Peoples Voice Cafe The Peoples' Voice Cafe

An alternative coffeehouse offering live entertainment in New York City,
from folk music and protest songs to rap and jazz, and poetry, storytelling, and dance.

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~ Fall 2019 Season ~

Saturday, September 14, 2019, at 8pm:


Jaeger & Reid
Judi Jaeger (JAY-gur) and Bob Reid provide their audiences an opportunity to listen, feel and think. Their rich harmonies and instrumental interplay support their original and collected songs, which reflect some of the challenges we all face as we navigate this experience of being human at this time. They have been traveling the country sharing their unique sound and have met enthusiastic audiences of all ages.
jaegerreidmusic.com


"Lights Flash Red"


Lizzie Hershon & The Living Room Singers
Lizzie Hershon and the Living Room Singers are thrilled to return to the Peoples' Voice Cafe, and they are particularly honored to perform on opening night of the 2019-2020 season. The group brings together the unique voices of Alison Kelley, Katie Browning, Chris Seymour, Frank Woerner, and Elizabeth Hershon. Members have performed in various other groups, including the Johnson Girls, The X Seamen’s Institute, and Twa Corbies. As always, they will present a program of traditional and contemporary songs drawn from a rich variety of sources.



Saturday, September 21, 2019, at 8pm:



Scott Cook
Alberta's Scott Cook has distilled the stories collected over twelve years touring across Canada, the USA, Europe, Asia, and Australia into straight-talking, keenly observant verse. In 2017 he released his sixth studio album, Further Down the Line, which earned Cook his second Canadian Folk Music Award nomination, and comes packaged in a 132-page book containing a look back, in words and pictures, on his last decade of travels. He still believes that songs can change your life, and your life can change the world.
scottcook.net
facebook.com/scottcooksongs


"Pass It Along"


Photo by Ron Goad

Mike Glick
Guitarist, singer & songwriter Mike Glick has toured the world with The New Song Project and with the duo Generations (featuring his son Aleksi.) Robert Palmer of The New York Times described Glick as "more rousing and musically substantive than the music of city folksingers of previous generations."
reverbnation.com/musician/mikeglick
facebook.com/wsidemike



Saturday, September 28, 2019, at 8pm:



Rachael Sage
Rachael Sage has released a slew of vibrant, dynamic alt-pop albums with poetic lyrics spanning subjects as wide as her inspirations. Raised on classical music, doo-wop, 70s folk and British pop, Sage possesses a rare combination of musical ingenuity, visual dynamism and emotional insight. Her songs are cinematic and beautiful, lush and laced with orchestral surprises. Her newest offering, PseudoMyopia, explores themes of government surveillance, environmental protection and female empowerment. Sage is touring in collaboration with the charity Vision Aid Overseas, which provides optical aid in Africa.
"Her keen, ironic sense of humor and quirky sense of the profound is what makes her special as a songwriter." --Billboard.com
rachaelsage.com
facebook.com/rachaelsagepage


"Alive"



Ellen Bukstel
Ellen expresses her imagination with her beautiful voice, guitar and keyboard. Her award-winning songs chronicle the joys and sorrows of a colorful tapestry still being woven. She conveys love and a depth of concern for the ever-increasing threats to our world and to our rights. She conveys this to the audience through a brave, humorous, earthy connection between the world of musical performance and the role of the bard from which the most powerful and relevant strand of folk music derives its roots.
ellenbukstel.com
facebook.com/ellenbukstel


"Who's the Pusher Now?"



