March 2009 Folk Enews

Greetings, Folkies,

Dervish was great last weekend, and I look forward to the sold-out Carolina Chocolate Drops concert tonight. Neal Copperman reports that Joan Baez concert (also sold out) last Sunday ended with two standing ovations and the whole audience singing “Amazing Grace” along with Joan.

A lot is happening this month: Fiddle Workshop in ABQ with Ken and Jeanie on March 7, Caller’s Workshop with Richard Wilson in Santa Fe on March 28, and more. But this month’s headline is that folk wedding #12.5 occurred yesterday, February 28, 2009, in Tijeras, NM. Yes, musician/dancer Beth Corwin and dancer Fred Lamont tied the matrimonial knot! They and their 40 or so guests ate great food, kicked up their heels dancing, and jammed with other musicians. Great merriment ensued.

Folk Wedding #14
Photo by Laurie Phillips

Corrales Sing, Friday, March 6
FIRST FRIDAY OF EVERY MONTH, 8:00 P.M. TO MIDNIGHT
This month’s theme is Weather. Each participant in the circle may lead a song, do a solo, request a song, or pass. Bring enthusiasm, songbooks, instruments, beverages/snacks, kids, and friends.
Contact: Laurie McPherson 898-6978
Email: lauriemcpherson@hotmail.com or lmcpherson@salud.unm.edu
114 Coronado Road, Corrales, 87048
(Directions: From the intersection of Alameda and Coors, go 1.8 miles north on Corrales Road. Pass the Chevron station, go several blocks. Just past the Horseman’s Supply store, turn left on Coronado Road. Post office is too far. They’re the second house on the right, come in past the barns to park.)

Fiddle Workshop for the New Mexico Musical Heritage Project at UNM, March 7, Albuquerque
NEW MEXICO MUSICAL HERITAGE PROJECT at UNM
Sat. March 7, 1:00-3:30 PM
Ken Keppeler and Jeanie McLerie of Silver City N.M. are offering a fiddle workshop on Sat. March 7, from 1:00-3:30 PM in Room 144 in the Communications and Journalism Building at UNM – They will teach the New Mexican Spanish Colonial Fiddle tunes as learned from Cleofes Ortiz and other great N.M. fiddlers, some Cowboy tunes from the Lewis Family of Crow Flats, in southern Otero County and a few Cajun/Creole tunes as learned from Dennis McGee, Canray Fontenot and other great players of the SW Louisiana area. The workshop will be 2 and 1/2 hours long and will include a packet of some tune transcriptions and a CD of the music as played by Ken and Jeanie and some of their mentors. Cost $25.00. Limit 15 persons. For reservations call 575-534-0298 or write us them at bayouseco@aol.com

Albuquerque Contra Dance, Saturday, March 7
Called by Chris Kelly of Santa Fe with Bayou Seco playing. 7:30 – 10:30 p.m., newcomers class at 7 p.m. Heights Community Center, 823 Buena Vista SE (1 block east of University, south of Lead/Coal). Bring clean dance shoes. No shoes with nails or that leave black scuff marks, please. $7 members, $8 others, students 1/2 price with ID.

Durango Contra Dance, Saturday, March 7
CONTRA DANCE
Location: American Legion 878 E. 2nd Ave (enter from 9th Street)
6:00 – community potluck that is open to all. Bring a dish to share.
7:00 – beginner dance instruction
7:30 – Contra Dance with caller Wendy Graham and the Sandia Hots from Albuquerque, NM playing. All dances are taught and called. No partner is necessary, and dancers of all ages and abilities are welcome. Admission is $10. First-timers get a pass to come back for free. For further information, call 970-385-9292, or see the website http://groups.google.com/group/Durango-Contra-Dances

Second Sunday Dance, Albuquerque, March 8
Richard Wilson calling elegant English and zesty contras; Second Nature (Karina Wilson and Della O’Keefe) playing. 7:00 – 9:30 p.m., Heights Community Center, 823 Buena Vista SE (1 block east of University, south of Lead/Coal). Bring clean dance shoes. No shoes with nails or that leave black scuff marks, please. $7 members, $8 others, students 1/2 price with ID.

Santa Fe Contra Dance, Saturday, March 14
Will McDonald calling with Contratones playing. 7:30 p.m. -10:30 p.m., IOOF Hall, 1125 Cerrillos Rd. Instruction at 7:00 p.m. $7 members, $8 others, students 1/2 price with ID. (You can ride the train to and from Albuquerque to Santa Fe now; http://www.nmrailrunner.com/schedule.asp has details and schedules.)

