Plank Road's Regular Events
Sing-Around
1st & 3rd Sat. | 2-4 pm
Vocal instrumental jam and sing-along with songbooks and leader
Bluegrass Jam
Like a sing-around but it's bluegrass, "mostly!"
2nd Tuesday Song Circle -- BYOS!
Two Way Street Coffee House2nd Tues. | 7-9 pm
A monthly opportunity for musicians to perform songs for each other, within a song circle. Bring Your Own Song!
Plank Road String Band Practice
630-620-0688
2nd Sat. | 2:00-4:00 pm
An old-time string band practice for intermediate/advanced players.
Last Thursday Open Mike
Last Thurs. of every month | 7-9:30 pm
A monthly unplugged open mike for high school and college age students only.
5th Saturday Country and Western Sing-Around
5th Sat. | 2-4 pm
Sing along with your favorite C&W songs.
- Come join us on April 30, 2016
|
Saturday, April 9
More information below
|
Spring Old-Time Barn Dance!
Come and enjoy a fun-filled evening of music and dancing for the entire family!
Our dances are informal, with no costumes needed -- in fact, you don't even have to bring a partner!
The Plank Road String Band will provide lively music, and a caller will walk you through all the dances at our
Old-Time Barn Dance -- No Experience Necessary!
Tables will be set up around the edge of the room for visiting with friends and enjoying music between dances.
8:00 PM - doors open at 7:30 PM
At the Two Way Street Coffee House
1047 Curtiss St., Downers Grove
(Across from the Public Library)
$5.00 admission for everyone 5 years of age and older.
|
Plank Road Annual Meeting draws big crowd
Our Annual Meeting on January 30
brought out an enthusiastic crowd -- in fact, it was (almost) a full
house. As in the past, Plank Road members and guests met at the Log
Cabin in Lombard for an evening of food, fun and music. Especially music! To
those who took a moment to observe, it seemed like an unusually vocal
crowd, with vociferous singing, accompanied by energetic picking and
strumming. In other words, everyone had a good time!
During the break, president Bob
O'Hanlon made a few announcements. He said our organization is healthy,
both financially and in the number of members, with many attendees
renewing that evening. He also thanked Carol Spanuello for her service
as vice president and webmaster, and announced Bill Lemos will take over
as VP.
By the way, Plank Road is looking
for a volunteer to help out with our website and Facebook updates. If
you can spare a little time, please contact Bob O'Hanlon or Stephen
Davis.
I wonder what would happen if I clicked on those photos above???
Cat's Away
Once again Denise Davis took
advantage of Dave Humphreys' absence at the Two Way Street Coffeehouse
to put together a wonderful show by the volunteer staff, many of whom
are also PRFMS members!.
George Mattson performed the MC
honors and to top it off, a nice donation was made to the Hope's Front
Door organization, which benefits many folks in the Downers Grove
area.
 Pluckers
Kristen, Stephen, Barb, Chuck and Ron
Woodshop Boys
- Parker Johnson on fiddle & mandolin
- Tom Kuhn on banjo
- Larry Lindeman on mandolin & gourd banjo
- Marilyn Lindeman on bass
- Len Clark on guitar & harmonica
 John Risinger
Lonesome Eagle Trio - Jim, Gregg and Ron
George Mattson and Tommy Re
Kilty Pleasure - Denise and Ron
Chili Cook Off
The
Plank Road String Band had the good fortune to be invited to provide
music for the 3rd year in a row to the First Church of Lombard's Annual Chili cook off, benefiting their Youth Group's fundraising efforts.
 Bob, Kristen, Angela, Jen and Jim
Fortunate?
As in all the chili we could eat! Oh, and sharing our folk music
heritage with those unfortunate few who don't listen to folk music on a
regular basis.