Saturday, October 5, 2019, at 8pm: Maritime Music Night



The Johnson Girls
The Johnson Girls have been a force on the folk and maritime music scene for over two decades as the leading all-woman, a cappella maritime group in the world. Internationally acclaimed for their powerhouse performances of rousing work songs, haunting ballads, and hair-raising harmonies, they sweep their audiences along in a tidal fervor. Joy Bennett, Alison Kelley, Bonnie Milner, and Deirdre Murtha each bring a special influence to the group as they pursue their mission of keeping chantey singing alive, bringing women’s voices to the fore, and encouraging everyone to join in the revelry. Come join in the fun!
thejohnsongirls.com
facebook.com/TheJGirls


"Fare You Well"


Quarterdeck
Quarterdeck hails from a wide variety of folk music backgrounds, including English, Irish, and old-time American, with a focus on the maritime and worksong tradition. Alan Short, Heidi Slaney, and Deirdre Murtha also come from a choral background, and thus have spent a good part of their lives singing and relishing in harmonies. Sean Murtha was drawn originally by the instrumental music tradition but was soon infected by the harmony singing as well. Collectively, they sing all over the Northeast, leading and attending regular singing circles. They share a love of history and storytelling through song, social singing, and otherwise playing their part in keeping the folk music tradition alive and well. As "links in the chain," they enjoy sharing good songs not just today, but passing them on to those who will be singing them for many years to come.



Saturday, October 12, 2019, at 8pm:



Dave Lippman
Audiences of all ages and hair styles have thrilled to the post-corporate comic stylings of satirical songster Dave Lippman. The investigative songwriter afflicts the complacent, takes the air out of the windbags, de-distorts history, and updates worn-out songs with parody and thrust. Specializing in passionate, comedic original songs and unsingable singalongs set to familiar tunes, he presents a swirl of multimedia images so no one will bother watching him grow older onstage. It’s a multimedia romp through recent generations of social justice activism, near-wins, and windmills tilted at.
davelippman.com


Peter Pasco
No one else plays guitar and racked harmonica like Peter Pasco, and no one writes songs like his. The melodies are unique and the lyrics subtly crafted, with novel metaphors and internal rhymes that delight the ear. His subject matter is moving and thought-provoking, reflecting an interesting life that began in Tallahassee, Florida, and has included folk groups and rock bands, an M.A. in English, and stints as a plant care specialist and a music therapist. His CD, The Breeze Before the Dawn, is not to be missed.


"There's Gonna Be Some Changes Made"



Saturday, October 19, 2019, at 8pm:



Jake Blount
Jake Blount is a fiddler, banjoist, singer and scholar based in Takoma Park, MD. He has studied with modern masters of old-time music, including Bruce Molsky, Judy Hyman (of the Horse Flies), and Rhiannon Giddens and Hubby Jenkins (Carolina Chocolate Drops). In 2016, Blount became the first Black person to make the finals at the Appalachian String Band Music Festival in Clifftop, WV, and the first to win in the traditional band category. The following year, he received his B.A. in Ethnomusicology from Hamilton College and released his debut EP, Reparations, with award-winning fiddler Tatiana Hargreaves. He has recently released a CD, toured Scandinavia, and opened several shows for Rhiannon Giddens. Tonight he will be accompanied by Ethan Hawkins.
jakeblount.com


"John Henry"


Bob Malenky
Bob Malenky is steeped in the blues and country of the twenties through the fifties--what Dave Van Ronk used to call neo-ethnic music. As a teenager he met and learned from Lightnin' Hopkins, and later took a guitar lesson from Muddy Waters and sat in with his band. He also toured and recorded with Sonny Terry, and taught World Folk Music at CCNY for many years. Tonight he'll do a mixed bag of traditional songs, blues, old labor songs, perhaps a pop standard and probably a Yiddish song.


"Dallas Blues"



Saturday, October 26, 2019, at 8pm:



New York City Labor Chorus
The New York City Labor Chorus, with 75 members representing over 20 labor unions and District Councils, was founded in 1991. The chorus promotes worker solidarity by expressing through song the history and ongoing struggles of unions and working people for economic and social justice. Their dynamic repertoire combines the power and culture of union music with the great gospel, jazz, classical and folk traditions. NYC Labor Chorus has an international reputation as the premier multi-cultural and multi-generational labor chorus in the United States. It is a powerful cultural tool in the arsenal of workers. Wherever the struggle for people's rights is being waged, the Chorus will be there. You will enjoy an evening of delightful and rousing singing.
nyclc.org



