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.
|
~ Spring 2020 Season ~
Note:
The 2020 season was suspended in mid-March in the interest of keeping our audience, volunteers, and performers safe from the
COVID-19 corona virus.
|
|
Saturday, January 4, 2020, at 8pm:
|
Benefit Concert for WBAI FM Radio
|
|
Writer and actor Malachy McCourt will have you laughing to tears;
the legendary David Amram will thrill you with his world music and stories of his illustrious career;
plus The Raging Grannies, Mike Glick & Lindsey Wilson, and Joel Landy will all be on hand to entertain and
help WBAI celebrate sixty years of
listener-supported non-commercial radio. WBAI recently found its way back on the air from a hostile takeover, and like many
non-profit organizations that serve the people, they need the people's support. Keep your listener-sponsored radio on the air!
The evening will be MC'ed by Ken Gale, host of the environmental show
Eco-Logic, airing on alternating Tuesdays at 8pm.
|
|
Malachy McCourt
Author, actor and raconteur Malachy McCourt has written a dozen books, including A Monk Swimming and Voices of Ireland.
He has acted in scores of movies and TV shows, and even recorded an album in 1970. Born in Brooklyn in 1931, he grew up in Limerick and
returned to New York in 1952, where he worked as a longshoreman, opened a tavern, hosted various radio shows, and ran for New York
governor in 2006 as a Green Party Candidate. He is currently co-host of WBAI's New York, We and Thee Edition on Wednesday
mornings.
facebook.com/malachy.mccourt.3
|
|
David Amram
Composer, conductor, author, and multi-instrumentalist (piano, french horn, flute, guitar) David Amram is one of America's most honored
and beloved musicians. He began his career as a French hornist for the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington in the 1950s, and later
introduced the French horn to jazz, collaborating with Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk, Charles Mingus, and others. He created film
scores for Splendor in the Grass (1961), Manchurian Candidate (1962), and the beat film Pull My Daisy (1959). He
also wrote scores for Arthur Miller's plays and for Shakespeare in the Park in NYC. Working with Jack Kerouac, Langston Hughes, and others, Amram
experimented with combining jazz and poetry.
davidamram.com
|
|
The NYC Metro Raging Grannies
In the tradition of wise women elders, the mission of The Raging Grannies is to promote global peace, justice, and social and economic
equality by raising awareness through song and humor. With snappy hats and snappier lyrics, the poets, singers and
puppeteers of The Raging Grannies often perform at protests and rallies. Started in 1987 in Victoria, BC, there are now more than
60 gaggles of Raging Grannies throughout Canada, the U.S., and Scotland.
facebook.com/10025NYCRG
|
|
Mike Glick & Lindsey Wilson
Two powerful voices. Two powerful songwriters. Now exponentially united in song in a unique blend, greater than a duo.
Mike Glick is a multiple award-winning songwriter/singer/satirist. He’s played in Europe, India, Canada and the USA. Pete Seeger called
him "one of the best songwriters going." Robert Palmer, NY Times: "More rousing and musically substantive than the music of
previous city folksingers." Guitar International Magazine, May 2019: "A singer/songwriter of wit and clever songs... He has
a way with lyrics and can twist and turn them on a dime."
Lindsey Wilson is a superb singer/songwriter who has her feet planted in several worlds; first with her jazz group
Lindsey Wilson & The Human Hearts, and widely in the folk world both solo and with Dian Killian, Lara Herskovitch, Bev Grant and
many others. Lately she has hooked up with Guinean singer Natu Camara to tour throughout the US and Africa.
Mike is finishing up a new CD, Alternative Facts & Other White Lies, featuring both Lindsey and his son, Aleksi, along with
guest artists David Amram, Cole Quest and Si Kahn. It is due out in February.
https://www.facebook.com/generations.music.nyc/
lindseywilsonmusic.com
|
|
Joel Landy
An active member of the Peoples' Voice Cafe community for years, both as a performer and as a videographer, Joel Landy is known for
his energetic stage performances and clever songwriting. His voice has been heard on WBAI on Ken Gale's Eco-Logic and
Bob Fass' Radio Unnameable. Joel produces the award-winning Songs of Freedom television show, celebrating the
dignity of human struggle.
singfreedom.org
|
|
Saturday, January 11, 2020, at 8pm:
|
|
Jess Clinton
An introvert fluent in extrovert, Jess commands a shape-shifting soprano that ranges from bell-tone purities to sultry secrecies.
