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 29, 2017
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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.
April 8
8:00 PM - doors open at 7:30 PM
1047 Curtiss St., Downers Grove
(Across from the Public Library)
Save the date!
Saturday, May 13
Bluegrass Workshop
and jam session
with Chris Walz.
Featuring guitar, banjo and mandolin.
Once again, Plank Road is proud to offer a bluegrass workshop, led by noted musician and music teacher Chris Walz on Saturday, May 13, from 1 pm to 5 pm, at the Two Way Street Coffee House.
Bring your guitar, banjo or mandolin and join us for this outstanding opportunity to learn from Chris with 3 individual workshop sessions, as he instructs us on bluegrass techniques and methods -- then puts them into practice in a jam session. Plan on spending the afternoon picking, strumming and singing with your fellow bluegrass friends before or after your workshop.
Here's how it works:
3 - 5 pm Bluegrass Jam led by Chris Walz
Admission is just $10 for Plank Road members and $20 for nonmembers. Cash or check only. All musician levels are welcome! If you can't make it to the workshop, we look forward to seeing you at the jam! Bring your instrument and join in!
NOTE: Workshop times are subject to change. Please check the Plank Road website Plankroad.org or the Plank Road Facebook page for details. See you on May 13!
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Chris Walz: Flatpicker and banjo player extraordinaire
As a nationally acclaimed multi-instrumentalist and Old Town School teacher, Chris toured for many years with the Special Consensus band and continues to perform solo concerts as well as with other artists. He has a number of CDs, including a recent collaboration with Eric Lambert.
Chris will instruct us on techniques and methods to ensure successful and enjoyable bluegrass playing for all levels of musicians. He'll discuss playing techniques plus protocols, etiquette, and tips on leading a song.
We are fortunate to have someone as renowned and talented as Chris to lead our workshop and jam!
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Plank Road Annual Meeting draws big crowd . . . again!
An enthusiastic crowd gathered on February 18 for our Annual Plank Road Membership Meeting (aka, the "Log Cabin Party"). As in previous years, the venerable Log Cabin in Lombard's Four Seasons Park was filled with members and guests for an evening of food, fun and music.
With the emphasis on music!
Mild spring-like weather ruled out our usual crackling fire in the big stone fireplace, but the "warmth" of shared music, conversation and laughter made up for it. The sing-around was led by the indefatigable George Mattson, who managed to make it all the way around the room, ensuring everyone had a chance to choose a song.
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George, our fearless song leader
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| | Several of George's celebrated "Georgettes" couldn't resist joining in! |
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| | It wasn't all music -- attendees enjoyed a bounty of tasty delights |
The Annual Meeting is primarily an event for members to celebrate another big year at PRFMS, and is also a time to renew annual memberships -- and perhaps to pick up some Plank Road branded merchandise. During the break, president Bob O'Hanlon made a few announcements. He reported our organization is healthy, both financially and in number of members. Last year's board members have agreed to serve another year, and we welcomed Dottie Lee as our newest board member and website specialist.
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Special thanks to all our volunteers and to Jim Gilroy for coordinating this year's event!
For more photos, check out our Facebook page!
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The PRFMS String band was busy in the last couple of months as well.
After getting fed up with the pancakes, they commenced to playin' for their breakfast.
Later that night, many folks joined in for a Good OleTime Barn Dance.
A few weeks later, there was a Chili cook off.
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Get Out of Your House -- Go Hear Some Music!
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PRFMS Member Gigs
- Books on First, April 8 - in Dixon from 7pm to 9pm
- Monarchs and Milkweed Festival, June 18 from noon - 3 p.m. at the Forest Preserve District of Kane County.
Natural Bob Holdsworth
April 23 - Natural Bob Holdsworth along with mandolinist Tom Jaynes appears at the Great American Bagel
Lonesome Eagle
- Lisle Library, May 25, Thursday, 6:30-8:30 '60's Folk & Bluegrass show
- Frankfort Country Market, May 28, 10:30 a.m - 1:30 p.m at Breidert Green in Frankfort, IL
- Frankfort Country Market, June 25, 10:30 a.m - 1:30 p.m at Breidert Green in Frankfort, IL
Amelia Sweet Bluebird
- Logan Square Library, May 16, with Kolleen Blume 6:30 - 7:30 PM
Kilty Pleasure
- Lisle Public Library, April 9, Sun
2:00 PM, Musical Tribute to Carole King and James Taylor.