Albuquerque Megaband Practice, THURSDAY, March 19
THURSDAY this month only!!! Join the Megaband in a jam in its current location at O’Niell’s Pub, Banquet Room, 4310 Central Ave SE (Central at Washington in East Nob Hill), 7:00-10:00 p.m. More info: Bruce Thomson, 277-4729.

Las Cruces Contra Dance, Friday, March 20
Lonnie Ludeman and Lewis Land calling with special musicians Dan Levenson & the Boiled Buzzards playing. This month’s theme is Irish for St. Patrick’s Day. Location: San Andres HS Auditorium, Hwy. 28, 2355 Avenida De Mesilla, Las Cruces, NM. For info, contact 575-522-1691 or email juliedance@yahoo.com. 7:30 p.m. – 10:00 p.m., beginner lessons & dance to follow to 10:30 p.m., Cost: $5

Albuquerque Contra Dance, Saturday, March 21
Kris Jensen calling and the Albuquerque Megaband playing. 7:30 – 10:30 p.m., acoustic jam at 6:30 p.m. and newcomers class at 7 p.m. Heights Community Center, 823 Buena Vista SE (1 block east of University, south of Lead/Coal). Bring clean dance shoes. No shoes with nails or that leave black scuff marks, please. $7 members, $8 others, students 1/2 price with ID.

Taos Contra Dance, Saturday, March 21
Katherine Bueler calling, dance at the San Geronimo Lodge, 1101 Witt Road, Taos, at 7:30 and wind down at 10:00. Call 505-776-1580 with questions about the dance.

Santa Fe Contra Dance, Saturday, March 28
CALLING ALL CALLERS and CONTRA-DANCE BAND MEMBERS
A Workshop in Santa Fe by Longtime Caller Extraordinaire, Richard Wilson
Saturday, March 28, 2009
10:00 a..m. – 4:30 p.m.
• No charge to participants, but donations accepted.
• Richard will share out of his 30+ years of dance calling, with his strong emphasis on community-building and accessibility to dancers of all levels with callers and dance-band musicians.
• Live Music will be provided by Karina Wilson, Scott Mathis, and Linda Askew. Callers of all levels of experience are encouraged to come with any areas you would like encouragement or enlightenment of.
• The Contra Dance at the Odd Fellows Hall that evening will be open-mike for callers, with an Open Band hosted by the same three excellent musicians.
• Pot luck lunch will be shared. Please let us know if you plan to come. Ask also for directions to workshop. Suggestions, questions, please direct to : betsybrown@lobo.net.

Then the dance will be open microphone for callers with Santa Fe’s new concept of an open band playing. This means anyone can join in and play with the designated leader. The leader for this open band is Santa Fean Karina Wilson. It is not necessary to have gone to practice or read music- they’ll play by ear. 7:30 p.m. -10:30 p.m., IOOF Hall, 1125 Cerrillos Rd. Instruction at 7:00 p.m. $7 members, $8 others, students 1/2 price with ID.

Looking Ahead
Sign up now! 17th Annual Folkmadness Music and Dance Camp, Socorro, NM, May 22-25, 2009. Kathy Anderson and Scott Higgs calling English, contras, and squares. Bag O’Tricks from Seattle and Privy Tippers from Tucson playing. Nils Fredland leading singing. We keep thinking our camps can’t get any better, but then they do!

April 3-5, 2009, English Country Dance Weekend, Austin, TX, Thanks to the 70 dancers who have already registered for the Set for Spring English Country Dance weekend to be held at the “Fed” ballroom in Austin, TX April 3-5, 2009. Joseph Pimentel calling to the the music of Goldcrest. For more information, including a schedule of events and registration form, go to www.setforspring.org . You can register online and pay via PayPal or print out a form and mail it in. The Saturday morning session at Set for Spring will include five “for those who know” dances, and instructions for these are posted at www.setforspring.org/Dances.pdf

SW Picker’s Concert: April 16, Time: 7pm – 9:30 pm
Event Title: Chance McCoy and The Appalachian String Band
Location: Covenant Presbyterian Church, 9315 Candelaria NE, Albuqueque
Email inquiry@siliconheights.com, Phone 505-298-5589; Tickets $ 10 members $ 15 non-members. Tickets available at the door. No advance ticket sales. Be prepared to kick up your heels and stomp your feet at this show. You can hear samples from this band at http://www.myspace.com/chancemccoy

Also, two of the band members will lead music workshops on April 15:
Two Hour Intermediate/Advanced Clawhammer Banjo Workshop
With Adam Hurt
April 15 7-9 PM, $ 30.00 per person
Contact Judy at (505) 298-5589, Email inquiry@siliconheights.com

Two Hour Intermediate/Advanced Old-Time Fiddle Workshop
With Chance McCoy
April 15 7-9 PM, $ 30.00 per person
Contact Judy at (505) 298-5589, Email inquiry@siliconheights.com

