Country Dance and Song Society Folk Music Week at Pinewoods August 27 - September 3, 2005

As of July 30, there is still space at this week.

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Program Description Staff Class Descriptions & Schedule

Folk Music Week at Pinewoods August 27 - September 3, 2005 Program Director: Andy Cohen Staff: Howie Bursen Jeff Davis Jerry Epstein * Martin Grosswendt Keith Kendrick Enoch Kent John "Jack" Langstaff Judy Luis-Watson Mark Rubin Henry "Hank" Sapoznik Cookie Segelstein Seth Tepfer Paul Watson * Advisor:

Program Description: [Back to Top]

Look up our Adult Programs for some general information; here is more detail about this particular program and staff.

This year Folk Music Week brings together traditional music and dance from half a dozen cultures. Some of it -- old-time music, ballads, blues, squares and contras, accompanied, unaccompanied and stochastic group singing, are what you've come to expect. But this year, in part courtesy of the Ben & Jerry's Foundation, we have the capability of ranging farther afield than we usually do.

Jack Langstaff, founder of Folk Music Week, will tell its history and its connections to the larger folk revival of the last 50 years. Keith Kendrick brings his ballads and his concertina from Derbyshire England. Hank Sapoznik, the very founder of the Klezmer revival, and his group, the Youngers of Zion, bring Jewish music. Judy Luis and Paul Watson are bringing piano and harmonica blues in from the D.C. area, while Jeff Davis, Martin Grosswendt and Howie Bursen are the dance band this year, playing as Smashing Bumpkins. They'll play not just contras and squares, but Cajun music, maybe the jitterbug swing, along with Paul and Judy. The usual suspects -- Anne Price, Jerry Epstein, Andy Cohen -- will be there in supporting roles as well, along with as talented a clutch of campers as you can find in the lower forty eight. -- Andy Cohen, Program Director

Staff: [Back to Top]

Andy Cohen, "the shmendrick of American blues," sings and plays guitar virtuosically, pounds the piano in a barrelhouse style and plays the dolceola like nobody else, because there really isn't anybody else. He has the ability to absorb the character of the older players. His most recent CDs are Ridiculous Instrumentals, a CD reissue of Preachin' in That Wilderness, and Four Hands, No Waiting (with Jack Radcliffe), in press.

Jerry Epstein, longtime friend of Folk Music Week and former program director, returns and will again host the fabulous morning session of unaccompanied song, and will serve as John Langstaff's accompanist and interviewer.

Keith Kendrick is a powerful singer from Derbyshire, England, and a great concertina player. He is steeped not only in the songs of rural life, seasonal rituals and the sea, but also in the history and social context of the English tradition.

Enoch Kent, who is now 77, was one of the founders of The Singer's Club, along with Peggy Seeger and Ewan MacColl. His stock of songs and stories, both from his growing-up years, and from his days on the BBC, are as endless as his love of folk music is boundless.

John "Jack" Langstaff, the founder of Folk Music Week (1950), is a legendary name in folk song, dance and their use in the education of children and teachers. His voice, his books and his teaching have gotten more people involved in the traditions than almost anyone you can name. He will lead a session of music and movement for children and those who work with children, and he will have a daily session of songs, stories and history from his seven decades of involvement in the music.

Seth Tepfer is "Atlanta's Dance Magician," calling dances for adults and children like you've never seen before. Known for his infectious energy and his short walkthroughs, his enthusiasm is contagious. He gets everyone moving, smiling and having a great time. Whether squares, contras or other folk dances, you can be certain that novices and experienced dancers alike will amble away happy.

