I was particularly proud to have my friend Anne Hills do a Dave’s Night Out with me. She is a nationally touring folk artist, recording artist with a great history of playing with Tom Paxton, Bob Gibson, Michael Smith and her trio Voices of Winter with Cindy Mangsen and Priscilla Herdman. Her voice is pure and she has a great smile. And she lives here in Bethlehem, too.

She’s working on Michael Smith project, one of the master songwriters in the last forty years (The Dutchman, Spoon River, Dead Egyptian Blues and others covered by many touring pros. She’s been using some interesting open tunings due to some issues with her left hand, and so her songs have a certain sound that only comes from these tunings (ala Joni Mitchell). We swapped songs, having never shared the stage before, I got the feeling that she realized that I’m fairly professional myself. She backed me up with vocals on Roseville Fair and July and that was classy.

The stories flowed and the audience loved it. Many folks are big fans of Anne, and they really liked the opportunity to see her in such an informal and intimate setting. Perhaps I surprised them, too. Giants and How Legends Are Made came across nicely and my Martin was in fine form. I love this instrument!

The reflection session towards the end was nice, with many commenting on her voice. I got a nice phone call from Anne this morning, thanking me for the evening and tipping her hat on my song choices. That was cool, coming from her.

Last DNO of this season and we’ll start a new one in September.

I have some very talented friends, and Craig Thatcher is one of them. Tonight’s DNO was a special one, and especially because there was a nice crowd on hand, a rarity, with a lot of first-time visitors to the club.

Per usual, I really didn’t prepare anything except a set list, thinking I’d do some blues and some stuff off of Troubadour. I started with We Are Welcomed, which proves to be a good opener. We talked about Jorma, Rev. Gary Davis and his school of players, Woody Mann, and Craig did some great finger-picking tunes. I served up It’ll Be Me, Rosie is a Friend of Mine, Walkin’ Blues, We Gave Names to the Animals and finished up with Lessons From Pete. Craig did a new lullaby for his new granddaughter, Can’t Find My Way Home, While My Guitar Gently Weeps and I chimed in on mandolin on Hesitation Blues and See That My Grave is Kept Clean.

The banter was particularly heartfelt and fun. Lots of history, mutual respect and, of course, some very funny moments. As it always is at the DNO’s, everyone, including us, seem to enjoy the warmth and intimacy of the club. Craig also brought out three wonderful Martins. During one of my songs, the 000-16 I had leaned against the stage wall fell over and I remarked, “It’s only a Martin.” Chuckle. They bounce, but only once.

The Reflection, a regular addition to the end of these nights, brought out some great conversations, especially from the many newcomers to the club. As we went around the room, I asked that each person come up with what they liked from the evening and many folks commented on Godfrey’s atmosphere, and our obvious respect for each other, and I was glad that Ramona was in the house to hear some of the accolades for the club.

Needless to say, Craig is one of great guitarists in the Lehigh Valley and to have him back me up on some of my tunes was special. I should be able to get some good cuts for my radio show. Craig also mentioned how these Godfrey’s gigs are special for him, as well, and how he relishes playing in this room. A good friend and a great evening.

This was a good one. Fellow folk programmers and musicians Tom Druckenmiller and Rick Weaver shared the stage with me. We played some tunes, talked about our radio shows and our gigs in the flesh. It was great to share our thoughts with the other programmers in the audience, Rob Reagan, Steve Capwell, Pat DeWolfe and Marcie Lightwood.

Great discussions of being curators, introducing new artists to our audiences, putting together sets of music, and more. I did a couple of Bill Staines tunes, finishing up with A Place in the Choir, with moos, coyote howls and a nice a capella chorus at the end. We also got to recreate The Drunken Lads on Don’t Call Me Early in the Morning. Rick played several Irish ballads embellished with some fine guitar work, and Tom offered some beautiful banjo tunes, with each of us adding some backup work, as needed. The music was well done.

As the night moved on, I got the feeling that we all were dropping quite a few obscure names and I feared some of the audience was starting to gloss over, and I tried to get back on the musical track, but we programmers like to talk…. and talk. Well, that’s part of what makes DNO unique.

