Cornell - North Quarry Street Irregulars

Subject: RE: Cornell - North Quarry Street Irregulars
From: GUEST,Rick Brandon
Date: 30 Sep 20 - 06:04 PM

I just came across this and don't know if it's current, but here goes with some context about the group. This was a time of ferment at Cornell, with movements for civil rights, student roles in governance and anti-war demonstrations. Rosie Stoehr was married to Taylor Stoehr, a wonderfully progressive English prof who was a personal friend of Paul Goodman. N Quarry St was a couple of blocks from campus and housed many faculty - I rented the basement apt of another English prof next to the Stoehrs. I also hosted one of the first two folks shows at the campus radio station, WVBR from 1964-66. I played a mixture of early blues like Blind Lemon Jefferson and Big Bill Broonzy, through to the electric converts like Lighting Hopkins and on to contemporaries like Odetta, Dave Van Ronk, Rev. Gary Davis, Bob Dylan, Joan Baezz, Buffie St. Marie and Phil Ochs. I refused to play sacharine groups like PPMary. Bill Rogerrs hosted the other show, focused on old time/country. ..he thought my stuff too commercial. The folks society was active bringing performers like Josh White, Doc Watson. Bob Dylan did one of his first concerts playing acoustic in the first half, elecrtic in the second, eliciting gasps and boos and whoops, i believe before he did the same at Newport.

Subject: RE: Cornell - North Quarry Street Irregulars
From: GUEST
Date: 23 Sep 20 - 12:27 AM

What I get for not showing up here more often. I am the same George Ward referred to above. It's late, and I'm not going to try to go through the whole story now (or to carefully read everything above, I'm already cross-eyed from being online too long). But I'll check back.   And if I can add anything to what's been covered above I'll be happy to and to chat about it.
CD version?? The blinkin' compact cassette was first introduced to the market only two or three months before we recorded that album ;)

Subject: RE: Cornell - North Quarry Street Irregulars
From: Felipa
Date: 21 Sep 20 - 12:12 PM

and did Bill Destler and Charisse du Bourgel keep singing and performing? (yes, re Biill - I see there are youtube videos and https://www.discogs.com/artist/3872165-Bill-Destler )
I wonder which Ithaca area folk musicians I will remember next ...

Subject: RE: Cornell - North Quarry Street Irregulars
From: Felipa
Date: 20 Sep 20 - 05:21 PM

I wasn't in Ithaca at the time of the North Quarry Street Irregulars. I remember the street but not the people. But the Unmuzzled Ox was still going in the early 1970s. No more Cornell Folk Festival however. John Roberts and Tony Barrand (performed as a duo) and Howie Burson were graduate students at Cornell. Country Cooking bluegrass band was local (Tony Trishka, Pete Wernick). Bill Steele was there then, and remained in Ithaca till his death in Dec 2018. Many of the guests on Bound for Glory were from the Finger Lakes area. I don't remember what year I last visited Ithaca, but there was no longer a big folk scene though as Bearheart says, Bound for Glory is still bounding.

Subject: RE: Cornell - North Quarry Street Irregulars
From: Bearheart
Date: 17 Sep 20 - 08:56 PM

There are lots of people still around Ithaca and Cornell who might know. Phil Shapiro still runs "Bound for Glory" (except during COVID)which is a free concert that airs on Sundays and is live-streamed. We saw Jon Roberts there this past year. Last year was the 50th anniversary of the program.

Lots of seniors come to these concerts- I've only been in Ithaca about 8 years so before my time (and I'm a bit too young anyway)-- if you contact Phil he could likely put the word out to his listeners. I'm on the mailing list for BfG and this is the email for contacting Phil, that goes out in the weekly mailings: [e-mail]

You can find Bound for Glory here: https://boundforglory.org/listen-live/

Subject: RE: Cornell - North Quarry Street Irregulars
From: GUEST,Ms. Lefty
Date: 10 Sep 20 - 06:26 PM

Ruth Perry (now retired, I believe) was a Literature Professor at MIT. Her bio says she's writing a book about Anna Gordon Brown (Mrs. Brown of Falkland), who collected many of of what became the Child Ballads. I'm still waiting for that book, A Biography of Anna Gordon (1747-1810): Singer of Tales, to be published, as the bio is several years old.

Subject: RE: Cornell - North Quarry Street Irregulars
From: GUEST,Rima Blair
Date: 15 Mar 15 - 11:15 AM

I knew Ruth Perry. One of the members Rosie Stoehr or Ruth lived on North Quarry St.
I went to Cornell until 1965 and lived around the corner on E. Seneca St. They performed at the Unmuzzled Ox and were very involved in protests against the Vietnam War and for
civil rights. They sang the sort of folk music I associated with the McGarrigle (sp.?) Sisters later on. AThey had beautiful voices and performed at a time when there were relatively few non-pop music female bands.

Subject: RE: Cornell - North Quarry Street Irregulars
From: GUEST,Jim Shulman
Date: 18 Nov 14 - 02:00 AM

yes there was a very active folk music society and would meet for jams in Willard straight hall. much more. Write me at [e-mail]

the Unmuzzled ox had lot of local musicians play. one of best performances was Steve Newhouse's farewell after leaving Cornell . later he came back and formed the Mojos.