 John, Barb and Jim
Not pictured: Cathy, Ron and Stephen
|
|
Get Out of Your House -- Go Hear Some Music!
|
PRFMS Member Gigs
Comfort Food
-
On Saturday, April 9, Rich and Vicki will be performing at Berwyn Public Library at 2:00PM
Natural Bob Holdsworth
April 24, you can find Natural Bob Holdsworth along with mandolinist Tom Jaynes at
PRFMS members, drop us a line if you will be appearing locally.
|
 Two Way Street Coffee House
|
 Maple Street Chapel Folk Concerts
If you are near Lombard, please visit the Maple Street Chapel Folk Concerts website to see a current listing of upcoming performers.
|
If you are near Hinsdale, please visit the Acoustic Renaissance website for a list of upcoming performers.
|
Did you know
that many of our local libraries also host occasional music events
throughout the year? Harpeth Rising, Mark Dvorak, Chris Vallilo, and
Lonesome Eagle all have been featured at several of our libraries in the
past years.
Lisle Library's Friends of Lisle Library Concerts are offered on a regular basis. You can check their calendar at:
|
|
A Special Thanks to our Membership Contributors!!
|
|
Sustaining Artists ($200 - $399)
Supporting Artists ($50 - $199)
- George Mattson Trio
Supporting Members ($50 and higher)
- John J. Allan
- Dan Anderson
- Bill and Mary Boylan
- Frank and Helene Clarke
- Joe Jablonski
- Paul and Molly Klonowski
- Ron Kranz
- Dottie Lee
- Bill and Sandyha Matthews
- Gregg and Elizabeth Morton
- Pete Pribyl
- Joe and Pam Schumacher
- Carol and Fred Spanuello
- Gary and Kathy Steffenson
- Ric Travis
- Arthur DiVito & Family
- Joe Hayward & Family
- Todd Kozak
- Ron Kranz
- Alan Lacey & Family
- Brennan Lazzaretto
- Allan Shaw
If you would like to become a member or just need to renew, here is a link to the renewal form that you can print and mail.
|
 |
|
|
| |
You've been to the Two Way Street Coffee House.
Have you ever looked at the folks behind the counter and said, "I know
how to make coffee! I'll betcha I could do that!"
All you have to do is contact Tim Kendall.
Timothy Kendall
Assistant Director and Acting Volunteer Coordinator ;-)
Two Way Street Coffee House
cell 630-699-2974
|
- Tim Obrien
Traveler, 2003 - Airdance
Flying on Home, 2003 - contradance band? - Barton Carroll
The Lost One, 2008 - Great Big Sea
The Hard and the Easy, 2005 - The Wailin' Jennys
40 Days, 2004 - Sarah Jarosz
Follow Me Down, 2011 - John Gorka
Land of the Bottom Line, 1990 - Crooked Still
Shaken by a Low Sound, 2006 - The Duhks
Migrations, 2006 - The Wind Whistles
Window Sills, 2008
There are short
reviews and links to song samples on the web site, but
don't forget to support these artists.
Buy their CDs. Go to see them perform.
If you have come across some new or little known artists that you think others might enjoy, please drop us a line. |
|
What's on your mind?
Do you have ideas for
future articles? Things you'd like to see in the newsletter? Ways we
can make it more enjoyable and relevant to Plank Road members? Here's
your chance to be "note-worthy" . . . just send us an email with your comments about QuarterNotes. We welcome your input!
We may publish some of your comments and always appreciate ideas. (Think of it as sort of a "letters to the editor.")
Please send all correspondence to: PlankRoadFolk@Hotmail.com
|
Bob O'Hanlon - President
(630) 325-7764
Gary Steffenson - Treasurer
Bill Lemos - VP, Secretary
2016 Board Members
- Dave Humphreys
- Kristen Fuller
- Jennifer Shilt
- Stephen Davis
- Jim Gilroy
|
|
QuarterNotes Contributors
|
Stephen Davis
Jen Shilt
Bob O'Hanlon
Bill Lemos
Andy Malkewicz
and to the numerous folks who took and shared their photos!!!
|
|
|
|
 President's Message April, 2016
Mimi and I have
taken three trips this year, all to warm climates, to escape the Chicago
winter. They were very nice and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves, but, I
missed playing music with my Plank Road friends. Our travelling
companions are music fans and were very interested in our music club.
They asked about the kind of music we play, which led to a discussion
about our favorite songs and artists, which, in my case are too numerous
to mention. But people are almost always interested in our programs and
wish they could find something similar in their home towns. My brother
from Santa Fe came to the March 5 singaround, led of course by George
Mattson, and he raved about it all evening.
