The Peoples' Voice Cafe

An alternative coffeehouse offering
quality entertainment in New York City.


~ FALL 2015 ~


September 19, 2015:


GATHERING TIME
Gathering Time is like a high-energy Peter, Paul & Mary or a co-ed Crosby, Stills & Nash, with various parts of The Byrds, Joni Mitchell, the Eagles and America mixed in. This head-turning folk-rock harmony trio is getting a beehive-full of buzz on the northeast folk scene. Their second and third CDs have both reached the Top 5 in the Folk DJ charts.
gathering-time.com


THE LORDS OF LIECHTENSTEIN
The Lords of Liechtenstein is a New York City-based folk music duo composed of two brothers. Noah (ukulele/vocals) and Dan (guitar/tenor banjo/vocals) Rauchwerk have wowed audiences all over the East Coast with their tight harmonies, thought-provoking lyrics, and baffling affinity for argyle sweater vests. Their music recalls the style of the male duo groups of the 1950s and 60s. Mark Miller of Urban H2O says "They are like the Everly Brothers with an attitude." But don't take his word for it! See for yourself at
thelordsofliechtenstein.com



September 26, 2015:


WALKABOUT CLEARWATER CHORUS
Founded by Pete Seeger in 1984 as a musical arm of the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, the Walkabout Clearwater Chorus has been going strong ever since, performing at venues as diverse as environmental festivals, peace rallies, the NYC subways, prisons and halfway houses. They were headline performers at a festival in Germany and performed with Peter Yarrow (of Peter Paul & Mary fame) on a PBS special and at the Clearwater Festival. Their CD We Have A Song! features many songs written by their members and friends, and they were featured in two songs on the Grammy-winning Pete Seeger at 89 CD. Walkabout is a true "people’s chorus" made up of folks who love to sing and work hard at keeping alive the legacy of activist music.
walkaboutclearwater.org



October 3, 2015:


ANDY COHEN
Andy Cohen has been on the road fifty years and shows no signs of slowing down. Andy is known for his virtuoso renditions of Golden Age Blues and Gospel numbers and Old-Time benchmarks, but more than that, he carries a deep knowledge of Southern music, stem to stern, and a sympathy with the people of the South. Expect some hot picking, of course, along with blind men's blues, the agonies of rural ministers grappling with the blues, the medicine show pitchmen's blues, the blues writ large and small, the blues of mountain men and tough women. It's all there.
andycohenmusic.net


Photo by Bibiana Huang Matheis

THE PIEDMONT BLUZ ACOUSTIC DUO
The Piedmont Bluz Acoustic Duo is dedicated to the preservation of Country Blues and the Piedmont style, and their mission is to help keep this rural, east coast tradition alive by educating audiences about this unique aspect of African American culture through musical entertainment. They have been enthralling audiences at venues along the east coast from Woodstock, NY to Tybee Island, GA, and are much loved wherever they go. The husband and wife duo feel that "there are stories to tell, people to remember, and things that must be said." So in addition to tickling your ears with delightful music, they weave a bit of history into the presentation of each song.
piedmontbluz.com



October 10, 2015:


THE RIX
Old friends Rik Palieri and Rick Nestler, proponents of the "Hudson River School of Music," take the stage as a duo for an evening filled with songs both old and new, familiar and obscure, and from poignant to just plain zany! Playing individually and together in various combinations on guitars, banjos, ukulele, Native American flute, Ozark Mouth bow, autoharp and perhaps even the Polish bagpipe, there will be plenty of chances for singing along, foot tapping, knee slapping, and belly laughing!
ricknestler.com
banjo.net


DAVID LAIBMAN
David Laibman brings together an exciting variety of people’s music, all wrapped around with colorful commentary and creative instrumental guitar techniques. He is an innovative ragtime guitarist, with a classic Folkways album The New Ragtime Guitar (with Eric Schoenberg, 1970), and most recently Adventures in Ragtime. He has released two DVDs, The Guitar Artistry of David Laibman and Play the Classic Rags of Scott Joplin, James Scott & Joseph Lamb. Inspiration for this evening's set comes from Pete Seeger; several songs will be in remembrance. David will play some new ragtime compositions, and fingerstyle (not classical!) renditions of classical works. He'll reach deep into the English folk tradition, and reserves the right to come up with a surprise or two! Expect to participate: there are songs that just require many voices to work.



October 17, 2015:


JOLIE RICKMAN TRIBUTE CONCERT
Singer-songwriter and activist Jolie Rickman died in January 2005. A dedicated student of feminism, nonviolence and direct action, Jolie was in part inspired to music after studying with Coretta Scott King at the King Center in Atlanta. Years later Jolie left a doctoral program at Syracuse University to devote herself to music and social change, offering her revolutionary spirit of creativity, love and compassion to untold thousands. Tonight's performers will honor her music and achievements.

