Category Archives: Music

John Herald, 1939 – 2005

John Herald, one of the originators of the New York City bluegrass scene and one of the most generous and giving musicians I’ve ever met, died this week. Back in March, I wrote about a tribute to him at the … Continue reading

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Bootlegged!

Well, for the first time, I’ve been bootlegged. And now that I’ve been the “victim” of “illegal” music downloading, I can say it firmly: I like it just fine. (And while I am not trying to make my living this … Continue reading

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Toronto Notes, and the Squid Song

TORONTO, Ontario, April 21 — Just got to Toronto, and had to get a bunch of stuff done for work (on which I am obviously procrastinating) but one thing strikes you the moment you walk out the door of your … Continue reading

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Johnnie B. Bad

Johnnie Johnson, July 8, 1924 – April 13, 2005 Johnnie Johnson at a free lunchtime concert at Metrotech in Downtown Brooklyn, July 5, 2001. Johnnie Johnson died on Wednesday. Chuck Berry had the suits, the big red guitar, the looks, … Continue reading

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The Staten Island Acoustic Music Scene (Not a Typo)

On Monday night, I finally made my way out to Staten Island to check out an open mic that blues singer Caroline Cutroneo hosts at The Muddy Cup, a coffee house on Van Duzer Street in Stapleton. I’d met Caroline … Continue reading

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Gig Cancelled, New Song

In case anyone was planning a trip to Red Hook next week, the Second Saturday at Sunny’s with Kate and Lou has been cancelled for this month. Hopefully we’ll be back in May. However, as promised, I’ve got a new … Continue reading

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Norwegian Music In Red Hook

In the back room of Sunny’s, on a Monday night, with the bar closed, the neighborhood quiet, and the lights so dim that we had to dig a table lamp and extension cord out of a closet so we could … Continue reading

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Missed Brush With Fame

On the front page of today’s Arts and Leisure section, there’s a photo of Sunny’s Bar in Red Hook, accompanying an article about new artistic hot spots in New York. Sitting at the bar are three musicians I play with … Continue reading

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Left, Right and Wrong

Mother Jones this month had a surprisingly refreshing article (use code MJJ9AK to view the whole thing) on the failures of the left, which spoke to me more than almost anything else I’d read on the subject. The central thesis … Continue reading

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John Herald

The New York City traditional music scene outdid itself last night. The Parkside Lounge (where I’m playing on Sunday night with Mike Skliar) threw a big tribute last night to John Herald, the lead singer for The Greenbriar Boys, the … Continue reading

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