OPEN YOUR HEARTS TO THE PARADISE / THE BEST OF THE WOODY GUTHRIE BIRTHDAY BASH. Additional information: tinyurl.com/woodybash The Bowery Poetry Club is located at 308 Bowery bet. Houston/Bleeker, www.bowerypoetry.com. Metro Banjo: World s First Green Banjo Festival July 30 August 1 Bronxville, NY A three-day, fove-string bluegrass and old time banjo teaching event at Concordia College, in Westchester County. Instructors include Tony Trischka, Bill Keith, Eric Weissberg, Marc Horowitz, Ben Freed, Julie Elkins, and Hank Sapoznik. Plus, Bill Keith's band will perform Saturday evening with a few guest banjo instructors joining in. Reasonably-priced lodging and food will be available at the college. Check out Metro Banjo at http://www.vpmusic.org or call (828) 682-2402. House Concert: David Gans Wed., 8/11, 8pm Rockaway David Gans is the host of the nationally syndicated radio show "The Grateful Dead Hour" as well as shows on SiriusXM's Grateful Dead channel. He's also a wonderful singer/songwriter in his own right and will be performing in this most comfy, intimate atmosphere for the low, low price of $10! For more info and reservations, email president@folkproject.org or call (908) 229-1214. House Concerts Goin to the Country Gunks Mountain Road House in Wallkill, NY John Redman has just started a folk music house concert series in Wallkill, NY, just outside of New Paltz (near the site of our Winter Weekends) and I m spreading the word. You might want to take a look at his schedule (I myself am booked there for October 31). It takes place in John's chalet in the woods at the foot of the awesome Shawangunk cliffs. Located on 5 acres of trees next to a pond, the house features a great room with cathedral ceiling that makes every sound that much richer without amplification. John provides a fine dinner included in the admission price. He has volunteered at over three hundred folk festivals over the past twenty years and has formed friendships with what he describes as the "phenomenal talent" he is bringing to the Gunks House Concert audiences. Visit www.myspace.com/gunks.house.concerts, www.folkmusic8760.com or email him directly at redmanjohn@yahoo.com. 10 Mike Agranoff The Dowry written for the wedding of Christine DeLeon and Mike Del Vecchio May 29, 2010 I pledge to you my tomorrows. My yesterdays are already spent. I used them to prepare my life for you. You are my today. But I pledge to you each of my tomorrows, as long as you want them, piling one on one each shining day and silver night, until we have amassed a treasure we cannot hold, but may enjoy together, running through our hands and our hearts, each one more precious than the last, but not so precious as the tomorrows that will come. I pledge to you my tomorrows. Jim King May 2010 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Wayne Day Thanks Youses Thank you one and all for all your wonderful music and help. I think we had a pretty glorious day considering the tornado warnings. It was one of those amazing times where small differences could have changed everything. Thank you to Paul Fisher who loaned us a carport sized canopy, in response to an announcement made at Festival. Without it we would have been literally all wet. Thank you to Carl Croce who helped my husband and I put up the canopy on Saturday morning. It was no small feat, and we could not have done it without his help. When the wind started blowing on Sunday, it was solid. Thank you to Bill Henderson for transporting the Minstrel sound equipment back and forth to Wayne. I don t think we could have done it without his help. Thank you to Laura Hertz, Joanne Cronin, Elizabeth Lachowitz, and Evelyn Maurer who manned the booth, and helped dismantle it too. I have the photos to prove it. Thank you also to Carl Croce and Tom Picard for helping to take the booth apart. Further proof that many hands make light work. Thank you to all the wonderful musicians: Tom Picard, Caroline Messina, Sandie Reilly, Ken Galipeau, Christine DeLeon, Carl Croce, Roia Rafieyan, Kathy Moser, Betsy Rose and Chicago Fire, Michael Mitch and Lagan s Love, and Dave Sherman and the Fun Raisers. A special thank you goes to Dave Sherman for loaning us his sound system and handling sound on it the entire day. Thank you to Scooter for making the open stage happen. Thanks to Michael Mitch, Mark Schaffer, and Roger Kintish for filling in on sound and as stage managers. My biggest thank you goes to Mike Agranoff who held my hand through the whole event, answering the same questions many times. I m sure some of them were pretty dumb questions. He was patient, helpful, and most of all, there for me. In addition he handled sound almost the entire day on the main stage. Thank you so much. And finally a thank you goes to Joe Graziano for inviting us to participate in Wayne Day. This was definitely an interesting experience. I think it is the first time The Folk Project has done anything quite like it. After we all recover, we can compare notes and see how we can do it even better. Pat Brangs 7