Our 2016
membership renewals (and new members) are way ahead of our usual pace,
so it looks like Plank Road continues to be strong and popular. Our
calendar is full of regular events and our communication vehicles are
working well, meaning our web site and newsletter. The board meets
regularly to review all the activities and if necessary, find ways to
improve them. We are working on some improvements to the web site, to
make it easier for you to use.
So, I hope to see
you all soon. My travelling days are about over for 2016, so I'll be
attending all the Plank Road sessions I can.
Bob O'HanlonPresident
|
|
SPOTLIGHT: Carol Spanuello
|
Carol Spanuello says 'goodbye' to Plank Road board,
but not to Plank Road.
After 7 years on the board, it's time for new adventures.
Retirement!
Ahhh, what a lovely word! When the time finally comes, it's with mixed
emotions. Will I miss the daily routine and challenges of work? The
camaraderie of my coworkers? What will I do with this new-found freedom?
For
long-time Plank Road member Carol Spanuello, it was not a problem. Last
October she retired from GE Capital Real Estate, and immediately
plunged into new activities she'd neglected for years.
She
also decided after serving as an officer for 7 years on Plank Road's
board, it was time to pass the torch to someone else and spend more time
pursuing her other interests. (More about that later.) But first, a
little about our own "renaissance woman," Carol Spanuello.
A little background . . .
Carol
was born in Harvey, IL, lived in Riverdale, Chicago Heights and in 1965
moved to Oak Park, through high school. She later lived in Forest Park
with her husband and step-kids and currently resides in Willowbrook with
her husband Fred. In college, Carol studied marketing and later worked
in residential and commercial real estate.
As
a member of Plank Road Folk Music Society for 10 years, we wondered
what drew her to folk music. "My parents were both very musical," says
Carol. "My mother played violin and my dad played clarinet, but I never
had the opportunity to hear them play. I grew up listening to and
enjoying 30's and 40's and 70's folk music on the radio."
Carol
recalls when she was a very young child, the VFW in Hazelcrest, IL had a
banjo-playing member who would lead everyone in folk music. "He
introduced me to songs like 'Grandfather's Clock' and 'I've Been Working
on the Railroad.'"
Then
in grades four through six, she had a science teacher who loved folk
music. "He would teach us old and current folk songs while playing his
guitar," says Carol. "This set the tone for my love of folk music."
"I
first received a chord organ in third grade and my mother taught me to
read music," Carol recalls. "Then, in school I learned to play the flute
and sax."
Carol and Fred discover Plank Road.
"Ten years ago my husband found an ad in the local paper about Plank Road's music jams and we attended our first sing-around. I knew I was home!!!" That week, she purchased her first guitar, and Fred taught her to play.
Next
on her musical journey came a set of harmonicas. A few years after that
she had her first upright bass, followed shortly by a mandolin. "My
first love was the upright bass," says Carol. "When attending concerts
through the years I watched the upright bass players with great
interest. The upright bass feels natural to me and I always enjoy the
warmth of the low tones."
As a board member, Carol wore many hats.
"I
started as a board member, then Secretary, then Vice President and
Webmaster, says Carol. "As Webmaster, I managed Plank Road's website and
Facebook page." Her many responsibilities also included Plank Road
merchandise, such as t-shirts and tote bags. Over the years she's been a
tireless volunteer for numerous projects and events, including barn
dances, festivals and annual Plank Road get-togethers. Carol continues
to be a dedicated participant in our regular sing-arounds.
As expressed by Plank Road President Bob O'Hanlon, "Carol leaves the board with our respect and gratitude for all her contributions over the past seven years."
And what is she doing now, with her new-found free time?
Those
of us who are retired know that "free time" is a misnomer -- there's
hardly enough time in the day -- and Carol can testify to that. A
typical day for her can include:
- Teaching music, flute, sax and guitar to grade school age kids.
- Re-exploring her love of art and making greeting cards using mixed media including watercolor and paper crafts.
- Honing
her skills on one (or more) of her many musical instruments, including
her newly-acquired bass harmonica -- adding a new challenge to the
mix.
- Participating at Plank Road's barn dances and Saturday sing-arounds and a bluegrass jam now and then.
Girl bands?