She weaves strands of Appalachian, Celtic, rock, and classical influences on electric, acoustic, and 12-string baritone guitars
as she sings of love, nature, and quiet outrage.
jessclinton.com
"Real Glass Heart"
|
|
Diana Jones
Diana Jones is a songwriter and folk singer whose "clarion alto," The New York Times says, evokes the "rich timbres...of a
cello or viola." She takes us from the depths of a
doomed coal mine to the heights of universal longing, with stories of hard times, Native Americans, tortured loss, murderous
urges. With the careful eye of a portrait painter, Jones merges private and timeless imagery. She divides her
life between
Nashville and New York City, drawing on both those iconic American worlds to bring a modern edge to the old-time ballad tradition.
Her songs have been covered by Joan Baez and Gretchen Peters.
dianajonesmusic.com
"If I Had a Gun"
|
|
Saturday, January 18, 2020, at 8pm: Transatlantic Hoot
|
|
Skinner & T'witch
Steve Skinner and Sandra Twitchett, known together as Skinner & T'witch, return to the Peoples' Voice Cafe after an absence of
nearly three years. Based in Leeds, England, they are an original, contemporary acoustic duo with strong vocals, driving rhythms,
and a flash of flamenco. Their original music moves through an eclectic range of styles, including folk, jazz, music hall, musical
theatre, and the satirical tradition. This Peoples' Voice Cafe performance will be their only New York City stop on an American tour
that takes them from New England to the Deep South.
skinnerandtwitch.com
"Queen of the Ocean"
|
Mike Lee
Vincent Cross
 Steve Suffet
|
Lee, Cross, & Suffet
Mike Lee, Vincent Cross, and Steve Suffet all now live in Queens, New York City's most culturally diverse borough.
Each is an accomplished multi-instrumental folk musician in his own right. Mike came to Queens from the Upper Midwest, Vincent
arrived from the Republic of Ireland after a detour to Australia, and Steve has lived in Queens nearly all his life. Tonight the
three will swap songs in a spontaneous jam, accompanying one another with voices and instruments as they see fit. Be prepared for
something wonderful.
https://www.facebook.com/100040085791670
vincentcross.com
stevesuffet.com
|
|
|
Saturday, January 25, 2020:
|
Closed for the People's Music Network Winter Convergence
|
|
|
Saturday, February 1st, 2020, at 8pm:
|
|
Jenna Linbo
Singer-songwriter. Dog-lover. Bike-rider turned banjo player somewhere along the way. Jenna is a multi-instrumentalist who makes
room for the sweetness and sorrow life brings, shining a light on the sacred in the ordinary and finding magic in the mundane.
Jenna’s lively energy is infectious -- of which a New Yorker recently proclaimed, “That is genuine joy.”
Hold onto your hats for an engaging performance, peppered with poetry, spoken word, and melodies that will follow you home.
"Harbor and My Boat"
|
Photo: Susan Wilson
|
Ruth Hill
Songwriter, singer, storyteller, Ruth Hill has roots that run deep in the hills of New England. She is inspired by
the gritty joy of growing up in a working-class family, and by a wandering spirit that’s taken her to both poles of the globe.
She accompanies herself
expressively on guitar, but it’s when she opens her heart and sings from a place of depth and compassion that you are compelled
to lean in closer. Ruth was the Grand Prize Winner of the 2017 Great American Song Contest.
"Bitten by the Wolf"
|
|
Saturday, February 8, 2020, at 8pm:
|
|
Rod MacDonald
Rod MacDonald rose to prominence in Greenwich Village in the 1980s, where he headlined Village clubs and co-founded the Greenwich
Village Folk Festival. A recording and touring artist since 1983, he has released twelve CDs and and gives a hundred performances
annually, dazzling audiences with his passionate singing and thought-provoking writing. His songs have been recorded by Shawn Colvin,
Jonathan Edwards, Dave Van Ronk, Happy Traum, David Rowe, Four Bitchin’ Babes, Garnet Rogers, Joe Jencks, and many others. His
latest CD, Beginning Again, was released in 2018. In 2014 he published his first novel, The Open Mike.