Mark Dvorak
- Villa Park IL * Saturday April 15 * 6:30 pm * The American Folk Song * Villa Park Public Library * 305 S. Ardmore * 630 834 1164
- Oak Park IL * Saturday April 29 * 6:00 pm * The Buzz Cafe * 905 S. Lombard Avenue * MD will be previewing new songs from the upcoming CD "Let Love Go On" * Reserve a table for dinner 708 524 2899
- Forest Park IL * Sunday April 30 * 6:00 pm * 1st Annual Oak Park River Forest Community Sing Along * to benefit the Oak Park Community Foundation * with MD & the Power of Song Singers * The Young Stracke All-Stars directed by Jason McInnes * $10-20 suggested donation * $25 per family * Doc Ryan's * 7432 W. Madison Avenue
*Sadly, the Great American Bagel shops are discontinuing the Sunday morning music shows. If you are sad, please let the manager know.
PRFMS members, drop us a line if you will be appearing locally.
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 Two Way Street Coffee House
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 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.
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If you are near Hinsdale, please visit the Acoustic Renaissance website for a list of upcoming performers.
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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:
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The Brashler Barn
Located at 17560 S. Gougar Road, Lockport, IL 60441
Friends and Family Venue - Not a Public Business
No smoking, no alcohol, no pets, no children under 14
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A Special Thanks to our Membership Contributors!!
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Sustaining Artists ($200 - $399)
- George Mattson Trio
Sustaining Member ($200 and higher)
Supporting Members ($50 - $199)
- Dan Anderson
- Bill and Mary Boylan
- Joe Jablonski
- Tony Janacek
- Paul and Molly Klonowski
- Dottie Lee
- Bill and Sandyha Matthews
- Gregg and Elizabeth Morton
- Jennifer Shilt
- Carol and Fred Spanuello
- Gary and Kathy Steffenson
New Members!
Say Hi to:
- Joe Bella
- Tim Jedlicka
- Marvin Lensink
- Bud O'Connor
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.
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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
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Here is a list of the top 12 most played bluegrass songs as of 3/31 from - Bluegrass Today
- TERRY BAUCOM & THE DUKES OF DRIVE
Fourth And Goal - CHRIS JONES & THE NIGHT DRIVERS
All The Ways I'm Gone - DARRELL WEBB BAND
If You're Thinking You Want A Stranger - BREAKING GRASS
Annie - CHRIS JONES & THE NIGHT DRIVERS
I'm A Wanderer - KENNY & AMANDA SMITH
Unbound - SHAWN CAMP
Going Back To Bristol - BIG COUNTRY BLUEGRASS
Burn The Barn - BLUE MAFIA
Like A Mining Man - INFAMOUS STRINGDUSTERS
A Hard Life Makes A Good Song - BLUE HIGHWAY
She Ain't Worth It - DARIN & BROOKE ALDRIDGE
Mountains In Mississippi
If you have come across some new or little known artists that you think others might enjoy, please
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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
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Bob O'Hanlon - President
(630) 325-7764
Bill Lemos - VP, Secretary
Gary Steffenson - Treasurer
2017 Board Members
- Dave Humphreys
- Kristen Fuller
- Jennifer Shilt
- Stephen Davis
- Jim Gilroy
- Dottie Lee
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QuarterNotes Contributors
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Stephen Davis
Bob O'Hanlon
Bill Lemos
and thanks to the numerous folks who took and shared their photos!!!
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 President's Message April, 2017
I'm glad to see spring coming, although it was an unusually warm winter. But spring always brings flowers, sunshine, and a fresh new look at the world, along with a multitude of Plank Road activities and events.
In addition to our regular scheduled get-togethers, we will sponsor a barn dance on April 8 and a bluegrass workshop on May 13. For several years, we have put together a workshop for the benefit and enjoyment of our members, and this year is bluegrass. See the article below and watch our web site for more information and details.
The Plank Road "annual meeting" event at the log cabin was great this year, as it usually is. It is nice to see so many long-time members there mingling with newer ones, all sharing our love for folk music. There is always a sense of friendship and fellowship in the air, which embodies the spirit of Plank Road.
I hope to see you all soon.
Bob O'Hanlon
President
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SPOTLIGHT: Skiffle Music
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The obscure genre that launched a generation of musicians.
Skiffle . . . it's an odd little word that sounds like it could be a kids' game. But to anyone who was around in the mid-1950s, hit songs like "Rock Island Line" and "Does Your Chewing Gum Lose It's Flavor" by Lonnie Donegan were all over the AM radio airwaves.
