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 630-620-06882nd 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 January 30, 2016
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Membership meeting at the Log Cabin
Saturday, January 30 More information below
Winter Barn Dance Saturday, February 13 More information below |
Plank Road Annual Membership Meeting January 30, 2016 Bring a dish, dessert or  snack to share, your voices and your instruments for a night of music and munchies, as we celebrate 31 years! Doors will open at 7:15 PM and the music jam will start 7:30 PM, with George Mattson as our jam leader. You
can help by not arriving too early so the board has time to get
the cabin ready, the fire roaring, and conduct our board meeting.
This is also a great time to renew your annual PRFMS membership but please remember; cash or check -- we can't do credit cards.
The Annual Membership Meeting is primarily an event for members to celebrate another grand year at PRFMS. If you do bring a guest, we hope they will consider joining our organization while they are at the meeting. 7:30 PM Music Jam Session Doors open at 7:15 PM. Potluck Safety.
Read the brochure if you plan on bringing a dish to the potluck!
Help keep us all safe and healthy (please no trombones).
Winter Old-Time Barn Dance! In conjunction with the Downers Grove Ice Sculpture Festival, 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.
February 13 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.
***If you are up and about in Downers Grove Saturday morning, be sure to stop by for the: All-You-Can-Eat Pancake Breakfast!
Saturday, February 13 8:00 AM to 11:00 AM At the First Congregational Church in Downers Grove, 1047 Curtiss St., Downers Grove, IL The Plank Road String Band will be warming up for the evening's festivities from 9:00 am to around 10:30 am
The Cat's Away!
For the third year in a row, Denise Davis wrangled a number of the 2WS volunteers to put on a show at the Two Way Street.
- The
Plank Road String Band opens the show, led by the inimitable Chuck
Maltese. Accompanying Chuck, will be Kristen Fuller, John Allan, Barb
Ellingsen, Stephen Davis and Ron Leaneagh.
- George Mattson
- The Woodshop Boys (Len Clark, Tom Kuhn, and Parker Johnson)
- John Risinger
- Lonesome Eagle (Jim Zethmayer, Gregg Morton, Ron Leaneagh)
- Kilty Pleasure (Denise Davis and Ron Leaneagh)
Mark your calendar and come on out on February 19!
|
Plank Road celebrates the holidays with musical cheer
Christmas carols, a seasonal sing-around -- and holiday treats!
Once
again, the harmonious sounds of Plank Road songsters greeted holiday
shoppers in downtown Downers Grove. On December 19th, a hearty band
of volunteer carolers strolled the streets from noon to 2 PM,
spreading cheer with musical favorites -- from traditional Christmas
carols to contemporary holiday tunes.
Following
the caroling, everyone gathered at Two Way Street Coffee House for
our usual Saturday sing-around. But this time, George Mattson brought
out the holiday songbooks and led us in a rousing 2 hours of group
singing and playing.
At
4 PM we broke for some seasonal refreshments, including sandwiches and
beverages provided by Plank Road, and an array of appetizers and
desserts brought by Plank Road members. The festivities continued with George leading us in another round of sing-alongs. A good time was had by all!
George Mattson led the holiday sing-around with a merry group of Plank Road regulars and guests.
Jinglebell Jubilee
As part of the Village of Lombard's Jinglebell Jubilee, George Mattson and Gregg Morton, along with Jann Mochell, led the Holiday Sing Along at the Maple Street Chapel. 
Additionally,
next door at the Lombard Historical Society Carriage House, Chuck
Maltese led a merry band of PRFMS Stringboard members playing old time
versions of many holiday favorites. Danada Fall Festival
Way
back in October...... as the leaves began to turn, many PRFMS members
once again performed at the Danada Equestrian Center. This event
is organized by Plank Road, specifically thanks to Kristen Fuller. This
year's performers were: - Kilty Pleasure
- The Plank Road String Band
- David Hawkins
- George Mattson & Tommy Re
- Amy Dixon-Kolar
- Natural Bob & Tom Jaynes
- Blind Hills
- Lonesome Eagle
Carolers photo courtesy of Pam and Joe Schumacher.