"I
put together two bands," says Carol. "One is called The Ear Piercing
Sirens, which meets once a month at my home where we enjoy a meal,
socialize and jam. And the other group is called Gearl Jam. We plan to
play music at nursing homes."
When
asked what music means to her, Carol sums it up nicely. "I really enjoy
the balance music brings to my life. It's a great way to meet and
socialize with people with similar interests. And we can learn so
much from each other."
|
|
|
|
|
With a Little Help From our Friends!
|
|
Woody Guthrie
|
Woody . . .
The story of an American legend.
PART 2 - Formative Years
By Andy Malkewicz
This
part is a collection of short snippets (in chronological order) of
Woody's early life experiences, activities and lifestyle, which
contributed to his productivity, to write over 1,000 songs.
 We
pick up on Woody Guthrie at age 14 in 1926. His mother was unstable
from Huntington's Disease (HD) and getting worse. His father was an
undisciplined businessman from a rugged cowboy family, whose dealings
were not doing well. He spent long hours at his office, drank a bit, and
didn't like going home. The oil boom had moved on from Okemah, and
times were tough in town. Woody and brother Roy cleaned house, looked
after the younger kids and mother.
Woody
was a scrawny, dirty boy who didn't fit in at school. His classmates
taunted him, though he was quite smart. He was the class clown, dancing a
jig, and playing his French Harp during free time at school. He
preferred stories of outlaws and Indians, and skipped school often to
hang out with a much older hobo friend. He liked listening to his friend
play guitar, and singing the old time songs his mother sang. In school,
he excelled as an artist.
When his mother set his father on fire (see Part 1 in previous issue),
Woody watched as the stretcher lifted his dad onto the train heading
for his aunt Maude in Pampa TX. Woody and Roy stayed in Okemah -- Woody
in an abandoned shack. He took up with other misfits, who made some
money by picking garbage, and selling what they could. They would
sometimes feast on a stolen quart of milk, a begged loaf of bread, and
some butter they bought.
In
short order, Woody found he could make money, more and easier, as a
street musician, doing his jig and playing his harp. When winter came,
he caught a bad fever, and was given shelter with a friend's family. The
father, Tom Moore, played fiddle and sang old time church songs, while
Woody harmonized, and played harp. He liked it there, and even cleaned
himself up. Woody got a gig at the local Rotary club, and netted $60 in
his hat. When Tom told him to get some new clothes, he bought 2 shirts,
and gave the rest away. Money came pretty easily to Woody, and he had
few needs. His father squandered money, and too much money bothered
Woody.
But
times were tough, and the Moore's decided to move on to Arizona. Before
they left, Woody convinced them to take him to visit his mother. She
didn't know him. He took it hard, and the Moore's departed in 1928. At
age 16, Woody's world changed. He started roaming, hitching rides, and
hopping freights, staying in hobo camps or anywhere he could find
shelter and food. About a year later, he settled with his father in
Pampa.
As before, he found it easy to make money, mostly from his painting of signs, cartoons, and murals. His "Harris Drug"
sign remained until 1977. He found a guitar at the drug store, and his
Uncle Jeff started teaching him. He still disliked school, but developed
an insatiable appetite for knowledge. He spent much time at the library
with one study after another during his time in Pampa. His interests
were intense, and changed over time from psychology, to the bible, the
occult, adobe houses, birth, and you name it. During this time he became
quite a wordsmith, playing with words and phrases, writing a psychology
book (that remained in the library for years), and able to
appropriately quote the bible for most occasions.
This
was probably the most normal time in his life. He made a close friend,
Matt Jennings, who he went shooting, drinking, sneaking around, and
playing music with. They found another musician (much better than them)
and performed around town as the "Corncob Trio," for food, drinks and
fun.
When
Uncle Jeff got the family urge to roam, and look for JP's legendary
silver mine (Woody's grandfather), Charley, Woody, and Roy joined him.
They had a great time playing music, eating beans, and drinking whiskey
from fruit jars, but returned home none the richer.
Woody,
at 21, courted Matt's 15-year-old sister Mary, and married her a year
later in 1933, despite objections from both families. Not long after,
Uncle Jeff and Allene, Woody and Mary, and an entrepreneur/owner and
wife, created a traveling show, which failed when the wife ran off with
another show. Woody got the owner's typewriter, and used it to write
unsolicited magazine articles, steamy love stories, and even an
autobiography. All were rejected.
