Tag Archive for: club 47

Maria Muldaur, Jim Kweskin, Geoff Muldaur

The Jim Kweskin Extravaganza is a live concert that will honor and celebrate Jim’s legacy and his contributions to the music industry over the past 60-plus years.

February 4, 2024, 2:00 P.M. at The Regent Theatre, 7 Medford St. Arlington, MA 02474

Tickets Here.

Jim Kweskin is the founder of the legendary 1960s Jim Kweskin Jug Band with Fritz Richmond, Geoff Muldaur, Maria Muldaur, Mel Lyman, and Bruno Wolfe. During the five years they were together, they successfully transformed the sounds of pre-World War II rural music into a springboard for their good-humored performances. Their imitators were legion, including a San Francisco jug band that became the Grateful Dead, a Los Angeles jug band that became the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, and a New York jug band that became the Lovin’ Spoonful. No other group attained their unique blend of youthful energy and antiquarian expertise, tight musicianship, loose camaraderie, and infectious swing.

The concert will feature songs from Jim’s soon-to-be-released recording on StorySound Records, Never Too Late:  Jim Kweskin, Duets with My Friends, which will be released on Friday, January 26, 2024.  The show will also feature artists and songs from Jim’s storied career, including the renowned and influential Jim Kweskin Jug Band.

Scheduled to appear along with Jim Kweskin, are Maria Muldaur, Geoff Muldaur, Samoa Wilson, Annie Raines, Paul Rishell, Juli Crockett, Suzy Thompson, and Matthew Berlin.  Additional artists appearing will be announced soon.  Tickets Here.

More Last Dance Productions events here.

For the Love of the Music

Folk film directors, festival organizers and artists are using crowd sourcing these days.  They fund projects like films, festivals, cd recordings and just to name a few. Creative people are raising millions of dollars through sites like Kickstarter, indigogo, PledgeMusic and others.  Where else can you find out about the passions of people all over the world?

Here are a few that have come across the radar screen lately. Take a look!

 

Film

 

Joan Baez at Folk Club 47

Joan Baez at The Club 47

For The Love of the Music: The Club 47 Folk Revival

This is a documentary exploring the rich history of Club 47, the iconic Cambridge, Massachusetts folk music mecca from 1958-1968. Narrated by Peter Coyote, it explores the influence the Club had on a unique group of folk musicians, from the evolution of the 60s folk revival to the singer-songwriter era. Featured are interviews with Joan Baez, Taj Mahal, Judy Collins, Tom Rush, Maria Muldaur, Geoff Muldaur, Jim Kweskin, Jackie Washington, Jim Rooney, Peter Rowan and many more.

More info here.

Festivals

Working Waterfront Festival

The Working Waterfront Festival

Come to New Bedford, America’s largest commercial fishing port, to learn about the men and women who harvest the North Atlantic. Walk the decks of a scalloper, dine on fresh seafood, see fishermen’s contests, and watch a cooking demonstrations. Experience the workings of the industry which brings seafood from the ocean to your plate. Lot’s of folk art too.

More info here.

Artists

Michaela Anne and Marian Evans just completed successful campaigns for new music projects.. Last Dance Productions is happy to support all of these folk projects. Find a project that you can be passionate about and lend your support. You’ll be glad you did.

 

Bill Staines

Anyone not familiar with the music of Bill Staines is in for a special treat.

Last Dance Productions is pleased to welcome Bill Staines to one of the great listening rooms in town, the New England Folk Music Archives, on Wednesday, July 17th at 7pm.  We’ll have a conversation with Bill recording his thoughts about the Folk Scene in New England over the past years that will be deposited into our growing oral history collection.

After the conversation we’ll be treated to a performance by Bill.

For more than forty years, Bill has traveled back and forth across North America, singing his songs and delighting audiences at festivals, folksong societies, colleges, concerts, clubs, and coffeehouses. A New England native, Bill became involved with the Boston-Cambridge folk scene in the early 1960’s and for a time, emceed the Sunday Hootenanny at the legendary Club 47 in Cambridge. Bill quickly became a popular performer in the Boston area. From the time in 1971 when a reviewer from the Boston Phoenix stated that he was “simply Boston’s best performer”, Bill has continually appeared on folk music radio listener polls as one of the top all time favorite folk artists. Now, well into his fifth decade as a folk performer, he has gained an international reputation as a gifted songwriter and performer.

Ticket and more information here

Tom Rush celebrated 50 years of performing by hosting a reunion in Boston’s Symphony Hall December 28, 2012. The sold out show featured musicians that Tom has performed with over the past half century. The Boston Globe’s James Reed previews the show here.

The day before, up the street from Symphony Hall, in a ballroom at the Colonnade Hotel, the rehearsal began. It lasted 6 hours but time flew by. These true professionals went through the playlist with ease.  There was harmony tweaking, additional instrumentation adjustments and vocal arrangements.

Harmonies (L to R) Jonathan Edwards, Dean Adrien and Eric Lilliequist.

Harmonies (L to R) Jonathan Edwards, Dean Adrien and Eric Lilliequist.

No one seem to mind the cameras and sound mics that seemed to float around the room. A film crew has been following Tom around the past year documenting his 50th year of performing.

David Bromberg

David Bromberg

The respect and true friendship these musicians have for each other was easy to see. Smiles were the order of the day. Often times jam sessions would break out between “takes” and the smiles turned into broad grins. One noted jam was between David Bromberg and Tom Rush’s long time friend/guitarist Trevor Veitch. Congratulations were in order when Dom Flemons of the Carolina Chocolate Drops arrived. Their cd  “Leaving Eden” received a Grammy nomination for Best Folk Album!

Jonathan Edwards insisted on playing David Bromberg’s vintage 1953 Fender guitar, (see below)

Jonathan Edwards

Jonathan Edwards

David Buskin and Robin Batteau played with heart. Dean Adrien and Eric Lilliequist.harmonies never sounded better. It was indeed a celebration. What a party. What a reunion. Congratulations Tom!

Tom Rush

Tom Rush

Last Dance Productions client  Hayley Reardon says she first picked up a guitar during the summer before sixth grade because she was bored. Her dad showed her some chords, and pretty soon after she started writing songs. Reardon’s debut album, “Where the Artists Go,” will be released on Oct. 23, with a release party and performance at Club Passim on Oct. 21 which has already sold out! She recently spoke with WBUR Morning Edition host Bob Oakes about her music.

Read More