Singaround photos courtesy of Jen Shilt. Maple Street photo courtesy of Melissa Dagenhart |
Get Out of Your House -- Go Hear Some Music! |
PRFMS Member Gigs
Comfort Food
- March 11, CD release party at Two Way Street Coffee House
- 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 ConcertsIf 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)
- Heather Styka - George Mattson
Supporting Members ($50 and higher) - John J. Allan
- Dan Anderson
- Bill and Mary Boylan
- Vicki Ingle
- Joe Jablonski
- Paul and Molly Klonowski
- Lilli Kuzma
- Dorothy Lee
- Gregg and Elizabeth Morton
- Pete Prybl
- Jen Shilt
- Carol and Fred Spanuello
- John Spokas
- Gary and Kathy Steffenson
- Ric Travis
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
|
From NPR, here is a list of - ANNA & ELIZABETH
Anna & Elizabeth - CAITLIN CANTY
Reckless Skyline - SAMANTHA CRAIN
Under Branch & Thorn & Tree - JON STICKLEY TRIO
Lost At Last - DARLINGSIDE
Birds Say - RHIANNON GIDDENS
Tomorrow Is My Turn - AMY HELM Didn't It Rain
- JASON ISBELL
Something More Than Free - SAM LEE & FRIENDS
The Fade In Time - THE MIKE + RUTHY BAND
Bright As You Can - JON STICKLEY TRIO
Lost At Last
There are links to song samples on the NPR 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 - 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
|
|  | |  President's Message January, 2016
Happy New Year,
everyone! We at Plank Road are looking forward to the year ahead, with a
full calendar of events for our members to enjoy. One premiere event is
our annual meeting at the Lombard log cabin on Saturday, January 30, at
7:30 pm. We look forward to seeing you all there.
I
am beginning my eighth year as President of Plank Road; my, how time
flies. I had no intention of serving this long, but because of the great
board members I have been able to work with, it is a pleasure. We work
together to provide what the members want from our organization, to keep
us true to our stated mission, and to keep us on track financially. We
work together well and when we disagree, it is with great respect for
everyone's point of view...no fighting or hurt feelings. We welcome Jim
Gilroy to the board in 2016. Also, long time member, Carol Spanuello,
leaves the board with our respect and gratitude for all her
contributions over the past seven years.
So,
to recap our scope of activities, we sponsor, or co-sponsor about 90
single events per year, plus publish a newsletter quarterly, maintain a
web site, offer Plank Road merchandise at moderate prices, and regularly
attend music festivals in the area. Plank Road has over 125 members and
we are entering our thirty first year as an organization. Hooray for
us. I hope to see you all soon.
|
SPOTLIGHT: Comfort Food - Rich and Vicki Ingle | Comfort food to release their new double CD album
Top area musicians join Rich and Vicki Ingle in the studio . . . and at their CD release party in March.
 Stop in for a taste of Comfort Food! Correction
. . . make that Comfort Food with a Cup of Joe. Yes, the duo of Vicki
and Rich Ingle -- long-time Sustaining Members of Plank Road -- are now a
trio, welcoming their pal, the wonderful violinist and mandolin player,
Joe Wadz, as the third member. Comfort
Food will be celebrating the release of their long overdue second CD,
"Double Helpings," on March 11, 2016 at the Two Way Street Coffee House.
Vicki, Rich and Joe will perform tunes from the CD with guest musicians
Jamie O'Reilly, Amy Dixon-Kolar, Dean Milano and Jim Polaski. "It
will be a wonderful time," says Rich. "We are so happy to be able to
have our release party at one of our favorite venues. So happy, in
fact, that we are bringing cake for everyone, to top it all off!"So,
what took so long to release a second CD, you ask? "Well," says Rich,
"Vicki and I have spent the last five years trading off writing binges
in between gigs. Between us we have come up with enough new original
material -- plus a few of our favorite covers -- to fill two CDs." Hence
the title, "Double Helpings." |
Double Helpings -- the new double CD from Comfort Food. |
An all-star cast helped make the album come together. "These
two CDs are filled with what we consider our best work," says Rich.