Saturday, November 2, 2019, at 8pm:



Peoples' Voice Cafe 40th Anniversary Celebration!
Since November 1979 the Peoples' Voice Cafe has been providing a venue for singers, musicians, poets, storytellers, and other performing artists, all of whom have something important to say and the voice with which to say it. This 40th Anniversary Celebration will feature people who have kept the PVC going throughout the years, including Sally Campbell, Mike Glick, Judy Gorman, Robin Greenstein, Barry Kornhauser, Joel Landy, Susan Lippman, Viktoriya Pinskaya, Anne Price, Vicki Rovere, Steve Suffet, Thelma Thomas, Lindsey Wilson, and possibly others. 100% of the evening's proceeds will go to benefit the Peoples' Voice Cafe as it looks forward to the next 40 years.

Suggested 40th Anniversary contribution: $40 (this night only)
Regular suggested contribution: $20
PVC subscribers or sustainers: $12
FMSNY members, students or youth: $12
More if you can, less if you can't. No one turned away.

Printable Flyer


"The Peoples' Voice Cafe Anthem"



Saturday, November 9, 2019, at 8pm:



Concetta Abbate with Kris Wettstein
Concetta Abbate is a New York City-based violinist and songwriter. Her original songs are inspired by natural science, folk tales, poetry, everyday objects, fleeting sounds scarcely noticed, paper clips, a dusty book, bright fish in time. Little songs like little shells. Described as a "badass violinist" by Garrett Bryant (Hinged), Concetta is best known for her work with poets, dancers and writers of all kinds in the NYC area. Tonight she will be accompanied by classical pianist Kris Wettstein.
concettaabbate.com


"Spring"



Bruce Markow
"Infectious, irresistible, memorable and tons of fun" "World-class!" "Riveting," say critics and peers. Singer-songwriter Bruce Markow nourishes heart, soul and consciousness with his unique, evocative Folk'n'Roll: Traditional folk, 60s/70s rock, jazz, Afro-Brazilian and JS Bach-infused songs that inspire audiences to sing along – and leave singing. Embodying his passionate, playful and artfully-crafted creations, Bruce's inviting voice conveys both our hunger for a world of greater peace, truth and love, and our deep capacity for joy. Tonight Bruce plays guitar, grand piano and Appalachian dulcimer and teaches you to sing like a mango. "Eloquent, sensitive and full of heart" "Hot! Amazingly tasty!"
brucemarkow.com
(Note: Website is under partial reconstruction. Store items are not currently available in listed formats.)


"Box Before My Time"



Saturday, November 16, 2019, at 8pm: Country Voices, City Voices
Cosponsored by the Folk Music Society of New York.


Painting by Michael Doig

Carrie & Michael Kline
Michael and Carrie Kline weave West Virginia stories and folklore with spine tingling harmonies on voice and guitar. They live and breathe Appalachian music and culture. Their voices carry the songs with truth and authenticity. The Klines present their music both as entertainment and social history, with engaging ease and hard-hitting passion. They have spent years recording music and spoken narratives from Cherokee, North Carolina, Kentucky, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania. They have documented the southern mountain experience and music in industrial cities from Cincinnati to New England.
folktalk.org
facebook.com/klinesacrossthelines


Photo by Martin Hason

Triboro
Triboro hails from the boroughs of New York, but looks beyond the Hudson to other places and other times for songs and inspiration. They are an acoustic vocal trio that applies fine three-part harmony to an eclectic mix of musical genres: old-time, new-time, Carter Family, country, Western, bluegrass, Hawaiian, and beyond. Phyllis Elkind (Manhattan) plays guitar. Don Friedman (Brooklyn) plays guitar, mandolin, and banjo. Evy Mayer (The Bronx) plays guitar, ukelele and percussion. Founded in 1998, Triboro still takes pleasure in finding a great new song, working out harmonies and arrangements, and making it their own.
phylliselkind.wixsite.com/triboro
store.cdbaby.com/cd/triboro


"Orphan Girl"



Saturday, November 23, 2019, at 8pm: Vocal Traditions Night
Cosponsored by the Folk Music Society of New York.