Barry Kornhauser: Composer, arranger, teacher and a phenomenal multi-instrumentalist (bass, cello, guitar and mandola) in a wide variety of musical environments.

Bev Grant & the Dissident Daughters: Three-part harmonies bellowing out like the Andrew Sisters gone Red. Bev is a veteran social activist, feminist, and award-winning singer/songwriter, joined by poet/playwright Angela Lockhart and singer/dancer/percussionist Carolyn Murphy.

Colleen Kattau and Dos XX: Her bilingual music is power and beauty steeped in a fine tea, combining an urban sensibility with a backwater sound. Featuring Mike Brandt on bass and Jane Zell on electric guitar.
facebook.com/colleen.kattau

Elisabeth DeMaria makes music and other odd creations out of air, carrying Jolie's songs into further adventures.

Jamie McCallum has helped to build labor unions and protests against corporate globalization. His writing has appeared in Mother Jones, Z Magazine, and The Nation. You might just here some Chumbawamba from this scholar!

Nickolas Orth: Polymath, singer, guitarist, chef, and a most true Friend of Dorothy.



Special Event on Friday, October 23, 2015, at 7:00 PM:
The Peoples' Voice Cafe is cosponsoring a First Acoustics concert and sing-along in Brooklyn to celebrate the release of Rise Again, the sequel to Rise Up Singing, compiled by Annie Patterson & Peter Blood. Performers include Annie & Peter, as well as Emma’s Revolution, Magpie, and Bev Grant & the Brooklyn Women’s Chorus.
First Unitarian Church, 50 Monroe Place, Brooklyn NY 11201.
More info: riseupandsing.org/events/rise-again-brooklyn




October 24, 2015:


Photo by Bob Curtis

BEV GRANT
New York-based cultural worker Bev Grant sings what Woody Guthrie once called "hard-hitting songs for hard-hit people", yet she celebrates the joyful things in life with equal fervor and balances them off with stoicism and strength in the face of adversity. Bev is a contemporary folk veteran, a topical songwriter with heart and edge, telling life stories that celebrate South African grandmothers on a soccer team, salute a solitary old man who just won't leave his mountaintop in West Virginia, the trials of living above a crazy neighbor, and the personal feelings about family and failed relationships. Bev is also the founder and director of the Brooklyn Women's Chorus, and tours with her one-hour multi-media show “We Were There!” about women's labor history. You can read Bev's story in Smithsonian/Folkways Magazine Summer/Fall 2014.
bevgrant.com


LARA HERSCOVITCH
Lara Herscovitch's music is an original blend of modern folk with blues, jazz, and pop influences, sung with a voice "clear and smooth like expensive liquor." Former Connecticut State Troubadour, Lara has appeared as a guest on A Prairie Home Companion and tours Maine to Miami. She has worked in the US, Latin America and Asia on behalf of disadvantaged individuals. focusing on education, community development, and juvenile justice. Echoes of these themes resonate throughout her music. "Singer-songwriter Lara Herscovitch doesn't write songs just for the ears, but also for the heart and soul." (Daily Journal, Tupelo MS)
laraherscovitch.com
facebook.com/pages/Lara-Herscovitch/47446234656



October 31, 2015:


DONIE CARROLL
A singer, guitarist, and actor originally from County Cork, Donie Carroll has long been a fixture on the New York Irish music scene. Together with the late fiddler Andy McGann, Donie anchored the long running and internationally famous Saturday night music session at the former Kate Kearney’s pub. Donie has also been a stalwart with NYU’s Washington Square Harp and Shamrock Orchestra. Most recently he organized the highly regarded Wednesday night Sunnyside Singers Club and Friday night Irish session at the Aubergine Cafe in Woodside, Queens.
doniecarroll.bandpage.com


GABRIEL DONOHUE
Multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter was born in County Galway, Ireland, and is currently based in Philadelphia. He performs mostly on guitar and piano but also plays many more instruments from bouzouki/mandolin to Irish and exotic percussion. For many years he performed with the Chieftains.
gabrieldonohue.tripod.com



November 7, 2015:


THE SIEGEL FAMILY
The Siegels' roots are firmly implanted in social justice and a love of music. Raised in the Hudson Valley activist folk scene, Laurie and Peter began performing together at local festivals as part of the Harmonious Hogchokers folk trio. They joined Pete Seeger’s Clearwater organization in the 1970's, and both contributed to Pete Seeger's CDs, Tomorrow's Children and Pete at 89. Carole, Jeff, and Laurie sing with the Walkabout Clearwater Chorus, and Laurie is also a member of Hudson Valley Sally. Peter’s songs and fiddle tunes have been published in Sing Out! and The Portland Collection of Fiddle Tunes. His most recent work is centered around his Vermont-based world beat ensemble The Gaslight Tinkers.



