Plank Road's Regular Events
in conjunction with 2WS
Sing-Around
1st & 3rd Sat. | 2-4 pm
Vocal instrumental jam and sing-along with songbooks and leader.
Country and Western
Sing-Around
4th Sat. | 2-4 pm
Sing along with your favorite C&W songs.
2nd Tuesday Song Circle -- BYOS!
Two Way Street Coffee House
2nd 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.
from Sept to April
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.
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The 43rd Annual
Fox Valley Folk Music
and Storytelling Festival
September 1 & 2, 2019
Labor Day weekend!
Labor Day weekend means lots of singing, playing, listening and learning along the Fox River at the annual Fox Valley Folk Festival in Geneva.
This year the 43rd annual Fox Valley Folk Music & Storytelling Festival will be held Sunday and Monday, September 1-2, at the beautiful 13-acre Island Park, located in downtown Geneva, IL. Eight stages present concerts with over
30 featured acts, plus hands-on workshops, topical song and story workshops, dance, vocal and instrument classes and special events for the kids.
Here's a list of some of the performers:
Bob Bovee, Del Rey, Gina Forsyth,
John Gorka, Rev. Robert Jones, David Massengill,
John Roberts, Red Tail Ring, Steam Machine,
Michael Smith, Pop Wagner, Matt Watroba. -- and many more to be announced!
In addition, a number of PRFMS members perform on various stages throughout the park.
Join us at the Plank Road tent!
While details remain to be worked out, Plank Road will be actively involved. We'll have our usual tent set up where folks can meet, socialize and participate in spontaneous jams. There will also be Plank Road t-shirts, hats, tote bags and other merchandise available.
For updates, please visit
Plank Road's popular Fall party will be back again at the Lombard Log Cabin. The date is to be determined. Watch for updates on our website: plankroad.org or our Facebook page.
Note:This year the festivities will again be on a Sunday, from 2 - 6 pm.
As usual, there will be music, food and fun for everyone. We'll have our usual sing-around, with a break for pizza, salad and more!
Autumn should be an ideal time, hopefully with mild weather.
In addition to your instrument(s), feel free to bring a dish, dessert or snack to share. Plank Road will provide pizza, salad, soft drinks and coffee
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Lombard Park District's Log Cabin is located in Four Seasons Park on Main St. and 16th St. in Lombard (between Roosevelt Road and 22nd street)
Late Summer 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!
Chairs 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
1047 Curtiss St., Downers Grove
(Across from the Public Library)
$5.00 admission
Mark your calendar now! Barn Dances will be held: September 7, 2019
November 9, 2019
February 8, 2020
March 14, 2020
April 18, 2020
New bluegrass jam in Elmhurst
Good news for bluegrass fans!
A new bluegrass jam has been formed in Elmhurst, meeting monthly on the third Saturday, from 12:30 - 3 pm. The jams will be held at the Redeemer Center, 345 S Kenilworth Ave. The Center is located on Kenilworth, just north of St. Charles Road, one block east of York Road in Elmhurst. There's plenty of off-street parking.
Bring your guitar, banjo, fiddle or mandolin -- or just your voice! The next meetings will be July 20, August 17 and September 21.
For additional information, contact David Hanni, Northern Illinois Bluegrass Association, 630-359-7403.
Finally, we received this in our email box
Hi Plank Road People:
I'm Peter Davis, the coordinator of Ashokan Acoustic Guitar Camp, July 22-26 in the Catskill mountains of NY State. We're trying to spread the word about our temperate weather, great food, supportive atmosphere for learning, jamming and
singing, and, most of all, our great, experienced instructors - Happy Traum, Mary Flower, Jefferson Hamer, Mike Dowling, Sylvia Herold, Larry Baione, David Surette, Jeff Pepper Rodgers and myself.
A variety of genres are available - specialize in one or sample many... Oh, and we love taking beginners to the next level! I'm hoping you'd be able to send this message to your members, or at least to a few people who might be interested.
Thanks so much! Peter
Peter Davis Coordinator Ashokan Guitar Camp July 22-26, 2019 Ashokan Center, Olivebridge, NY peterdavis.biz@gmail.com http://ashokan.org/guitar-camp/
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A potpourri of information!
Mark Dvorak's "Articulation" workshop
Who knew so much great information could be crammed into one unique workshop! The man to do it was the ever-reliable, always entertaining Mark Dvorak.