"But a lot of credit goes to the wonderful people we worked with -- some
of the top professionals in the business." "For
starters," explains Rich, "The album was recorded at one of Chicago's
finest studios, King Size Sound Labs, by one of the finest engineers in
the business, John Abbey." Additionally, the CD was mastered by Grammy Award winner David Glasser of Airshow, in Boulder, Colorado. "But that's only the beginning," says Rich. "In addition to Joe Wadz on violin and mandolin, we had a lot of help from other friends. Not only did John Abbey play bass on many of the tracks, he also provided some nice guitar work. Beautiful harmonies were sung by Jamie O'Relliy and Amy Dixon-Kolar, who also contributed some fine guitar work to accompany her sweet vocals." The list goes on, says Vicki. "Mark Dvorak plays banjo on a few tracks and provides some excellent guitar work on a couple more tunes." Other talented friends included Dean Milano, who joined them on upright bass on a few tunes, and Jim Polaski, who did triple duty on mandolin and accordion, along with handling most of the photographic duties."We also had the honor of recording with Nashville studio musician -- or more accurately, magician -- Robert Bowlin," adds Rich. "He displayed his award-winning skills on violin, mandolin, and cello." "Finally," says Rich, "We have once again enlisted the services of our favorite graphic designer and good friend, Jen Shilt, who did her usual excellent work in making the Comfort Food CD look good enough to eat." "Last, but certainly not least," adds Rich, "We are eternally grateful to another great friend, Allan Shaw, for releasing our CD on Wind River Records. We're very proud to be on this label." Rich
and Vicki are looking forward to the release of 'Double Helpings' in
March. "We hope to see you," says Rich. "A splendid time is guaranteed
for all!" Promotion and publicity for the new release events is supplied by Loretta Sawyer Acoustic Arts. www.lorettasawyeragency.com Contact info: vingle@comcast.net - Thanks to Rich Ingle for his contributions to this article.
Stop in for a taste of Comfort Food with a Cup of Joe
CD Release Party
Friday, March 11, 2016
8:15 pm
Two Way Street Coffee House
1047 Curtiss Street, Downers Grove
Doors open at 7:30 pm
Rich Ingle, Vicki Ingle & Joe Wadz
With special guests . . .
Jaime O Reilly
Amy Dixon-Kolar
Dean Milano
Jim Polaski |
Behind the scenes with Rich and Vicki Ingle . . .
 Comfort Food's new CD cover art features an original painting by local artist Steve Fisher. "It's a real bonus," says Rich. "Having that picture as the front cover really puts it all into focus."  Vicki and Amy Dixon-Kolar working out an arrangement.
 Rich laying down a vocal track
 Joe Wadz records a fiddle track.
 Vicki takes a break during a recording session
 John Abbey and Rich at the master console, mixing tracks
 It's a long climb, but Comfort Food's new album is finally ready!
|
Woody Guthrie |
Woody . . . The story of an American legend.
PART 1 - Heredity By Andy Malkewicz  Woodrow Wilson Guthrie, born in Okemah Oklahoma, July 14, 1912, about 70 miles east of Oklahoma City in Ofuskee County ( I lived in a place called Ofuskee
). His father Charley, was a perennial also-ran in the local Democratic
party, and Woody was named after their candidate for president. Woody
died in the care of his 2nd wife, Majorie, in New York City on October
3, 1967, from complications of hereditary disease, Huntington's Chorea.
His life was indeed a story that sounds like a Hollywood writer enhanced
it. I will delve into various aspects of his life over several issues
of the QuarterNotes newsletter, starting here with Huntington's disease
(HD). HD
was a major factor in Woody's life, starting long before he was born.
His maternal grandparents, George Sherman, Mary Maloney, and their 4
daughters, left Tennessee in the early 1890's to partake in the white
settlement of the Oklahoma territory, heading to the small hamlet of
Welty. George, a strong young dirt farmer, "mysteriously" fell off his
horse, and drowned in the shallow Little Deep Fork river, about 30 miles
from Okemah. This was yet another of strange unexplained tragedies that
haunted the Sherman family.  Down
the river, Jerry Guthrie (JP) and his family of Texas cowboys had
settled, and made it home. They herded cattle, shot bandits, played
fiddle and guitar around the campfire, and did all the things expected
of real cowboys. Charley Guthrie (Woody's father), born in 1879, helped
with all the cowboy duties, but was inclined to read books and study.