Pampa
in 1935 was subject to economic pressures of the times. The oil boom
was winding down, the great depression, and 4 summer draughts were
depressing the town. On an unseasonable hot April 14, 1935, the "great
dust storm" blackened the sky as far as the eye could see, with dust
from 1,000 miles away at wind speeds of 45 to 70 MPH, dropping
temperatures by 50°F.
Animals left outside choked to death. Inside, Woody and Mary waited it
out with wet clothes over their mouths. It subsided a bit after the
first hour, but lasted through the night into the next day. Everyone
shoveled dust out of their houses for several days.
Times
in Pampa got tougher, but not for Woody. Money from art and
entertaining came easy, and at 23, he still had little use for it. As an
example, an eccentric old rich guy would have Uncle Jeff and Woody take
him for a ride in a police car, and then sing for him that evening, and
give them $50 each, an awful lot of money. Woody would leave it on the
table, or give it to an old guy in the gutter.
Mary
had her first child. Woody tired of it quickly. He was tiring of things
quickly, and people of Pampa tiring of him, and his easy life-style.
They felt Woody was mocking them, and did, in what would be his first
standard, "Dusty Old Dust", using the melody (for verses) of Carson Robison's "Billy the Kid".
The song was simply a summary of events in town after the dust storm as
he saw them. The song tells of people leaving town, and he too, felt it
was time to do some more roaming.
He
traveled the West, and the Midwest, and made his first trip to
California in 1936. Goons and police from Los Angeles and local towns
had roadblocks at the border. He finally made it to aunt Amallee's where
he was almost accidently shot, and returned quickly to Pampa. After
another year in Pampa, he returned to Glendale CA, to his Aunt Laura and
cousin Jack, without the goons this time.
Singing
cowboys such as Gene Autry and Roy Rogers (Sons of the Pioneers), were
making it big in Hollywood. Cousin Jack was a tall, handsome guy, who
could sing and play guitar well. He wanted a piece of the action, and
found a gig for no pay at radio station KFVD, for a singing cowboy. The
"Oklahoma and Woody" show debuted July 19, 1937 featuring Jack and his
sidekick Woody.
So,
Woody lived in tough times, in a hard environment. His life was
unusually hard, part of it his own doing, and he thrived on it. He was
smart, talented and resourceful, but didn't think much of it. With his
wide knowledge, and his grasp on language, he easily and quickly put
events into words and music.
Woody's journey continues and ends in the next issue. For references, see Part 1.
|
|
BYOS - Bring Your Own Song
|
Sharing songs on a Tuesday night
B.Y.O.S. (Bring Your Own Song) -- It's like a mini-open mic . . . without the mic!
"You can play a song at home all you want, but it's nice to come out and share it."
That's
the sentiment expressed by one attendee at a recent B.Y.O.S. session at
Two Way Street Coffee House. On the second Tuesday of each month at 7
PM, George Mattson hosts a small gathering of folks who want to try out
their songs -- hence the name BYOS, which stands for Bring Your Own
Song.
It's
a casual environment in a song circle setting, but instead of everyone
joining in on every song, it's an opportunity for each person to "solo"
with original compositions or covers of songs written by others. It's a
way to share a song you like -- or a low-stress way to gain experience
for those who don't normally perform for others.
George
Mattson came up with the idea when he retired in 2011. "This was
something I'd wanted to do in addition to our regular Saturday
sing-arounds," says George. "So I ran it by Dave and Bob to see if Two
Way Street and Plank Road could co-sponsor it, and we're now in our
fifth year."
Each
month the group ranges from 7 or 8 people up to a dozen or more. "The
challenge is to encourage people who want to take part," says George,
"But to keep the size of the group manageable, so everyone gets to do at
least 2 songs."
Here are some comments from several BYOS attendees:
"It's completely different when you do a song in a different place with people who are encouraging and non-judgmental."
"I've
always been uncomfortable singing in front of other people, so I come
here to try to get over that feeling. It's a great confidence builder."
"Most of us do covers of other songs, but sometimes we'll do original stuff. It's a nice way to see if your song is working."
"There's always an interesting mix of musical styles and song choices that different people bring."
|
|
|
|