The reflection period at the end was, as always, revealing. One younger woman said she like to watch our fingers, and many commented on how we could play the tunes without rehearsal. Also, how much we enjoyed our stage communication with each other. We got to reflect on the early days of Lehigh Valley radio with WSAN and WMUH, and how that affected our present programming. We were also lucky to broadcast on WDIY, which gives us a large creative spectrum to work with.

I admit to being proud of these evenings, with strong intellectual and entertainment values. We were pretty funny, too.

I took a step out of my usual musical theme for Dave’s Night Out tonight by inviting three women poets Ann Michael, Susan Weaver and Marilyn Hazelton. I’m good friends with Ann and Marilyn and have known Susan for a while. The initial topic was Tanka poetry, an interesting short poetry procedure that pre-dates Haiku. I’ve been a fan ever since Marilyn introduced it in a Lehigh Valley Teaching Artist session several years ago. I have several copies of Marilyn’s Red Lights magazine on my bedstand that help me drop the random thoughts that keep me awake and take me elsewhere.

Rarely used Martin 000-1R. A good pal.

Again, a small audience but with several friends of the poets. I started out with Blue Heartland, a nice, compact Jerling tune that seemed impressionistic and a good introduction to the evening. The three women proceeded to talk about Tanka, present some of their works and chat about their craft. It was a refreshing break from the musicians I usually present. I was able to link the poetry of the blues and folk music to the discussion, playing Rock Salt and Nails (a feeble rendition), Green Green Rocky Road (hooka tooka…) and finished the evening with Gorka’s Good Noise.

There was some great talk throughout the evening about the term “ma” which describes the moment of a “space/turning point” in the middle of a Tanka verse. Taking a breath. I shared how that technique helps me when I meditate. At the end, my friend Steve Capwell mentioned that B. B. King said that it wasn’t about the notes but the spaces between the notes. Spot on, Steve.

I’ve installed an audience reflection period after we’re done, and, as always, the feedback from the audience is enlightening, with several folk commenting on the obvious respect and co-energy from the three women, often a comment when my musician friends play with me. It may seem obvious to us as artists, but I like that the audience picks up on that symbiotic feeling on stage.

I was glad to provide this space for my friends and their craft, and especially in this venue. It was a good night.

I have been waiting expectantly for this evening, hosting two of my favorite esoteric songwriters on stage here at Godfrey’s. Several years ago, at a DNO with George, I noticed that Alex dropped by and sat in a pew in the corner. Ah ha! These guys gotta meet. They did.

The theme for the night was Collaboration, since I knew that George and Alex got togther for a Christmas show at The IceHouse – an evening of weird holiday tunes. I hoped that they would unlock some techniques on the creative process. We ended up talking about The Beatles, having watched the sessions in the Let I Be movie. Wow. We also talked about playing in bands regularly, so we have a laboratory at every gig and rehearsal. The chat was wonderful and loose.

It never dawns on me that I write songs, too, as I collaborate with students at residencies, so that gave me an entryway into the discussion. I think I added an intersting dimension to working with others to created something new. I played verses from We Gave Names To The Animals and The Cat Came Back. 

George and Alex had several new tunes to share and Alex finished with his We Don’t Play Like Django. These boys are sharp.

Per usual, there were only about a dozen folks who showed up for this stimulating evening. During the reflection session at the end, folks commented on our obvious friendship on stage and our “joy”. Exactly and very perceptive.

Next Month: Women Poets with Ann Michael, Susan Werner and Marilyn Hazelton. Oh, boy!

I was looking forward to sharing the stage with Doug Ashby, bluesman, fellow radio programmer and folk historian. His band Tavern Tan is a regular treat at Godfrey’s and my respect for him as a musician in the Valley is quite strong. We’ve never had the chance to swap songs before so this was a good chance.  For extra credit, my sister Janet, daughter Rosalie and her fiancé Jourdan were in attendance.

My voice has been ravaged from this non-Covid flu, and I limped my way through my songs, avoiding some of the high notes. It wasn’t pretty but thanks to a hot microphone, I managed, to a degree.

Doug’s love of early blues has given him a strong repertoire of Robert Johnson, Memphis Minnie and other legendary recording artists. I started with Stealin’, a Memphis Jug Band tune and we were off and running. We swapped Robert Johnson tunes, and we talked about the poetry of these blues and went into detail on ‘she’s got Elgin movements’, something we seemed to return to during the evening.