rodmacdonald.net
facebook.com/rodmacdonaldmusic
"American Jerusalem"
|
|
Joe Jencks
A 20-year veteran of the international Folk circuit, Joe Jencks delivers compelling musical narratives filled with heart, soul,
groove and grit. Blending vivid songwriting with well-crafted instrumentals, Jencks serves it all up with a lyric baritone voice
that has the edgy richness of a good sea-salt caramel. He is deeply rooted in social justice work, and
draws on many cultural and artistic reference points in his concerts. Co-founder of the band Brother Sun, Joe has also penned several
#1 songs, including the ever–relevant "Lady of The Harbor." His latest CD is the award-winning The Forgotten: Recovered
Treasures From The Pen of Si Kahn.
joejencks.com
"Everybody Sings the Blues"
|
|
Saturday, February 15, 2020, at 8pm:
|
|
Gary Allard & Friends
Gary Allard is a soulful contemporary singer-songwriter. He continues to build his unique sound by extracting inspiration from a
plethora of genres, including folk-blues, gospel, R&B and Caribbean music. He composes his lyrics from his own personal and social
experiences, striving to connect with his audience through tender yet powerful emotional singing.
facebook.com/gary.allard.92
|
|
Bob Brashear
Bob Brashear is a singer-songwriter in the Americana tradition who performs both solo and with his "floating musical collective"
Home (Away) Band. The "We Love Songwriters" blog has described him as "foremost an American artist" who creates "down to
earth American roots music...with even a hint of magic." His songs tell stories ofthe journey towards personal and societal
transformation. Bob performs in bars, clubs, churches, living rooms, festivals, rallies, and even the occasional laundromat.
His greatest joy as an artist is collaboration with others in both creation and performance.
reverbnation.com/musician/bobbrashear
"Everything's Gonna Be Okay"
|
|
Saturday, February 22, 2020, at 8pm:
|
|
Lonnie Harrington
Guitarist, percussionist, singer, songwriter, and author Lonnie Harrington has been strumming, hitting, and singing his way throughout the
eastern U.S. and Canada for more than 45 years, spanning many musical genres, including rock, soul, R&B, worldbeat, and Native
American styles. He has been a member of Grooves of the Hemisphere and Kandia Crazy Horse's Cactus Rose,
and was a guest on Martha Redbone's album Garden of Love. He sings with several New York City Native American
Drum Groups. His album Northern Tropicale and Other Romantic Illusions was released in 2017. He is also the author of
Both Sides of the Water: Essays on African-Native American Interactions.
lonnieharrington.com
|
|
Clare Horgan
You will never forget the first time that you hear Clare sing a traditional Irish unaccompanied song, where she seems to lose herself
completely in the powerful, ancient landscape of her native Ireland. In one song,
she will draw you into
the mystical world of pre-Christian Ireland; in the next song, you will find yourself sharing a laugh, hearing her admonish a
misbehaving man in a raunchy blues number, and before you know it, you have stepped into a dimly-lit jazz club in 1940s New York,
sharing in the heartache of lost love.
clarehorgan.com
If you can't make it to the evening show, Clare will be leading a workshop earlier in the day right here at PVC:
Sean-Nós Singing Workshop with Clare Horgan
Saturday; February 22, 2020; 3:30pm
Same address, same room as the evening performance
Sean-Nós is Irish for Old-Style. Sean-Nós songs are by definition pieces of ancient Irish music passed on through the ages from
parent to child, and Clare Horgan is an acknowledged master of the genre. The melodies, stories, and words often preceded literacy,
musical or otherwise. And yet they have survived, and their value lies in their beauty of tone, timbre, rhythm, melody and implied
harmony as well as inimitable ornamentation and the stories which serve as a time-capsule into a life that is disappearing quickly.
The nostalgic themes of love of place, romantic love, political upheaval, and celebrations of sporting events from hunting and
rowing to fishing and football games, to poaching, dancing, making music, and making potato cakes, form the fabric of Irish rural
life then and to a lesser extent, now.
This two-hour workshop will begin with Clare Horgan introducing songs from each of the five Irish speaking areas of Ireland in both
Irish and English. Two of these songs will then be chosen as the focus for the workshop. These songs will be learned and sung
together, with copies of words and some background information supplied. All levels and ages welcome. No prior knowledge of Irish
is required.