ZoukFest Irish Traditional Music Weekend, June 12-14th, 2009
University of New Mexico, Albuquerque
Due to the impending acquisition of the College of Santa Fe by New Mexico Highlands University, ZoukFest World Music Camp will not be held at the CSF campus this summer (the weeklong world music camp will return in 2010). This year, ZoukFest presents an Irish Traditional Music Weekend on June 12-14th on the campus of the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. This special event kicks off on Friday evening June 12th with a Reception, Dinner, Introductory Staff Performance, and Seisiún*. The fun continues throughout the day on Saturday, June 13th with over a dozen different Irish music workshops in Fiddle, Flute, Tin Whistle, Mandolin, Tenor Banjo, Bouzouki, Guitar, Song and Bodhran (Irish frame drum). Each workshop is two hours in length. Saturday evening will feature a Staff Concert with master fiddler/guitarist Randal Bays, uilleann pipes/flute/tin whistle phenom Eliot Grasso, stunning singer Moira Smiley and bouzouki/mandolin/tenor banjo master Roger Landes. The weekend concludes with more workshops on Sunday morning, June 14th. Admission to the weekend event, including all events: Friday evening, Saturday workshops, Saturday night’s concert, and Sunday workshops, is $95. Out-of-town attendees may opt to stay in campus dorms or at a nearby hotel (with a special ZoukFest rate). Admission to individual workshops and tickets to Saturday’s evening concert will be available. Workshop descriptions and schedule as well as the registration page coming soon! Check the website for more info: http://zoukfest.com

Cool music videos from the Really Big Banjo show last week are now on youtube. Go to www.youtube.com and search for BANJOJUDY (one word). They’re great quality, great music, AND a great history lesson!

Dance Video Online: The Prescott Daily Courier did a nice video story about contra dancing in Prescott interviewing Warren Miller and featuring shots of dancing and the great local band Iona at their last dance. (Thanks to Art and Jenn for letting me know about this.) You can see the 2 1/2 minute video at this link:
http://www.dcourier.com/main.asp?SectionID=100&subsectionID=159&articleID=64738

Musicians wanted: The Southwest Traditional and Bluegrass Music Association is seeking bands for the Showcase Stage at the 35th Santa Fe Bluegrass and Old Time Music Festival on August 29, 2009. This will be the fourth year for this part of the festival, often drawing more people than other ongoing shows. It also helps promote our vendors in that area. Applicant band’s genre should be either Old Time or Bluegrass. All band members get in free on that Saturday of the festival. All band members will be placed in a pool from which judges for the Saturday contests will be chosen. Those interested please contact Roger Schense at rschense@comcast.net or call 505-298-4544.

AMP concerts host many fantastic musicians. Upcoming artists include Boulder Acoustic Society, the Bills (a personal favorite of mine), and more that don’t start with the letter B. Here is a partial list of concerts in 2009:
Mar 3: Asylum Street Spankers – Santa Fe Brewing Company
Mar 5: California Guitar Trio – The Cooperage
Mar 7: Corinne West – The Source
Mar 20: Boulder Acoustic Society – The Cooperage
Mar 29: Willy Porter and Natalia Zukerman – The Source
Apr 2: Hawaiian Treasures Celebration Tour – South Broadway Cultural Center
Apr 11: Bruce Cockburn – KiMo Theatre
Apr 13: Amanda Palmer – Santa Fe Brewing Company
Apr 23: Po’Girl with JT and the Clouds – The Cooperage
May 1: Todd Snider – The Cooperage
May 5: Vienna Teng – Outpost Performance Space
May 15: Susan Gibson, Jana Pochop – The Source
June 10: Laurie Anderson – KiMo Theatre
June 11: Laurie Anderson – Planetarium
June 13: Zoukfest Celebration – Outpost Performance Space
Sept 3: The Bills/Marc Atkinson Trio – South Broadway Cultural Center
Sept 25/26: ¡Globalquerque! – New Mexico’s 5th Annual Celebration of World Music and Culture – NHCC
Full details at www.ampconcerts.org

The New Mexico Folk Music and Dance Society (FOLKMADS) has gone to an all-electronic newsletter and calendar to save paper and postage. You can ask to continue to receive the paper version though, if you prefer it. But folks who are nostalgic for paper newsletters have the option of printing the “mailed version,” as well. There’s a link to a PDF file in the online newsletter. The calendar can be printed in old-school style, too, from a link at the bottom of the online calendar. Visit http://www.folkmads.org/ for details.

Happy St. Patty’s Day! Garish, gaudy, glaring green is fashionable, so I hear (not that _I_ would ever wear anything garish).

Merri Rudd
Albuquerque, NM
www.merridancing.com