I invited my friend Steve Capwell up on the stage about 45 minutes in, and, as I found out, Steve and Doug were former Tan-mates (no surprise), so Steve was able to fill in with some fine harp work. All of us are folk programmers and players, so it was muy simpatico. I was able to supply Walkin’ Blues, Santa Assassin (with Rosalie, in the house), Prodigal Son and a few others.

It was a good crowd, for a change, with about 25 folks in the house. The conversation was light but we were able to keep things entertaining and musical.

As I’ve been doing recently, at the end, I went around the audience asking what they liked. This has been a pleasant surprise with a DNO audience. Folks were open and forthcoming: the stories, the way we listen to each other, the instruments, Steve’s harp playing. One gentleman brought up my playing Magic Penny for his young son years ago. (I did a reprise.). They also enjoyed our knowledge and respect for this music and its history.

There were lots of great moments, some good music (in spite of my beat-up voice) and something we can do again in the future.

Ann, Cleveland, Dave, Danielle

A small audience for tonight’s Dave’s Night Out with poets Danielle Notaro, Ann Michael and Cleveland Wall. I looked forward to doing this format with my friends and with a spotlight on poetry instead of music. It was different and quite enjoyable. I

I started out with Rosie is a Friend of Mine which quite ironically features the words, “She’s like poetry that doesn’t rhyme.” A bit of whimsy to open up the evening. We did a round robin of the women’s poetry, and they are all professional readers as well as excellent poets.

Ann and Cleveland

Dave And Danielle

In the middle, I asked Cleveland about her work with “embodiment” in poetry, or how to intentionally incorporate (literally) physicality to the process of performing poetry. Great discussion. I did John Gorka’s Branching Out as a nice example of poetry in song, and it stirred up some poets from the ladies. (In the spirit of the evening, I didn’t do any instrumental breaks in the songs.)

I asked all of us why we do what we do, in my case, making albums and in their cases, chapbooks and live readings. Again, this format works well and we did some deep-digging on the creative process. I know the audience and my friends appreciated the session. “Make something out of nothing” was my response.

In my happy place

I finished up with Green Green Rocky Road (to clear the pallet, so to speak) and played it well. It was a good choice, especially with the verse “hooka tooka, soda cracker, does your mama chew tobacco”.

I then I realized that this was a good opportunity to employ my ‘reflection’ exercise, and asked the audience members, and then the poets to reflect on what they liked about the session. It was great to get the audience to come up with their thoughts and made for good way to wrap up the evening.

Sean, Fionna Hennessey are the backbone of Blackwater, the Lehigh Valley’s longest running Celtic Band, and the three of us did a DNO six years ago. Seems not so long to me. The topic last time and for tonight was Family Traditional Music, since we have a brother and sister. I remember sitting between them last time, getting lost in the familial harmonies.

Tonight I came in and found Sean and Fionna all set up, with a gargantuan pedal board set up in front of Sean, center stage. Cool. Sean does a lot of solo gigs where he has to fill several hours of Celtic music so this setup gives him a band – lots of tools (toys?) to play with. Sean also has a large Ipad with lyrics set up near the floor, with a foot switch device to scroll songs and lyrics. Last time I called him on it and he said he had stroke several years ago and can’t recall lyrics any more. I don’t blame him, especially with these long ballads. It is quite a set up.

I got a sound check in with “Part of the Union” and cooled my heels until 7 pm. I planned on starting with Don’t Call Me Early, and I had a very Sean moment: I had the Union beginning in my head, and. for the life of me, couldn’t remember the Don’t Call Me beginning. (I think I’m still functioning at lower level with my recovery). I shifted into We Are Welcome instead and I was back on my feet. Still….

It was a particularly good crowd for a DNO, in spite of being only 6 days removed from St. Paddy’s Day. We set off and Sean is well-versed in chatting with the crowd, opining on Celtic matters and introducing songs. A well-oiled machine so we had no problem with the show. The mix of Sean’s strong vocal and guitar, Fionna’s harmony and flute made for a very fat sound, with the sustain of the flute supporting the chord chops.

I chimed in with Roseville Fair and Giant. Towards the end, Fionna said that what seems to be her staring lovingly at Sean was simply trying to read Sean’s lips to anticipate his getting the words right. Chuckle.