The Ox was great and famous for its ox burgers. lot of great musicians payed...for several years in the 60s Cornell had a folk festival.

Cornellans like the North Quarry St. irregulars raised funds for Cornell projects in civil rights including a voter registration project.

Subject: RE: Cornell - North Quarry Street Irregulars
From: Susan of DT
Date: 09 Aug 11 - 07:03 AM

There was a Cornell Folk Song Society, but the one time I went in 1964 they were mostly doing bluegrass, so I did not go back.

There was an informal group, loosely related to the Outing Club that got together most Friday nights in "Japes", the Outing Club building, for sing arounds. We did a lot of Paxton and other protest songs, but some trad as well. How interested are you? Do you want me to think about a list of some of what we sang?

I'm not sure whether the Ox was functioning all of my years there. I know I went my freshman and sophomore years. There was another coffeehouse on campus in my later years, the Temple of Zeus, in the basement of one of the liberal arts buildings - it had lots of statues: thus the name. I am not sure I went to anything there.

There were two "big weekends" a year, Fall and Spring weekends and one slightly less major. The university scheduled major concerts on these weekends. I think it was Fall Weekend that had a folk concert and Spring Weekend that had a rock concert. I think Joan Baez was 1964, Bob Dylan in 1965, Peter, Paul, and Mary in one of the later years. Maybe Ian and Sylvia for the other year, I'm not sure.

There was a Cornell Folk Festival in 1969, which I came back for since my roommate had not yet graduated. It was held in the big armory on campus and I think was one day, all day. What I mostly remember was that the sound crew should have been shot - they seem to have set one sound level and left, so the same amplification was used for Fairport Convention as for Boys of the Lough. So Boys of the Lough were almost inaudible and Fairport was intolerably loud.

I did not know Ellen Stekert. Howie Burson was there, but not a member of our Friday group.

We can take this to PM/email or talk when I next see you at a festival unless other people are interested.

Subject: RE: Cornell - North Quarry Street Irregulars
From: Thomas Stern
Date: 07 Aug 11 - 09:20 PM

Hi Susan,
Thank you for your input.
What was the "folk scene" at Cornell/Ithaca? Was there much interest in traditional music, protest, singer-songwriter, old-timey,
blues, etc.? Were there many folk venues?
Was Ellen Stekert around during your years there?
Best wishes, Thomas.

Subject: RE: Cornell - North Quarry Street Irregulars
From: Susan of DT
Date: 07 Aug 11 - 07:45 PM

I guess George has not yet seen this thread.

I was at Cornell 1964-68 and went to the Unmuzzled Ox in my first couple of years. It was a coffeehouse in the basement of a church just off campus. There was often informal folk music - I don't remember there being featured acts. I arrived on campus in September 1964, so I missed the May article in the Daily Sun.

Subject: RE: Cornell - North Quarry Street Irregulars
From: Thomas Stern
Date: 07 Aug 11 - 03:50 PM

I hoped that someone who was at Cornell during those years might
have some recollections of the group or the album (I have a copy of it).

There are a few mentions of the group in the CORNELL DAILY SUN, including one from May 14 1964 which seems to be when the LP was
launched.

A classified ad for May 19 1966 announced the farewell performance at THE UNMUZZLED OX.

Can someone provide information about this venue?

Is member GEORGE WARD the same George Ward who has long been associated with Sea songs?

Anyone know what became of the other group members?

Thanks.
Best wishes, Thomas.

Subject: RE: Cornell - North Quarry Street Irregulars
From: GUEST,999
Date: 07 Aug 11 - 05:23 AM

CORNELL UNIV. REL.: NORTH QUARRY STREET IRREGULARS LP | eBay
This rare 1964 private-issue LP by the trio connected with Cornell University (Ruth Perry, Rosie Stoehr and George Ward), which is not available on CD (to ...

Subject: RE: Cornell - North Quarry Street Irregulars
From: GUEST,999
Date: 07 Aug 11 - 05:06 AM

Folk Catalog: North Quarry Street Irregulars, The--1 Entries
North Quarry Street Irregulars, The
Sing For Fayette County
no label name TAD 1459
white label promo
writing on label
stamp on back cover
with rosie stoehr, ruth perry & george ward
Cover: VG+ = Very Good Plus
Disc: VG+ = Very Good Plus

Seems that one is going for $50.

Subject: RE: Cornell - North Quarry Street Irregulars
From: GUEST,999
Date: 07 Aug 11 - 05:01 AM

The North Quarry Street Irregulars - Sing for Fayette County

Google that and two sites come up with info about the album. One shows both the cover and back of the LP. I'm not computer literate enough to be able to read the liner notes on the back cover.

Subject: Cornell - North Quarry Street Irregulars
From: Thomas Stern
Date: 06 Aug 11 - 02:34 PM

There is an LP,
The North Quarry Street Irregulars - Sing for Fayette County.
Members of the group:
RUTH PERRY
ROSIE STOEHR
GEORGE WARD

This was a fund raiser to support deep south voter registration,
circa 1960.

Can anyone provide information about this album (e.g. when it was
recorded and released, were there any other releases by this group,
information about the group members and any further recordings
by each of them.

Thanks!
Best wishes, Thomas.