Plank Road's multi-topic workshop was held on May 11 at the First Church of Lombard. For nearly four hours Mark shared his expertise in fingerpicking, harmony techniques, chord structure, guitar riffs and runs, and his unique perspective on the art of songwriting.
The event drew 22 participants who enjoyed a rich, full afternoon with lots of give-and-take, along with Mark's special brand of humor. He went out of his way to involve everyone with hands-on demonstrations.
Plank Road is proud to sponsor these workshops. Events like this are an example of the "value-added" benefits provided to our members.
Special thanks to our volunteers Jen Shilt, Kristen Fuller and Jim Gilroy, as well as others who helped before and after the event.
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Get Out of Your House --
Go PLAY Some Music! - Open Mikes
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Yes, many of us get together for the PRFMS/2WS Sing-Arounds, BYOS and special events. But are you aware of the myriad opportunities to display your talents at local Open Mikes?
Below is a listing of some of the places that we found on the internet. Please call before you go as policies and events change.
Mondays
Tuesdays
Empire
48 W. Chicago Ave. Naperville
Wednesdays
Thursdays
Plus, if you know of other open mic venues that PRFMS members might enjoy, please drop us a line.
Sources
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Get Out of Your House -- Go Hear Some Music!
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Mark Dvorak
St. Charles IL * Saturday August 31 * 7:30 pm * I Hate to See the Summer Go * A special end-of-summer show * Steel Beam Theatre * 111 W. Main Street * $20 * Reservations recommended * 630 587 8521 * www.steelbeamtheatre.com
PRFMS members, drop us a line if you will be appearing nearby.
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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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For those of you closer to the Wheaton area, please visit the Acorn Coffeehouse located in the Burning Bush Art Gallery at:
216 N. Main St
Wheaton
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Tobias Music concerts
Every once in awhile, our friends at Tobias host music in their new(ish) music room
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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 Member
Supporting Members ($50 - $199)
- Dan and Mary Anderson
- Bill and Mary Boylan
- Tony Janacek
- Paul Klonowski
- Ron Kranz
- Dottie and Gerry Lee
- Bill and Sandhya Matthews
- Gregg and Elizabeth Morton
- Bud O'Connor
- Kristin Rosenwinkel
- Joe and Pam Schumacher
- Jen & James Shilt
- Carol and Fred Spanuello
- Gary Steffenson
-
John Wolaver
New Members!
Say Hi to:
- Paul & Karen Barr
- Dave Culp
- Carole Ehrman
- Paul Jeziorski
- Kevin Kridle
- Amy Lee
- Bill Morris
- John Pratapas
- Carrie Rock
- Dale Stallmann
- Tom Tyrrell
- Dutchie Vanderman
- David Zacher
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
Director
Two Way Street Coffee House
cell 630-699-2974
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If you have come across some new or little known artists that you think others might enjoy, please drop us a line.
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Dr. John
Age 71, died June 2019.
Malcolm John Rebennack Jr., better known as Dr. John, the Night Tripper, was a New Orleans singer, songwriter, and rhythm & blues piano player. He was active
as a session musician from the 1950s, gaining a following in the late 1960s and achieving a top-10 hit with "Right Place, Wrong Time" in 1973. In addition to many albums and six Grammy Awards, he contributed to many hundreds of other
musicians' recordings.
Leon Redbone
Age 69, died May 2019.
Born Dickran Gobalian, Canadian-American Leon Redbone was a singer-songwriter, guitarist and actor specializing in jazz, blues and Tin Pan Alley classics. He had a somewhat mysterious persona, and was known for his trademark panama hat, dark sunglasses and black tie.
Tony Glover
Age 79, died May 2019.
David Curtis Glover, better known as Tony "Little Sun" Glover, was an American blues and folk musician and music critic. He was a harmonica player, most notably associated with "Spider" John Koerner and Dave "Snaker" Ray in the early 1960s folk revival. They released albums under the name Koerner, Ray & Glover. He also authored several blues harp songbooks, and is said to have taught harmonica to Mick Jagger.
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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.")
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It's all about Plank Road pride!
You say you already have a Plank Road t-shirt? Not to mention a tote bag or sport bottle? But you know your collection isn't complete until you have at least one of everything
with a Plank Road logo!
So here's the list. Start checking 'em off! ✔
☐ Hats $15
☐ T-Shirts $15
☐ Tote Bags $3
☐ Sport Bottles $5
☐ Guitar Case Stickers $1
Items are available at many Plank Road events, or you can contact Bill Lemos directly at lemos.bill@comcast.net.
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Promote yourself!