Windborne
Windborne is a group of vocal chameleons who specialize in close harmony singing, shifting effortlessly between drastically different styles of traditional music. Their musical knowledge spans many continents and cultures, but they remain deeply rooted in American folk singing traditions. Praised for "the purity of their voices, strength of their material, and attention to detail in their arrangements," Lynn Mahoney Rowan, Will Thomas Rowan, Lauren Breunig, and Jeremy Carter-Gordon share a vibrant energy onstage. They educate as they entertain, telling stories about the music and explaining the characteristics and stylistic elements of the traditions in which they sing.
windbornesingers.com
facebook.com/WindborneSingers


"I Can Hew"


Asaran Earth Trio
A collective of vocalists from different corners of the globe, Asaran Earth Trio is dedicated to singing beautiful multicultural music. Asaran came together out of the desire to take their traditions in new directions, combining folk elements of each member's history with the adventure of group improvisation. Asaran features Anne Boccato from Brazil, Artemisz Polonyi from Hungary, and Lorena Del Mar from Spain. "Outstandingly expressive!" - World Music Central. "Spectacular harmonies!" - Songlines.
asaranearthtrio.com
facebook.com/asaranearthtrio


"Quando Veo Hijo Hermoso"



Saturday, December 7, 2019, at 8pm:


Charlie King & Annie Patterson
Join us for an evening of powerful singing with Charlie King and Annie Patterson. Charlie's witty political satire and his uncanny ability to find endearing songs about struggle and the human experience are a natural fit with Annie's own performing and sing-along work. Annie is the co-creator of Rise Up Singing and the 2015 sequel Rise Again. She is an accomplished performer of traditional Appalachian and Celtic music and contemporary singer/songwriter material. Charlie and Annie together are infectious song leaders accompanying each other on banjo, guitar, harmonica, and mandolin. Their new live album Step by Step was released in February.
charlieking.org
riseupandsing.org/anniepeter/recordings


"Shuttle and Loom"



Saturday, December 14, 2019, at 8pm:


Sherry Mestel Memorial Concert
Longtime PVC volunteer Sherry Mestel died last year. Although we truly miss her, we are very happy to celebrate her life tonight. Sherry was an activist, a social worker, and psychologist, who remained as active as she could, even when she was losing her ability to walk. Sherry was involved with Tibetan and Native American communities and was fluent in Spanish. She radiated love wherever she went. We are honored to have the following performers at her memorial concert, most of whom knew and loved Sherry:

The Brooklyn Women's Chorus
Bread and Puppet Theater
Paul Stein, accordionist, singer, songwriter, and PVC technical director
Reggie Ceaser, Native American master flutist and healer
Sally Campbell, singer, songwriter and PVC volunteer coordinator
Michael Braudy, master violinist and healer

Please join us and share your memories of Sherry.



Saturday, December 21, 2019, at 8pm:




Heavenly Havens: A Richie Havens Tribute by Robert Tellefsen
Brooklyn native Bob Tellefsen used to share the stage with the likes of Richie Havens, Bob Dylan, and Joan Baez back in the café and tavern days of Greenwich Village. Now he brings you back to the garden to celebrate the style and energy of Richie Havens. Bob will be accompanied by Lindsey Wilson's Human Hearts Trio.
facebook.com/roberttellefsenmusic
reverbnation.com/roberttellefsen




The Blackbird Trilogy
Lindsey Wilson's The Blackbird Trilogy musical is an interpretation of the iconic song from the Beatles' White Album. Paul McCartney wrote the song to honor the struggle of black women. Lindsey will be joined by renowned folk artist DuPree, cellist Barry Kornhauser, and spoken word artist Rachel RighteousLuv to perform personal intrepretations of Blackbird in three parts, paying homage to the blackbirds of the world, those oppressed and underserved who, like them, have taken their broken wings and have finally learned to FLY!
facebook.com/LindseyWilsonLive





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