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Also this issue: Beat Box Steve Hackett The Proclaimers Anomoanon Ugly Casanova |
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June 27-July 3, 2002
music
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The biggest draw about folk and roots music is the participation factor. Think empowerment, think you can do it. Think of a jam session that has been going on for over 30 years, like The Holmesburg Jam, with one of its originals, Fred Moore, declaring emphatically that not only are newcomers welcome, but “they are our lifeblood!”
Where rookies to such a well-established scene might expect snobbery or elitism from the grizzled veterans, they'll find only enthusiasm and opportunity from the world of folk music. But before you can hit the stage, you need to find your format. The following scratches the surface of local venues where you can pick till your fingers bleed or try out your latest song.
In terms of seniority and reverence, you have to start with The Holmesburg Jam in Northeast Philadelphia. Established in 1971, the weekly event evolved from a gathering of friends in a converted garage to a regular jam session shared by friendly strangers at the Quaker City Yacht Club (May through October) and Nite Owls Tavern (November to May, or during inclement weather). Their website (www.holmesburgjam.com) assures a welcome: "Everybody's Bluegrass." Clearly there are no pretensions lurking for you there. Join them for picking alfresco on Thursdays.
If you really must stay close to downtown, try the Thursday country session at Fiume, the bar above Abyssinia Restaurant, 45th and Locust. Expect classic country, Ernest Tubb, Louvin Brothers, lots of harmony singing and all the bluegrass you can handle. It's run by a small collective of West Philly musicians, including Brendan Skwire, the former bassist of Jim and Jennie and The Pinetops. The collective hopes to build an audience for an acoustic country scene, so listeners (perhaps chorus singers?) are welcome.
Singer/songwriters have the most opportunities for informal performances. To get started, it's a good idea to check the Fortissimo Folk Music site (www.fortissimo.org) for links to local clubs and open mics, and join the e-mail list they offer for the latest news. Serious songwriters who want to hone their craft should reserve first Mondays for the Songwriter Workshops at The Point in Bryn Mawr. Vincent James hosts peer song critiques -- about eight each session -- and music industry pros offer personal experiences. Recently Rob Hyman (of the Hooters) sat in on a workshop and offered thoughts on how to improve songs. Other Mondays at The Point are showcase nights, which feature free admission and a chance to see one local and one touring act make their Point debut.
If you just want to raise your voice in song for the pure fun of it, the Philadelphia Folksong Society offers a wealth of "sings" (informal gatherings, usually in members' homes) and getaway weekends like Spring Thing and Fall Fling. All are geared toward making various styles of music for the joy of it. You can't do much better than "the oldest, most successful volunteer folk organization in North America."
Drummers have the fewest open sessions. Elizabeth Sayre of Demais, a local Brazilian percussion group, suggests taking your drum to Clark Park (43rd and Baltimore streets) on Saturday afternoons during the summer -- a pickup circle is usually there. But she really recommends group classes, where you learn the patterns that make drumming a subtle language. Daryl Kwasi Burgee of Spoken Hand is involved in such classes. Every week the Community Education Center brings Guinean master drummers and dancers from New York City for African dance classes and, when a separate room is available, drumming. Even if a separate drum class is not in session, the dance class offers a chance to observe this style of drumming in its natural setting.
Ron Kravitz is a one-man ambient percussion performer who plays at Fresh Fields, where his specialty is interacting with shopping moms and kids. Trained at David Darling's Music for People program, he also teaches drumming, movement and vocal expression. He calls his Saturday morning sessions "music in the moment, the songs within you," stressing self-expression and invention rather than techniques associated with a certain instrument and culture. "People don't come to me to learn to perform, but to learn to explore possibilities. I have one long room with instruments from around the world. I do some facilitating exercises, then we play the house, found objects, work with the drone of a generator bleeding in from outside." Kravitz also recommends the Valley Forge drumming circle for a free jam.
Irish sessions abound in this area. Here are two that are quite homey and welcoming: Thursdays the Three Beans Coffeehouse in Haddonfield is home to a session hosted by Dennis Gormley and Kathy D'Angelo, a.k.a. McDermott's Handy. Sunday late afternoons and evenings, be the guest of Grammy award-winning bodhran (Irish drum) player Austin McGrath at The Plough & The Stars in Old City. Both sessions are well-known to touring Irish musicians, so you may find yourself jamming with folks you'd ordinarily pay a high price to see.