BluesWorks:
Paul Watson, from D.C., got his first exposure to the blues through his father's BB King records. A strong desire to learn to play harmonica drew him to seminal Chicago style musicians -- the two Sonny Boys, Little Walter and Big Walter Horton -- and subsequent exposure led him to develop a country blues style as well, with a little jazz thrown in. Paul's other talents are the mandolin, inspired by Howard Armstrong, and songwriting, which seems to have emerged full blown. Paul has co-produced several recordings, including BluesWorks' debut CD Far From Home, released to critical acclaim in 1998 and their new CD One Step. Paul conducts blues harmonica and mandolin workshops, led lecture-demos on the music of historically prominent harmonica players and has taught blues vocals at venues as diverse as Port Townsend, WA, Common Ground in Westminster, MD and Augusta. Since 1996, Paul and Judy have presented Blues Connection: A Multimedia Presentation of the Blues to a wide range of audiences.
Judy Luis-Watson grew up in Tanzania, in a family of musicians. She played piano by ear since age 5, first performing in the 60s with her sister as a piano-percussion-vocals duo. She gained insight into early piano styles by observing and playing with the legendary Henry Townsend, also learning from recordings of blues, jazz, gospel, folk, rock, country and world music. Judy and Paul perform as a duo and with a larger ensemble in clubs and colleges, arts centers, festivals, schools and old folks homes. Judy has taught blues piano at workshops throughout the U.S.

Smashing Bumpkins
Howie Bursen is known for his gravity-defying fiddle-tune variations, and is one of today's foremost practitioners of clawhammer banjo. He has taught clawhammer at the Maryland Banjo Academy, Common Ground and the California Traditional Solstice Festival. He is also an excellent singer, song-writer and guitarist, and makes his living making wine. His most recent album is titled Banjo Manikin.
Jeff Davis has a deep commitment to American music from the oral tradition. His knowledge and skills as a singer and instrumentalist of traditional music run as deep as that of anyone we know.
Martin Grosswendt began his career as a performer, session musician and teacher more than three decades ago, and while his name is not a household word, he is sort of an underground legend, a musician of extraordinary talent. A multi-instrumentalist and singer long known as an interpreter of 1920s and 30s blues, he is equally at home playing old-time, Cajun or Creole music. He plays six- and twelve-string guitar, five-string banjo, mandolin, fiddle, bass, Cajun accordion and Dobro. Martin has performed and taught at many festivals, at WUMB's Summer Acoustic Music Week, and both serves as music director for, and teaches at Banjo Camp North, Old Time Music Camp North and Mandolin Camp North. His most recent recording, Call and Response, is a collection of pre-war acoustic blues.

The Youngers of Zion:
Henry "Hank" Sapoznik: "Hank" is an award-winning author, recording artist, radio producer and performer of traditional Yiddish and American music. A Grammy nominated producer, he has produced 13 CD reissues of historic Jewish music for Sony-Legacy, Shanachie, Rounder and Smithsonian Folkways. He also produced The Yiddish Radio Project for NPR, which won a Peabody, and his score for the documentary film The Life and Times Of Hank Greenberg was nominated for an Emmy. He founded KlezKamp in 1985, where he first met The Doctor and Cookie.
Cookie Segelstein: Marlene Segelstein, with Masters in Viola from Yale, started teaching klezmer fiddling at KlezKamp, and at colleges and workshops around the world. She is a founding member of The Youngers of Zion and has performed with many other Klezmer groups, including Klezmer Fats, Kapelye and the Klezmer Conservatory Band. She has been featured on countless recordings, including the Koch International label with Orchestra New England in The Orchestral Music of Charles Ives and Veretski Pass' self titled release.
Mark Rubin: "Doctor" Rubin, one of America's most versatile sidemen, has been hailed as the Musical Mayor of Austin, where he is a favorite with such bands as Brian Marshall's Tex-Slavic Playboys, Santiago Jimenez's Conjunto, Don Walser's Band, Mark Halata & Texavia, and was a founding member of the Bad Livers. He has toured internationally and is staff bass and tuba instructor at KlezKamp.

