The Hurdy Gurdy Folk Club, as Bill Hahn says, deserves your support. They are among the many venues throughout North America that keep alive the tradition of people gathering in intimate spaces to actively share music, and not just be passive consumers of a commidity rammed down our collective throat by the Military-Insustrial-Entertainment Complex. Such grass-roots sharing of music takes many forms: song circles, community sings, round robins, weekend retreats, open stages/mikes, coffee houses, back room jam sessions, house concerts, small festivals, and so forth. I know, for example, that I am not the only person who at the Clearwater Hudson River Revival who spends almost all his/her time at the Circle of Song area. (Yes, I do check out the main stage every now and then!)

Now a report and a plug.

People had a wonderful time at Sun Music Company last night, December 1, 2001. The hoot brought together four performers with very different styles, but instead of performing four separate sets, we supported one another, providing instrument accompaniment and vocal harmonies. We were joined in this endeavor by our two guest artits, Gina Tlamsa on the flute and violin, and Henry Oelkers on the washtub bass. We were also joined on our last two numbers by Ken Schatz -- KAS to folks on Mudcat -- whom we called out of the audience. And as expected, the entire audience participated throughout the two-and-a-half. One fellow brought tambourines, and another brought a limberjack (dancing wooden doll) with him. I can truly state that the tradition of the hootenanny is alive and well.

Now the plug. I'll be appearing at the Peoples' Voice Cafe in New York City on Saturday, January 5, 2002, at 8:00 PM. I'll be sharing the bill with my old friend Vicki Rovere. She's an a cappella singer-songwriter, and a very witty one at that. Many of her songs are topical-political, but they are not at all preachy; they are just a lot of fun.

For my own part, I've invited my old hootenanny partners to join me if they can. Gina Tlamsa should be there, and so should Joel Landy, Jessica Feinbloom, Frank Woerner, and possibly Ken Schatz. And so should Meg Lamm. She's a classically trained violinist who is just beginning to get herself into old-time fiddling.

People's Voice Cafe is located at the Workmen's Circle, 45 East 33rd Street in midtown Manhattan. Doors open at 7:30 PM. General admissuon is $10, but the place will accept a TDF voucher instead. Peoples Voice Cafe or Workemen's Circle members pay only $7. And if you are a senior citizen, on strike, or what is called "up against the machine," you pay only $5 to get in.

--- Steve