New lower advertising rates for members
If you're a current advertiser in this newsletter, or think you might want to advertise, we have good news! Our new ad policy makes it easier (and more economical) to promote your gigs or other music-related endeavors.
Paid members of Plank Road can submit an ad that will run for the full year (4 quarterly issues) for only $50. Your ad can be a basic line listing which can be hyper-linked to your external website, or a complete ad with graphics. (For these ads, you'll need to submit an image file. See Mark Dvorak's ad for reference.)
Artwork must be submitted 3 weeks prior to our "publish" date. For the Autumn 2019 issue, the deadline is September 10, 2019.
- Plank Road members only.
- $50 annually (4 newsletters). Previously $200 - save $150!
- Ads must be related to folk or acoustic music.
For complete details, including specs for image files, please contact Stephen at:
plankroadfolk@hotmail.com.
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Bob O'Hanlon - President
(630) 325-7764
Bill Lemos - VP, Secretary
2018 Board Members
- Dave Humphreys
- Kristen Fuller
- Jennifer Shilt
- 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 folks who took and shared their photos!!!
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President's Message
July, 2019
Happy summer, I hope you are all dried out by now and enjoying warm weather.
Plank Road does not slow down much in the summer, as we continue our regular calendar of musical get togethers. And, we are busy planning our fall activities, including the Fox Valley Festival, barn dances, our usual fall log cabin party, and Saturday string band practices. So, keep checking our website for details on all these things and others.
I don't have much more to say at this time, and Mimi advises me not to write just to fill space. So, I'll leave you with a couple of promotional messages . . . come out and join us at our regular music events, meaning sing arounds and song circles. And we have a good supply of Plank Road merchandise on hand, such as t-shirts, hats, water bottles, etc. We provide these to show our pride in our organization, and to offer high quality, inexpensive, useful items to our members.
I hope to see you all sometime soon.
Bob O'Hanlon
President
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SPOTLIGHT: Favorite Songwriters
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Your favorite songwriters
Here's how several readers responded ...
Last fall we featured a list of favorite folksongs submitted by you, our readers. Then, in our last issue we invited you to tell us about your favorite song writers. We only received a few responses, but they were interesting -- reflecting the varied musical tastes of Plank Road members.
Bob Dylan and John Prine received the most mentions.
Fred Spanuello
"My first choice is, of course, Hoyt Axton. Second is John Prine. Both have great songs that I love to sing."
Rich Ingle
"I assume you only want the top favorite, but you know how I do things, so here are my top 5 (in order -- this week)..."
1. Bob Dylan -- Because he's God!
2. Leonard Cohen -- Because he's co-God.
3. Michael Smith -- Because he's so close to being co-God, he's Vice Co-God.
4. John Prine -- Because he belongs in a category all his own and is my greatest songwriting influence.
5. Jacques Brel -- Parce qu'il est le dieu de la langue française.
Bob O'Hanlon
"I love song lyrics, and had to think hard before sending these:
It is hard to not pick Bob Dylan, the greatest song writer of all time, but you asked who is my favorite, not who is the best. My favorite is John Prine, who has written hundreds of songs and dozens of great ones. My next choice is Shel Silverstein, whose lyrics are always creative and usually amusing...he has also written hundreds of songs.
Also Steve Goodman, a personal favorite, who I have seen perform 5 or 6 times, and once met. And Willie Nelson.
Honorable mentions include Kris Kristofferson, Rodney Crowell, and Boudaleau Bryant."
Carol Spanuello
"Just to name a few of my favorite songwriters in no particular order: James Taylor, John Prine, Iris Dement, Rory Feek, The Louvin Brothers and Woody Guthrie."
"I've been having an argument with myself between the 2 Pauls -- McCartney and Simon. If we include songs written as part of their groups, then I guess Paul McCartney would win. But if we just look at their solo careers, I find that I prefer to listen to Paul Simon."
Bill Lemos
"So many great songwriters, so little space. Have to agree with everyone who listed Bob Dylan and John Prine. I'd also include Woody Guthrie, Paul Simon and James Taylor."
Feeling left out? Wanted to tell us your favorites but forgot to submit them? We'd be happy to include your favorite songwriters in the next issue. Send them to:
lemos.bill@comcast.net
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Joan Baez
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The Queen of Folk . . .
Looking back on the life and times of Joan Baez.
In the summer of 1959, an 18-year-old singer in a bright dress walked onto the stage at the first Newport Folk Festival. She was a surprise guest of headliner Bob Gibson. On Gibson's first song she added a crystalline high harmony, and sang a solo verse. On their second song she cut loose with a nearly operatic vibrato. When the song ended, Dave Van Ronk said, "Newport absolutely exploded."