A good night of music, and, as always, intellectually stimulating. Just what the doctor ordered.

I am constantly blown away with my guests on a Dave’s Night Out. Tonight was a particularly good one with two songwriters who have never met before, Andrew Dunn and Pete Gustavson. There were a few more people tonight, some friends of Andrew or Pete, but still not what should really be happening for this series. The format of conversation, music and philosophy is pretty radical but makes for some deep and satisfying (for me) entertainment.

The theme tonight was how the Covid lock-down affected our creativity and our songwriting. Both Pete and Andrew had divergent ideas, Pete alone with his wife and three daughters (no home studio there), and Andrew seeking community, and myself, with my 500 songs-a-day process.

I broke out my SE Martin tonight, somewhat neglected over the last few months, and it served me well. Clean and loud. I started with Don’t Call Me Early and passed it to Pete. Pete’s the real deal and over the course of the evening, his voice and his guitar set the bar pretty high for us all.

Andrew brought along a side man, Todd, on bass and guitar, and he chipped in a nice addition to the overall tone of the evening. I’ll admit that Todd distracted Andrew several times but no big deal. Andrew played some wonderfully emotional songs, as did Peter. I felt in awe of being in between these creative spirits.

I deferred to Pete and Andrew, and offered up Lessons From Pete towards the end, but also did Tropical Vacation, as I talked about my work writing songs with students. It worked well in this format and a rare chance for me to exhibit my Teaching Artist side.

Great moments throughout the evening and come away in awe of the creative friends I have in my life. Thanks, Andrew and Pete.

Alex Radus and Dave Fry

I’ve been lucky to present some of my friends who are quite talented songwriters, and Wednesday’s guest, Alex Radus, is no different. I’ve been an Alex fan-boy for several years now. His new album, recorded at Godfrey’s, is called Tributaries, and that was a good point to start from.

I took it as river-like tributaries that have shaped our music but he also mentioned that tribute is part of that equation. Spot on.

I started out with a Mississippi John Hurt as one of my early influences, especially with his two-finger picking. I did CC Rider, although rather sloppily. Alex picked up on that did some fine fingerpicking with one of his tunes. As we moved through the night, the mix of styles and songs was quite entertaining.

I ended up doing Barnyard Dance on my arch-top Martin, my Fountain Hill tune I Can Be… and Take Me To The River. We talked about how our instruments often shape what we play or write songs.

Again, a small audience that included my daughter Rosalie, so that’s pretty good. The conversation was stimulating and Alex’s songs were wonderful. He was a delight to have on stage with me.

Basic RGB

I was looking forward to getting back to my Dave’s Night Out series, especially since last month’s session was cancelled for Covid protocols. Rolly Brown is a world-class guitarist, excellent songwriter and we have developed a friendship over the last decades here in Eastern PA. I had tagged this session: Music Helps, Making Music in the Pandemic. Rolly had developed a wonderful series of live broadcasts online during the pandemic, and now hosts three shows a week, featuring three songs and an instrumental. We had a good chance to disect his philosophy on starting it out, and how it has blossomed into a nice community for his music.

I talked about my route through the last two years with the individual videos/songs that I did over 500 days in a row, and continue now by posting songs from my copious You Tube library. We had a good chance to get it all out and found, as always, a highly intellectual, informative and humour format.

Rolly backed me up on several songs (Simple Gifts, Rodeo Rider, Branching Out, Shoo That Fly, while showcasing several of his original songs and instrumentals. He is a brilliant player and storyteller. We’ve both upped our game during the pandemic.

Of course, there was under 10 people in the audience, several of whom came up to see Rolly. I find it disappointing to not have an audience for my work, especially in my home town.

Pealing the plastic off the pick guard.

I did introduce my new Martin SC-13E, and play a full song on it for the first time (Branching Out). As we sat on stage before the show, Rolly noticed that I hadn’t taking the plastic off the pick guard yet, so we decided to throw that into the show. It was pretty funny and raised some attention on FB. Made in Mexico, it has koa wood back and sides, a nice spruce top and an unique shape to facilitate playing up past the 12th fret. It played really well, and I could feel it teaching me things that all new guitars do. This is going to be a good guitar.

It was a good night spent with a fine guitarist and friend, and I can’t think of a better was to spend my night out.