Cosponsored by Folk Music Society of New York. $35 fee payable on-site. Reservations required. For reservations and information
please e-mail Clare Horgan at clarniargain (at) icloud.com or call her at 1-347-968-3059.
|
|
Saturday, February 29, 2020, at 8pm:
|
|
Judy Gorman with special guest artist Mario Cancel
Judy's songs get their wings from her imagination and their roots from the deep traditions of blues, folk, jazz, and gospel that
defined her childhood. Her earliest memories are of hearing the music of Billie Holiday,
Woody Guthrie, Paul Robeson and Leadbelly. Pete Seeger sums up Judy Gorman like this: "She came, she sang, she conquered. No two
programs that she gives are the same.
She is always thinking how to find the right phrase, the right song to hit the nail right on the head, to shoot the arrow straight
to the heart of the matter." Tonight Judy will be accompanied by cello virtuoso Barry Kornhauser and special guest
Mario Cancel. Mario is a classically-trained musician, a gifted singer-songwriter, and an ethnomusicologist at Columbia
University. He studies the anticolonialism of 60s and 70s-era Puerto Rican nueva canción and the chançon québécoise
of Québec. He will join Judy on the cuatro (Puerto Rican guitar).
reverbnation.com/judygorman
facebook.com/mario.cancel.54
|
|
Barry Oreck & Friends
Barry Oreck, a Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter, writes and performs ear-catching songs that bring new, thought-provoking,
often ironic perspectives to a range of topics: politics, ecology, the perils of aging, long-lived and long-forgotten love,
and the power of music to connect and inspire. Barry writes songs in a variety of styles from bluesy finger picking to
driving bluegrass, sweet harmonies, and a touch of funk.
barryoreckmusic.com
"60's Hippy's Psychedelic Nightmare"
|
|
|
Saturday, March 7th, 2020, at 8pm:
Women Songwriters Night
A Benefit Concert for Peoples' Voice Cafe
Come hear amazing women songwriters and musicians from New York and New Jersey make magic in honor of International Women's Day and
the Centennial of Women's Suffrage. Pat Lamanna, Carolann Solebello, Lindsey Wilson, and Sharleen Leahey will sing and
play classic, original, and herstoric folk music about our struggles and victories with drama, humor and passion! Come hear songs
to uplift, inspire and strengthen us for a transformational year ahead! Also featuring Diane Doolittle (flute & saxophone),
Robin Burdulis (percussion), and Linda Phillips (percussion).
Flyer
|
|
Pat Lamanna
Pat’s songs have been praised highly by Pete Seeger, Peter Yarrow, David Roth, and others. They have a strong folk influence, and
cover issues such as peace, religion, the environment, and personal topics. They are carefully crafted and lyric-driven, with tunes
that are eminently singable. She has released three albums, most recently 2017's Something Beautiful.
patlamanna.com
|
|
Carolann Solebello
Carolann is best known as a founding member of the Americana trio Red Molly. She now tours
solo and with the modern folk quartet No Fuss and Feathers.
Carolann's smooth, compelling voice and warm acoustic guitar style nod to rural folk traditions,
yet her urban sense of rhythm and sophisticated vocal phrasing bend those traditional forms into more contemporary shapes.
She is a proud member of the Jack Hardy Songwriters’ Exchange and has won numerous songwriting awards.
Carolann released her fifth solo album, Shiver, in 2018.
carolannsolebello.com
|
|
Lindsey Wilson
Lindsey Wilson, leader of the Human Hearts Trio, is a singer-songwriter with a flair for nostalgia and a memorable mix of 70s-style
urban folk rock and conscientious
lyrics. She embraces issues of the heart and mind through love songs, protest tunes and lyrics of empowerment. Her influences
include Odetta, Richie Havens, Joni Mitchell, Joan Armatrading, Carole King, and Karen Carpenter.
lindseywilsonmusic.com
facebook.com/LindseyWilsonLive/
|
|
Sharleen Leahey
Sharleen is a singer, songwriter and guitarist known for speaking truth to power in a strong distinctive voice. Her stirring and
heartfelt lyrics hark back to the New York coffeehouses where she grew up immersed in the revolutionary songs of Buffy Sainte-Marie,
Phil Ochs and Bob Dylan. Sharleen founded Songs for Peace magazine in 1993 with her mentors Sis Cunningham and Pete Seeger.
Inspired by the healing power of music in her own life, Sharleen believes we are all profoundly affected by music in mysterious ways.
sharleenleahey.com
|
|
|
Home
|
|
|
|