The term Skiffle was originally used in the United States in the 1920s and 30s to describe mixtures of country blues, boogie-woogie, and jug band, with elements of jazz and folk. It was most often played on rudimentary instruments including guitar, harmonica, jug, kazoo, and washtub bass. Skiffle faded in popularity in the 1940s . . . but was soon to experience a huge revival across the Atlantic.
From the American south to the United Kingdom . . .
In Britain, during the post-World War II years, young musicians discovered a style that could be played on an inexpensive guitar, a washboard scraped with thimbles, and a "tea-chest bass" (a broom handle and string attached to a wooden case used for exporting tea). It began as a grassroots movement, particularly popular among working class males, who could cheaply buy, improvise, or build their own instruments. Their songs of choice were from American blues and folk artists like Leadbelly and Woody Guthrie.
Lonnie Donegan and the great skiffle revival.
When Scottish singer and banjoist Lonnie Donegan left a traditional Dixieland jazz band to record a unique version of Leadbelly's "Rock Island Line," he launched the skiffle revival in the UK -- and was unwittingly laying the foundation of the 1960s British music scene. Released as a single in 1956, "Rock Island Line" was purchased by millions, reaching #6 in the UK and #8 on the U.S. charts.
It has been estimated that in the late 1950s, there were thousands of skiffle enthusiasts in Britain -- including John Lennon and Paul McCartney. In fact, the Beatles evolved from Lennon's skiffle group, the Quarrymen.
The skiffle craze was largely over by 1958, as its enthusiasts either abandoned music for more "stable employment" or moved into other forms of music, including folk, blues and rock. English singer-songwriter Billy Bragg once said about the timeless appeal of skiffle, "It's viral -- three chords and the truth!"
For Bill Callahan it started with Lonnie Donegan . . . and an Elvis ukulele.
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Bill Callahan credits the skiffle phenomenon and the songs of Lonnie Donegan for turning him on to folk music and the guitar. "I've been playing and singing ever since."
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Plank Road member Bill Callahan recalls his youthful days in Belfast, Ireland when skiffle bands were all the rage.
"Skiffle was a big influence on me," says Bill. "Lonnie Donegan was huge when I was a teenager. My mother bought me an Elvis Presley uke when I was 14 or 15 years old and I learned to play skiffle songs."
"We had a little band, The 49ers," says Bill. The inspiration for the band's name came from the folksong, "Oh My Darling, Clementine." ("...dwelt a miner, forty-niner...")
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Bill talks about his days in a skiffle band.
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"One day I met a guy who played guitar," Bill recalls. "He showed me a few chords -- and the sound of those chords was a revelation to me!" Bill was inspired -- and it wasn't long before the Elvis ukulele was replaced by a guitar.
"We were all-acoustic -- a guitar, banjo, splash cymbal and a washboard. We mostly just played on street corners or rehearsed Lonnie Donegan songs in a band member's house. But we did play a few gigs in some small halls." They eventually performed on a large stage at a big skiffle contest in Belfast, but, "It was a disaster," says Bill.
He continued with his band for 2 or 3 years, and then in 1960 Bill came to America, settling in the Chicago area. By then the skiffle craze was over and Bill started playing in several local bands. "It was mostly pop music and Irish tunes," he recalls. "Then later I was in a rock band, playing bass. We even played a gig at an event for Mayor Bilandic."
Today, Bill is a regular at Plank Road's monthly BYOS (Bring Your Own Song) sessions at Two Way Street. Interestingly, we have yet to hear him perform a skiffle song. How about it, Bill?
Bill Callahan during his 1970s "rock years" in Chicago. (Can you tell?)
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Here are some of the legendary UK musicians - in addition to Lennon and McCartney -- who started out in skiffle bands:
- Van Morrison
- Mick Jagger
- Ron Wood
- Roger Daltrey
- Jimmy Page
- Robin Trower
- David Gilmour
- Graham Nash
- Barry Gibb
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Septimus Winner
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You may not know him, but you know his songs.
Septimus Winner? Who the heck is that?" Well, as a child you may recall,
Ten little Indians, standing in a line,
Take away one, and then there were nine.
Nine little Indians..... (1868)
Or,
Oh where, oh where, has my little dog gone?
Oh where, oh where can he be? (1864)
These were huge hits back in the mid 1800's when he wrote them.
Septimus Winner was born May 11, 1827, died November 22, 1902, and was buried in Philadelphia. His father was a musical instrument maker (mainly violins), and Septimus played many instruments, but was a student of the violin. He opened a music store at the age of 20, teaching music on several different instruments, and partnered with his brother as music publishers (1845-1854).