Woody's grandmother remarried, and Charley was hired to work on her (now
Mary Tanner) farm outside of Welty. Charley was coming into his own,
and was known as the quickest wit, and best storyteller in Ofuskee.
Charley courted Mary's clever, full of life cowpuncher daughter (by
George Sherman) Nora Belle. They married a year later, she at the age of
16. They were a musical family, Charley with the fiddle and cowboy
songs, Nora Belle with lullabies, and old time songs. Over the years
they had 5 children, Woody being the 2nd, and Clara (who Woody adored)
the oldest. As the kids grew older, Nora Belle showed increasingly
erratic behavior. Clara, being the oldest, received the brunt of the
strange behavior, and in 1919 Clara set herself on fire, and died a few
days later (Sherman tragedy). Nora Belle's behavior was known all over
town, and was blamed for the death. Charley mourned her death, and kept
her picture in his pocket the rest of his life. In
1909, JP moved to Okemah, and built Charley and Nora Belle, a
'splendid' 6-room house. A month later, a neighbor's kitchen fire
spread, and burned it down. Charley had grossly under-insured the
property, and they were left with little. But, no one was hurt, and they
moved to a house outside of town. Nora Belle took the loss of 'her
beautiful home', and yearned for it for years afterward. It was the
beginning of her depression. Charley
did well for a while after his marriage. He successfully ran for local
office, and was a successful wheeler-dealer in real estate for a while,
but fought and drank, and could not hold onto a buck. His political and
business dealings took a downturn as he got a little older (and cocky),
and his health and fortunes spiraled downward. Meanwhile, Nora Belle's
depression and erratic behavior was to the point of being dangerous. In
April 1927, Charley was napping, and woke up as a bonfire. Nora had
watched him for awhile, walked to him, dumped the kerosene lamp on him,
backed away and watched the explosion. He was sent to his sister Maude's
farm in Pampa, Texas to recover, and she was now caring for Charley,
his son George, and daughter Mary Jo. Woody fended for himself as a
street urchin, and Roy went to work. Nora Belle was sent to the state
mental hospital in Norman. A year later, Woody visited his mother, and
heard of Huntington's Chorea for the first time. She died in the
hospital in 1929. Following is a brief family tree as best I could gather, with where and how they died: Charley & Nora Belle Sherman - married 1904 1904 - Clara Edna - set herself on fire age~15 ( Sherman tragedy HD related ) - 1919 1906 - Roy Lee - Okehma OK 1966 1912 - Woody ( Woodrow Wilson ) - HD 1967 1918 - George Gwynne - California 2005
Woody & Mary Jennings - married 1933
1935 - Gwendolyn - California HD 1976 1937 - Carolyn Sue - California HD 1989 1939 - William - train accident California 1962
Woody & Majorie Mazia - married 1945
 | 1943 - Cathy - fire due to faulty electrical wiring (Sherman tragedy, not HD ) - 1947 |  |
Woody & Anneke (Marshall) Van Kirk married 1953
1953 - Lorina - auto accident - 19731955 - marriage is dissolved
1954 - Woody checks into Brooklyn State Hospital 1956 - Woody officially diagnosed with HD at age ~42 1967 - Woody dies from HD complications Oct 3, 1967 References: Majority
of info for these articles is taken from Joe Klein ©1980 "Woody
Guthrie: A Life". He interviewed Woody's 2nd wife, Majorie, Pete Seeger,
Arlo, and many others. He toured Oklahoma (and probably Texas) in 1978,
and 1979, to experience, see, interview, and read as much material as
he could find. I do recommend this book. Many good on-line sources are
also available such as: Songs of Woody Guthrie ; The Official Woody Guthrie Website ; 100th anniversary biography ; BIO Woody Guthrie ; Roll On Columbia , and many more! NEXT ISSUE: WOODY - Part 2 - The Formative Years |
| | | With a Little Help From our Friends! |
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1917 - 