Joan Baez quickly became queen of the burgeoning folk scene with her stunning renditions of unadorned, centuries-old ballads and traditional songs. She was soon selling out concert halls around the country. Her image -- barefoot and cradling a guitar -- was on the cover of Time magazine.
Her musical legacy includes her skilled and precise fingerstyle approach to her guitar. In keeping with her music, her guitar style is not flashy, but effective, elegant and complete. Like her singing, Baez's guitar style is all about clarity.
A little history . . . from coast to coast.
Joan Baez grew up in California, the daughter of a Scottish mother and Mexican father. In high school in Palo Alto, she was known to walk barefoot on campus, got A's in music and F's in biology. She bought a Sears guitar and sang in the school choir -- but there was no particular sense of a future career. Her introduction to folk music came when she saw a Pete Seeger concert. She was inspired not only by the songs, but by Seeger's uncompromising political stands.
When her family moved to Boston in 1958, Joan, and her sister Mimi Farina, found themselves in the epicenter of the folk scene at Cambridge's Harvard Square. Soon Joan was singing in coffeehouses in and around Harvard Square. She never studied voice or music, but instead learned songs and guitar techniques from those around her.
Things happened quickly after her appearance in Newport with Bob Gibson. Columbia Records tried to sign her, but she opted to sign with Vanguard Records, claiming that she would have more artistic license. It was a good move -- her first three albums all went gold.
Her guitars . . .
Baez found her soulmate guitar, a 1929 Martin 0-45, for a few hundred dollars in the early 1960s. "It was my first serious folk guitar," Baez recalled. "I had a Goya with gut strings, then a gigantic Gibson which hung around my knees. But it was the 0-45 that became home."
The Dylan connection . . .
In addition to popularizing many traditional songs, Baez has been influential for spotlighting the work of contemporary songwriters -- most famously the early music of Bob Dylan. She first heard the little-known troubadour in 1961 at Gerde's Folk City in Greenwich Village. She later described him as a "scruffy little mess" at the time, but found him captivating.
Two years later she and Dylan played a couple of duets at Newport, and she invited him on tour, using her star power to introduce him to mainstream audiences. They were romantically involved for a while, but their musical and personal relationship soon frayed.
Baez has recorded many Dylan songs, including a full album's worth on Any Day Now in 1968. Dylan also inspired some of Baez's own songwriting, including "To Bobby" and one of her best (and best-selling) original songs, "Diamonds and Rust."
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Baez's distinctive vocal style and political activism had a significant impact on American popular music
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She was one of the first musicians to use her popularity as a vehicle for social protest. In 1967 she met David Harris, a young activist. The two formed a close bond and eventually married in 1968 -- with Judy Collins singing at their ceremony. They have a son, Gabriel, who was born while Harris was in prison for refusing military induction. However, the relationship began to dissolve and the couple divorced amicably in 1973. D
uring the early 1980s, Baez dated Apple cofounder Steve Jobs.
In the decades since, Baez has remained one of the defining artists of her generation. Her extraordinary voice and her lifelong commitment to political and social causes continues to this day.
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A close encounter . . .
I was a huge fan of Joan Baez in the early 60s. Her stunning, mesmerizing voice, and elegant, understated guitar style transfixed me. Oh yeah, plus the fact that she was beautiful!
One summer, when I was a mere 19 years old, I went to see her in concert at Ravinia. It was amazing -- just Joan and a guitar, all alone on stage. No back up band, just one woman with the audience in the palm of her hand.
 When the concert ended, a group gathered by a door on the left side of the stage. They seemed to know something . . . so I joined them. In a few moments, Joan Baez stepped out and graciously started signing autographs. I handed her my Ravinia program, she signed it, then handed it back to me (our fingers almost touched). And she looked me straight in the eye with a gorgeous big smile which I can picture to this day. I was a goner. A crush I never got over. Do you think she remembers?
-- Bill Lemos
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CREDIT: Most of the information in this story is from an article by Jeffrey Pepper Rodgers in the May/June 2019 issue of Acoustic Guitar. Additional details are from Internet sites and a Ravinia Festival concert program.
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With a Little Help From our Friends!
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Patsy who?
She was the first lady to have a country & western million seller.