Folk Music Week at Pinewoods Tentative Schedule: click for tentative Detailed Daily Schedule
7:45 - 8:15 Breakfast
9:00 - 10:00
Unaccompanied Song	Jerry, Keith, Jeff
Blues Piano	Judy
Banjo	Howie
Make Your Own Klezmer Band	Hank, Mark, Cookie
Nothin' but the Blues (M/Th)	Andy, Martin
10:00 - 10:30 Morning Tea
10:10 - 10:30
Singing Gathering: Evy Mayer
10:30 - 11:45
Staff Presentation
11:45 - 12:45 Swimming, Bookstore staffed
12:45 Lunch
2:00 - 3:00
English Traditions	Keith
House Party	Judy, Paul, Andy
Charlie Poole (M/Th), Yiddish 78s (Su/W)	Hank
Basic Banjo	Howie (Su/W)
Klezmer Fiddle	Cookie
Basic Guitar (M/Th)	Martin
3:15 - 4:15
Scottish Traditions	Enoch
Dance Session	Seth, & others / Smashing Bumpkins
Youngers of Zion	Hank, Mark, Cookie
Concertina (M/Th)	Keith, Jerry
Thematic Jam	Evy Mayer
Camper One-shots
4:30 - 5:30
People, Places and Songs	Jack & Jerry
Mountain Traditions (Tu/Th)	Smashing Bumpkins
Guitar	Andy
Stand-iup Bass (M/W)	Mark
Blues Harmonica	Paul
Camper One-shots
5:30 - 6:25 Swimming, Bookstore staffed
6:30 Dinner
7:50 - 9:10
Concert	Staff
9:15 - 10:30
Evening Dance Party
10:45 - ?
Late Night Activities

Class Descriptions: [Back to Top]

Presentational Workshops:

Unaccompanied Song -- Jerry, Keith, Jeff, Enoch
Singing and some panel discussion of all aspects of the unaccompanied song tradition of Britain and America.

English Traditions -- Keith
A master singer and concertina player from Derbyshire will present an in depth look at the English traditions of song: ballads, ritual and ceremony, agricultural, love, work.

Charlie Poole (M/Th), Yiddish 78s (Su/W) -- Hank
Rare recordings presented by one of the most knowledgable guys around.

Youngers of Zion -- Hank, Mark, Cookie

People, Places and Songs -- Jack & Jerry
Priceless singing and rememberances from 70 years of traditional song and dance, including memories from the Pinewoods of the 1930s. Jack is perhaps the most important living connection to the first generation of the revival.

Scottish Tradition -- Enoch
Though he knows enough about traditional Scottish music to fill a book, Enoch considers Scottish folk music to be the living idiom of the working class, subject to amendment. So along with the Big Ballads, you'll get the wee ones, and along with the Broadsides you'll get a few sideswipes.

Mountain Tradition (T/Th) -- Smashing Bumpkin

Participatory Workshops:

Blues Piano -- Judy
Bring your keyboard! The rollicking, funky, get-up-and shake that thing piano of the legendary masters.

Blues Harmonica -- Paul
Bring your mouth harp for some blues and gospel magic. We will start in C and D. If anyone wants to bring an extra harp, bring your A as well.

Basic Guitar (M/Th) -- Martin
Learn some basics from a brilliant player and great teacher.

Guitar -- Andy
For serious players. Emphasis on country blues and ragtime tradition.

Banjo -- Howie

Klezmer Fiddle -- Cookie

Concertina (M/Th) -- Keith, Jerry
Sessions for players emphasizing techniques of song accompaniment

Stand-up Bass (M/W) -- Mark
Basics of playing the bass primarily for dance band.

Make Your Own Klezmer Band -- Hank, Mark, Cookie
All instruments, including pots and pans, are fair game. And you don't have to be Jewish, though it couldn't hoit.

House Party -- Judy, Paul, Andy
All welcome to join in for a slam dunk funky time making music the old fashioned way.

Nothin' but the Blues (M/Th) -- Andy, Martin
The title says it all -- join two of the greatest to be heard anywhere while we explore various Blues families.

Thematic Jam -- Evy
Everyday a new theme will encourage contributions from the common, and uncommon, repertoire.

Dance Session -- Seth, & others / Smashing Bumpkins
First the basics for those who have not done country dancing before, but later sessions will have dance of various traditions that will be featured in the evening dance and will be posted during the week.

Program Description Staff Class Descriptions & Schedule Top

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Country Dance and Song Society 132 Main St/PO Box 338 Haydenville, MA 01039-0338 Office Hours M-F 9:30am - 5:00pm EST

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