November 14, 2015:


Irene Young

EMMA'S REVOLUTION
Smart, funny and informative--like Rachel Maddow and Jon Stewart with guitars--Emma's Revolution is the duo of award-winning activist musicians Pat Humphries & Sandy O. Their songs have been have been an integral part of justice movements for 30 years and have been sung for the Dalai Lama and covered by Holly Near. The duo's awards include Grand Prize in the John Lennon Songwriting Contest and, for the second year in a row, the Washington Area Music Association's Fan Favorite Award. Emma's Revolution has released three CDs and recorded two with Holly Near, and Pat has two solo albums. Their uprising of truth, hope and a dash of irreverence is inspired by Emma Goldman's famous attribution, "If I can't dance, I don't want to be part of your revolution."
emmasrevolution.com
facebook.com/emmasrevolution



November 21, 2015:


DANI SAVYON
Dani has been writing, singing and storytelling since the “good old days” of the folk revival in the Village. Many of his ballads are based on life’s experiences and travels, and some are about the world today – or maybe, as he hopes and wishes, it will one day be. You will find yourself smiling even as you nod your head in agreement. Those of you who have heard him before know that the stories he tells between the songs are worth the admission price by themselves.


DAVE CADAQU
Dave hit the road in the early 70s, hitching and riding the rails, stopping off for a spell in PA, CA, and NM to play progressive folk, blues, and country among the laborers, hippies, and cowboys. In the late 70s Dave played the folk clubs of Bleecker Street; then settled for a time in NJ to raise a family. Dave recently returned home to NYC where he composes and plays current political and conventional folk songs while sifting among the diamonds and the forgotten.
soundcloud.com/dave-cadaqu
youtube.com/channel/UCS11WwDqqS33bblLGzMMMXQ


RON DUNCAN
Ron Duncan sings stories elicited from the hardships and nuances of the lives of working people in different cultures and conditions. His repertoire is mostly Scottish, English, Irish and American traditional songs, as well as political songs. He lives in New York and can often be seen among the Sunnyside Singers in Queens.



November 28, 2015:

Closed for Thanksgiving Weekend



December 5, 2015:

CHARLIE KING & MARTHA LEADER
Charlie hasn’t missed one of the 37 years PVC has been producing concerts. And most of those years he’s shared the stage with a fellow conspirator. This year it’s Martha Leader. In 1988 Charlie & Martha were touring with their Flying Fish LP, Steppin' Out. Giving it a listen recently they decided it sounds remarkably fresh, so they're taking it on the road. With Charlie on guitar and harmonica; Martha on fiddle, piano and guitar; both singing their hearts out. It’s a bright mix for this dark time of year. The arrangements are lively and intricate, the harmonies rich. And they’ve added a batch of new songs to their repertoire. Some things old, some things new, some things never change. But we keep trying! Come join us.
charlieking.org



December 12, 2015:


LYDIA ADAMS DAVIS
Singer/ songwriter/ puppeteer/ performance artist Lydia Adams Davis sings peace, union, historical and original ballads with a country flair. Lydia is passionate about singing and connecting with folks through improvisational songs, sign language, wry puppets, and good musical fun. Her recordings feature guitarist John Guth and blues singer Romeyn Adams Nesbitt, and two of them, One Earth So Green and Round and We All Have Lunch with Lydia, won the Parents' Choice awards. Peoples' Voice Cafe has welcomed Lydia to the stage since the mid 1980s when she released her first album, Gift of Story.
"Lydia brings folk music home to your heart."
--Peter Yarrow.
lydiaadamsdavis.com


UBAKA HILL
For more than 30 years, Ubaka Hill has creatively woven percussion, poetry, and song to inspire a positive uplifting atmosphere for diverse audiences throughout the USA and abroad. Her music is unique and embraces many styles to create authentic, melodic and rhythmic musical forms from sacred to secular, ancient to contemporary. Her live performances and recorded music reflect our expanding drumming traditions, beliefs, and changing times. Ubaka’s many instruments include the Djembe, Ube, Conga and Ashiko drums, Didgeridoo, and Udu, among others.
ubakahilldrumsong.com



December 19, 2015:


Joseph A. Rosen

GUY DAVIS
Guy Davis performed at the Peoples' Voice Cafe the night we first opened our doors in 1979. His parallel careers as a musician, author, music teacher, and actor mark him as a Renaissance man; yet the blues remain Guy's first and greatest love. Growing up in a family of artists – his parents were Ruby Dee and Ossie Davis – he fell under the spell of Blind Willie McTell and Fats Waller at an early age. Guy’s one-man play, The Adventures of Fishy Waters: In Bed With the Blues, premiered in the 1990s, and he went on to star in Robert Johnson: Trick the Devil, winning the Blues Foundation’s Keeping the Blues Alive Award. He followed in the footsteps of another blues legend when he joined the Broadway production of Finian’s Rainbow, playing the part originally done in 1947 by Sonny Terry. Along the way he cut nine albums for the Red House label and three for his own label, Smokeydoke Records.
guydavis.com




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