By Andy Malkewicz
Of course, that wasn't quite her birth name. It was Rubye, or really Ruby Rebecca Blevins. Born in October 1908 in Hope Arkansas, where president Bill Clinton also grew up. She was self-taught on the guitar, took violin lessons, learned to yodel and play organ, and at the age of 14 got her first musical employment.
So, as you have surmised by now, it is not Patsy Cline (Virginia Patterson Hensley), but Patsy Montana, the Girl with the 'Million Dollar Personality'. In 1930 Ruby went to California to attend the University of the West (now UCLA), and in short order, won an amateur radio contest with her singing, yodeling and playing guitar. First prize was an opportunity to play on the radio.
Under the direction of Stuart Hamblen, she joined two other ladies, forming the Montana Cowgirls, giving many live appearances, and appearing in a movie. Hamblen had her take the name of Patsy, to avoid name confusion with band mate Ruthy. Champion yodeler Monty Montana, on the same radio show, inspired her to take the last name of Montana.
In 1932, on a brief visit home, she was on a radio show where she met singer Jimmie Davis. She impressed him so much he asked her to back him up on several recordings, and even to make a few recordings of her own. She remained in California until 1933, when she went home only to find her brothers ready to head to the Chicago World's Fair, entering what they hoped to be the "World's Largest Watermelon."
While in Chicago she met some pen pals (Girls of the Golden West) and auditioned for a crooner's role. She giggled halfway into the song. The producer loved it, and had her audition for the Kentucky Ramblers of the WLS National Barn Dance. She was hired, and they changed their name to the Prairie Ramblers (to stay on the western theme).
Her first song on the Barn Dance was Montana Plains, an adaptation of a Hamblen song. When Hamblen complained, Patsy wrote her own, Cowboy's Sweetheart. Though she wrote the song in 1934, it didn't get published until 1935, when it became a million seller.
She went on to become a big star, but never had another hit like Cowboy's Sweetheart. She was active into the 1950s, retired for a while, then was active most of the rest of her life. She died in May 1996, and was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame that same year (1996).
FYI: Patsy Cline died in March 1963 at the age of 30, and was the first female solo artist inducted into the CMHOF in 1973.
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Music Trivia Quiz:
Thank you, and congratulations to Fred Spanuello. You are the first to get all trivia answers correct.
Answers to previous Quiz:
A1. Who wrote the recurrent popular song " Marie"?
Irving Berlin
A2. Name 3 or more songs with the name Diane (or a derivation) in it?
Fred gave 1 - Diane (Bachelors & many more); 2 - Little Diane (Dion); 3 - Jack & Diane (John Mellencamp); 4 - Dee Dee Dinah (Frankie Avalon). I would add Paul Anka's Diana and his unmemorable Remember Diana.
A3. Name 4 or more songs with the name Mary in it?
Fred gave 8 and I'll bet he had many more. Several I didn't think of. 1 - Wind Cries Mary (Jimi Hendrix); 2 - Midnight Mary (Joey Powers); 3 - Mary's a Grand Old Name (George M Cohan); 4 - Along comes Mary (Association); 5 - Crossed-Eyed Mary (Jethro Tull); 6 - Proud Mary (CCR); 7 - Mary In the Morning (Ed Ames); 8 - Hello Mary Lou (Ricky Nelson). A few more in what would be a very long list are: Bloody Mary (South Pacific); Sweet Mary (Wadsworth Mansion); What Will Mary Say (Johnny Mathis); Oh Mary Don't You Weep; Mary's Boy Child (Xmas); and Mary Long (Deep Purple).
A4. What was Dion's 1st major hit with the Belmonts?
I Wonder Why (#22 April 1958)
Without? Lonely Teenager (#12 Oct 1960)
eg: Runaround Sue was his only #1 (Sep 1961)
A5. Name 3 or more cigarette songs?
Fred had: 1 - Smoke Smoke That Cigarette; 2 - America (Simon&Garfunkel; 3 - Flowers On the Wall; and 4 - Sunday Morning Coming Down. I would add: You're the Reason; and Cigarettes Whiskey and Wild Women.
NEW Trivia Quiz:
Q1. Who Invented the Phonograph?
Q2. What did Patsy Cline attribute to her having a big voice?
Q3. What was Patsy Cline's first big hit? Why didn't she like it?
Q4. What famous 60s record producer at age of 21, weighed less than 120 lbs. soaking wet, wore Bristol boots with pointed toes, and carried a holstered snub-nosed 38 revolver?
Q5. Why did Mike Ditka quit when Halas asked him to become an assistant coach?
Keep those responses coming in to
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