Septimus was a well known poet, composer and violinist in his day, and wrote or edited 200 volumes of music for more than 20 instruments. He produced 2,000 arrangements for violin and piano, and sold about 20 million copies of his songs under his own name, and pseudonyms of Alice Hawthorne, and many others.
He also has the distinction of being charged with treason by Abraham Lincoln due to a protest song he wrote, " Give us Back Our Old Commander" (1862), when Lincoln suspended General George McClellan of his command. He was put in jail on the charge of demoralizing the troops, even though " Listen to the Mockingbird" (1855), one his most famous songs (still played today -- and one of my favorites) was the signature song of the Virginia 1st Infantry. Actually, he wasn't officially charged, but was jailed without a hearing due to suspension of habeas corpus. He was released when he agreed to destroy all unsold copies of the song. Septimus Winner made a very pretty spiritual song, " Whispering Hope" (1868) that I love to do. Note that 15 million copies of sheet music were sold of "Listen to the Mockingbird." He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1970.
Music Trivia:
Famous American songwriter, Richard Whiting, (as told by daughter Margaret) was asked to write a song for a 1918 Detroit theatre song contest -- but he decided to trash his unworthy manuscript. His secretary retrieved it, and gave it to their boss, publisher Jerome Remick, who submitted it. It won the contest and became the #1 song of 1919 -- "Til We Meet Again".
Norman Greenbaum had a big hit with "Spirit in the Sky" in 1969. Before that he wrote and sang a song about the destruction of Chicago. What was that song?
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With a Little Help From our Friends!
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"Start 'em young . . ."
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It's never too early to introduce kids to music!
At a recent Plank Road sing-around Joe Hayward brought along his son Jack, accompanied by his very own stringed instrument. It appears to be homemade -- and we're not sure exactly what it is. But really, does it matter? Of course not. That's why we call it folk music!
As many of our "more mature" members of Plank Road look around (that would include most of us), we hope the joys of folk music are discovered, appreciated and carried on by younger generations.
So, best wishes to Jack and his family. Let's hope he's inspired by the music . . . and eventually adds a few more strings to his unique instrument.
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Americana Music
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"Americana" genre grows!
Roots music gets well-deserved recognition as Grammy Awards and album sales soar.
"Americana" defines the broad category of roots music that includes folk, country, bluegrass, gospel and blues, among others. The term has been around for years but has recently become more recognized.
Way back in the late 1950s the Grammy Awards didn't even have a category for "folk" music. Folk artists of the time fell into the "Country & Western" category. It wasn't until the Kingston Trio set the pop music world on fire that the Grammy's gave folk music its own slot.
But "folk music" doesn't begin to cover the wide range of roots-type music we've enjoyed for years. In fact, it was only a year ago that Billboard magazine renamed its folk album sales chart "Americana/Folk".
The bridge between country and rock.
Americana has been defined as the middle ground bridging country and rock, including organic, roots and acoustic-based groups and singer-songwriters. Some of the contemporary artists who fall into this category are the Lumineers, Sturgill Simpson, Mumford & Sons, the Avett Brothers, Bon Iver, Emmylou Harris, Rodney Crowell, John Hiatt, Rhiannon Giddens, T-Bone Burnett, Alabama Shakes, Richard Thompson, the Civil Wars and Alison Krauss . . . to name a few.
Album sales on the rise.
According to Nielsen music sales tracking, total sales for Folk/Americana albums increased about 14% in 2016. Interestingly, this was at a time when overall album sales continued to decline. In fact, according to Billboard, Americana albums outsold R&B, hip-hop, dance and even country music for the first time. Of course, we're only talking album sales. These figures do not include radio play or online streaming. Still, this is good news for the music we know and love!
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Remembering Chuck Berry -- Rock & Roll Pioneer
Remembered as the "Father of Rock 'n' Roll," Chuck (Charles Edward Anderson) Berry died Saturday, March 18. He was 90 years old. With songs such as "Maybellene" (1955), "Roll Over Beethoven" (1956), "Rock and Roll Music" (1957), "Sweet Little Sixteen" (1957) and "Johnny B. Goode" (1958), Berry refined and developed rhythm and blues into the major elements that made rock and roll distinctive. Writing lyrics that focused on teen life and consumerism, and developing a music style that included guitar solos and showmanship (his famous Duck Walk was developed in the early 1950s), Berry was a major influence on subsequent rock music.
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