Back in the winter of 1960, I was newly arrived in New York City. I read an article in the New York Times about Dave Van Ronk and the Gaslight Cafe in Greenwich Village. I'd never heard of Dave, and had heard almost no "live" folk music up to that point, so I decided to find my way down to the Gaslight that weekend to hear Dave. As it turned out, New York City had one of the biggest snow storms in the history of the City, and everything was shut down. There was two or three feet of snow on many streets, and people skiing on them. But, I took the subway down to Greenwich Village and waded my way through heavy drifts of snow, and found the Gaslight. When I went it, the place had such a warm glow to it, and everyone was so welcoming, I felt right at home.

That night, many of the Village folkies had dropped by and had no intention of leaving. Or just sitting at a table. That was the first time that I heard Dave Van Ronk, and now 40 years later, I don't remember who else got up to sing. But, it was a long, informal night with many wonderful musicians getting up to do a set. I think I left there about two in the morning, and they were still going strong. Having heard so little live folk music, I felt joyfully overwhelmed. That was the beginning of spending two or three nights a week at the Gaslight. But, nothing could ever touch that first night, feeling snowed in and part of something very rare.

Jerry