FP Calendar: July 2010 1/Thurs. Alternate Thursdays: Scandinavian couple dancing, 7:30 pm, Bound Brook. See skandinoje.org for dates/info. 2/Fri. Minstrel: Mustard s Retreat and Ronstadt Generations 3/Sat. Swingin Tern: Bob Isaacs & Termite s Delight EVERY Saturday: CD*NY: Contra dances, 8pm. NYC. www.cdny.org Ken Galipeau, 10am, Boonton Farmers Market, Booton Ken Galipeau, 8pm, Campfire Stories, PEEC Pocono Environmental Education Center's Family Nature Weekend, Dingmans Ferry. www.peec.org Ronstadt Generations, 7pm, Alexandria Township Park, Milford. Rain or shine. (908) 996-2002 4/Sun. FP 4th o July Pick-A-Nick at the Roffmans, 1pm til fireworks time, 11 Butternut Rd., Randolph. (973) 328-7742 EVERY Sun.: Music You Can t Hear On The Radio, 7pm, WPRB 103.3FM; www.wprb.com EVERY Sun.: 6pm, Odarka Stockert, Celtic harp, Cafe Monet, Millburn, (973) 376-8555 EVERY first & third Sunday: Open Irish session, 6pm, Dublin House, Red Bank. 5/Mon. EVERY Monday: Maplewood International Dancers, 7:30pm. New location: Recreation House, 124 Dunnellen Road. (973) 376-7568 6/Tues. EVERY 1st & 3rd Tuesday: Stony Brook Friends of Old Time Music Jam, 7:30pm, Mannion s Somerville. www.diamondcut.com/oldtime/ EVERY Tuesday: Northwest NJ Acoustic Jam, 7pm, Westside United Methodist Church, Hopatcong. (973) 770-0179 FP Board meeting: 8pm, Connie Crawford s 7/Wed. EVERY Wednesday, Straight Morning Drive, featuring Straight Drive 15 minutes after the 7:30am station break. 6 9am, WDVR-FM and www.wdvrfm.org EVERY Wed.: Morristown Int l Dancers, 7:30pm, Mountain Lakes. (973) 539-7020 EVERY Wednesday: Princeton Country Dancers, 8pm, Suzanne Patterson center, Princeton. (609) 799-2073, http://www.princetoncountrydancers.org/ EVERY Wednesday: Down Jersey with Jim Albertson, 7:30pm, WSNJ am1240, am1440 and www.wsnjam.com; http://members.aol.com/downjerseyjim/ EVERY 1st Wednesday: Folk Open Sing; 7pm, Ethical Culture Society, 53 Prospect Park West, Brooklyn. (212) 636-6341 or (718) 788-7563 Music on Main: Ready in Ten, 7:30pm, Woodbridge. www.woodbridgeartsnj.com 8/Thurs. Ken Galipeau: 11am, "Make Splash and Read, Union Librrary NJ Songwriters Circle, Dave Kleiner s, 8pm, 32 Williamson Ave., Bloomfield. (973) 429-0288 Black Potatoe Music Festival, Red Mill Museum, Clinton, www.blackpotatoe.com. Lineup includes: Richard Shindell, Steve Forbert, Honeyboy Edwards, Ellis Paul, Susan Werner, Vance Gilbert and that Gregg Cagno guy 9/Fri. Minstrel: Open Stage Black Potatoe Music Festival, Red Mill Museum, Clinton, www.blackpotatoe.com. City Grind Coffeehouse Open Mike, hosted by Tom Picard, 7pm, Cranford 10/Sat. Evening o Music: 8pm, the Dabahs, 80 Gaston Rd., Morristown. (973) 479-3385 8 Ken Galipeau, 2pm, workshop/concert, Garden State Storytelling League Conference, Trenton. www.gardenstatestorytellersleague.org Black Potatoe Music Festival, Red Mill Museum, Clinton, www.blackpotatoe.com. Circle Round the Sun (Marie Trontell, Jay Wilensky), 10am, Boonton Farmers' Market, Upper Plane Street, Boonton. Salem Roadhouse Cafe: Eldad Tarmu, 8pm, Union. www.townleychurch.org 11/Sun. Black Potatoe Music Festival, Red Mill Museum, Clinton, www.blackpotatoe.com. Sacred Harp Singing, 2pm, Brooklyn. (718) 793-2848 12/Mon. Ken Galipeau, Carol Titus, 10:30am, Water Water Everywhere: Songs and Stories from the Ocean to Your Fish Bowl, Madison Library 13/Tues. Ken Galipeau, Carol Titus, 10am,...Songs and Stories from the Ocean to Your Fish Bowl, Mount Tabor Library 14/Wed. Music on Main: Meta and the Cornerstones, 7:30pm, Woodbridge. www.woodbridgeartsnj.com 15/Thurs. Newsletter deadline. Send stuff to newsletter@folkproject.org Songwriter's night at Brewed Awakenings Coffeehouse : Tom Picard, Sharon Goldman, Sarah Donner, 7:30pm, Metuchen 16/Fri. Minstrel: Jack Williams and Matching Orange 17/Sat. Swingin Tern: Marguerite Durant & Matching Orange Z Café: Christine DeLeon, Open Mike, 7pm, Rahway. (732) 388-3865 Woody Guthrie Birthday Bash, 7pm, NYC. Performers include Toby Fagenson. (tinyurl.com/woodybash 20/Tues. Ken Galipeau, Carol Titus, 10am,... Songs and Stories from the Ocean to Your Fish Bowl, Clark Library 21/Wed. Ken Galipeau, Carol Titus, 7pm,... Songs and Stories from the Ocean to Your Fish Bowl, Roxbury Library 23/Fri. Minstrel: Straight Drive and Bill bbrandon City Grind Coffeehouse Open Mike, hosted by Tom Picard, 7pm, Cranford Tom Picard, 8pm, New Jersey Arts Incubator Fourth Friday Showcase,Essex Green Mall, West Orange Falcon Ridge Folk Festival, Hillsdale, NY. Performers include Mike Agranoff. www.falconridgefolk.com 24/Sat Bonus EoM at the Roffmans, 8pm, 11 Butternut Rd., Randolph. (973) 328-7742 WVBR 93.5FM Bound For Glory from Ithaca NY 8pm, featuring sets by Mara levine with Caroline Cutroneo, Bob Wright, Bill Doerge and Bob Conroy. Online at http://wvbr.com 25/Sun. Sacred Harp Sing, 2pm, Montclair Friends Meeting. (973) 779-8290 (please confirm) Mike s performance at FALCON RIDGE FOLK FESTIVAL 28/Wed. Music on Main: Marty and the Martians, 7:30pm, Woodbridge. www.woodbridgeartsnj.com 30/Fri. Minstrel: the Minstrel s 35th birthday show Metro Banjo, Concordia College, Bronxville, NY. http://www.vpmusic.org 9